Fantastic Fest 2009 may be over, but the wrap ups are still coming. Day 5 was one of my favorite days specifically because it consisted entirely of the lower-profile films that Fantastic Fest champions. Coincidentally, my schedule for the day ended up comprised half of horror movies, though in their own ways each felt like they each were from different eras despite all being recently made. “Trick ‘R Treat” is a horror anthology that feels like a cross between the best of late 80s and early 90s horror. “House of the Devil” is made to resemble the fondly remembered low-budget horror of the late 70s and early 80s, and “Rec 2″ is very much a modern shaky-cam fright fest, but with a supernatural twist most reminiscent of early 70s horror.

“Merantau” - solid rock fist up

The first movie of the day was the martial arts film “Merantau.” The Indonesian film industry has had a resurgence lately, and this is the first straight-up martial arts film to be produced by that country. A feet all the more remarkable considering just how good the finished product is.

Easily the best traditional martial arts film at Fantastic Fest this year, “Merantau” tells the story of a young man trying to build a life in the big city of Jakarta, when a chance encounter leads him to rescue a beautiful young woman from a sex trafficking ring.

Of course, the criminals won’t let her stay rescued. As they pursue the pair and her her younger brother, eventually they are forced to make a stand. It should be noted that while the plot may sounds a little trite or inconsequential, the unique atmosphere and culture help keep things feeling impressively fresh. Also, the movie is so sincere and the characters so earnest that you can’t help but be affected by both what happens and how it happens.

The fighting style on display here is also something slightly different than anything I’ve seen before. While not as dancey as capoeira, the way the fighters move here is new to me. It’s not quite the blast that “Ong Bak” was, but “Merantau” is a great example of what this genre and the future of Indonesian cinema has to offer.

“Trick ‘R Treat” - solid rock fist up

The long delayed “Trick ‘R Treat” successfully melds so many sub-genres of horror in a comparatively brief runtime that it’s understandable why it sat on the shelf for two years. It’s not that this movie isn’t good, it’s that it’s so varied it becomes difficult to sell.

Ostensibly a horror anthology, this movie diverts from the standard by actually having all its stories take place on Halloween night in the same town. Not only do some characters show up in multiple stories, the stories are interwoven in such a way that makes for a more involving narrative.

The brisk pacing also keeps the tension up throughout. Unlike most anthologies, there’s really no place where this drags and no weak stories. It may only be 82 minutes long, but so much happens that it almost feels overly generous. The body count is high, the gore and the kills crowd-pleasing, and the performances from actors such as Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, and Anna Paquin all transcend expectations for the horror genre.

It’s really a shame that this is being doomed to a direct to video fate because it’s better than the vast majority of the mainstream horror movies that do play theatrically. “Trick ‘R Treat” is available on DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow just in time to become a Halloween institution in your house.

“Mandrill” - solid rock fist up

“Mandrill” is the new spy/hitman movie from the Chilean creative team behind “Kiltro” (a mostly traditional martial arts film) and “Mirageman” (a vigilante/superhero movie grounded in reality). If you haven’t checked those out, you should definitely give them a chance. There’s an inventiveness and a wicked sense of humor that drives both of those two movies, and it thankfully also guides “Mandrill.” The star, Marko Zaror, also happens to be a talented martial artist and was most notably a stunt and fight double for the Rock in “The Rundown.”

When “Mandrill” opens, our hero is on a mission. He infiltrates, beats, or kills a string of people all the while demanding “Where’s Waldo?” From there it just gets more outrageous, including a send-up of B-movie spy films shot in a similar style to the Brock Landers segments of “Boogie Nights.”

There’s a lot more here to like. The love story mostly works, and the fighting, while less plentiful compared to the previous films, is well-staged and appropriately brutal.

The interesting thing about all three of the movies from this team is that they catch you off guard. The low-budget look and subtitled dialogue is like a Trojan horse sneaking in a generous amount of humor and satisfying fights. They all scratch the same itch that the best cult 70s and 80s action movies do. While “Mandrill” may not quite exhibit an evolution in filmmaking for writer/director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, it is the best looking and funniest of the three and accomplishes all it sets out to do.

