Devi Snively, the auteur behind such offbeat goth art short films as TEENAGE BIKINI VAMPIRE and RAVEN GETS A LIFE, and the H.G. Lewis period homage CONFEDERATE ZOMBIE MASSACRE, is in post production on her first feature, the cabin-in-the-woods movie TRIPPIN'. After she had completed shooting that yet to be seen epic, she was accepted into the American Film Institute's prestigious Directors Workshop for Women, which only accepts eight students per workshop. Forced to relocate from Indiana, where she taught a class called The Culture of Fear at Notre Dame University, to L.A., the workshop required each filmmaker to conceive, raise money for, shoot and complete a short film under strictly professional conditions (i.e., union actors and crew, obtaining shooting permits, filming on a soundstage, etc.). DEATH IN CHARGE is the end result of her efforts, and one of only two horror films to ever come out of the DWW.

The short begins with a young couple (Bart Fletcher, Brittany Carson) "necking" in a car. As the girl gets out to go to her babysitting job, she meets an unexpected demise. Black cowled Death (Maria Benedict) is on the scene, and next visits the deceased babysitter's charge, Whitney (Kylie Chalfa), a little girl whose mother, Sandy (Gillian Shore), blasts through life with a self destructive, or at least careless, death wish. Sandy is so self involved that she mistakes Death for her daughter's babysitter, setting the stage for an evening of comical self examination and discovery by Death and the precocious girl.

This effort is a huge step forward for Snively in terms of production value: Adam Honzi's Hi Def videography at times looks like 35mm film and the colors, aided by Theresa Avram's production design, are bold and striking. Most features don't look this gorgeous. But slick design and technical achievement--while greatly appreciated--are not what make "a Devi Snively film." Like RAVEN GETS A LIFE (about a manic depressive vampire trapped in the body of a little girl), DEATH IN CHARGE layers gentle tonal subtext beneath more deliberate genre trappings. Death learns about life through her interaction with Whitney, who learns a thing or two about death in return. The cast is exceptional: Chalfa is completely convincing as the little girl and Shore brings charm to the abrasive mother. But Benedict steals the show in what is obviously a very strong role. Her Death, unknowingly the most genuine Goth out there, is naive and wondrous, and her relationship with Whitney is quite humorous and affecting.

The only way to see DEATH IN CHARGE is at a film festival. Upcoming screenings include the Beloit International Film Festival in Wisconsin in late February, the Durango festival the first weekend in March, and the Lake Havasu Film Festival in early April. Visit Deviant Pictures for future bookings.