The Bride of Vernon (2011)

Calvin Dyson is known as a youtuber of all things James Bond, and he's certainly a great content creator! I've watched quite a few people over the years, and my interest in them has come and gone, but he really seems like one to stick around, and produces top notch videos. He is also an animator, and creator of a stop motion comedy film, much to my surprise!

Vernon van Dyke is a friendly mad scientist in the north of England, trying hard to realise his dream of resurrecting the dead, and creating a bride. To no avail, as his experiments keep failing. Then one day, after a date gone somewhat wrong, he finds himself urgently needing to succeed, or else his life will be meaningless...

The Bride of Vernon is a super enjoyable little treat. Only 15 minutes long, it manages to pack in a complete story, that leaves you wanting more, but never has you feeling unsatisfied.

The film has a charming sense of humour, with a touch of black comedy, but never too much. It's always the right balance. A highlight is the date-It's jawdropping how badly it goes! On one hand Vernon really shoulda been watching where he was looking! But on the other hand, Mary did totally distract him. But then again, who keeps sodium hypochloride in the kitchen, ya dope?

Bride of Vernon is a fantastic looking film. The characters all have that DIY look to them, in a good way. They may not look like super polished million dollar creations, but they're not bad at all, and have life to them, especially thanks to their fluid and believable movements. The environments are all stellar too, from the stylish laboratory, complete with a thunderous rooftop (reflective with water), the spooky cemetery, and Vernon's brightly lit and homely kitchen. The rooms never feel empty or barren, with many little objects throughout, such as a nifty record player.

There's a small amount of computer effects, and they mesh well, never feeling like egregious CGI in a classic film.

I adored all the little touches too, from the names on the tombstones, to the book Mary's reading (The Last Man, by Mary Shelley! Nice to see at least someone appreciates it), and the classic "A good cast is worth repeating" motto at the end.

The soundtrack, comprised of a few archive pieces (courtesy of [Chopin]) fit very well with the action, and help build the atmosphere. They're also balanced well too, never drowning out the dialogue.

The cast here is a surprising one for a short student film! There's comedy actor Dan Clark, David Schofield, and Katherine Parkinson! As an Aussie I hadn't actually the faintest idea who the first two were, but I recognised her voice instantly. They all do fun jobs, and despite their dialogue being recorded months apart, you'd never know!

Overall, The Bride of Vernon is an extremely enjoyable time! It's just a shame there haven't been any more stop-motion efforts from Dyson, although goodness knows he's not been idle, still delivering great content in one form or another...