“House of the Devil” - rock fist way up

Ti West’s “House of the Devil” looks and feels so much like a horror film of the late 70s or early 80s that it would be easy to mistake it for one if not for the presence of industry vets Dee Wallace, Mary Woronov, and Tom Noonan. Think “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Black Christmas,” or “Halloween,” and you’ll have an idea of the look and feel of this. In fact, the costumes, performances, and dialogue are so perfectly analogous to that bygone era of a film making that you’d swear this was a lost classic and not just an exercise in style.

Thankfully it also completely succeeds as an unnerving and suspenseful horror film. Its slow burn may be too much for the ADD set who think it isn’t horror without rapid-fire cuts, heavy metal music, and a death every five minutes, but those with patience will be rewarded with a movie with a rare power to unnerve.

The text that opens the film briefly touches on the Satanic panic that swept across the United States in the early 80s. It then suggests there may have been some truth to it after all. Enter Samantha, an angel-faced young woman looking to extricate herself from the untenable conditions of her dorm and the burnout roommate from hell. She thinks she’s found the perfect place, but she’s short on cash and only has the weekend to raise it. An on-campus flier looking for a babysitter draws her attention, and despite just about every warning bell going off, she agrees to take the job.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a horror movie without a really bad decision at its center, and we spend nearly two-thirds of the movie with her in the titular house as she slowly discovers just how bad one decision can really be. Like the films that clearly influenced it, this movie has creepy atmosphere to spare. It also rewards patience with a bloody, satisfying climax that makes one thing clear: we all owe Geraldo Rivera an apology.

“House of the Devil” is now available as a “pre-theatrical rental” at Amazon.com.

“Stingray Sam” - rock fist way up

“Stingray Sam is not a hero, but he does do the things that folks don’t do that need to be done. He’s got a bravery inside of him that won’t let him run away, will not let him run.”

When I sat down to watch “Stingray Sam,” writer/director/composer Cory McAbee’s followup to the lesser known cult favorite “The American Astronaut,” I had no idea what I was in for. I also didn’t realize I had memorized the lyrics to its catchy theme song, but there they are.

Originally conceived as a series of downloads for portable media players and phones, McAbee embraces the once-popular serial format to present this science fiction/western/musical/comedy. While that may sound like a lot of slashes, the focus here is on the music and the comedy, with the science fiction and western elements providing a template for pointed satire that miraculously feels both timely and timeless.

Each of the six episodes runs about ten minutes in length, includes the above theme song with its opening and closing credits, and sticks to a formula that has the welcome side effect of grounding McAbee’s myriad ideas in palatable segments that never wear out their welcome. They all feature witty and biting David Hyde Pierce narration that recalls Douglas Adams, charming lead performances from both McAbee and his bandmate Crugie, a seriously wonderful and undeniably catchy soundtrack, and the best comedic performance of a director’s daughter since “Godfather Part III.”

While there is nothing out there quite like it, fans of the recent “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog” should feel right at home here. Even McAbee’s beautiful “The American Astronaut” seems more cerebral and restrained by comparison. Thankfully you don’t have to wait long to find out just how great this is. You can watch the first episode directly at StingraySam.com and if you like it, the entire film is available now with exclusive bonus content directly from its creator’s website.

In a sea of quirky titles, “Stingray Sam” stands out as the most fun I had at Fantastic Fest this year.

“[REC] 2″ - solid rock fist up

Two years ago, the Spanish film “[REC]” burst onto the scene. A shaky-cam horror tale about a late-night television personality covering a day in the life of firefighters that could have otherwise turned into “The Blair Zombie Project,” was hailed as an instant classic. This was thanks in part to several factors, including its location, lead actress, atmosphere, and the way it unraveled the central mystery behind an illness that turns people into rabid, seemingly mindless killers.

Thankfully, the majority of these elements are leveraged effectively here as well, while the events of the first film are put into a new context and that central mystery is explored even more deeply. The events of “[REC] 2″ span a few hours, some of which take place before the events of the first film even end. In that film some emergency workers and the film TV crew following them were trapped inside an apartment building in an attempt to contain a potential outbreak of a dangerous disease.

This film begins by following a paramilitary group and a man claiming to be a scientist as they enter the quarantined tenement building after all contact with those inside is lost. Told they must document everything, the team uses cameras mounted to helmets as they search the building for survivors and continue the mission of locating the source of the outbreak in order to synthesize a cure.

