Alan Moore is better known as the visionary writer of such comic book classics as Watchmen and V for Vendetta, but he’s recently turned his hand to scripting short films in collaboration with director Mitch Jenkins, the latest of which – Jimmy’s End – is now available to view online. Given Moore’s much-publicised disgust with Hollywood’s adaptations of his work, it’s perhaps not surprising that he should decide to start creating movies of his own, albeit on a much smaller scale. Jimmy’s End was filmed entirely in Moore’s home town of Northampton and cost just £11,000 to make, a sum which Moore recently suggested would only cover the coffee budget on the set of a comic book blockbuster.
Despite its small budget, though, Jimmy’s End shines with class. The work of director David Lynch is a clear influence throughout the film’s half-hour running time, as its dark and surreal story unfolds at a creeping pace, beautifully photographed by Jenkins. Down-and-out James (Darrell D’Silva) , lost after a heavy night on the town, stumbles into the St. James End working men’s club, and encounters a bizarre array of frightening and mysterious characters who may be lost souls like himself, or something much more ancient and terrible. The film is rich with symbolism, and the imagery employed by Moore and Jenkins lends an almost palpable atmosphere to proceedings, as James confronts the awful reality of St. James End. Moore himself has an unsettling cameo in the film, and strong performances all round ensure that the extreme weirdness of Jimmy’s End never dilutes its underlying menace. This is a film that deserves to find a wider audience, and hopefully there’ll be more of the same from Moore and Jenkins in the near future.
Jimmy’s End is available to view online for free, and the official website can be found here.
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