Credits:
Eel Girl is a horror movie that takes place in a secure military laboratory; a scientist has become obsessed with the half-human half-eel creature he’s studying. When she beckons him to her, it’s the call of a siren…
by Horror Palace:
If ever there was a film that left you utterly petrified, weirdly aroused and with more questions than answers; this is it right here. This short horror film incorporates some very interesting graphics and shifts gears so quickly you don’t even see the freak show coming.
Eel Girl Movie Review
Gracing the screens in 2008, Eel Girl (played by Julia Rose) is a short horror sci-fi film that shows a human-eel hybrid woman take sweet, tasty revenge on one of the scientists studying her. This movie was directed and written by Paul Campion, produced by Elizabeth Pinto and got some marvelous special effects from Weta Workshop.
As far as short films go, this one delivers quite a massive and admittedly unexpected punch. You get to experience a plethora of emotions, feelings, and doubts; all in about 5 minutes. When the movie starts, you know things are bound to take a turn for the paranormal, you just never see it coming at all.
The Plot
It all starts with a crisp military type who stiffly marches into a room and demands to be accompanied by one of the two scientists inside. Why? We don’t know, and frankly, we don’t care. The only thing we know is that protocol 482 is ignored, and the lowly, guilty-looking junior scientist is left alone in the lab. That’s the only conversation we get to hear, but for what’s about to come, actions speak a lot louder than words.
Once the junior scientist is certain he’s alone, he runs what seems like regular overrides to open the internal chamber in the lab. As he waits for the creature to come out, he peeks into the dark, filthy room with a tub full of a black, mysterious and very viscous liquid. The door opens a crack and out comes the Eel Girl all naked, pale-skinned, web-fingered and covered in gills. I’ve got to admit, Eel Girl has a hot, banging body, maybe even sexy enough to make our junior scientist here get hot and bothered. However, the man of science makes a grave mistake, He takes things a little bit too far today and opens the door to meet the girl of his dreams?
Maybe it’s not too bad. The scientist walks in and finds Eel Girl waiting for him. Perhaps it’s destined to be. She opens her arms out and the lucky fellow moves in for the kiss. Who knows, they might even fall in love! Just before the two lovebirds lock lips, Eel Girl suddenly extends her jaws to massive proportions and SWALLOWS the scientist head first. As if that wasn’t enough, she spits up his clothes then walks back in the tub full of black, disgusting goo. The short film fades out as Eel Girl caresses her now incredibly engorged belly, her meal still inside, alive and squirming.
What We Didn’t Like
While simple, the effects in this short film are superb and very useful. From Eel Girl’s jagged rows of sharp, spiky teeth to the cold, isolated mood set up. In addition to playing her part perfectly, Julia Rose’s effortless dominance in this film.
However, it is this precise feature that makes horror movie fanatics worldwide yearn for a more solid story. We get no background, no insight, no previews, just some hints here and there about a military experiment. Was Eel Girl created there or was she found and brought there? Was she the product of a sinister force of nature or did she result from genetic engineering? These are all questions that any movie lover would want to be answered since Eel Girl leaves us resoundingly wanting more. But all in all, rarely does a short film intrigue, deliver, and satisfy horror fans like Eel Girl does. Definitely, a film to catch over and over again.
- Title: Eel Girl
- Year: 2008
- Time: 5 Minutes
- Director: Paul Campion
- Written by: Paul Campion
- Starring: Julia Rose, Euan Dempsy, Robyn Paterson
- Social: IMDB
Produced by
Elisabeth Pinto & Jennifer Lee Scheer
Music by
Sancho
Cinematography by
Richard Bluck
Film Editing by
Jeff Hurrell
Production Design by
Mary Pike
Art Direction by
Paul Campion
Costume Design by
Pranee McKinlay
Makeup Department
Gino Acevedo – special makeup effects supervisor
Natasha Lees – special makeup effects artist
Frances Richardson – special makeup effects artist
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman Cates – second assistant director
Eranka Weerasuriya – first assistant director
Art Department
Sally Ford – painter
Paul McInnes – props
Clinton Sparrey – carpenter
Sound Department
Chris Hiles – sound recordist
James West – sound designer
Lloyd Young – sound designer
Special Effects by
Melissa Dodds – workshop coordinator
Gareth McGhie – set construction
Richard Taylor – effects supervisor: Weta Workshop
Visual Effects by
Paula Bell – compositor
Joerg W. Bungert – digital colourist
Alex Burt – previs supervisor
Norman Cates – senior compositor
Marco Di Lucca – modeler
Tim Hey – senior compositor
Matt Holland – senior compositor / visual effects supervisor
Mel James – texture painter
Zoe Lord – rotoscope artist
Matt Mueller – camera tracker Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew Ayrton – best boy
James Best – second assistant camera
David Brown – gaffer
Kyle Clifton – grip trainee
Dion Hartley – key grip
Jacob Medary – video assist
Chris Pert – sparks
Melissa Ririnui – key grip
Angus Ward – first assistant camera
Matt Mueller – still photographer (uncredited) Other crew
Mel James – script supervisor
Carrie Thiel – choreographer
Malcolm Tween – credits design
