"The screaming immediacy of “Heavy Soul†characterizes who Oren Shai will continue to be as a filmmaker... He’s got it. I don’t think the ‘50s have ever been quite this extreme in any film and this is some trip."
Rory L. Aronsky, Film Threat
"Oren Shai knows how to draw attention to a film... it is an accomplished, stylish, well-made short with a star-turn by Sally Conway."
Jonathan Marlow, The Greencine Daily Blog
Rory L. Aronsky, Film Threat
"Oren Shai knows how to draw attention to a film... it is an accomplished, stylish, well-made short with a star-turn by Sally Conway."
Jonathan Marlow, The Greencine Daily Blog
"A Lifetime movie as directed by David Lynch, with a script by Cornell Woolrich, with a smattering of Russ Meyer and John Waters influences at the back of the palette"
John Oak Dalton, MicrocinemaScene
"Shot with a $10,000 budget and on 16mm film, Heavy Soul looks and feels more professional than a good number of features I've seen... If this is any indication of what we can expect from Shai, I look forward to his first feature."
Film Guru.Net
"In these days when virtually everyone has a chance to make a film (which itself is a great thing), it's easy to point out where the talent is. Right now I point out Oren Shai."
Esa Linna, EMVG
"Oren Shai genre-hops – from black-and-white Reefer Madness-inspired educational films to color-saturated Lynchian scenes – to tell the story of a young girl and her bad trip down the road of addiction."
James Renovitch, The Austin Chronicle
"Shot on 16mm on a budget of $10,000, “Heavy Soul†looks better than some features that cost millions... Will somebody with bankroll please give Oren Shai a budget to make a feature film?" Pollystaffle.com
"'Heavy Soul' in all its weirdness feels immensely genuine as if it'd jumped out of the fifties era and hardly ever looks like a true indie."
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema-Crazed
Esa Linna, EMVG
"Oren Shai genre-hops – from black-and-white Reefer Madness-inspired educational films to color-saturated Lynchian scenes – to tell the story of a young girl and her bad trip down the road of addiction."
James Renovitch, The Austin Chronicle
"Shot on 16mm on a budget of $10,000, “Heavy Soul†looks better than some features that cost millions... Will somebody with bankroll please give Oren Shai a budget to make a feature film?" Pollystaffle.com
"'Heavy Soul' in all its weirdness feels immensely genuine as if it'd jumped out of the fifties era and hardly ever looks like a true indie."
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema-Crazed
"Heavy Soul successfully treads the fine line between parodying the sensational nature of the genre while still treating addiction as a serious and disturbing issue"
Monsters At Play
"With Heavy Soul, Oren Shai walks the fine line between parody and homage, and does so to great effect. He clearly has a great deal of affection for the teen culture of the time, as well as for the period’s exploitation films, but this doesn’t stop him from mercilessly sending up the cultural paranoia that was also very much in evidence at the time."
Paul Pritchard, Pulp Movies
"Very stylized, a light hearted romp nonetheless that was nothing short of deranged fun."
The Austin Daze
Monsters At Play
"With Heavy Soul, Oren Shai walks the fine line between parody and homage, and does so to great effect. He clearly has a great deal of affection for the teen culture of the time, as well as for the period’s exploitation films, but this doesn’t stop him from mercilessly sending up the cultural paranoia that was also very much in evidence at the time."
Paul Pritchard, Pulp Movies
"Very stylized, a light hearted romp nonetheless that was nothing short of deranged fun."
The Austin Daze
Press for "Heavy Soul"
Winner: The School of Visual Arts 'Outstanding Achievement in Directing' award for 2005.
Winner: "Best Narrative" & "Best of the Festival" Awards at the Artsfest Film Festival
Winner: "Best Narrative" & "Best of the Festival" Awards at the Artsfest Film Festival