Fantastic Fest Micro-Mini, Day 2

I am so bad at this live coverage business.  The fest is winding down, I’ve seen dozens of movies, and I’m just now finishing my post of the first day.  I may have bitten off more than I can chew.  At least I can’t be fired from my own blog.  Without further ado, day 2.

Movie 4: HAGAZUSSA: A HEATHEN’S CURSE

Beautifully shot, glacially paced, and confusing as fuck, still not sure how I feel about this 15 Century witch tale by Lukas Feigelfeld.  There are some great moments, but it’s even harder to engage with than THOROUGHBREDS.  Good if you are in a Terrence Malick style meditative mood.  Not recommended for new mothers or people who like clean food. 

Movie 5: LET THE CORPSES TAN

This Belgian ode to Italian giallo, filmed in Corsica, LET THE CORPSES TAN should have been tailor made for me, but the editing speed and relentlessly intrusive effect shots completely pulled me out.  Directors  Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani don’t let up for a second, which is a pity, since there are some breathtaking shots in here.  Any highlights were immediately buried by the next fifty unnecessary effects rolled out the next minute.  I might appreciate it more on the next watch, but this time it was like I was watching while wearing a helmet filled with multicolor LED fireflies.  

Movie 6:  KING COHEN

Now this one was tailor made for me.  Larry Cohen is one of my favorite filmmakers, and this doc goes deep into his colorful career.  Cutting together scenes of his work with interviews with the likes of Scorsese, Joe Dante, and Fred Williamson, it emphasizes Cohen’s guerilla style of shooting without permits, staging elaborate action scenes in airports and New York landmarks with no one the wiser.  The best interviews were with the man himself.  Cohen’s comedian roots shine through in every wise ass story he tells.  To top it all off, Larry Cohen was present for the screening and turned the Q & A afterwards into a rollicking, hilarious extension of the doc.  Cohen and actress Laurene Landon then switched theaters, leading straight into my next movie…

Movie 7: MANIAC COP 2

Believe it or not, I’ve never seen MANIAC COP 2.  So the opportunity to see a 35mm screening with writer Larry Cohen and star Laurene Landon (Hundra herself!) attending was a dream come true.  It was not a disappointment.  I’m definitely doing a full review on this film soon (since it is currently available), but again, the most entertaining part of the experience was Cohen, live and unfiltered.  This Q & A was even wilder, with Landon going on about her fear of star Robert Davi’s rumored foot fetish and Cohen’s detailed breakdown of a real maniac cop case from the ‘90s.  I feel sorry for any mediator trying to wrangle Larry Cohen, the man is a force of nature.

Movie 8: APPLECART

Going in, I knew nothing about this slick, low budget horror movie, but it can all be summed up in two words, Barbara Crampton.  The story of a family holiday to a secluded lodge in the woods destined to go south is bounced off a True Crime style television show inaccurately documenting the tragedy that unravels.  Points to first time director Brad Baruh’s ambitious, if not entirely successful, execution.  My biggest issue was the flatness of the video, and the lack of distinction between the real footage and the TV reenactment stuff.  The effects and creature design are nice, but the real reason to watch are the outstanding performances by AJ Bowen as the dad and Barbara Crampton deliciously digging into her villain role.  The ‘80s horror queen is clearly having a blast, especially as she spooks the shit out of the family before all hell breaks loose.  

Literally scratching the surface here, so there is much more to come.  Eventually.

C Chaka

Fantastic Fest Mini - COLD HELL

It's 2:30am on Friday and I am six movie posts behind, and it's only going to get worse from here.  Let's power through the last film of Day 1: COLD HELL.

