Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with an exhausting report from FrightFest '04. Below you'll find the good word on the current horror scene. Some of the titles mentioned below have been talked about extensively already (OLDBOY, HAUTE TENSION, HELLBOY, etc), but there are some others that you might not have heard about. Give it a look, boils and ghouls!
Hi Harry,
August Bank Holiday here in the UK means only one thing for me - Frightfest, the biggest and best genre event in the country. Two years ago we were the first audience to see footage from 28 DAYS LATER and last year we were the first audience to see footage from SHUAN OF THE DEAD. With nineteen films scheduled for the four day festival at the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square, what other delights could we expect this year? Here's my account of the whole event...
FRIGHTFEST 2004 REVIEW
FRIDAY
The festival began with OLDBOY (Dir: Chan-wook Park) introduced by the director. He immediately joked that if we're expecting to see HELLBOY then we're in the wrong cinema, and then went on to say that he feels his film is very weak compared to the rest of the weekend's line-up. How wrong he is. I'd already seen this film a couple of times having bought the excellent Korean DVD on Harry's recommendation, but it is still a joy to watch this masterpiece on the big screen. The audience were spellbound, silent throughout. There's no need for me to go into details about this film - it's all been said before - suffice to say this is a modern classic. The direction, cinematography, use of music and themes within this film are stunning and showcase a director at the top of his game. How Chan-wook can better this I do not know.
Next up was SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE (Dir: Alexandre Aja), another film which has had much positive feedback. The director and star, Cecile De France, were present to introduce this one and Alexandre seemed keen to see this play to a full theatre of baying British horror fans. He also confirmed that he's now working on the remake of THE HILLS HAVE EYES and hoped he would find a role for Michael Berryman somewhere in that! The film certainly lives up to its European title of HAUTE TENSION (why this had to change for the UK market I don't know) and is unflinching in its portrayal of violence and horror - it's quite refreshing to see a film which doesn't pull its punches. The one thing which let's the film down is the plot twist towards the end which undermines nearly everything that comes before. The more you think about the film, the bigger the plot holes within. Nevertheless, up to this point the film is excellent and definitely worth a look.
The final film of the evening was TOOLBOX MURDERS (Dir: Tobe Hooper) which seemed to divide the audience who stayed on to watch this one. The film felt like a real throwback to the late seventies / early eighties school of B movie exploitation, but didn't convince. There were plenty of laughs from those of us up in the balcony but was Tobe Hooper really making this film as a comedy? I don't think so.
SATURDAY
Day two begins with a retro screening of DEEP RED (Dir: Dario Argento) before we get our first surprise of the festival. Don Mancini is busy editing SEED OF CHUCKY in London so calls in to talk about the production and show us some footage. We begin with a rough cut of the latest trailer which ends with the delightful scene of Chucky running Britney Spears off the road as "Baby, Hit Me One More Time" plays on the car stereo - to rapturous applause from the crowds. We then had a five minute scene from the film in which Redman (playing himself) is trying to seduce Jennifer Tilly (playing herself) whilst John Waters (as a sleazy hack) is snooping outside. All the signs are that like BRIDE OF CHUCKY this is going to be an inventive, funny sequel.
The next film to screen was THE TESSERACT (Dir: Oxide Pang) based on the novel by Alex Garland. The story follows a number of different characters based in a grotty hotel in Bangkok and we discover how their individual paths cross and interlink as the film unravels. There's Sean (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) waiting to receive a shipment of drugs; Rosa (Saskia Reeves) a child psychologist in town wanting to interview local street kids on her DV camera; the dying hitwoman, trying to intercept the package on behalf of her druglord; and finally Wit (Alexander Rendel) the hotel's bellboy who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to make some cash - at any cost. This bored some members of the audience, perhaps being the least genre-based film of the festival, but I enjoyed it immensely. There are a number of changes from the novel; relocating to Bangkok has little effect on the story. I was a little concerned at the prominent role of Rosa, the child psychologist, but her character is quite effective when contrasting to the other - largely male - cast. As always Oxide Pang adds many flourishes to his directorial style and avoids any cop-out Hollywood happy ending which would have spoilt the film.
