Hey folks, Harry here... last update for the night. More fest tomorrow!!!
Hi Harry, After just the first two days, Fantastic Fest has already proven to be so much more than it was last year. Here are my reviews for the first two days. ------------------------------------------- The Hamster Cage ------------------------------------------- The very first film of the festival, and a worthy one to set the tone. This film treats the family unit like a gem that you pick up and examine only to discover as you turn it over in your hand that it's a polished turd. Every family has secrets, but most are never uncovered. When the family uncle, a famed psychiatrist, arrives with gifts for his niece, nephew, brother, and sister-in-law, it appears he is trying to heal old wounds. Unfortunately, as each gift is revealed, so is the dark secret which it represents. These revelations have unintended consequences, but it's safe to say that everyone generally gets what he (or she) deserves. The filmmaker has set out to create an over-the-top depiction of family disfunctionality, and he has succeeded marvelously. Special props for intelligent dialogue, perfect comedic timing, and a (possibly unintended) Monty Python reference. As the first film of the festival, this left me very excited about all that is yet to come. ------------------------------------------- They're Made Out of Meat ------------------------------------------- I've heard of this film, but somehow missed it when I first had opportunity to see it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was the opening short before The Hamster Cage. I don't know that I can say anything about this that hasn't already been said, but it is a MUST-SEE. If you are a Tom Noonan fan, then you should already have seen it, though stand-up comic Ben Bailey seems to be the star here. While this could be considered strictly science- fiction, anyone should be able to enjoy the humor. ------------------------------------------- I'm afraid I didn't see any other selections on the first day. I had plans with friends to see the Nicholas Cage remake of 'The Wicker Man' in order to compare it to the original made in 1973 starring Edward Woodward and a very much younger Christopher Lee. Do yourself a favor, and pick up the original. It's available at Wal-Mart for $10, so use the $10 you save by NOT going to see the shittier-than-we-thought-possible remake. This remake shows how Hollywood can take everything that is good and right about a movie, remove it, package the corpse, and try to sell it to a clueless American audience. This is what we get for not paying better attention. With luck, Fantastic Fest can help raise the bar. ------------------------------------------- Inside ------------------------------------------- This was the second film of the festival for me, and was the PERFECT follow-up to The Hamster Cage. The preview and writeup don't really prepare you for the full impact of this film. While they seem to promise a look at voyeurism, that topic only serves as a vehicle. The real focus of this film would seem to be exploration of extreme psychosis as a contagion. Really, it's too bad 'The Parent Trap' has already been used as a title. Nicholas D'Agosto is great as Alex, the squeaky-clean but troubled teen, but Cheryl White as Alice, the grieving mother, stole the show portraying a griefi-driven descent into a full-blown psychotic breakdown. ------------------------------------------- The Snow Queen ------------------------------------------- The synopsis posted on the Fantastic Fest site leaves no surprises about this story, as it details every point of the plot in this short film. It fails to express what a lovely film it is, however. Visuals of this quality are rare in a short. I wasn't thrilled with the choice to show this with 'Inside'. The role-playing/fantasy POV in this film would better fit the theme of Gamerz. It was interesting that the only adult with a speaking part in the film was the narrator, the grown-up who is recounting her childhood. It worked well for scenes of the little girl dealing with teachers, schoolmates, and her father. None of them needed to talk, but one brief scene doesn't completely gel. In it, she's in what appears to be a hospital bed with a teenage boyfriend yelling at her silently. After some thought, this might have been meant to show the aftermath of an attempted suicide. Perhaps this is what the narrator is trying to explain to herself/to the audience. ------------------------------------------- Renaissance ------------------------------------------- It is truly fortunate this film wasn't a contest entry, fortunate for the other films. Don't read this review, because Renaissance is like The Matrix or Dark City, a film where the less you know before you see it, the better. The story is standard sci-fi/detective fare, but in my opinion is much better than Sin City, to which this will visually be compared. I had heard something about Daniel Craig doing an animated film, but didn't realize this was it until the credits rolled. His was just one of many accomplished actors who voiced the film, but the *look* of Renaissance is something that has not been done before. The story is slow, taking 20 minutes or so before things really start to happen, but that's IMPORTANT, because it will take you about that long to pick up your jaw and get over looking at everything. this must receive at least an Academy nomination for visual f/x, if not the win, and keep in mind the entire movie, with one exception, is in black and white. No shades of gray, just solid black and solid white, as if every frame were posterized in Photoshop. This is the kind of film I expect to see associated with a name like 'Fantastic Fest'. ------------------------------------------- Gamerz ------------------------------------------- Gamerz has already been highly praised by the staff of AICN. I have less gaming experience than many of my friends, but I've enough to know this was written, lovingly, by someone who has directly experienced the role-playing world and the related social dynamics. Gamerz brings several unknown, but talented actors to the screen. Punctuated with clips of the characters' role-playing alter-egos in silhouette or shadow-form, this is a fun, quirky, at times emotional, trip through what for many of us is solid nostalgia. Very enjoyable, constant laughter keeps the mood light even in tenser scenes. ------------------------------------------- Midnight Movies ------------------------------------------- 'Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream' is a brief documentary that explores six definitive works of the Midnight Movie genre through clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with the creators. Particular attention is paid to 'Night of the Living Dead,' 'Pink Flamingos,' and of course, 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', with slightly less screentime for El Topo (described as the film that began the genre), 'The Harder They Come,' and 'Eraserhead'. Having seen only one third of these titles, I now feel the urge to view the others, especially El Topo and Eraserhead. Each of the filmmakers responsible for these is allowed to tell his own story. ------------------------------------------- See you in another day or two, -Augustus Gloop