More action packed than its predecessor, “[REC] 2″ does not sacrifice scares or gore. In an interesting twist, the film also shifts perspectives to a separate group later in the film. While a little jarring at first, the shift in perspective actually keeps things fresh and adds yet another layer to the film. While some people may groan at the inclusion of nosy teenagers, their story provides a more identifiable human element that the first one handled so well.

Essentially a “middle chapter” film, “[REC] 2″ is the rare sequel that effectively expands the overall story in a way that enriches both films and makes the changes made in the rote American remake “Quarantine” seem extremely shortsighted. While being a great standalone horror film, “[REC] 2″ ends in such a way that so perfectly sets up a third part that the wait for “[REC] 3″ will be a very, very difficult one.

That was it for day five. Day six brought James McTiegue’s followup to “V for Vendetta” with “Ninja Assassin,” as well the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man,” Uwe Boll’s non-videogame based film “Rampage,” and more.

Tags: 2009, fantastic fest, House of the Devil, Mandrill, Merantau, movie, Rec 2, review, Stingray Sam, Trick 'R Treat

Day Four and more movies to go! Today at Fantastic Fest I saw kids’ movie “Buratino: Son of Pinocchio,” the British dark comedy “Down Terrace,” Terry Gilliam’s long-awaited “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,” action sequel “District 13 Ultimatum,” and horror flick “The Children.”

“Buratino: Son of Pinocchio” - swiss fist

The first 20 minutes of this musical twist on “Pinocchio” are so inspired that it’s difficult to be too hard on this Estonian and Russian movie for losing steam. There is some beautiful absurdity at work here and portions recall early Baz Luhrmann or the work of “The Gods Must Be Crazy” director Jamie Uys.

Unfortunately, much of the movie feels very rushed and unfocused, like it was made by a committee that could never decide who the intended audience is. The songs also seem like an afterthought, and some scenes feel aimless, like they were written that morning on set.

As it is, “Buratino” is a decent kids’ movie that is just strange enough find a cult audience but will leave most others cold. The sparks of greatness that are here portend a strong future for writer/director Rasmus Merivoo, however, and I look forward to more from him.

“Down Terrace” - minor rock fist up

I am convinced there is an entire subset of people who feel there is nothing more hilarious than people with British accents arguing with each other. No matter how ugly the disagreement, there’s something about a British accent that makes their anger seem absurd. I call it the “Cheer-i-o Effect.”

While I do appreciate my fair share of British comedy, it took me a little while to get into the dysfunctional crime family drama “Down Terrace,” a film that is about 80 percent people with British accents arguing with each other.

Almost all of the film takes place inside a single house and it’s shot in a mostly handheld manner that helps accentuate the awkwardness of the characters. It feels a little bit like the original “The Office,” if they swore a lot and people started killing each other.

The single primary location and the almost Shakespearean twists the plot take all seem very play-like to the point that if this was never adapted for the stage before, it probably should be now.

While this movie did eventually wear down my defenses and there was some sharp wit on display, it still didn’t really sit well with me. The good news is I know there’s a lot of people who will really love this movie. I have a feeling it will grow on me eventually, but for now I can only recommend it to those who think it sounds like their cup of tea.

This movie won the Best “Next Wave” Feature and Screenplay Awards at Fantastic Fest this year.

“The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” - solid rock fist up

I honestly had lost hope that we’d see a Terry Gilliam film this decade that held up to his previous work, but with “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” he’s done it.

This film feels atmospherically and thematically closest to a cross between Gilliam’s own “The Fisher King” and Dave McKean’s “Mirrmormask.” The screenplay was written by Gilliam himself, along with Charles McKeown, who he previously collaborated with on “Brazil” and “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.”

“The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” is a non-religious take on the struggle to save one’s soul from the tide of greed, pride, or more prurient interests. It’s a film of magic and wonder, by way of Eastern mysticism, that happens to take place in the rather ugly world of modern day London.

The story is darkly funny, sad, and exciting. The actors that substitute for Heath Ledger once he crosses over into the Imaginarium are good and the reason for this substitution is handled very well and feels organic within the movie’s logic. Unfortunately, the pacing seems a little uneven, the plot is a little muddled, and the special effects work well, but can’t rival Gilliam’s early films in terms of visual splendor.

