No plans tomorrow night? May we strongly suggest that even if you do you cancel those plans right away, make up a strange and rare disease if you have to, and get your butt down to the Bloor Cinema tomorrow night for the Rue Morgue Cinemacabre screening of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s incredible French horror film Inside. No excuses. See the movie that was too bloody and violent for a theatrical release.
Go to this Cinemacabre link for more details.
We here at Twitch have been unanimously supportive of Inside since many of us have seen it at numerous festival screenings in 2007. My only wish was that everyone would get to see this tour de force in the cinema instead of their homes. Mind you, after you see this film you may want to run right outside, do a quick spin around the house and make sure no one is trying to break in.
The uncut release will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with a French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. English subtitles will also be provided, along with an English 5.1 dub. The only extra material will be a making of featurette which gets a ‘boo-urns’ from me since the guys who directed Inside were fun to talk to and have a lot to say. Myself, I’m mixed about the cover. It gets the point across, sure, and I guess when you have a brand like Dimension Extreme it makes sense on their end to make ALL their covers look the same, so that the uninitiated buyer can identify a product line instead of an individual property and it’s own merits. Can’t say I am a fan of the tag ‘UNRATED’ either. Ooh, that means it is extra, extra special.
Sleep with the lights on; Inside is coming on April 15th!
Heh ... I couldn’t NOT post this, now could I? That grammar makes no sense. But onwards!
A kind soul has posted a best-of video compilation from the 2007 edition of the Fantastic Fest on to YouTube including a good bit of behind the scenes stuff, including shots from a night of drunken karaoke which unfortunately took place after the lady friend and I had already left. But now we get to live the moment vicariously and sing along with the Festival’s best-picture winning director Nacho Vigalondo as he belts out Tainted Love. And who wouldn’t want to do that?
I am absolutely ecstatic to announce that the prize winners have just been announced at the 2007 edition of Fantastic Fest and the big winners are Nacho Vigalondo’s Time Crimes and Ernesto Diaz Espinoza’s Mirageman, taking home the jury selected Best Picture (technically the AMD Next Wave Award) and the Audience Award respectively. We’ve been hailing the virtues of Vigalondo, Diaz and Diaz’s martial arts star Marko Zaror seemingly forever here at Twitch and I’ve gotten to know the men behind the scenes on them quite well over the past year and am proud to consider them all friends. I am pleased beyond words to see them all getting the recognition they deserve.
In related news: always listen to Todd.
The complete announcement and list of winners follows after the break.
Continue Reading "TIME CRIMES and MIRAGE MAN Take Home The Hardware At Fantastic Fest!"...
Speculation ran rampant before the final “secret screening” last night as the third edition of Fantastic Fest came to a conclusion. Frankly, when festival director Tim League announced at 6:45 pm that Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood would be the closing night presentation, I was a bit wary. This was a film that even Tim acknowledged was not what most people might think of as appropriate for a “fantastic fest” audience. Yet this year the festival has broadly and impressively deepened the type of offerings on display, forcing people to rethink what exactly constitutes a “fantastic” film.
In several important ways, though, There Will Be Blood was the perfect film to close the festival. First, it is a major stride forward by Anderson. Not only has he left behind the present-day San Fernando Valley suburban milleau of his last three films, he has greatly sharpened his storytelling abilities and broadened his visual palette. Second, this is a tale in which the characters fully embrace their emotions, resulting in sometimes over the top behavior that’s familiar to anyone even mildly acquainted with genre fare. Third, the film features a monstrously entertaining performance by Daniel Day Lewis, embodying a man quietly hellbent on achieving success, and you can never have too many monsters at Fantastic Fest.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: There Will Be Blood Review"...
Exhaustion has well and truly set in. It’s Thursday afternoon as I type this, I watched five movies back to back yesterday, and felt so charged up I had trouble sleeping. Which means my schedule is shot again; I’m missing a screening at this moment. The hangover has begun. Despite taking a few notes I’m having trouble marshaling my thoughts. I feel like a cinematic punch drunk. Still, I’m very sorry that Fantastic Fest concludes tonight and that “normal” life resumes tomorrow.
