“Stay away from Oz!”
Gale is a 30-minute movie about a legacy of shattered dreams as one young former Kansas native, Emily Gale (Chloë Culligan Crump), finds herself haunted by some disturbing images which connect her to her family’s unknown legacy. It’s appropriately dark and puts the disturbed aspect of its haunt in all the right places.
While this short ends on a suspenseful note, Gale works a dark magic into some familiar images, mining them for all the horror you can imagine. The film builds its suspense in a slow burn style which works well, especially as it is dealing with the dark side of a tale most cinephiles know oh so well: The Wizard of Oz.
But there are no yellow brick roads found in these dreams as Emily, wanting to come to terms with these disturbing images, digs into her past and discovers the story of Dorothy Gale (Karen Swan), her relative who is now in her twilight years. This once-renowned writer is tucked away from the world for good reason. Her tales, once loved by everyone, have driven her crazy and the last thing she wants is a visiter who also knows about the terrifying realm of Oz.
Dorothy wants her to stay away from Oz! 
And she’s right to want so, too. Especially when we bear witness to the bizarro images that are stalking through Emily’s waking day. Flying monkeys, anyone? I mean, if you were creeped out as a child by these things, just wait until you get a full-on facial here. Holy smokes! EAch of these monster designs -
Full of visually-stunning images and an atmosphere which is top-notch as it twists the beloved land of Oz into a horrifying experience, Gale is a unique short in which one writers’ dreams take root in a mystical realm where they entangle with the living.
And Emily is their target.
Directed by Daniel Alexander, Gale is being presented through Chilling, a unique new platform which offers independent creators a chance to share content and compete against studio releases. It will premiere on the streaming platform on September 18th.
Long gone are the days of emerald cities! Gale is a haunting spin on a classic tale and is fully deserving of a continuation.