What did make it to the screen is a unique experience with layers and details that beg to be revisited. While not quite as good as his previous triumphs, “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” is a very good and unique film that signals the return of an accomplished director doing what he does best.

“District 13: Ultimatum” - solid rock fist up

The original “District 13,” also known as “District B13,” was an infectious burst of energy and surprises. If you even remotely like action or fun or fun action, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Like the original, “District 13: Ultimatum” combines thrilling parkour chase scenes, inventive mixed martial arts fights, and race-against-time plotting to construct an exciting film.

The back story for both is that in the near future in Paris, a neighborhood of lower-class citizens has descended so far into crime that resources such as schools, hospitals, and even police stations are forced to be abandoned. Its borders are made into militarized checkpoints, and its citizens are otherwise cut off from the rest of society.

This movie reunites the idealistic street rebel Leito with the principled supercop Damien as they attempt to thwart yet another plan to destroy the District. Unfortunately, an over-reliance on using the first film as a template, and a plot that feels more like wheels spinning than franchise building makes this the inferior picture of the two.

But even more of the same is still great in this case. It still puts most other action films to shame.

“The Children” - minor rock fist up

Here’s a horror movie that reasons that if children are creepy and British children are creepier, British children turned into murderous beasts by some sort of viral infection will take the gold medal at the Creepy Olympics.

I don’t know what’s going on in the U.K. currently, but this is the second film I’ve seen at Fantastic Fest that features a disease that turns a specific segment of the population into killers. I hope it’s coincidental, but if it is a cry for help, I hope those guys in wigs can figure out a solution soon.

Considering “killer children” is one of the most neglected segments of the horror genre, it’s good to get a new film that is pretty fearless when it comes to both children who kill and killing those children that kill. It also manages to build enough of a believable relationship between the children and their parents that when they’re forced to do the unspeakable or die at the hands of their progeny, the psychological ramifications of their choice is not glossed over.

Unfortunately, it takes a little bit too long to wade through some of the ultimately inconsequential build-up and most people will check out before the eyeballs start flying. It’s not the worst expository dialogue in the world, but I’m looking forward to revisiting this movie later when I have the benefit of a fast-forward button.

With a serviceable amount of quality gore and well-executed scares, “The Children” is the perfect movie if you ever wanted to talk your significant other out of having kids.

That’s it for Day Four. It was a very enjoyable day that just happened to be outdone by Day Five, which featured the horror threesome of “Rec 2,” the long-delayed “Trick ‘R Treat,” and “House of the Devil,” among others.

Tags: Buratino, District 13 Ultimatum, Down Terrace, fantastic fest, son of pinocchio, Terry Gilliam, The Children, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

The following is a press release:
September 24-October 1, 2009
www.fantasticfest.com
Fantastic Fest is proud to announce the winning films from the 2009 festival. Taking top prize in the Next Wave competition is the darkly comedic drama from Britain, DOWN TERRACE. The audience award goes to A TOWN CALLED PANIC, the best horror film goes to HUMAN CENTIPEDE while Chilean action thriller MANDRILL takes the Fantastic Feature award.  The photo above is MANDRILL leading man Marko Zaror doing a celebratory flip. Complete awards listings are below:

Jury results - SHORTS Awards

ANIMATED SHORTS:
Best Animated Short - I AM SO PROUD OF YOU (Don Hertzfeldt)
Special Mention - ALMA (Rodrigo Blaas)

FANTASTIC SHORTS:

Best Fantastic Short  - TERMINUS (Trevor Cawood)

Special Jury Award - NEXT FLOOR  (Denis Villeneuve)

HORROR SHORTS:
Best Horror Short  - FULL EMPLOYMENT (Thomas Oberlies, Matthias Vogel)
Special Mention - EXCISION (Richard Bates, Jr.)

