The Ten Steps (2004)

Director:

Brendan Muldowney

Writer:

Brendan Muldowney (written by)

Genre:

Horror | Short

Tagline:

A young girl baby-sits in an old house . . .

Plot:

Set in Ireland, a family moves to a new city neighborhood, taking residence in a large, old house that is rumored to have a dodgy past...

Plot Keywords:

Number In Title

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jill Harding	...	Katie
William O'Sullivan	...	Steven
Paula Lee	...	Ciara
Gerard Lee	...	Brian
Frank Coughlan	...	John
Nuala Kelly	...	Lisa
Stephen Fitzgibbon	...	Waiter
Kerry O'Sullivan	...	Jenny
Ann Mac Farlane	...	Diner
Carole Ward	...	Diner
Noel Keegan	...	Diner
Eileen Cahill	...	Diner
Peter Loonam	...	Diner
Danielle O'Connell	...	Diner
Ciaran Durkan	...	Diner

Runtime:

10 min

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Ireland:PG

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

SP Films

It Left Me In A State Of Shock

If film making is an analogy for food then horror movies are the ready meals you stick into a microwave . This probably explains why horror isn't all that well regarded in the cinematic world because any idiot can make a horror movie , all you have to do is stick someone in a remote location and if it's a dark location all the better , have some creepy sounds in the background that will have both the protagonists and audience gasping " what was that ? " and if that's not enough have some scary music . See any idiot can supposedly make a horror movie so why do most directors and screenwriters in the genre come up with movies that clichéd , stupid and most of all not scary in the slightest ?

THE TEN STEPS by writer/director Bredan Muldowney contains every single cliché you have ever seen in every single horror movie . It's set in a remote country house where Katie a young teenager is babysitting on her younger brother Stephen because her parents are networking the father's new boss . There's scenes set in the dark with a mood enhancing soundtrack but within one minute of the running time I'd already jumped out of my skin and as Stephen McKeon's musical score increased the tension I felt my heart beat increase until the shock ending when my jaw hit the floor

I can not praise this short film enough . BBC 2 are having a series of short films on The learning Zone slot and this is the best one they've shown . In fact this is almost certainly the most memorable short film I have ever seen in my entire life . It's brilliantly effective and isn't it obscene that absolute garbage like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and THE EXORCIST are hyped while no one has ever heard of THE TEN STEPS ? If I have any criticism it's that this is maybe too effective and I will have a problem sleeping , but apart from that I salute you Brendan Muldowney and I hope that your obvious talent leads to the rewards you deserve