A quick recap: Wrong Turn 2 is a satisfying though average backwoods horror flick; The Beautiful Beast is a consistently perplexing horror of the dysfunctional family variety; Invisible Target is an incredibly crunchy and adrenaline-pumping Hong Kong action picture; Velvet Hustler, a funny and colorful film noir, is yet another undiscovered masterpiece in the Nikkatsu Action series; Alone manages to transcend its one-note scares by uprooting a painful, tragic relationship at the heart of its character-based horror.
Check the Related Links to read more detailed reviews of two of the films. I liked Invisible Target even more than Stefan and The Visitor—and it looked and sounded glorious on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse. I was a very happy boy and I recommend it. The midnight screening of Alone was extremely gripping, and I agree entirely with Todd Brown’s sentiments on this one. It will be receiving a theatrical release in the US (hooray!), so spread the word and look out for this one.
My time and energy are entirely depleted, so this will be my shortest report, but I very much hope to recoup and write more in the next few days about some of the films that deserve greater attention. And allow me to repeat myself up front: Velvet Hustler is a great film that needs to be released on DVD.
The Warped Ones, the second entry in the Nikkatsu Action series, was definitely anarchic, fresh, and original, though it didn’t strike as strong a chord with me as A Colt is My Passport.
Perhaps that’s because The Warped Ones defiantly detaches itself from any genre and sends itself hurtling through its own universe, inspired by jazz—not smooth jazz or easy listening jazz, just the harder bebop need apply. It’s so loose and unmoored, it feels like it’s entirely improvised, yet has none of the characteristics of an improvised film. For example, the dialogue is sharp and witty, though it makes no sense at times. The action of the characters embodies rebellion against social conventions of every type. It’s worth noting that the original Japanese title translates as Season of Heat, which gives a better sense of the mood of the characters: they’re all het up and have nowhere to go.
When it comes right down to it, I have no idea what I’m talking about. The Warped Ones baffled and mystified me, but I liked it very much. Author/film critic Mark Schilling noted in his introduction that the film was clearly inspired by Breathless, which was released a few months before in Japan. That helps give it context, but The Warped Ones is a fairly unique experience that I dearly wish was on DVD so I could watch it again as soon as possible. It seems to be a film that would reward multiple viewings.
After the jump, comments on a much more straightforward drama and a bloody midnight movie.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: Spiral, The Warped Ones, Inside"...
Before the night descended into a geek game show fueled by alcohol, testostorone, and horror movie trivia (see “Fantastic Feud"), and long before the night splintered still further into exuberant karaoke featuring filmmakers, programmers, and divas of every sort ("Tainted Love”? “I’m Too Sexy”? “Okie From Muskogee”? “Werewolves of London”? “Addicted to Love”? “Bohemian Rhapsody”?), Fantastic Fest presented a day of richly diverse cinema.
A Colt is My Passport, the kick-off to the three-film Nikkatsu Action series, was every bit as good as I hoped it would be. It was so good that about halfway through I was thinking how much I wanted to see it again.
Made in 1967, a few months before Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill, which also starred Jo Shisido, Takashi Nomura’s film features a hitman (Shisido) who has trouble making his escape after carrying out his latest job. (The assassination scene itself, in which Shisido demonstrates cold hearted efficiency with a long-range rifle, is chillingly silent.) He holes up with his partner in a motel by the sea, waiting for a chance to ship out of the country, but much more trouble—and a spectacular climax set in a lonely landscape—lies ahead. Much more should be written about this off-kilter masterpiece.
Mark Schilling, film critic for The Japan Times and author of the great new book No Borders, No Limits: Nikkatsu Action Cinema (published by the wonderful FAB Press), introduced the film. Marc Walkow of Outcast Cinema typed up the subtitles and made sure they appeared at just the right moment (via his laptop computer) on the improvised area below the screen.
What a great start to the series, and two more to go! Read on after the jump for comments on two recommended Asian comedies.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: Aachi and Ssipak, The Rug Cop, A Colt is My Passport, Fantastic Feud"...
I tried to make it through the post-midnight screening of Pakistani zombie flick Hell’s Ground last night, but kept falling asleep due to complete exhaustion. (This was actual sleep, not dozing: the movie was half over and I have no memory of anything past the first two sequences.) Finally, I gave up. But earlier in the day, I saw four features and a short that all kept me awake.