Jury results - FEATURES Awards

HORROR FEATURES
Best Horror Feature: HUMAN CENTIPEDE (Tom Six)
Best Horror Director: Kerry Prior (THE REVENANT)
Best Best Horror Actor: Dieter Laser (HUMAN CENTIPEDE)
Best Horror Actress: Neve McIntosh (SALVAGE)

FANTASTIC FEATURES
Best Fantastic Feature: MANDRILL (Ernesto Diaz-Espinoza)
Best Fantastic Director: Kim Nguyen (TRUFFE)
Best Fantastic Screenplay: Tamio Hayashi adapted from Kotaro Isaka (FISH STORY)
Best Fantastic Actor: Marko Zaror (MANDRILL)
Best Fantastic Actress: Chiaki Kuriyama (KAMOGAWA HORUMO)

NEXT WAVE FEATURES
Best Feature: DOWN TERRACE (Ben Wheately)
Best Director: Yang Ik-Joon (BREATHLESS)
Best Screenplay: Robin Hill, Ben Wheatley (DOWN TERRACE)
Best Actor: Jeong-min Hwang (PRIVATE EYE)
Best Actress: Shera Bechard (SWEET KARMA)

AUDIENCE AWARD
Audience Award, Best Feature: A TOWN CALLED PANIC (Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar)

Audience Award, Honorable Mention Films:
FISH STORY BREATHLESS
THE REVENANT
MERANTAU

Uwe Boll’s Totally Awesome Video Games Filmmaking Frenzy Contest:
This year, Filmmaking Frenzy teamed up with G4 to create a contest that challenged filmmaking teams around the nation to create trailers for movies based on video games. Uwe Boll, the undisputed master of that genre, showed up to be the judge.  

Team:  FilthyButts
Film: MARIO PAINT

Team Capt: Joey Graham

Fantastic Fest Bumper Contest:
Filmmaking Frenzy also challenged teams to create 30 second Fantastic Fest bumpers that would play before all of the features in the festival. So many teams responded to this challenge that no bumper was played twice. The winning video was chosen by the Filmmaking Frenzy online community.

Team: FOGAR!
Film: DOGZILLA VS. CATHRA

Team Capt - Maurice Jacks

Shakey Face Badge Photo:
Fantastic Fest badges ask for a photo submission, similar to other festivals the world over. At Fantastic Fest, though, we demand that badgeholders submit a “Shakey Face” photo, and we reward the best face of the fest with a blanket featuring their shaken mug woven on it. This year’s winners are listed below, and you can check out a video of their Shakey Face Throwdown after that.

2009 Shakey Face Award Winners:
Christine Fisher
Troy Gonzales
Video of the Fantastic Fest Shakey Face competition

Tags: 2009, announced, Award, best, competition, fantastic fest, winners, winning

Day Three was a very good day for film at Fantastic Fest. It went from “Fish Story” to “Toy Story” to Takashi Miike’s “Yatterman” to the one-two horror/comedy punch of George Romero’s “Survival of the Dead” and D. Kerry Prior’s “The Revenant.”

“Fish Story” - rock fist way up

Considering Fantastic Fest usually leans towards highlighting the random and insane side of Asian cinema, the Japanese film “Fish Story” was a welcome change of pace.

Essentially a time spanning ensemble drama about fate, it begins in 2012 as a comet hurdles towards Earth. From there it jumps between four other seemingly unrelated stories, each taking place in a separate decade.

Anchoring the film is the tale of an obscure pre-Sex Pistols punk band as they struggle to find an audience and record a single without compromise. Somehow their song “Fish Story” influences the events that follow in both direct and indirect ways.

The movie works surprisingly well because of how it balances human drama with comedy and suspense. Despite skipping around in time, it never loses focus and remains fascinating throughout. It is definitely one of the best of the fest.

“Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in 3D double feature - rock fist way up

Aside from watching both of these movies upon their original theatrical release, I’ve never really revisited these two films like I have with some of Pixar’s other work.

As such, I had forgotten just how brilliant they are. Both of these films are hilarious, touching, and have aged surprising well. It’s remarkable that they still feel as unique and inventive as ever.

Cleaned up and re-rendered in unobtrusive 3D, this is also the best these movies have ever looked. Much like “Up,” the 3D here is about immersion, not exploitation. The movies have not been compromised and no scenes were altered to included 3D gimmickry.

The double-feature package also included an entertaining introduction and 10-minute intermission that is going to make a great Blu-ray special feature.

More than just a promotional tool for “Toy Story 3,” this double feature is highly recommended, especially for the children born within the 10-15 years since the original and its sequel were released. It really is remarkable that the first fully computer-animated movie still looks as great as it does, especially compared to even recent DreamWorks animated pictures.

