Slamdance 2022 Film Festival – Ah, the 1990s when we had dial-up internet, massive computer monitors, and burned CDs. Writer/director Michael Biggs‘ short CD-Trip is a ride down memory lane for this millennial, except, it’s also a strange little short that takes some cues from David Lynch and David Cronenberg in all the best ways.

The short opens with a quote from American psychologist Timothy Leary, who said, “The PC is the LSD of the ’90s.” For those who don’t know, Leary advocated strongly for psychedelic drugs.  This sets the uncanny tone for the remaining minutes. Tracy (Karley Parker) spends most of her time alone in her bedroom, isolated from her two roommates who eat spaghetti…a lot of spaghetti. She learns how to code and also partakes in strange directives. The purpose and result of these directives are unclear, however. They’re indeed intriguing and strange, but not enough is known about them.

Eventually, Tracy visits one of her friends and finds a burned CD labeled “CD-Trip.” When she takes it home, she embarks on a wild ride and starts to see strange images that may or may not be real. The closing minute really leans into the horror and even contains some cool body horror elements a-la Cronenberg’s Videodrome or Lynch’s Eraserhead. It makes for a  far-out ending. The short also plays up the 90s well, from the crackly sound of dial-up internet to the clothes, to even some of the posters on the wall. It captures the era and early days of the internet.

This short certainly has the potential to grow into a feature. I specifically had questions about the directives and who or what is behind them. To add, the film somewhat explores the isolating effect of the internet. Tracy spends so much time cut off from the outside world, staring at a computer screen. There’s more to explore there, too. What exists within these 13 minutes leads to a mind-bending ending. If only we knew then how addictive the internet would become. CD-Trip sucks you into its world like the lead gazing at her computer screen.

CD-Trip screened as part of the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival.

6.5 Out of 10 Burned CDs