Twitch’s Todd Brown has raved recently about Son of Rambow (see Related Links); while I enjoyed the film, it never rose above entertainment for me, and felt a bit drawn out towards the end. Still, a nicely realized vision for director Garth Jennings that will resonate with many film lovers, and one that deserves to be supported when it hits theaters early next year. But you probably won’t have the original theatrical trailer of Rambo: First Blood II playing before the feature, as we did. Way to go, Alamo and Fantastic Fest!
Far Out has also been raved about recently at Twitch, this time courtesy of Collin A (see Related Links); in this case I fully agree. I loved the set up, the vibe, and the delivery. Director Phil Mucci and his gaggle of talented collaborators also know not to overstay their welcome, which makes the short that much more effective. Highly recommended.
After the jump, I’ll have comments on an oddball relationship movie, a Slavic fantasy come to life, and rare roaring motorcyles.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: Uncle’s Paradise, Wolfhound, Son of Rambow, Crazy Thunder Road, Far Out"...
My day began with a sweetly silly comedy with touches of romance and drama, and ended more than 13 hours later with a gleefully offensive comedy with touches of political satire and moral indignation. In between I saw a violent anti-pornography children’s crusade, a traditional cops and criminals yarn enlivened by stunning action, and a grueling descent into madness. So, yes, it was a very good Saturday at Fantastic Fest.
As you can see from the “Related Links” below, three of the films I saw (Princess, Flash Point, and Postal) have been covered well already here at Twitch. I enjoyed all three for different reasons: Princess immediately engaged me with its storytelling and I was moved rather than offended by the subject matter; Flash Point looks smashing on the big screen and the action sequences more than make up for the dramatic shortfalls; Postal is so funny that it renders critical opinions pointless.
Director Uwe Boll and actor Zack Ward were on hand for the screening and led a raucous Q&A that took on sacred cows of every variety, including, but not limited to, Ain’t It Cool News, George W. Bush, three large U.S. theater chains, An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore, Wolfgang Petersen, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The introduction featured flying candy and Boll smashing the head off a pinata shaped like Osama Bin Laden.
Read on for a few thoughts on the very funny Maiko Haaaan!!! and very challenging Offscreen.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: Maiko Haaaan!!!, Princess, Flash Point, Offscreen, Postal"...
Over the brief lifespan of Austin’s Fantastic Fest the AICN sponsored secret screenings stand as a significant highlight, offering early unannounced looks at hotly anticipated titles. The first of this year’s secret screenings was unveiled tonight with Richard Kelly’s long delayed follow up to Donnie Darko, Southland Tales, playing to a packed house with Kelly himself in the audience. Utterly despised by audiences in Cannes two years ago when it screened in an early, rough form, the film screened here in its just completed final version, nearly twenty minutes shorter than the Cannes cut. The verdict? Most of the complaints about the film are accurate to varying degrees. It is overly ambitious, incredibly dense with ideas often obscured by stylish diversions, and a prime example of pop culture philosophy in action. If Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain was too obscure and cerebral for mainstream audiences then Southland Tales, a more challenging film by far, is destined to die a quick and unpleasant death at the box office. That said, for those who make it through the initial overload of information and can latch on to Kelly’s vibe, Southland is also a dazzlingly smart, funny, and engaging work, one that fuses political fears with apocalyptic religiosity and techno-dread and wraps it all in a glossy, colorful package. Southland Tales is far from the mess it has been made out to be, a work that rewards as much as it challenges and succeeds in finding the human, emotional core lurking beneath all of its high concepts.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: SOUTHLAND TALES Review"...
Sure, I could write endless paragraphs on the beauty and effervescent personalities of the Alamo Drafthouse’s tireless workers and the endlessly busy yet pleasant and enthusiastic Fantastic Fest staff and volunteers—especially one volunteer in particular who is even more gorgeous this year than last—but I’m supposed to be writing about film, so let me bring it back to the filmmakers.
One of the joys of Fantastic Fest is the ready access to the filmmakers. They tend to be down to earth film lovers who stand in line waiting to see other people’s movies right along with everybody else. Sometimes you can fall into conversations with them even before realizing that they’ve made a film. At some other festivals, the filmmakers are isolated from “the public,” which may be appropriate in certain circumstances, but it’s an added bonus to see directors chatting easily with such a wide variety of people.
