Sci-Fi Horror Short Film "Flesh Computer" | DUST | Online Premiere

[@EthanShaftel]

Thanks so much for watching FLESH COMPUTER! If you have any questions or comments I'd be happy to answer!

[@wulfgar88-10]

Loved the cat lick 😅 great one👍

[@rajeshacharya87]

@@EthanShaftel Well I have a question, did the computer engulf the gunman and use his brain to become complete ?

[@Maddog_Mickey_Knoxx]

Is this an older film ? I swear I’ve seen this before

[@olddecimal2736]

I have comments and questions.

[@mikereid1195]

​@@Maddog_Mickey_Knoxx same here

[@ericchild8845]

Outstanding! Best new sci-fi short film in several years! Hoping you guys continue with more! Thanks for sharing with us mere mortals.

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you so much!

[@helmutstransky3761]

I agree!

[@beautifulfaith9367]

Wow, now that was different. Liked this very much and 3 cheers to Kitty for the snooper vision 🤗 Don’t understand the part of the little girl but it just seemed right that she was there 😊 Thank you 💥 🐾🐾 Texas

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you! That little girl is @ellegabriel9858 and now a young animator and artist in art school in LA!

[@SuperAtheist]

The term "Computer" used to be a job title.

[@EthanShaftel]

@@SuperAtheist we’ll be making the same comment about lawyer soon

[@unclequack5445]

I'm glad the kitty was Ok. he was the star of this episode.

[@EthanShaftel]

It was actually 3 identical cats that were a performance team. Each was good at some particular behavior.

[@timbrown4853]

That was awesome and flawless and best of all very original. Thank you. I want this story to go on.

[@EthanShaftel]

Wow thank you! You know a wrote a feature version that takes place in a future where growing artificial meat is so cheap/easy but the environment is so bad for growing veggies that we have fake veggies made of meat, like carr'ts and brocc'li

[@timbrown4853]

@@EthanShaftel Was that made into a KZbin video?

[@EthanShaftel]

@@timbrown4853 Nope, just a script/project that never got off the ground 🤷‍♂

[@durasaxon5131]

Strange. Scary. Futuristic. Creative. _____ Very thought provoking. _____

[@MichaelFaber-p4j]

Thank you for this! Wow. Very impressive and forward thinking.

[@DrTubeman]

Absolutely phenomenal short film, the eldritch futuristic theme of 'Flesh Computer' was stellar, exceptional direction... I don't know how I'd missed this gem, oh that's right KZbin. Cheers for the reel...Tips Fedora

[@lightlegion_]

I adore your style! You’re doing an excellent job.

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you so much!

[@tantone0157]

Loved it , very original . Well done

[@Aleksei-g1h]

😮 you guys are awesome!! I only wished that keeps on going.. can't wait for next

[@rustinpeace4347]

Deliciously Low budget, that enhances the '80ies vibe and the metabolization of the short. Liked it!

[@DavidSmith-nf5uw]

Great stuff, real Cronenberg vibes. I get that an antagonist is it going to antagonize, and we don't feel bad when they die, but why so much

[@ItsMeMissV369]

I've been saying it, all the eyes are cameras🤩 Interesting short, thank you!

[@EthanShaftel]

I love that way of putting it!

[@FortuneKookie420]

exactly

[@damon5455]

Fantastic. Seriously a very well-done short. I love sci-fi and don't usually go for sci-fi-horror but this was so tastefully executed.

[@EthanShaftel]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! If you like comedy that's what I do mostly now, in VR.

[@RG-gk4yi]

That thing is unbelievably disturbing. Thank you.

[@osmia]

Thanks for having CC enabled

[@EthanShaftel]

@@osmia for sure!

[@sarachang2752]

I really like the concept that information is composed of tiny consciousnesses, a great masterpiece

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you! Yes, that idea has many implications about how we ought to treat everything and everyone.

[@zod6250]

Reality is composed of many points of consciousness acting as a single unit.

[@rorykelly8275]

Now this was amazing. More like this please?

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@quincyfleming8552]

This would be a one hell of a tv series

[@EthanShaftel]

From your mouth to the machine-overlord's ears...

[@AcapulKero]

Excellent short! Cheers from Acapulco!

[@helmutstransky3761]

Great! I loved the Concept and Details, Cronenbeg Inspiration. Should win many awards!

