The Furniture

The ticking clock, long shadows, and desperate voice of the man on the phone set this up to be a terrifying viewing experience.

It is in fact hilarious. At least it is in my own humble opinion with my slightly juvenile sense of humour.

I ought to point out that it is in fact intended to be humorous.

The Furniture thrives on taking the mickey out of over-used cliches from any number of horror films, from the ever-present ominous clock ticking to the discordant musical crescendo as the man fears for his life. Tyler Measom has made this film work by observing the over-used conventions of the horror genre and making them ridiculous. And by making his film oh-so-deadly-serious, the comedy is only heightened.

Even the cast list is amusing. There are spectacular performances from Doug Havens as the table, Stephanie Hough as the lamp, Mark Nelson as the end table, Jen Dubuc as the phone, Jay Clark Gardner as chair 1, Alan Peterson as chair 2, and Brent Marshall as the clock. But let us not forget the stunning performance of the the coffee table, played by... himself. After all, where in the rule book does it say that your actors need to consist of human beings, or even living creatures? It doesn't. And a coffee table is a lot easier to negotiate with.

This film is good, not brilliant, and definitely worth a watch for a passing giggle. The camera-work is good, with interesting shots and well thought out lighting. Just don't watch it sitting on a chair. It might eat you.

View The Furniture here.