From the visionary mind of British filmmaker, Johnny Herbin, Cakes! is a macabre horror-musical short exploding with vagary and phantasmagoric imagery! A woman (Rebecca Ritchoe-Smith) is grieving in her kitchen. It is a mess with unpaid bills scattered about. To comfort herself, she opens a cake tin. Inside the cake tin, a singing cake lures her into the oven. The oven is a magical place where she is tempted to taste multiple flavors. She goes through an out of body experience, and the cakes continue to charm her with humor and their creepy innocence.
Eventually, the woman gives in and indulges in these merry pastries. She wakes up, and it’s all a dream. Let’s just say that her sweet indulgence goes in a disturbing direction. The ending is a shocker!
“Inside the cake tin, a singing cake lures her into the oven …”
Herbin and his production team pull out all the stops. Thom Wall’s puppets have a distinct look, as the puppet cakes are reminiscent of George Pal’s cherubic Puppetoon aesthetic and Jim Henson’s early Muppet designs of the 1950s. This visual element adds to the oddball tone. Darren Kellenscwiler’s cinematography alongside Simon Fox’s colorist work guide the audience through the symphony of moods. We go from the greyish bleakness of reality to the warm dreamscape of the oven.
“All The Flavours” is a delightful tune that choreographs well with Chris Quick’s smooth editing. His editing also gives room for gallows gags and lets us appreciate the details. Rebecca Ritchie-Smith engrosses herself in the lead performance. I’m amazed by how she can keep a straight face as absurdity plays around her. For a musical short, the film goes by extremely fast. Its fast pace does not give room for the Woman’s character development. While Ritchie-Smith’s performance is compelling, it would have strengthened the story if she was given a solo number. Even with these minor flaws, it does not detract from the film’s imaginative visuals and original concept.
Cakes! has the makings of a future cult classic. Hopefully this short will be a springboard for more puppet films. It is a tasty treat for horror fans and a delightful surprise for adventurous film buffs.
"…The oven is a magical place where she is tempted to taste multiple favors. She goes through an out of body experience..."