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you so much!

[@benrussell-gough1201]

Very interesting. i believe that this was about the next step in the evolution of consciousness: Driven, as these things always are, by an existential threat.

[@JPBetts]

Wow. Phenomenal film. Excellent in all respects.

[@davidmcbride8059]

Very cool! Worthy of Cronenberg!

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you for watching!

[@mikeoconnell8031]

Oh very good. Conceptualized to screen

[@lightlegion_]

You’re producing some amazing work!

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you so much!

[@BruceDavidKellock]

That was excellent. Thank you.

[@My-Comments-are-Invisible]

the body we find ourselves in - is the house for whatever we really are - and what we really are is beyond our current comprehension while we are here in this body - death from here is a return to our true selves - however if we have squandered our lives here on greed or doing harm to others we are stuck in the karma of that - and karma is such a shallow word - as are most other words for the seriousness of what life could be and should be since we have been a brainwashed victim of all the soulless living of those that came before us - but that is not excuse if we behave without responsibility and try to say it is the fault of others - perhaps they are the cause of our toxic lives but we are to blame if we don't see it for what it is - they lived a lie does not mean you have to live the same lie or even a worse lie. great movie - thank you

[@Hatch3dLabs]

Loved the nunchucks action!

[@jazzew]

This short was somethin' else! I wanna know more about why the flesh computer was made, and see more of that world! Eerie, but I thought that particular computer was a sweetheart...I dunno, I just did.

[@UtopiaLtd]

That was wonderful. I’d love a fleshed out (heh) longer form version.

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you! I wrote a longer version years ago that was loosely structured on this classic noir movie I saw once about picking up a hitchhiker. It was about the little sister of a person in a mega prison inadvertently smuggling him biological drugs inside her body when she thought they were finally reconciling. My memory of it is hazy, I'll have to pull it out of the desk drawer.

[@Mike-v9k5t]

Brilliant movie making in every respect.

[@acubley]

In retrospect, I should have eaten my salad after watching this.

[@raphlvlogs271]

it reminds me of the Colonials in All Tomorrows if they were high tech

[@okancanarslan3730]

amazing film

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you so much!

[@getfreer]

Well done!

[@Klappfall]

Wow... 🙂

[@iancroft1447]

Good Job ES Good Job !

[@benbeazley3614]

Well done. Reminds me of Cronenberg Naked Lunch. 😊

[@LocomotiveThought]

A mixture of Horror Vision, Hardware & Dredd films.

[@ChirstInTheDistance]

This is some warhammer'ish type stuff.

[@beekneed]

Regarding the part where the fly gets smacked-it’s hard to catch flies usually because they see the world at many more frames per second than we do, so everything’s slowed down enough that they can easily avoid our giant, slowly approaching hand or shatter. It’s pretty amazing. Another amazing animal ability and potential difference of ‘consciousness’ style is bat echolocation. Look it up sometime; the way it works is fascinating.

[@beekneed]

* (fly) swatter, not shatter 🏆🥴

[@filmsmoviestvandactors219]

Excellent.

[@joy-of-chemotaxis]

Excellent!

[@sledge80ci]

Fantastic short story on what is actually becoming reality, I will try to explain: There are little brain organisms that are grown from a few cells from a humans skin on a Petri dish. I don’t completely understand how, though they are being studied, worked with at a university in the U.S. that can play pong and more complex games. They call them brain organoids or something similar. These little brains have started developing rudimentary eyes………. Do a search on this and you can fill in what I’ve forgotten. This story makes me think of what will ultimately become of that research. Scary stuff imo.

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! This story sounds great, I will look it up!

[@clarainesrestrepo1768]

Waoo waooo no para mi asombro disfrutando tu genuino estilo de historias de historias contemporaneas de ciencia ficcion. Desde colombia un saludo fraterno.

[@EthanShaftel]

Muchas gracias!

[@clarainesrestrepo1768]

@EthanShaftel 🤝

[@drp1391]

Awesome!

[@NicholasWilliams-uk9xu]

Wow this is really really good.

[@EthanShaftel]

thank you!

