Something super-toxic must be pulsating in Brampton , Ont. Canada'a water these days (could be the cosmic energy of it's popular, award winning & beloved, arts/hockey-supporting mayor: Susan Fennell)...it seems that just like the convergence of star power that in the late '80s and '90s centred on Scarborough which produced such diverse bright lights as Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, The Barenaked Ladies and Paul Tracy, just to mention a few Brampton (aka Bramladesh, B-town, and Brownton ) is the hometown or hot-bed residence of a new wave of celebrities such as ; (Metal Queen:) Lee Aaron, Russell Peters, Tyler Labine, Michael Cera, Paulo Costanza , Shawn and Aaron Ashmore, Keshia Chanté, (comedian) Scott Thompson, Richard Marsella ,(Broken Social Scene member) Jason Collett, Vivita, Lewis Mercer, Mike Burry, Dave Lei, Brandon & Brittany (or is that Britney) Watt...and 'er, Myself. Well 'Worm' film-maker: Richard Powell might as well join this talented lot (Hell, me too!). My date at a preview screening (Vivita, actually ) was very surprised to learn that it was a Canadian, short & not a feature from a major studio. Powell is on the right track by hiring pros and spending a crap-load of money on this short. If I were a hep, influential producer ( which I ain't; either her or influential), I'd take this to a Major Producer (to get to someone like Jack Nicholson; say) to be made as a Major Studio feature (like the filmmakers of 'Sky Captain' did). Powell's (and Zach Green's) insight into psychological horror film-making is commendable. If this trend & growth of home-grown talent keeps up; B-town should be a viable contender for being the 'premier' film-making capital of Canada!..Let's hope all of the above mention talent could stay in Canada, join up into a super-cinematic think-tank & create some amazing feature films that''s blow the world away...as for Richard Powell & his associate: Zach Green..Keep your eyes on these two filmmakers, genre-lovers ...they are a-movin' on up!

-Review of WORM by Rogue Cinema's Josh Samford- "I was sent the short film Consumption, from director Richard Powell, not too long ago and it turned out to be one of the more impressive little features that I had the good fortune to stumble upon. Consumption was a bizarre twist on romantic genre archetypes by crafting a pretty ordinary love story into a story of cannibalism. Director Richard Powell left an indelible impression on me with his film and I was quite excited to receive the latest from Fatal Films in my mailbox. Worm continues a vision that entails the bizarre, but it is darker and more sordid project than his previous work; which was far more violent. Taking on the human mind in a way that isn't absolutely original, Powell manages to take the internal monologue and remove the pretension from it and craft a nerve shattering short film that pushes the audience to a near breaking point.Geoffrey Dodd (Robert Nolan) a high school teacher who absolutely despises his own life and the process that it has become. In his life the only thing he has is his own inner being that he keeps hidden from his external life. Through an internal monologue he explains to the world the woes and horror that craft his reality. However, there is one shining thing that keeps him going: the beautiful young student Lillian who he finds himself absolutely infatuated with. He knows society won't accept his love for her, so his mind wanders. Geoffrey is torn between the reality of his life, where is a presentable and generally agreeable man and his internal thought process which is filled with violence and seething anger. Will he crack before the end of the school day and if he does, who will be safe? With a focus on the title for this short film, you have to wonder where the name Worm comes from. It could be as simple as being short of "bookworm", which few of Mr. Dodd's students are apparently. However, looking at the poster artwork, one wonders if it isn't an allegory to the classic "apple for your teacher" concept. After all, we've all seen cartoons and other media that has presented the worm that lives inside of the apple. Showcasing to us a lovely outside demeanor, but on the inside there's a creature gnawing away at the insides. Eating it apart and leaving it empty. The character of Geoffrey Dodd has his own personal worm eating away inside of his mind, as he lets his anger and negative feelings tear apart his sanity. Although we expect a school setting to be a paradigm of safety, recent times have shown us that isn't the case. Although Powell isn't saying that all teachers are subsequently insane with this particular piece, I think the ultimate goal is to show the differences between our inner voice and our outer demeanor. You can never know what is going on with the internal voice and that's a scary thing some times.The performance by Robert Nolan is simply spectacular. His character throughout the course of the short turns from being your average smart-mouthed jerk who has something bad to say about everyone, to being a man crippled by his own negativity and fear of rejection. He is the stage for all of our uncomfortable emotions and Nolan presents them in a way that actually comes across as pitiful. Director Richard Powell had some interesting performances in his previous work but Nolan really shines here. Along with the exceptional acting, the visual look of the film is equally great. Although shot in broad daylight, within a classroom for the most part, the film still manages to create atmosphere. There are some interesting roaming shots throughout as the camera never seems to be relegated to one position so we get a film that doesn't feel settled. It's a restless, sordid and ferocious short that will make you feel uneasy for its entire running time. To learn more about Worm, you can check out the Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/WORM/138469812965 "

Ever wonder what someone else was thinking? How about one of your teachers from High School? Ever wonder what was going through their heads as they tried to bestow wisdom and teachings to a class of hormone raging smartasses that would rather be Xbox-ing? Worm, a new Canadian short (20 minutes) takes us into the mind of Geoffrey Dodd (Robert Nolan), an average looking High School teacher that looks like every other boring High School teacher you may have had during your teens.As the camera follows Geoffrey through the course of his day, a running narrative gives us a glimpse into the mind and the dark corners of Geoffrey's thoughts. We are brought into a world where the outer exterior does not match the raging intolerance of his contemplations.Geoffrey speaks eloquently and authoritatively to his students and peers, but his thoughts are schizophrenic in delivery. With a nod and smile, Geoffrey narrates notions such as "I bet if we parted that greasy mop of yours we would find a whole bunch of scares left by your mom's coat hanger. Too bad she didn't finish the job." Ouch! And his distaste for all those around him doesn't stop there. In a common, typical day as constructed by the premise, Geoffrey thinks of another student as a "Cocky little rodent" and with another, thoughts of, "I hope your mother and father rot from cancer!" spew in his reflections.Geoffrey's thoughts only intensify throughout the duration of the school day. He has lustful thoughts of another student and even imagines using a gun on himself and others as a way of expressing his revulsion of the people and places that surround his daily life.Written and directed by Richard Powell, Worm is a fascinating and ultimately terrifying look into the thoughts of an unstable mentor. Powell couldn't have picked better casting in the role of Geoffrey as Robert Nolan is able to relay in actions and thoughts a believable structure of a tormented soul. He's the introvert equivalent to Falling Down's, William 'D-Fens' Foster – ready to explode and only subdued by the sound of the bell.Worm effectively uses its 1200 minutes to get its audience involved with the character and interested in notions. 30 minutes might have been too long and 15 minutes too short. Powell has found his baby bear bed in a tight 20 minutes of film.Worm might be hard to find in a world saturated with blockbuster sequel rentals, but if you get the chance, give Worm a shot. It's style and pace shows what a talented filmmaker can produce with only a few minutes of celluloid.