The third film of the day was ROMASANTA: THE WEREWOLF HUNT (Dir: Paco Plaza) with the director and producer Brian Yuzna in attendance. The film is based on the true story of Romasanta (Julian Sands) who confessed to the murders of 13 people in Spain in 1852 - but escaped capital punishment by claiming to be a werewolf. Any film with Julian Sands in a lead role makes me extremely cautious, but to be fair his performance in this in perfectly acceptable. The film is certainly well shot and also has a great turn from Elsa Pataky who's sister is one of Romasanta's victims. Probably my least favourite film of the weekend but by no means a disaster.
Next up was an early preview for THE I INSIDE (Dir: Roland Suso Richter) based on a stage play by Michael Cooney (IDENTITY). The film focuses on Simon (Ryan Phillippe) who wakes up in hospital after a car accident with short-term amnesia. As he tries to unravel the mystery of how he got there we meet his wife (Piper Perabo), his lover (Sarah Polley) and his recently-dead brother (Robert Sean Leonard). The film jumps between two periods in time as Simon seems to be able to go back and change the events that led up to the accident. The film is pacy and exciting enough, but suffers from a story which has been done too often in recent years. It's all too easy to work out what is going on here - even if you missed the title of the stage play during the opening credits which pretty much gives it all away there and then!
The big event of the weekend was a preview screening (for us UK audiences) for HELLBOY (Dir: Guillermo Del Toro) and as predicted this was a real crowd pleaser. A comic book film which balances great characters with great special effects. It was a particular pleasure to see Ron Perlman in the lead role and I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job in the role of Hellboy - perfect casting indeed. After the screening there was a Q&A with Guillermo and cast members Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and Rupert Eaves. Guillermo confirmed that he'd begun work on the script for the sequel (due 2006) and recapped on some of the extra scenes that we can expect to see on the 3-disc DVD set. Ron and Selma in particular were on good form laughing and bantering with the audience as they asked questions and later signed stuff for everyone who wanted. A real highlight of the festival!
Saturday night came to a close with the midnight screening of MONSTER MAN (Dir: Michael Davis). The premise for this film - two dumb kids piss off bloke who drives a big monster truck - suggested a horror film of the cheesiest quality. I'm happy to report that this exceeded all expectations and proved to be the surprise hit of the festival for those who stayed til the early hours. 90 minutes of pure unadulterated fun!
SUNDAY
I missed the morning screening of THE CARD PLAYER (Dir: Dario Argento) in favour of a leisurely breakfast, probably a good decision judging by some of the comments I overheard from those who did see the film. So my first film of the day was the Thai horror-comedy BUPPAH RAHTREE (Dir: Yuthlert Sippapak). The film focuses on the doomed relationship between Buppah (Chermarn Poonyasak) and Ake (Kris Srepoomseth) which ends when Buppah gets pregnant and Ake runs away to England. Despondant and penniless, Buppah commits suicide in her apartment block and returns as a ghost to avenge all those around her. The film successfully mixes the familiar elements of Asian ghost stories with the typically Thai sense of humour - one highlight in particular being a homage to THE EXORCIST! One of my colleagues referred to this film as pure Shakespeare - the main romance plot running alongside a number of amusing subplots. Whatever, it's another fun film from the emerging Thai market which deserves to find a wider audience.
Next up we had a showcase of seven short films, the best of these being ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (Dir: Ezzio Avendano Lopez), a B&W film about a bricklayer who ends up battling zombies - the climax involving a horde of zombies dancing to the Macarena is hilarious! There's also many nods to other genre legends - Sam Raimi, George A. Romero and Dario Argento to name but three. Seek it out!
After a 15 minute preview reel for ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (which looked like a being a great rollercoaster ride) we were then straight into CODE 46 (Dir: Micheal Winterbottom). The film is set in the near-future and follows William (Tim Robbins) as he travels to Shanghai to investigate the forgery of travel documents. He discovers the forger is Maria (Samantha Morton) but ends up falling in love with her... unfortunately for William it is illegal to have sex with someone you share DNA with, and Maria is one such person. With their child aborted and her memory erased, William then attempts to rekindle their affair despite the consequences - legally and personally - of his actions. This is a languid, lazy film with another hypnotic soundtrack provided by David Holmes. The director creates a futuristic world with the merest of brush-strokes - the use of foreign words being one particularly effective method employed, and the film is buoyed by strong performances from the two leads. A very satisfying film indeed.
