“Joke,” “Bobby,” “Little Bug,” “Next,” “Birds of Paradise,” “Grown” at HollyShorts

Judi Dench in “Joke” at HollyShorts 2026.

“Joke” is British and features Judi Dench in a scene that is closest to the end and lasts for under 5 minutes.It is 13’20” of jokes that Mooncalf Presents—itself a funny opening. None of the actors rang any bells in my head, with the exception of Dame Judi Dench, but the jokes are pleasant. So, what are the jokes of “Joke?”

1) A deacon is critiquing the very first sermon of a young girl who, among other things, entered by sliding down a banister, ripped up her sermon and threw it in the air after delivering it and—suggests the older priest ever so gently—“When you mention David and Goliath,you might say that David slew Goliath, rather than saying he went medieval on his ass.”

2) A deaf patient is told that his headaches might be alleviated if he put his head between his wife’s breasts. The patient is asking about his wife’s hearing and is told to ask her something softly and gradually move up towards her repeating the question. We learn by the end of THIS joke that the deaf one is not the wife but the husband. And the doctor assumed that the patient understood the breasts in question were attached to the patient’s wife, not the doctor’s!

3)  A joke that involved confusion  between yachting, versus anal sex was my personal favorite. It’s too long for the set-up, but suffice it to say that the punch line, “He only did it twice. Once he got sick and the second time his hat flew off,” was worth a  chuckle.

4) The opening Archbishop of Canterbury joke and the piece involving masturbation were weaker than the others, but upheld the British tradition of  randy references. The joke that Dame Judi was cast in (last of the short) was the weakest and involved a rooster; use your imagination.

“BOBBY”

This was a minute and a half and it was fantastic! Henry Burge wrote and directed and there is great action. The low pulsing beat of the music by Connor Musarra with sound design by Eliot Connors was terrific. Bobby has apparently taken at least $10,000. There are some people after him; they aren’t kidding around. I definitely want to see this one as a feature length film or TV series. I hope Anthony Skordi, Siri Miller, Noam Shapiro, Charlz Williams return in a longer feature length film. Director of Photography was Travers Jacobs. This minute and a half was riveting entertainment!

“LITTLE BUG”

Martin Freeman in “Little Bug” at HollyShorts 2026.

Starring  Martin Freeman and written and directed by Matt Branston, a very cute Russian dog is chosen to go into space in 1957. Laika, the dog, is being sacrificed for experimental purposes. The pup is so cute and friendly that the phrase we hear from Alexandra Barredo and Martin Freeman, as father and daughter, is “I’m sorry we picked you.” Launched into space in 1957 and officially named Laika, “Little Bug” was the affectionate nickname of the small pup. At the end of the short film  onscreen it says, “We did not learn enough to justify the death of this  dog.”

“BIRDS OF PARADISE”

Stand-up comic Janeane Garofolo portrays Carmella Camin, a resident of Staten Island who is sick and tired of the hordes of feral wild turkeys that poop all over the place. At one point, she is shown bagging 149 pounds of turkey droppings and lugging it from the grounds. This is apparently a real thing in Staten Island, with no solution in sight. Sean Price Williams directed with Music Supervision by Nick Crane.

Michael Rapaport as Jake Rabinowitz in “Next”at HollyShorts.

Janeane Garofolo is the sole performer. She is great in the part.

“NEXT”

Michael Rapaport appears as actor Jacob Rabinowitz, who is auditioning for a role at the Denizen Theater in Water Street, New Paltz, New York.  Denizen is the only European style Cinema Arts Venue in New York and collaborated on this 14’49” film written by Neil LaBute and directed by AdanPeltier.

Rapaport shows why he was used so regularly in Woody Allen movies, displaying true acting chops. He enters the audition with some credits in television and theater, including “guy at the next table in an episode of The Sopranos.” But it is the director—well-played by Mark Feuerstein as  Tom (“Tommy”) Jeffries—whose memory conjures up their 7^th grade year at Bowman East Junior High School, where the two were classmates.

MarkFeuerstein as Tom (“Tommy”) Jeffries in “Next” at HollyShorts 2026.

Apparently young Jake, when in junior high school with the director now casting his next project, bullied little Tommy Jeffries pulling his pants down in the school cafeteria and taking his lunch money.

Jake, who was the bully, is now to perform the monologue from “The Iron String” for its Writer/Director. I couldn’t help but think about another man with power who loves to humiliate others as retribution.

Director Jeffries has Jake do the scene over and over, changing the notes he gives him and ends by dismissing his childhood nemesis with a curt “We’ll let you know.”

Both actors were terrific in their parts. The piece was an exercise in humiliation but also perhaps a seasoned actor’s way of commenting on directors, in general. Perhaps the message beneath the words is to always be nice to others, because those you abuse on the way up you may meet on the way down.

I watched this one more than three times, to enjoy the great performances by the two leads and to ponder the message.

“GROWN”

An Honorable Mention should go here to the 15’ 16” film “Grown” that featured three girlfriends going out for a night on the town with fake I.D.’s. I laughed out loud when one of the three, getting her first look at her fake I.D. said, “Why are we from Idaho?” She also remarked that the photo was one submitted for a doctor’s appointment (facial work?). Sounded perfect.

As the trio sets off on their adventure, via subway, they encounter a loud drunk  who leers suggestively at them. They immediately bury their faces in their phones. When the drunk comes close and says, “Where are you going tonight, ladies?” one of the three pipes up, “Your Mom’s house.” This is not well received by the drunk.

As they exit the subway ( I saw Bergen on a large sign, which is the only city In New Jersey I’ve ever been to; it was subsequently absorbed by Jersey City, New Jersey) one of the girls gets her period.  Attending to this becomes a major need, including a stop at a convenience store. Frankie is the only one who has money, which the store clerk demands in order to let them use his rest room. Frankie slaps down a $100 bill and bolts for the rest room in the back.

The three reach the club where the bouncer (Zachary Zamski) immediately calls out the fake I.D.’s and denies the trio entry to the club. One feisty member of the trio even attempts to rush the bouncer, which does not work out well. At that point, a comment is made about the night’s planned entertainment and whether they can, indeed, take in the concert (which may have precipitated rushing the bouncer.) One of the girls says, to Frankie,“That was the plan, before we almost got triple fucked on the subway and you free-bled all over Brooklyn.” The line caused me to laugh so hard that Diet Dr. Pepper came out of my nose.

Kudos to Audrey Circello who wrote and directed. Writers don’t get enough credit, and this writing was exceptionally funny.  Additional praise for Olivia Scott Welsh (Shawna), Sydney Leisir (Sabrina), and Savy Jackson who played Frankie. Willa Troy edited. The music was great (Selfish Soul, performed by Sudan Archives.)

An entertaining 15-minute short at HollyShorts 2026.