| Quiet Earth |
| • Spiffy new PRIEST trailer. The question remains...will this be any good? |
 I want to like Priest. Heck, I want to love Priest. There’s a lot to get exited about. Vampires, a post-apocalyptic world, priests hunting vampires, deserted sandy landscapes, cool technology and the promise of lots of vampire killing action. Oh yeah, and a great cast including Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Lily Collins, Stephen Moyer and Christopher Plummer.
But then you have to consider that director Scott Charles Stewart rewarded us with another great sounding film (complete with great trailer) earlier in the year. You might remember it. It turned out to be an atrocious piece of crap which also starred Bettany. Or perhaps you don’t want to be reminded. I know I’d rather forget that it ever happened (and that I spent good money to see it).
So what do I make of this shinny new trailer for Priest (there’s an older one floating around)? Well, it looks nice. It even looks promising but I find it extremely difficult to get really excited as the chances this will disappoint are pretty high. I know, I know, give it a chance; everyone’s entitled to a second chance but seriously, the crap Stewart presented earlier in the year was so bad, I nearly lost hope in Bettany.
Based on Min-Woo Hyung’s graphic novel series, Priest
Is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.
Am I alone in my trepidation or are others sharing my cautious approach?
Pretty new trailer after the break.
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| • Santa is going to find out who is naughty or nice. Official trailer for RARE EXPORTS |
 After a couple of teasers (here and here) we've finally got a full trailer for Rare Exports which is playing at TIFF. Will this be any good? I really want Santa to frag everyone.
In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 metres deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up!
Trailer after the break.
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| • VIFF has movies. Lots of movies. We've got the line-up (so far) |
 The Vancouver International Film Festival is my baby. In its 29th year, this is the event I look forward to every year. The lists I've kept through the year come out and I eagerly look through the list of titles in search of those little gems and every year VIFF responds with a huge assortment of titles. This year's festival is no different.
Some of the titles we're most eagerly anticipating include Tsumetai Nettaigyo’s Cold Fish (trailer), Gareth Edwards’ Monsters (trailer, review), Jo Sung-Hee’s apocalyptic road movie End of Animal, Carl Bessai’s Repeaters (trailer) and Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats (trailer, review).
There's loads more so be sure to check the titles (so far) after the break. Many more to be announced in the coming days.
CANADIAN IMAGES
Altitude (Kaare Andrews), B.C.
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A weekend getaway aboard a small plane turns deadly for a rookie pilot and four teenage friends. Minutes after take-off, the aircraft is climbing out of control into the heart of a mysterious storm. Unable to get their bearings or contact the ground, the group realize they are locked in combat with a terrifying supernatural force.
Amazon Falls (Katrin Bowen), B.C.
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Director Katrin Bowen's candid and chilling first feature delves into the belly of the mythical beast that is Los Angeles. Bowen goes beneath this sunny façade to expose the legions of dream-chasers whose realities are far from glamorous.
Breaking the Silence: Burma's Resistance (Pierre Mignault, Hélène Magny), Quebec
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Two filmmakers’—Pierre Mignault and Hélène Magny—secret and dangerous journey into the heart of a nation ruled by an oppressive and violent military regime reveals the strength of the Burmese people on both sides of the border, and their unprecedented dedication to the cause of freedom.
Curling (Denis Côté), Quebec
Jean-François (Emmanuel Bilodeau) is a lonely single father, protective of his daughter and afraid of life outside their small, cloistered world. As she approaches adolescence, tensions between and around the pair come to a boil. Denis Côté's mysterious, poignant film captured the Best Director and Best Actor awards at Locarno 2010.
A Drummer's Dream (John Walker), Ontario
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John Walker's latest documentary features a rare and unique assembly of some of the greatest drummers in the world. Explosive talent, passion, humour and irresistible personality come together in a magical setting when they create a profound and unforgettable experience. Featuring Nasyr Al-Khabyyr, Dennis Chambers, Kenwood Dennard, Horacio "El-Negro" Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Mike Mangini and Raul Rekow.
Everywhere (Alexis Durand-Brault), Quebec
Poster & stills
Jim (Patrick McKenna) is a three-time divorcée, looking for security in his newfound relationship with Isabelle. By succumbing to the benefits of phone technology, Jim regains self-assurance, but his ethically questionable acts test the boundaries of intimacy.
Guido Superstar: The Rise of Guido (Silvio Pollio)
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Director Silvio Pollio plays Guido, an Italian stallion with more bravery than brains, who gets more than he bargained for when he's hooked into going undercover against Canada's drug underworld. Suspense, slapstick and plenty of delicious plot twists soon follow...