Our penultimate film for Sunday evening was the Belgian oddity CALVAIRE (THE ORDEAL) (Dir: Fabrice Du Welz) which follows cabaret singer Marc (Laurent Lucas) as his van breaks down and he gets taken in at the local inn by Bartel (Jackie Berroyer). It soon becomes clear that Bartel does not want Marc to leave and once Marc discovers this deception the film takes a darkly bleak yet comic turn. Bartel is still mourning the loss of his wife who was also a singer and views Marc as the ideal replacement, keeping him prisoner and dressing him up in his ex-wife's dresses. As if this isn't worrying enough the rest of the villagers seem no more sane than Bartel - witness the freaky dancing in the local club - and there's some especially freaky relationships going on with the local farm animals... CALVAIRE mixes elements of STRAW DOGS and THE LAST GREAT WILDERNESS and is quite unsettling - yet at times I couldn't help myself from laughing at the absurdity of what was happening. It seems sure to provoke some strong reactions from audiences worldwide.
The day ended with a late night screening of GINGER SNAPS BACK: THE BEGINNING (Dir: Grant Harvey) with the director and original GINGER SNAPS director John Fawcett in attendance. Before the film began John talked about his latest project THE DARK which has been filming in Wales with Mario Bello and Sean Bean and he claims that the film will do for sheep what JAWS did for sharks! They have just launched a website for the film at www.whatisannwyn.com which sounded promising. GINGER SNAPS BACK turned out to be a pretty enjoyable sequel. Set in the 19th Century we find Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) seeking refuge in an old trader's fort besieged by werewolves. Rather than just remake the first film again it's nice to see a different approach to this sequel and the cast and crew manage to pull it off rather well. The relationship between the two sisters is at the heart of the film again and carries the plot along to its (rather predictable) conclusion once Ginger gets bitten. Seeing GINGER SNAPS UNLEASHED - which I haven't - makes no difference to your enjoyment of this worthy sequel.
MONDAY
Day four began with another Asian ghost story in THE EYE 2 (Dir: Pang Brothers) a sequel in name (and directors) only. The film focuses on Joey (Shu Qi) who fails to commit suicide after breaking up with her boyfriend. As she finds out that she is pregnant with his child she gains the ability to see ghosts around her, and one particular female ghost who appears to be stalking her and threatening her unborn baby. I'd already seen this film on DVD but enjoyed it more the second time around. I think the problem with this film is that it suffers from comparisons with other Asian ghost stories, and the preconceptions that we take into the cinema about what we're about to see. The reality is somewhat different in this film and actually serves the plot quite well, offering an original take on a familiar theme. As always Shu Qi is gorgeous to watch and puts in a sterling performance as the disturbed Joey, especially in the film's standout sequence when another woman is giving birth in an elevator whilst a ghostly figure hovers above.
Next up was sci-fi thriller ONE POINT 0 (Dir: Jeff Renfroe & Marteinn Thorsson) which was a success at Sundance this year. The film focuses on Simon (Jeremy Sisto) who keeps receiving empty cardboard boxes at his apartment. As the boxes keep arriving we are introduced to his oddball neighbours including an inventor (Udo Kier), a handyman (Lance Henriksen), a nurse (Deborah Unger) and an S&M game creator (Bruce Payne) who may all be involved. And why is Simon suddenly buying more and more cartons of milk? The film certainly has an intriguing premise but is somewhat slow paced - especially after watching so many other films during the festival - so I found myself drifting off as Simon was trying to get to the bottom of what was going on. Whilst the film suffers in some ways, the direction is always assured and I'm sure this will be seen as a calling card for the two directors. I'm sure with a better script and a bigger budget they will be able to deliver something very special indeed.
Tartan Film's trilogy of true life serial killer portrayals was completed by the screening of THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER (Dir: Chuck Parello), with producer Hamish McAlpine present to introduce the feature. The film follows cousins Ken (C. Thomas Howell) and Angelo (Nicholas Turturro) as they attempt to become pimps and, when things turn bad, start their spree of murdering prostitutes. I had mixed feelings with this film, much as I did with BUNDY before it. The recreation of the 1970s is well done, complete with some exceptionally misogynistic dialogue and sleazy turns from the two leads. However despite the violent content there is still an element of humour about the cousins which doesn't sit well with me, and without any underlying focus on the motives and lacking serious characterisation in the supporting roles I was simply left thinking what's the point of this film?