[@MultiFahid]

Awesome. ❤

[@ironpalette]

The way this film builds tension through subtle visuals and sound is truly impressive. I admire how much atmosphere you can create with minimal resources. I recently directed a short film, 'NONEXISTENT,' where I focused on using lighting and framing to evoke feelings of isolation and existential anxiety. Shot entirely on an iPhone 15, it's an exploration of how minimalism can still deliver powerful storytelling. I'd love for you to take a look and let me know your thoughts!

[@EthanShaftel]

I will check out your film, thanks for the comment!

[@paulmcdonald9592]

Very cool.

[@cmdrbatnha787]

5:00 dude actually hit the fly while sleeping 🤯

[@johnpoteat9774]

This was great, reminds me of a book I read a long time ago about organic brain material that was integrated into computers. One thing I noticed, the little robot toy was a wind up spring operated right? But the last shot of it had blinking lights indicating it was battery powered. I know, it's the little things I notice.

[@EthanShaftel]

Oh wow, let me take a look at that, i'm sure you are right!

[@jasonlow6943]

Very nice.

[@rickdangerous80s]

Oh Shit! This is scary! 😮

[@BeautyOfGaia]

.... the green laser! I fear the borg are here!

[@gerardcousineau3478]

Nice 👌👍❤️💕

[@Fido-vm9zi]

I save spiders. I feel bad for killing flies, but those little buggers really lack boundaries.

[@trappedinroom1014]

😂👍🏻 I call spiders trespassers too….as for flies, the larger ones are actually easier to catch with a large drinks glass and an envelope and flung back outside) than by swatting and killing the pesky buggers! It’s almost like they see a glass or jar much later than a solid rolled up newspaper or swatter, so you spend less time chasing them around the house! I didn’t quite believe it till I tried it, but yes, it’s true, and you don’t feel so guilty! lol!

[@Fido-vm9zi]

@trappedinroom1014 I'm going to refrain from fly killing if they maintain their distance or trespass possibly accidentally. I catch bugs the same way you do. Spiders seem to possess a desire for distance.

[@EthanShaftel]

Spiders are the good guys!

[@helmutstransky3761]

The worst is, that rhey shit on my beloved 4k screen! One Fly and it shits several times a day!

[@jjbrando8993]

Solid

[@scotthultin7769]

212 👍's up DUST thank you for sharing 🤗

[@sniddley]

Scared the crap out of this 69 year old that grew up on horror.

[@EthanShaftel]

Lol fantastic!

[@brianfaulhaber6785]

Wow!!

[@ZolaClyde]

Very weird, kinda gross, and really good!

[@EthanShaftel]

Thank you!, I feel like that should be the tagline

[@ZolaClyde]

@@EthanShaftel it’s yours if you want it, no problem 🩶👻

[@CharlesSmith-io9fp]

So, it's true. You are what you eat.

[@rikk8990]

Is the world ready for that

[@joediverfl]

It never is, and as soon as we share it, Evil is on it's heels.

[@黃月牙-d9w]

每次看到這樣愚蠢的人類消失 總有莫名的喜悅

[@EthanShaftel]

I don't know, that joy sounds explicable to me!

[@TruthSurge]

I don't think molecules process information. If they are large enough, they can store information that can be used by another process but a water molecule does NOT process info, data or anything like it. H2O is just H2O and it can only interact. It cannot remember, or think or process anything. DNA etc a long string of smaller molecules. Plants have long molecules and they don't have any consciousness. I think it's safe to say that to have a self-aware type of consciousness, you need at LEAST a brain that can store memories.

[@DinailaChanel]

What happened in the end? Did their consciousness end up inside that organic computer?

[@pauldavey]

Probably a stupid question ? but the running commentary throughout this short was it made for this or is it from a real video?

[@EthanShaftel]

I appreciate the question! The idea in the script was that it was an interview with a scientist from way in the distant past and we could see in what ways people in the past had conceptualized what we would know about consciousness in the "present" (the dystopian future when the movie takes place). In a perfect world I was hoping to interview David before we filmed and re-write anything to better integrate with his quotes. I emailed David and he very graciously agreed to an interview, but because of his busy schedule he couldn't do it for many months, so I proceed with shooting the movie. When we did the interview I tried to guide him towards some of the relevant topics, like a fly's consciousness for instance, but other than that we was just answering the questions.

