From the Director of the Upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman: D-Minus Gets a B-Plus ~ Cinesnatch

Robert Patrick as the figurehead patriarch
in Rupert Sanders' short D-Minus

Rupert Sanders has directed commercials, a music video and some shorts, but, as far as the IMDb is concerned, he only has one credit to his name: the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman. Having watched some of his work, this seemingly newcomer has an edginess similar to David Fincher (his music video for Trent Reznor's How to Destroy Angels is probably no small coincidence) and suburban angst close to the levels of Todd Solondz. His longest work to date is the twenty minute short D-Minus from Milo Ross' novel. He directs Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) as a junkie father/husband in Los Angeles 1983 whose selfish behavior makes everyone around him miserable, as he prepares to money-grub his rich father (the 83-year-old silver fox Orson Bean looking amazing) for his latest business daydream on his daughter's birthday. Things don't end well. The dialogue which reveal Patrick's angry character to be racist is a bit cliche, but his erratic, unhinged performance is pretty transfixing. He has no boundaries when he breaks in on his son's room screaming, "What the fuck are you doing? Are you in here jacking off, stinking up my house?" Yet, his desperate plea to his father warrants a sliver of sympathy despite how lazy, cruel, and abusive he is. The cast includes Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) as his wife and Priscilla Barnes (Three's Company) as his stepmother who drolly delivers the line, "Pass the wine box, Andre." Watch it here.