After seventeen films the thought of sitting through the lengthy 141 minutes of CASSHERN (Dir: Kazuaki Kiriya) made me apprehensive, yet excited after the amazing trailer I'd seen online. I can't even begin to explain the plot for this one, except that it's a futuristic survival epic with our hero battling robots... This was one film that delighted yet frustrated at every turn. The newly subtitled print looked fantastic and is one of the most visually arresting films I've ever seen. At times some of the animation reminded me of AVALON but the use of colour and effects surpassed that film in every way to produce a stunning display. However on the downside the story just got so bogged down in its own importance (or maybe I was just too tired) that in the end it was easier to just switch off from the sprawling storytelling and concentrate on the artistry on screen. The film was also marred by its lengthy running time and I am sure would benefit from some trimming down to a two hour mark. Nevertheless, this is destined to become a cult classic. Quite how Hollywood will remake this one (if the rumours are true) I don't know...
And so to the closing film of the festival proper, THE MACHINIST (Dir: Brad Anderson). This one follows Trevor (Christian Bale) a skeletal insomniac factory worker who accidentally causes one of his colleagues (Michael Ironside) to lose an arm in an industrial accident. From then on Trevor receives cryptic notes at home, his workmates turn against him, and he keeps seeing a mysterious stranger who may - or may not - exist at all. Then there's his ongoing relationship with a call girl (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and a waitress and her young son... Yes, it's another film with a disturbed central character trying to solve the mystery of what is happening around him, but this is handled superbly in this example. Christian Bale - so emaciated to look at - puts in the performance of his life, so good it surely merits an Oscar nomination at the very least. The grey tones of the film and the subtle soundtrack also help create a moody atmosphere which suits the story so well. These merits aside, the film succeeds simply because it is well written and well directed - a real classy piece of cinema. The director was on hand after the screening for a Q&A in which he revealed the secrets of Christian Bale's amazing starvation and the difficulties in recreating a typical American cityscape whilst shooting in Spain! After nineteen films and numerous shorts and trailers I thought it was somewhat apt that the last line of the last film was, "I just want to sleep."
TUESDAY
Back at the Prince Charles cinema again the following night there's the first UK screening of CREEP (Dir: Chris Smith), a post-Frightfest showing as the film became available shortly after the main line-up was announced. The film is almost entirely set on the London Underground and follows Kay (Franka Potente) as she travels across the city to attend a party and - she hopes - seduce George Clooney! Unfortunately she nods off whilst waiting for the last train and wakes to find the platform deserted. When a train finally appears she is assaulted by one of her work colleagues who'd followed her down, but he in turn is attacked by some bloodthirsty assailant. As Kay tries to seek help she realises that the station is now locked up for the night, so she teams up with a couple of homeless people (and the obligatory dog) who have made their shelter hidden within the station. So begins a game of cat and mouse as Kay and her accomplices attempt to escape the clutches of the mysterious Creep. I have to say I was impressed with this British horror film. Whilst maybe not being startlingly original, the story plays well on the fear of being trapped alone in the dark with a killer on the loose, and offers plenty of shocks and scares as the events unfold. The director strikes a good balance of atmosphere and action, whilst showing a couple of gratuitous death scenes which are more shocking that I was expecting. The back story of the Creep is not hammered home, and nor does it need to be - we're given as much information as we need to work out why he's there and what he's doing. The acting from the largely British cast is fine and Franke Potente proves once again that she's one of the most watchable actresses around with a memorable performance as our heroine in peril. For a low budget film the effects and make-up are of high standard, with the Creep himself looking especially unpleasant! The film concluded with a Q&A session with director Chris Smith and star Franke Potente. The two of them made a great double-act joking together and trailing off into some quite odd directions... Franke Potente action dolls? The film was originally to be titled RUNT but this was changed as no-one outside the UK would understand what the word runt mean (Franke certainly didn't), although I reckon it was because everyone would just refer to the film as Runt Lola Runt (sorry!) Chris is now working on his second feature - a psychological thriller set on a boat and I wish him well with this; CREEP is an assured and highly enjoyable debut feature.
I thank you!
Soulmining
