Life Under the Horseshoe is a short documentary looking at a local stage show and live radio show which takes place in the idyllic town of Spring City, Utah. Check out the review right here.
Having already seen Matt Duhamel’s previous documentary The Forgiveness Journey, we had expected a professional and well-presented film, yet Life Under the Horseshow actually surprised us. The short documentary eclipses Duhamel’s previous work in terms of quality throughout. It is so well made, you would be forgiven in thinking that it was the work of a much larger studio and directed by a film-maker with a resume longer than his arm.
Life Under the Horseshow follows Mark and Vicki Allen – a very much likeable couple who moved to Spring City, Utah to retire after falling in love with the small town following a few anniversary trips. Mark, who is a self-confessed life-long entertainer, decided to try and make a live radio show inside a newly restored theatre, and the rest is history, as they say. The documentary also takes a peek into how the couple met and their opposite heritage.
The short documentary also takes a look at the lives of individuals who make up Spring City, including painters and pottery makers as well as divulging in the interesting past of the historic city. Coming in at a little over twenty five minutes in running time, Life Under the Horseshoe is never boring and actually doubles up as a guide; I wanted to go and book a trip to Spring City as soon as the end credits rolled.
The film is shot beautifully and edited really well by Duhamel. He never lingers on one image for too long, cutting away at the right time in order to keep the audience interested throughout. The sound is clear and the score that accompanies the footage is perfect as well.
It’s such a treat to see the positive development of Duhamel as a filmmaker. His work just keeps getting better and better. From the short Last Day with Lizzy, to The Forgiveness Journey and now with Life Under the Horseshoe – the quality is just getting better and better. I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next from the man.
Overall, Life Under the Horseshoe is a really well made short documentary with an interesting subject. It is well worth twenty five minutes of anyone’s time.
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