This is the first fest film I straight-up loved.  THOROUGHBREDS was interesting and 3ft BALL & SOULS came very close, but COLD HELL is exactly my type of movie.  It's a German thriller based in Vienna, Austria about a Turkish woman named Ozge (Violetta Schurawlow) who becomes the target of a killer after witnessing an incredibly brutal murder. We stay with Ozge through almost all of the film, so everything rests on Schurawlow's shoulders.  Fortunately, they are strong shoulders.  Ozge is a kickboxer who takes absolutely no shit.  There are undeniable GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO parallels, but this film is less of a mystery and more of a direct threat.  Also, Ozge faces discrimination not only due to her gender, but also because to her nationality.  Expect a full piece on this one as soon as the Blu Ray is released (whenever that may be), as this movie kicks huge quantities of ass.

Update: I forgot to post this Friday night and now it's (checking) Sunday morning and I'm 10 films behind.  This Austin Movieworld thing is like nothing I've ever dealt with, and I'm still trying to get my footing.  Unbelievably fun, but super busy.  I'll keep changing up the format until I make it work. Gotta run and catch a movie now, because this is what we do here.

C Chaka

Fantastic Fest Mini – 3Ft BALL & SOULS

It turns out that watching three films in a day is kind of a lot for me.  Guess what?  I’ve got five a day for the rest of the fest!  I’m not complaining, the more movies the better, but writing about all of them is apparently a trickier endeavor for a person who takes a week to do one review.  Notice I only got the one out yesterday, and that was tiny.  So I’m going for a less formal, messier style for everything else, at least until I find a good rhythm.  Again, sorry.  Going to be saying that a lot.

My second film of the fest was the Japanese indie, 3ft BALL & SOULS.  First of all, how can you resist a title like that?  I had no idea what that meant, though it becomes at least partially obvious in the very opening as someone rolls in a three foot ball bomb.  The film is essentially the Anti-SUICIDE CLUB (both the film and the actual practice in Japan).  It has a very nice mix of drama, mystery, and a surprising amount of humor.  In what boils down to a GROUNDHOG DAY for group suicide.  Four despondent losers (in their minds) meet to blow themselves up with a giant fireworks shell, but end up repeating the event every time the bomb goes off.  The obvious answer to the problem would be to just leave and off themselves in different ways, but they are really set on death by firework.  Admittedly, it’s a spectacular way to go, and the intimate situation emphasizes the psychology behind group suicide.  The director (and writer, producer, etc), Etsuo Kato, switches genres to keep the repetition from getting too repetitive.  The violence is suggestive rather than the over the top Takashi Miike style like ICHI THE KILLER (also shown yesterday, but I missed that one), though one scene is incredibly affecting and disturbing.  It can be a tad corny at times, but I’m a sucker for an indie with heart, and this one has a ton.  I don’t know how hard it will be to find this one in the wild, but check it out if you get the opportunity.  It’s the most feel good suicide movie of 2017, so far.

C Chaka

Fantastic Fest Minis - THOROUGHBREDS

Fantastic Fest Day 1

Fantastic Fest starts off easy for the people just getting in (not me) or those who get totally freaked out by large crowds (absolutely me).  The show got going at 5:30pm with the big opener, THOROUGHBREDS.  Now, the opening movie was supposed to be Martin McDonagh’s 3 BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, but it dropped out due to the controversy surrounding this year’s event—which I will elaborate on later. 

My strategy with FF lineup is to jump in blind as much as possible.  All I knew about THOROUGHBREDS going in was that it starred the spooky girl from The VVitch and SPLIT (Anya Taylor-Joy).  This time she plays it straight as the buttoned up, over-privileged teen Lily. It’s Olivia Cooke bringing the spooky as Lily’s budding sociopath pal, Amanda.  The distinction between emotionless psycho and repressed Connecticut boarding school brat is shockingly thin, and soon roles begin to reverse.  Which is good, because with those huge, hypnotizing eyes, it is impossible for Taylor-Joy to hide her inner spookiness.  

Slow, methodical, and gorgeously shot, THOROUGHBREDS is a chilly movie, more intellectually fascinating than emotionally gripping.  A murderous plot provides the motivation, but director Cory Finley is more interested in character study than action.  Anton Yelchin steals the show as a small time dirtbag, in one of his last performances.  

It’s a solid, if quiet, one.

More to come. 

C Chaka