Great conversation (in the form of well-directed one sided dialogue) lays at the heart of Hasko Baumann’s documentary Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures. It’s easy to see why the doc won two awards at the recent Comic-Con; it examines the life of French artist Jean Giraud (AKA Moebius) in a very refreshing manner that manages to be both breezy and deeply informative. I thought I didn’t know the artist’s work at all, but after he made his mark in graphic arts, he did design work on Hollywood productions like Alien, Tron, and The Fifth Element.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: Lovely People, Moebius Redux, Five Across the Eyes, Flight of the Living Dead"...
My Fantastic Fest day started most pleasantly on Friday, chatting in the late afternoon with Nacho Vigilando. He made the very good Timecrimes, which premiered here on Thursday night, and is an engaging and personable man. In the interview he talked about how certain films from the early 1990s inspired him to become a filmmaker, marveled at the performance of Karra Elejalde in the central role of Timecrimes ("He is the film"), and expressed his admiration for science fiction writers such as Philip K. Dick, Robert Heinlein, Stanislaw Lem, and Alfred Bester.
I shared my personal enthusiasm for Bester, who wrote sparingly but with great vigor, and we talked a bit about Bester’s novel The Stars, My Destination, which Nacho readily noted had a protagonist very similar to the one in Timecrimes—an ordinary, sometimes gruff man who doesn’t seem like a traditional hero. Nacho was also impressed with Bester’s short story, “The Men Who Murdered Mohammed,” an excellent, unique time travel story.
The filmmaker also explained that Timecrimes was a script that he wrote simply for himself. He has no ambitions to be “the next Steven Spielberg” or the next anybody; he just wants to be able to express himself as a filmmaker. Before he finished the script, he was nominated for his short film 7:35 in the Morning, and then he thought he might be able to parlay that nomination into funding for the film. That didn’t work out as quickly or easily as he hoped, but eventually financing was secured and he had complete creative control of the project.
Right here is where I would like to link to an MP3 of the interview, but I confess with no little embarrassment that I failed to properly record our conversation (with equipment graciously loaned by the visiting Todd Brown). Yes, I failed to switch the microphone from “off” to “on,” so all I have on hand is 18 minutes of a blank recording. My apologies to Nacho.
I suppose now I’ll have to time travel into the past to tell myself how to operate a microphone ...
I’m terribly disappointed to tell you that the first film I saw at Fantastic Fest displayed none of George A. Romero’s masterful directorial touches, the English dialogue was horribly dubbed, and there weren’t even any zombies.
Of course, that’s became I was enjoying the outdoor “opening day festivities”—which included a “gore cannon” with human targets, a contraption that shot flames into the air, numerous blindfolded participants attempting to destroy pinatas containing candy and cans of beer, and goat meat tacos—and was tardy in lining up for George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead. Have I mentioned that people take their movies seriously in Austin? Folks were lined up by 3:30 pm for the 6:45 pm screening, and the buzz only intensified when The Zombie Man himself appeared, looking taller and wiser than I expected.
I’m sorry I missed the film, but it’s a festival, so you roll with the punches, and soon enough the “Romero Zombie overflow crowd” spilled into one of two other movies that were starting a few miutes later. The one I saw, Hell’s Fever, is an Italian production that, let us say, did not translate very well. The lack of zombies was only the beginning. But rather than recite the alphabet of its limitations, allow me to praise a man named Nacho.
Yes, Academy Award-nominated short filmmkaer Nacho Vigalondo has made his first feature, Timecrimes, and it is a lean, mean marvel.
Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest Report: Diary of the Dead, Hell’s Fever, Timecrimes, The Ferryman"...
Phil Mucci’s Far Out confirms the promise of his freshman offering, the revisionist silent horror short The Listening Dead, in a big, big way. Far Out nails, with startling precision, the all-encompassing vibe of a late ‘60s / early ‘70s drugged-out happening gone hilariously, gruesomely wrong. Make no mistake – Mucci’s films are the real deal, deliriously stylized romps through cinema’s past via a marriage of technology new and old.
Continue Reading "FAR OUT review"...