Heartbeats (Xavier Dolan), Quebec
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Like multiple Cannes prize-winner I Killed My Mother , Xavier Dolan's more confidently stylish sophomore effort garnered the Prix de la Jeunesse at the French festival, as well as the grand prize in Sydney. Dolan and Monia Chokri star as inseparable friends who both fall for the same handsome young man...
Hope Builders (Fernand Dansereau), Quebec
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Fernand Dansereau, the Jutra Tribute award-winning director, returns with a fascinating look into freshly seeded grassroots activism by following a grade 6 class from La Farandole school in McMasterville, Québec, as they participate in a research-action project.
Incendies (Denis Villeneuve), Quebec
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Jeanne and Simon journey from Montréal to the Middle East, hoping to fulfill their mother’s cryptic last request: to deliver letters to a father believed dead and a brother unknown. Director Denis Villeneuve poetically lays bare two lives and a legacy shattered by war.
Leave Them Laughing (John Zaritsky), B.C.
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Director John Zaritsky delivers a perfect balance of rawness and exuberant humour. This musical-comedy about the nearness of death is unique and compelling, drawing its audience deep into a story of suffering and pain while liberating us with laughter.
Love Shines (Douglas Arrowsmith), B.C.
Douglas Arrowsmith directs this candid portrait of Ron Sexsmith recording his 12th studio album while engaging with the legendary musician's paradox: low record sales, amidst awards and praise by luminaries like Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Feist and Daniel Lanois, all of whom appear here.
Love Translated (Julia Ivanova), B.C.
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Dreaming of beautiful, yet dutiful brides, men from all over the Western world travel to Odessa to meet women courtesy of Anastasiadate.com. Julia Ivanova's doc explores motives on both sides of this dubious exchange, in which many paying customers come up empty-handed—and sometimes empty-hearted.
Mammalian (Frank Wolf), B.C.
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Frank Wolf and his buddy Taku brave a 2,000 km Arctic canoe journey from Yellowknife to Rankin Inlet, revealing the harshness and the beauty of Canada’s largest wilderness area, and the troubling changes rapidly sweeping the North.
Marion Woodman: Dancing in the Flames (Adam Reid), Ontario
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What if life and death are not divided against each other but are instead part of a mysterious, harmonious whole? That's the thesis and the challenge of Adam Reid's enlightening documentary about spiritual intellectual Marion Woodman.
Mighty Jerome (Charles Officer)
Charles Officer's documentary chronicles the life and legacy of athlete Harry Jerome, using archival footage, personal interviews, stylized re-enactments and a contemporary soundtrack to examine the determination of a gifted Canadian athlete on a mission to please a country that misunderstood him.
MODRA (Ingrid Veninger), Ontario
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Lina and Leco are restless, confused teenagers on a trip to Slovakia in Ingrid Veninger's tender snapshot of youth coming to an end. A subtle, heartfelt film of unspoken feelings and gradual revelations.
Mourning for Anna (Catherine Martin), Quebec
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Paralyzed by grief after the murder of her daughter, a woman retreats into the splendour and solitude of rural Québec, where she will form a new bond and undergo a special kind of healing. A quietly powerful film from Catherine Martin.
A Night for Dying Tigers (Terry Miles), B.C.
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In 24 short hours, Jack heads to prison. Push comes to shove in a fireworks display of family dysfunction during his farewell dinner in this acutely observant, appallingly funny third feature from Terry Miles, director of VIFF 08 hit When Life Was Good .
Repeaters (Carl Bessai), B.C.
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Three addicts in a rehab clinic come to discover that they are living the same day over and over again. Carl Bessai's film uses this story conceit to explore the paradoxes of addiction; the film is a philosophical meditation in thriller format.
Route 132 (Louis Belanger), Quebec
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Director Louis Belanger (Gaz Bar Blues) introduces us to Gilles and Bob, who hit the scenic route for a little crime spree, planning to take advantage of the backward provincials. What could possibly go wrong?
Snow and Ashes (Charles-Olivier Michaud), Quebec
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Blais Dumas, a war correspondent, awakens from a coma in a hospital room to find that his collaborator David has not come back with him. In Charles-Olivier Michaud's award-winning debut feature, the story slowly unfolds in a series of flashbacks that shed light on the events that led to David's disappearance...
Two Indians Talking (Sara McIntyre), B.C.
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In director Sara McIntyre’s comedic narrative, two First Nations cousins await an impending road block. Though they were raised together, on the same reservation, their banter and debate remind us that those on the same side of a cause can have radically different perspectives.
Uncle Brian (Nick McAnulty), Ontario
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Nick McAnulty's debut feature is a brutally funny mix of sex, violence and alienation. Daniel MacLean as Brian discovers the downside of burning bridges and that sometimes saying you're sorry just isn’t enough.
When the Devil Knocks (Helen Slinger), B.C.
