If you resonated with the themes in the feature film Hard Candy, you need to get even more amped up for writer/director Dick Jane's 9-minute short film Kiddy Kiddy Bang Bang, a revenge film that would probably be completely twisted if it didn't feel so completely right.

In the film, two nine-year-old sisters (played by Devin Werder and Riley Werder) set out to exact revenge when their friend is attacked by a neighborhood perv.

The set-up is simple. The story is simple. Dick Jane doesn't toss in a lot of distraction. Kiddy Kiddy Bang Bang is about justice being served, but if you found yourself disturbed by a young girl kicking ass in Kick-Ass then this isn't going to be the film for you.

The film has already been named an official selection of the Sacramento Horror Film Festival and Cinemaniacs, and it would amaze me if the film doesn't pick up quite a few other screenings along the way with horror fests and underground fests the most likely avenues for this experimental yet socially minded cinematic short. Kiddy Kiddy Bang Bang has a bit of a 70's exploitation feel to it, with vibrant and in-your-face camera work by Paul Nordin and original music by Christian Masse that gets the vibe just right.

The Werder twins do a nice job of coming off as little girls, but it's apparent quite quickly that there's a whole lot more going on and they turn up the volume on their performances in a way that's so smooth it's kind of disturbing. The film is also hindered at times by line delivery that doesn't quite flow with the vibe of the rest of the film, a tad off pace and less effective than it really should be to sell the film's over-the-top production design and presentation.

If you're not familiar with Dick Jane's work, he tends to make edgier films that are both visually and intellectually provocative and relentlessly honest without compromise. You may not like Kiddy Kiddy Bang Bang. You may hate Kiddy Kiddy Bang Bang.

You won't forget Kiddy Kiddy Bang Bang.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic