Who said unimaginable eldritch horrors can’t be funny?
This is the kind of tone taken by the comedy-horror mockumentary short “The Pickman Model“, by Tim Troemner, loosely based on a short story by HP Lovecraft. It is now streaming on Alter’s YouTube channel, and you can also watch it at the end of this article. It might inspire you to submit to the next Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
The Plot
The short is presented as a painting tutorial by infamous artist, Richard Pickman. His paintings are so disturbing that they are rejected by high society, and an art critic was institutionalized after seeing one of them. Now he’s here to teach his method of finding inspiration! A method that involves a door to a nightmare dimension and will make you see things you will desperately wish you could forget.
We’re Not Painting Happy Trees
Before writing this, I found the Lovecraft story it’s based on and skimmed through it. It was told from the perspective of Pickman’s teacher, who is invited to see some of his art, and suspects that they might be based on actual demonic sights. This adaptation takes a more comedic look at that story, with a documentary of Pickman casually telling the camera that they are based on these sights, as if the existence of Lovecraftian horrors is common knowledge.
The tone of this short is rarely taken seriously. It is full of silly humor, often coming from how casually the horrors are treated by the title character. Even his appearance signifies this tone, with his obviously fake mustache. In fact, we later see him wearing another fake mustache over it, to disguise himself as somebody whose title is “Real Person.”
The testimonials that are featured feel like they come from a straight-up comedy, with their over-the-top portrayal of art snobs and contemporary artists. Even though it takes place in the current era, it has the feel of an instructional VHS tape, which makes it feel like a parody. And it is a pretty funny short, relying on the juxtaposition of the mundane instructional video tone, and the horrors that Pickman matter-of-factly tells the audience will be engraved in their minds forever.
Near the end, in the most unsettling (if not particularly scary) sequence, Pickman gives a monologue about why it’s important for art to also portray darkness in order to fully portray the world, while aided by creepy sound design and giallo style lighting and images. I was surprised that this monologue, or anything like this, was not in the actual story. This seems like something he would write as a statement on his career, particularly at a time when horror, much like Pickman’s art, was looked down upon. Instead, it serves as a good statement for horror writers and filmmakers everywhere, including the makers of this short. It’s a reminder of why horror, dark paintings, and other disturbing subjects are just as important as happier subjects in capturing the whole of life.
Conclusion
“The Pickman Model” updates a classic story, turning it into a comedy mockumentary with a couple of unsettling moments, and a clearer statement on dark art. The writer of this post does not condone following his advice though.
Watch it below.
Connect with the Filmmakers:
YouTube: TeaTimeProductions
