Best of 2014: What's Eating Dad?

Promotional poster for What's Eating Dad?, a film by Michael Goldburg (image via whatseatingdad.com)

If it weren't for Michael Goldburg, I'm not sure I ever would have attended the NYC Horror Fest. But because he's a friend, and because his short film, What's Eating Dad?, is a "horror-comedy," there I was, sitting in a dark theater on a Saturday afternoon, watching horror flick after horror flick. The festival consisted of several sessions, each of which featured a few shorts followed by a feature-length film. What's Eating Dad? seemed unlike anything else in the lineup. Funny and startling, it represented a refreshing break from the genre, exploring themes of love, sacrifice and family, all in eleven delightfully insane minutes. At least three moments that I can remember caught the audience offguard, causing the theater to burst into spontaneous laughter. In short, Dad was excellent. If it makes its way to a film festival near you, I would certainly recommend checking it out.