Film website
An astounding cast of characters shares the confines of one woman’s mind. Helen Slinger uses footage taken over years of therapy to uncover dozens of “alters,” a life-long battle with Dissociative Identity Disorder and the extraordinary strength of a fragmented self.
Whirligig (Chaz Thorne), Nova Scotia
After yet another failure, Nicholas Sinclair (Everwood's Gregory Smith) manages to track down his parent's new home in Nova Scotia, in spite of their evasive efforts.... Director Chaz Thorne has created a sardonic and highly entertaining coming-of-age story about a young man whose misguided attempts at growing up eventually pay off.
Winds of Heaven (Michael Ostroff), Ontario
Film website
This is a must-see, possibly one of the best films ever made about our province, these forests, and our history as newcomers. It's the story of Emily Carr and what inspired her: the love of the people, the places, and the love of art. Hats off to everyone involved in this project; it is, for us, a very important story well-told, and surely for everyone, a sight to behold.
CANADIAN FEATURE FILMS: GALA PRESENTATIONS
Fathers&Sons (Carl Bessai), B.C., Canadian Images Opening Gala
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Sharply realistic and exuberantly funny, Carl Bessai's film combines four stories about grown men and their dads. Spanning different Canadian cultures and juggling a cast of finely drawn characters, this is a warm, boisterous comedy.
Score: A Hockey Musical (Michael McGowan), ON, Anniversary Gala
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Michael McGowan's latest film combines musical numbers with Canada's national sport. Stars include music icon Olivia Newton-John alongside a slew of Canadian talent, including Marc Jordan, Nelly Furtado, Hawksley Workman, George Stroumboulopoulos, and Evan Solomon.
Barney's Version (Richard J. Lewis), ON, Opening Gala
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Based on Mordecai Richler's prize-winning comic novel--his last and, arguably, best--Barney's Version is the warm, wise and witty story of an unlikely hero—the unforgettable Barney Panofsky (played perfectly here by Paul Giamatti).
CANADIAN FEATURE FILMS: ECOLOGIES OF MIND
In the Wake of the Flood (Ron Mann), ON
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In 2009, writer Margaret Atwood’s dedication to the preservation of bird life produced a creatively eco-friendly book tour. Veteran documentarian Ron Mann's rare and intimate look at a national treasure reveals Atwood’s personal drive, and the value of fiction and bird song.
An Ecology of Mind (Nora Bateson), B.C.
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Nora Bateson celebrates her anthropologist-father Gregory Bateson, whose work in cybernetics, semiotics and epistemology continues to challenge us to see our lives within a larger system. With A Simple Rhythm (Tess Girard, ON), Tess Girard's absorbing look at (and listen to) synchrony and chaos, and the universal vibrations that connect us all.
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (Sturla Gunnarsson), ON
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Ecologist and scientist David Suzuki serves as veteran filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson's subject in this thorough, deep-reaching account of the Canadian icon's life. Gunnarsson shows how Suzuki's relationship with his father and the family's internment during WWII gave Suzuki a sense that history matters and helped shape his critical thinking as an "outsider." Also see: Severn, The Voice of Our Children, about the important work done by Suzuki's daughter.
BEST OF CANNES
Aurora Romania/France/Switzerland/Germany, Dir: Cristi Puiu
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Cristi Puiu's first film since The Death of Mr. Lazarescu stars the director himself as a troubled engineer whose secret plan methodically unfolds as Bucharest day turns into night. A stunningly shot and uncompromising work from a contemporary master.
R U There? Netherlands, Dir: David Verbeek
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When a professional videogame player Jitze (Stijn Koomen) is sidelined by a sore arm and meets Min Min (Ke Huan-Ru), a beautiful, older woman who works as a masseuse (amongst other things), cyber love blossoms. Unfortunately in David Verbeek's original drama, the couple's online avatars are far better suited than their corporeal selves...
Biutiful Spain/Mexico, Dir: Alejandro González Iñárritu
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"Built around a magnificent performance by Javier Bardem [Best Actor co-winner at Cannes] as a Barcelona low-life coming face to face with his own mortality... Another of Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu's grandiose meditations on life and death, parents and children, the supernatural [and] the interconnectedness of the universe... " - Salon
My Joy (Schastye moe) Russia, Dir: Sergei Loznitsa
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When a truck driver named Georgi breaks down in a rural Russian backwater, he is drawn into the tapestry of village life, where a veritable encyclopedia of vice is being enacted on a daily basis. Wonderfully acidic, Sergei Loznitsa's portrait of Mother Russia is "a devastating critique of Russian society..." - Variety
The Tree (L'arbre) Australia/France, Dir: Julie Bertucelli
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In the wake of her husband's sudden death, Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her four kids are left to make sense of life without their father/spouse. But when eight-year-old Simone becomes convinced that her father is living in the Moreton Bay fig tree that towers over their house, the prosaic and the supernatural meet amongst its leafy branches...
