Director Brett Nemeroff's short film Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? (2002) is part fairy tale, part Dr. Suess, and part black comedy...although it has trouble with the balancing act. Essentially, it's the story of Tammy and Sammy, two young siblings left to play with the young boy down the street: Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew. They quickly hatch a plan during a game that apparently kills Simon, so they need a quick way out of trouble. Enter "Whizzit", a magical man who wants to help the two siblings dispose of the body. However, it remains to be seen if Simon is actually dead, and his mysterious past is soon revealed. It's a short story where nothing is as it seems, and stretches its respective genres to their breaking point. Needless to say, it's a production that might seem aimed at children, but it's not something I'd consider suitable entertainment.

Regardless of it's genre, Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? is a production with equal parts success and failure. Told completely in rhyming verse, the narrative gimmick sometimes works wonders…and sometimes forces the dialogue to fall flat. To make a long story short, limiting a story to rhyme is a formidable challenge, and Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? doesn't always come out on top.

Part of this problem is from the uneven performances by the small cast, with the chief offenders being Tammy and Sammy (played by adults Lisette Bross and Billy Ray Gallion). Even though they're playing young children, the forced nature of their delivery is occasionally grating, and the less successful portions of rhyme only make things worse. Slightly more consistent is James Kassir (who has provided voice acting for countless films, TV shows and cartoons, including Tales from the Crypt, Pocahontas, and Tiny Toon Adventures). His performance as Simon is a little more concise, though he still has trouble delivering certain lines effectively.

However, the real standout performance is by Armin Shimerman (most famous for his role as "Quark" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), who plays Whizzit with extreme dexterity and skill. He literally carries the production, and it's a shame that the performances aren't all at the same level. With more polish, Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? could have been a really great short film. As it stands, it's just an interesting concept that falls a little flat. Still, it's worth a look if you're a fan of fantasy-based films with bite, and the spirited performance by Shimerman helps to move things along.

Although most short films never get a chance to shine on DVD, Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? has been brought to us courtesy of the good folks at Image Entertainment. The technical presentation is decent enough, and there's also a small amount of extras that go into greater detail. While the short film definitely isn't for everyone, it's interesting enough to keep this release above water. With that said, let's see how this one stacks up:

Presented in a 1.66:1 widescreen aspect ratio, Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? looks fairly good for a low-budget affair. As mentioned in one of the extras, this film was shot in color and digitally altered to appear black and white (with the exception of Whizzit, who appears in bold color). Although the image generally looks clean and clear, it lacks the sharpness and clarity seen in bigger-budget releases. Still, this is likely the best the film will ever look, so the video presentation isn't a disappointment by any means. The audio is presented in Dolby 2.0 Stereo, and is similar to the video: it's not meant to be flashy, so don't expect a high-end production. Dialogue and music come through clearly, although subtitles have not been provided for this release.

A pair of brief interviews is also included, adding up to roughly the same running time as the film itself. The first, entitled The Birth of Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew?, is an informal chat with a portion of the production team (some of which appeared in the film), who are more than willing to shed a little light on the film's conception and execution. The second, an Interview with the Cast, features a brief Q&A with stars Armin Shimerman and John Cassir (although the rest of the crew crashes the party halfway through, as seen above). These two are interesting inclusions, but seem a little disjointed and rushed in execution---on several occasions, you can see flies buzzing around and hear the noise of traffic outside. In retrospect, these would have been more effective if they were recorded on the set, or simply presented as an audio commentary instead. Despite the lack of polish, this pair of interviews was a short (but appropriate) helping of extras.

Although I didn't find Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? to be anything revolutionary, it's a modestly interesting short film that contains a great performance by Armin Shimerman. It's a hit-and-miss affair, but still offers a few darkly amusing moments that might just please fans of Dr. Suess (or even Shel Silverstein). While the practical side of me is generally against short films being presented as stand-alone releases, the extremely low MSRP softens the blow enough to warrant a mild recommendation. Who Slew Simon Thaddeus Mulberry Pew? isn't exactly high art by any means, but it's a unique little diversion that might be up your alley. Recommended.