Hello All,
Greetings from the 29th Annual Denver International Film Festival! If you've never been to the Denver Fest you probably don't know about the strange time/space anomaly that allows films that are already out on DVD to premier on its screens or how you can go into a film when it is 80 degrees outside and when you walk out it is a blizzard…these are just a couple of the charms of the Mile-High Fest. All in all, it is a wonderful fest full of mystery and delight (and Tim Robbins, too)! I only made my way to two screenings this weekend but both of them were knock-outs. These are both films that have been featured pretty heavily on this site but, as I found out, for very good reasons.
BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON
I have purposely avoided any reviews of Scott Glosserman's film, BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON, other than to know that people have really enjoyed it.
BTM is comparable to other post-modern horrors such as MAN BITES DOG or SCREAM, but is much more successful as a film than those two. I’ll try to stay spoiler-free on this one, but suffice it to say that this film is a riot. While it is never truly scary, it has a tension that plays off of its humorous tone very well. Perhaps the film’s greatest success is its ability to completely follow its own internal logic while never feeling forced or lame (well, ok…the first 10 minutes are kind of lame).
The film gets off to a rather dubious start with its stalker opening scene followed up with an introduction to the “film-crew” working on a documentary on famous American serial killers. There is nothing wrong with these first two scenes, but they both feel a little cheesy and don’t really come off as successful. Once Nathan Baesel makes his appearance as Leslie Vernon though, the film really hits its stride. He is phenomenal in this role, pulling off both the humor and the intensity that this character demands. Instead of going at it as a Lector-type murderer, he's played here as an incredibly personable and funny guy. The small amount of character development he’s allowed with his pet turtles and his magic trick are perfect window into what makes the Leslie Vernon work.
This film should not nearly be as much fun as it is. It takes an unoriginal and dated idea (a reality show/horror spoof) and completely makes it its own. The way that this film plays with established slasher film tropes and clichés makes it a delight to fans of the genre, it is obvious that Glosserman has had deep discussions with film majors about the symbolism inherent in stalk ‘n slash films. Honestly, it is the acting in this one that really puts it over the top. Everyone from the leads to the smallest of the cameos is pitch-perfect. Special props go out the very Loomis-like Robert Englund and the incredible Scott Wilson. These two veterans threaten to steal every scene they pop up in.
The film has apparently been picked up for distribution in North America next year and, if advertised right (which might be hard to do considering the tone and complexity of the film), this could make a lot of money. More than anything, this film is hilarious. The theater I saw this in was packed with the typical film fest-snobs and critics…it had them all rolling with laughter. There are enough jabs at film journalists and theorists in this one to keep even the most jaded viewer in stitches. This one comes highly recommended; please seek it out once it gets released.
The Host
After all of the hype on this site, I was really looking forward to the new film from Korean director Bong Joon-Ho but was afraid that I was expecting too much. It is always tough to completely fall for a genre film when you go into it with such high expectations, but this might be the exception to the rule. Joon-Ho has accomplished something amazing with THE HOST, which rises far above its creature-feature origins. This is hands down one of the best giant-monster movies of all time, right up there with the original GODZILLA and Larry Cohen’s Q: THE WINGED SERPENT. What CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON did for chop-sockey flicks; THE HOST does for monster movies.
The film begins with a very funny intro featuring Scott Wilson as a blow-hard American forcing a Korean scientist to pour A LOT of very nasty chemicals down the drain. Both Wilson’s reasoning why the chemicals must be dumped and his attempt to assuage the Korean scientist’s fears of contamination of the river are hysterical and firmly in line with stereotypical “ugly American” thinking. While it makes very little sense that this initial action would result in a genetically altered beast, it does set up the main ideas of the film in regards to US/Korean relations very well. We first meet the monster in its infancy when it is caught by some fishermen who release it back into the river after stating how alarmed they are by how many tails it has. From there the film fast-forwards to the present day with the creature having grown to a very dangerous size.
I won’t spoil anything more than that with this review. This is a film that really benefits from knowing as little as possible going in. But rest assured that this is a very accomplished and devious monster movie. The special effects are comparable to (and maybe even better than) most Hollywood product and the scares are definitely there. Is it a complete success? No, far from it. It is full of typical South Korean slapstick, underdeveloped ideas and some faulty logic, but none of these can derail the film. Although the climactic battle scene between the monster and the humans isn’t nearly as exciting or as well though-out as the rest of the film, it is still a whole hell of a lot of fun. I’m actually looking forward to the American remake because, even if Hollywood jettisons the political/social aspects of the story, you are still left with a rollicking good survival horror film.
So there you have it, two great films that should be on the radar of every film geek out there. I’m seeing SEVERENCE, RESCUE DAWN and COCAINE COWBOYS this week and will be back with reviews of those sure-to-be gems!
Yours in Christ,
leeVSbenway