“Yatterman” - minor rock fist up

Takashi Miike is one of Japan’s most prolific directors, but his most well-known movies in America tend to be his gore-filled ones. Like Robert Rodriguez, Miike tends to make movies for different audiences, including children. This adaptation of a short-lived Japanese Anime is very much a children’s movie–and a spastic, colorful, and completely illogical one at that.

“Yatterman” is the story of two teenage tech-savvy heroes and their giant mechanized dog as they thwart the plans of the evil Doronbo gang.

Visually and tonally similar to the Wachowskis’ “Speed Racer,” which I happened to enjoy, “Yatterman”’s largely CGI universe is an otherworldly explosion of color. Suitably, this makes it feel like a live-action cartoon with a rapid sense of humor. The jokes hit fast, including lots of references to the original TV series. The goofy atmosphere goes a long way, and overall the majority of the gags hit their target.

However, its hyperkinetic style does grow repetitive pretty quickly, and the appropriately episodic plot does grow a little weary. If you enjoy other colorful CGI driven children’s movies or are a fan of old fashioned Japanese insanity, “Yatterman” is worth checking out.

“Survival of the Dead” - solid rock fist up

The financial success of the disappointing “Diary of the Dead” has brought the master of the modern zombie movie back for more end-of-the-world mayhem. Thankfully, I’m pleased to report that “Survival of the Dead” is not only a high-quality horror comedy, it’s also a worthy addition to George Romero’s original “Dead” trilogy.

“Survival of the Dead” tells the story of two families on a remote island and their centuries-old feud. These are the type who can’t even let something like a zombie apocalypse bring them together. Their disagreements on how to handle the undead leads to a banishment of the head of one of the families.

His path crosses with that of an AWOL group of National Guard members who have decided that taking care of themselves is more important than service to what’s left of their country. Once they return to the island together, things really heat up.

The most intriguing aspect of this and other Romero movies is the fact that in this world, zombies are less of a threat than humans are. This movie is also overall the funniest I’ve seen Romero get. Likewise, a high level of gore and satisfyingly unique kills help the horror aspect succeed, but Romero is actually focused on telling this specific story appropriately.

It’s very welcome to have a new humorous, well acted, gory, and beautifully photographed George Romero film. I’ve missed it.

“The Revenant” - rock fist way up

Wow. I have no idea where this movie came from, but it is great. I decided to see it based solely on the fact that the basic plot description sounded similar to a favorite movie of mine, Bob Clark’s 1974 horror film “Deathdream,” aka “Dead of Night.”

Both films are about fallen soldiers who find themselves in the precarious position of being the walking undead, forced to drink human blood to ward off decomposition.

But that’s where the similarities end. While Clark’s film is a heartbreaking allegory for the way a child’s death can tear a family apart, “The Revenant” is a hilarious buddy comedy with the twist being that one of the friends happens to be dead. Or undead, at least.

The fact that Bart and his friend Joey don’t really know what’s happening to him sets up some great comedic situations. The logical way that the two of them handle trying to figure what exactly the “rules” of his condition are is also fairly ingenious.

The movie ends up going some very unexpected places and the movie just bursts with hilarious invention. My only real criticism is that the length may be a little much for some people, though personally would enjoy watching a multi-hour director’s cut.

While impressively gory and often tense, “The Revenant” does not attempt to be scary, so I can’t fault it for focusing more on comedy than horror. At the end of the day, “The Revenant” is the best horror comedy since “Shaun of the Dead.”

That’s it for my Day Three Wrap-up. Day Four brings the new Terry Gilliam film “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,” the French action sequel “District 13: Ultimatum,” and more.

Tags: 2009, fantastic fest, fish story, miike, romero, Survival of the Dead, The Revenant, toy story 3d, Yatterman

Paranormal Activity review, Gentlemen Broncos review, Solomon Kane review, Van Diemen’s Land review

Historically, the first day of Fantastic Fest is pretty light on film, but I still managed to get four movies in.  Of the four, three featured filmmakers or actors in attendance and spirited Q&As.

“Van Diemen’s Land” - Minor Rock Fist Up

“I am a quiet man,” an unseen voice almost mournfully says in Gaelic narration of “Van Diemen’s Land.”

