Hey folks, Harry here... Doc Falken is a quirky fella. He's seen like 9 horror films - all of which have been at AICN events. And he really does seem to have a hard time enjoying the genre. Perhaps it reminds him of past crimes. Heh. But really - he seemed to have had a blast with the event. Here ya go...
I have just awakened from a much needed sleep break from the launch of the Zone and BNAT 7. This years BNAT was filled with much more expectation and guessing than any I can remember. With all of the big releases scheduled over the next half year, it is amazing that Harry and Tim can really whittle the possibilities down to program 24 hours of cinematic goodness. What I loved most about BNAT 7 is that even though many movie genres were represented, it seemed that "accountability" was the lesson that we needed to take away. Maybe next year the G-8 summit could meet during BNAT.
Harry has already posted a list of everything we saw, so instead of recapping the list, here are the films that I want to talk about.
1) Kong - Wow. This film's marketing campaign really doesn't do the film justice. It isn't just a monster film with killer CGI. This film will affect you emotionally. You'll quickly forget that the big ape only exists as pixels on geek's computer screen and his love for beauty and Anne will make you weep. My only issue is that it seemed Titanic-like in its goal to appease both the female audience (who hankers for a love story that can never reach the goal of happily ever after) and the male audience (who wants to see asskicking on a big scale). With so many great releases this holiday season, hopefully this film will become the global phenomenon that it deserves to be.
2) Sympathy for Lady Vengence - The most grueling film at BNAT. The entire experience was painful and rewarding. I hated this film about two thirds the way through because of what it made me watch and think about. All I did was project the situations into my personal and family life and it hurt. I've never cried so hard during a film. And just as quickly as I thought I was able to contain myself, the director decides to push on my raw feelings for inhumane revenge. I am angry that I saw this film. And I'm thankful that it was made so masterfully.
3) Master of Horror selections - I've now seen almost half a dozen of these shows now and I'm still not sure why they were even made. They are incomplete vignettes. Short stories without enough time for me to even care about any of the characters. They are shamefully an excuse to show a nipple and an atrocious act of horror usually coming completely from left field. I do think there is an army of horror lovers who gladly defend these shows because they want more content in the genre, but I feel that even they wish for better product. Why not create "thinking mans horror" and shoot for excellence? When the idea of smart horror came up during a smoke break, the only answers I could get from a horror expert was "well, what about Aliens"? Nice to see that a film several decades old is the last time that excellence in the genre was achieved. (Even if the Sci-Fi lovers claim that same film for themselves)
4) The Descent - Fuck this film. Fuck this film big time. It was probably the scariest film I've ever seen and I hate that they went back to the well so many times to get me to jump out of my seat. The darkness, sounds and disturbing visuals repeatedly assaulted me and my delicate being. I did enjoy how unapologetic the film was for its suspension of disbelief when it came to the main characters. How many smoking hot women do you know who get off on hanging out and going spelunking? Their size 0 asses were literally the only adults on the planet who could have even squeezed into the places they decided to explore. Not one "I broke my nail" joke. Not one lesbian kiss to appease the hetero males in the crowd. I appreciate that the director bravely didn't cave (ouch) into one of these more simple plot devices. Oh yeah, and fuck this film.
5) V for Vendetta - This will be the most talked about film in 2006. Or, it will disappear in three weeks after release and be dismissed as a cult film for academics to dissect in the future. I believe that the media's response to the messages in the film will decide it's fate. Even how Warner Brothers decides to market the film will determine the legacy. If they follow a super hero/comic book marketing model and you see V on a lunch box, then I believe that the film's impact will be hampered. But if they let the theater goers decide, then this film might prove to be an artistic endeavor that becomes a symbol for a revolution. Either way, every college campus needs to screen this film for our future leaders of the world. Fox News better get their responses ready, because this film is going to be a favorite topic of theirs for a long time.
I'm grateful that I got another chance to attend a BNAT. The room is electric and appreciative for the hard work. All movie viewing should be this much fun.
doc falken