[@EthanShaftel]

Last comment on this because I think it's cool -- David is making direct eye contact with the camera in this interview because we set it up like Errol Morris's "Interrotron" where there is a teleprompter surface right in front of the lens, but the skype call I was on is displayed there instead of text (I was calling from the US to Australia). To David, he was looking right at me.

[@pauldavey]

@ thank you.

[@liviuconstantin9960]

It reminded me a little bit of the book called: Professor Dowel's head by Belyaev.

[@EthanShaftel]

Cool I haven't heard of that but will look it up!

[@olddecimal2736]

Nice

[@gvjet1]

Well that was one hell of a Pinhead movie.

[@mikereid1195]

I feel like I've seen this one before edit: got it, 2014 copyright mark at the end of the vid...I don't mind repeats, in fact, I love some of them, but you can't really mark it as a "premier" if it's been shown before!

[@joediverfl]

Nope, it's just Time Travel, finally!!!!

[@EthanShaftel]

You are right, this was around back in the day and in a DVD compilation, but I'm delighted DUST is re-releasing it. Seeing these comments today makes me feel like it found the right audience!

[@angel_machariel]

Yes you are right. Dust uses more than once false advertising like these.

[@jimpatterson5524]

I am sure that you don't expect them to actually reply where they might either own up to it or give some sort of defense of their skulduggery. It isn't their way.

[@telmosilva732]

❤

[@chuckclark9464]

👍👍👍👍

[@chuckbatson595]

Origin story of the Borg?

[@frankdepalma4409]

Trans humanism is being worked on, if not being in existence already.

[@NC-oy8hq]

WTF did I just watch ? 😂

[@EthanShaftel]

🤣

[@OLDBChannel]

IDK either 👀

[@joediverfl]

Oh My God................................. To think, that I have lived long enough that 50 years of Science Fiction has all come true, excepting FTL-Wormholes-the Mastery of Gravity, Quantum Physics has given us Teleportation, in all probability Time Travel, though I still feel that we can only go forward, But this, this is God Level. Ten minutes has exploded my mind I am reeling with possibility. There are no words, except thank you, and please Sir, may I have some more?

[@EthanShaftel]

Wow thank you! Looking at the movie again with a little distance I feel like there are a lot of ideas, maybe not fully formed, and my perspective has changed a little since then, especially given all the developments in AI that when we first made the movie seemed 50-100 years away.

[@DaveDangsa-h2d]

I'll be there in 21500😊😊😊

[@evortus]

What in the MeatCanyon is going on?

[@sen5i]

Knuck fows

[@TruthSurge]

Good job except for the horrible choice to put a strobe light effect in there.

[@janmed1592]

Behavior..an experiment bettween machine animals .humans ..but you can see in the end all we are the same..our conciencia can be trasnmute even a body of any time machine flesh animal... the most higher concieness is going to watch from above.. who are from below his consciences what we call god....bur what is concieness?

[@theorangethink]

who is the guy on TV?

[@EthanShaftel]

David Chalmers. Philosopher and author or articles, books, etc and the thinker who named/defined what he calls the "hard problem" of consciousness.

[@theorangethink]

@@EthanShaftel Thanks a Lot

[@TruthSurge]

THis was good until the absolutely annoying obnoxious seizure inducing strobe effect was used in the hallway. Please... send out a memo in film making school to all students.... NO STROBE LIGHTS EVER. They are not scary, they are not cool, they are if anything an indicator of AMATEUR film making. At LEAST leave some ambient light in there between flashes so it's not just bright and dark over and over. If he FIXES things, he needs to get right on that broken light bulb that somehow flashes off and on like a strobe light!

[@EthanShaftel]

Lol we may disagree somewhat about how much strobe to have in the scene but let me say that I completely appreciate you taking the time to comment on this, as we discussed in the other thread. But more than that I laughed out loud when I realized you are completely right about the plot hole here: this handyman hasn't bothered to tighten the light bulb right outside his own door :-). Thanks again for watching!

[@TruthSurge]

@@EthanShaftel Well, I just comment on YT a lot. I do dislike any flashing light effect and especially harsh looking ones. I know... Alien did it. If it's good enough for Ridley Scott.... ANYWAY.... best to you, keep rockin! Thanks for the replies!

[@emilianoorona9890]

Wow this was terrible.

[@jlane9055]

nice...but a little of silly

[@EthanShaftel]

I agree with that!