His identity is not immediately clear as we join the story of eight malnourished convicts escaping into the unforgiving Tasmanian Wilderness—not exactly a place rife with edible wildlife.

After a few days of tense exchanges, macho bravado, nervous folk songs, and strained humor, the possibility of cannibalism is raised.  Apparently, they hear that flesh taste like pork. This film is an adaptation of the legendary Australian story of one of the fastest cases of humans resorting to cannibalism.

I’m pretty sure I liked this movie, and I hope it finds an audience.  The performances are stellar, the dialogue is strong, the humor effective and appropriate, and the creeping sense of dread well communicated.

But it’s difficult to make a movie about a group of exhausted, emotionally drained men without making the audience feel some of that exhaustion.

The worst part for me is that the epilogue of the movie wrapping up the story of the narrator actually seems like it would have been the more interesting tale to tell. It’s not just what happened that made this person noteworthy, it’s what happened after.

“Gentleman Broncos” - Solid Rock Fist Up

“Gentleman Broncos” is the latest from Jared Hess, director of “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Nacho Libre.”

His films have a certain flavor to them.  If either of his first two movies were like candy to you, you’ll love “Gentleman Broncos.”

It’s the story of an aspiring teenage writer who finds his science-fiction novel plagiarized by a creatively tapped and desperate cult author. Meanwhile, a strained friendship with two amateur filmmakers leads to a shoddy filmic adaption.

One of the pleasures of “Gentleman Broncos” is the manner in which these three separate visions of the same basic story are peppered throughout.

The fact that the core story is wonderfully, hilariously juvenile makes the movie even better.  Expect teenagers to be quoting Jemaine Clement and Sam Rockwell for months.

This film won’t convert the haters who have problems with painfully awkward human cartoons, but those who were lukewarm to Hess’ films could love this like I did.

One curious thing: The filmmaker’s continued affinity for 80’s technology such as VHS camcorders and calculator watches has the side effect of making it seem like nearly everyone in the film lives in abject poverty.

“Solomon Kane” - Rock Fist Way Up

Solomon Kane is a lesser known character from Robert E. Howard, creator of “Conan the Barbarian.” In comics, Solomon Kane was a sword-carrying Puritanical hunter of witches and eradicator of evil who famously never had an explicit origin.

This film attempts to remedy that.

It starts with a bloody and vicious raid on a castle, lead by a charismatic and vicious man in black.  Knowing next to nothing going in, my first thought was “Wow, what a great villain for this Solomon Kane guy to fight.”

Of course, that man is Solomon Kane.

The film that is built around his journey is a bloody, gritty, and fun movie that spins the tale of an evil sorcerer, a pact with a devil, a masked rider, an army of zombie-like warriors, and a quest for redemption.

People have compared this to “Van Helsing,” but only because this is the movie that “Van Helsing” (directed by Stephen Sommers of “G.I. Joe” fame) should have been.

This film relies heavily on practical effects and real locations, so its short patches of slightly dodgy CGI are immensely forgiveable.

If more fantasy films were this satisfying, the genre would still be regularly producing blockbusters.

It also contains the single best twist on a crucifixion scene ever.

“Paranormal Activity” - Solid Rock Fist Up

This movie is a minor miracle.  For once, the hype is justified.  This is not the next “Blair Witch Project.” It’s better.

Equal parts engaging reality show and creepy ghost story, “Paranormal Activity”’s biggest strengths are its relate-ability and its believability.

The relationship at the core of this movie is fully realized by two actors who don’t look like movie stars. Their charm carries the film and helps ground it in a way that gives the scares greater impact.

His sense of curiosity helps grow the audience’s own; her fear feeds yours. Every bad decision can be explained by human nature and the stubbornness that is particularly common with long-term relationships in crisis.

This movie may be small in scale, but it uses every resource it has brilliantly.  Near-seamless special effects make it good. Creative editing and smart pacing make it better. The performances truly make it great.

This is an ideal date movie. The experience is heightened by the reactions of strangers. The woman next to me kept muttering “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”  They should mix her voice into the soundtrack.

Ultimately, “Paranormal Activity” is disturbingly good and good at disturbing.

Day Two’s coverage is right here. >>

Tags: 2009, fantastic fest, gentlemen broncos, movie, paranormal activity, review, reviews, solomon kane, van diemen's land