Carancho Argentina, Dir: Pablo Trapero
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"Carancho" means vulture, and it is a fair descriptor of Hector Sosa (Ricardo Darin), who makes a living pushing life insurance on accident victims. When Hector falls for a beautiful ER doctor with troubles of her own, the pair set out to beat the system. But - according to director Pablo Trapero - the system, as always, has other plans...
October (Octubre) Peru, Dir: Daniel Vega, Diego Vega
When two sad and solitary souls are joined together via the unexpected appearance of a new born, something of a minor miracle unfolds. While Clemente searches for the baby's mother (an erstwhile prostitute), his neighbour Sofia gradually discovers her latent maternal instincts. Winner, Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, Cannes 2010.
The Light Thief (Svet-ake) Kyrgyzstan/Germany/France/Netherlands, Dir: Aktan Arym Kubat
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Director Aktan Arym Kubat also stars in his warm, gentle comedy about an electrician in the remote Kyrgyz mountains who both helps his neighbours "borrow" electricity and serves as the town psychologist. A "mix of poetry, naiveté and documentary... that works thanks to the director-actor's profound humanity..." - Hollywood Reporter
Rubber France/USA, Dir: Quentin Dupieux
Official Website
Quentin Dupieux's film concerns the adventures of an anthropomorphized rubber tire that comes to murderous life in the desert and, via telekinesis, begins to exact bloody retribution on humanity. One of the stranger films to emerge from Cannes this year...
Poetry (Shi) South Korea, Dir: Lee Changdong
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Lee Changdong follows Secret Sunshine with another portrait of a woman who can't quite cope with her immediate reality. Mija (veteran star Yun Junghee, back from retirement) is bringing up her grandson in a new dormitory town outside Seoul. On impulse, she joins a poetry-writing class and tries to see things through fresh eyes. But then she discovers that her grandson is probably guilty of a serious crime... Winner, Best Screenplay, Cannes 2010.
Hahaha South Korea, Dir: Hong Sangsoo
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You know how it is in Hong Sangsoo movies: two old friends get drinking together and swapping experiences. In this case, what they don't realize is that they were in the same place around the same time... Starring the sublime Moon Sori as a tour guide. Prix d'Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2010.
Chantrapas Georgia/France, Dir: Otar Iosseliani
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A filmmaker-within-a-filmmaker provides the genial gist of Otar Iosseliani's cinematic doppelgänger Nicholas, whose fictional life mirrors that of the actual Georgian director. A wry and farcical take on the innate self-regard of artists, as well as a profound meditation on creative freedom, French snobbery and Soviet-era censorship.
Our Life (La nostra vita) Italy/France, Dir: Daniele Luchetti
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Elio Germano shared the Best Actor award at Cannes for his powerful performance as a brash and money-hungry construction worker forced to come to grips with his life and family after his wife dies in childbirth. Veteran Daniele Luchetti (My Brother Is an Only Child) brings a sense of immediacy and vibrancy to this potent drama.
You Are All Captains (Todos vos sodes capitans) Spain/France, Dir: Olivier Laxe
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The "cinema of in between" finds a new star in Oliver Laxe, whose debut fiction-documentary hybrid was crafted with the help of street children in his home base of Tangiers. A mysterious, whimsical and unique creation that won the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes.
Dear Prudence (Belle épine) France, Dir: Rebecca Zlotowski
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After the death of her mother, lonely young Prudence (the gifted Léa Seydoux) discovers the underground culture of street-bike racing in the Parisian suburb of Rungis, with unforeseen consequences. "[A] bona fide [Cannes] Critics' Week discovery from Rebecca Zlotowski... a subtly impressionistic exploration of adolescence on the brink..." - Film Comment
The Princess of Montpensier (La princesse de Montpensier) France/Germany, Dir: Bertrand Tavernier
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"A young noblewoman is torn between passion, duty, companionship and ambition, each quality personified by a different man, in [Bertrand Tavernier's] compelling period drama. Like its heroine [newcomer Mélanie Thierry], Tavernier's visitation to 16th-century France has both beauty and brains..." - Variety
UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES Thailand, Director:
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The first Thai film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, VIFF regular Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul's work uses the eponymous elderly character's final days to launch us on a journey through Thai history and symbolism.
"Not just the best film of the [Cannes] festival; it makes everything else in competition... look slapdash, lazy, hollow." - Slant Magazine
CERTIFIED COPY France/Italy/Belgium, Director: Abbas Kiarostami
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Juliette Binoche (Best Actress, Cannes) is an antique-shop owner in romantic Tuscany who strikes up a relationship-or is it just a "copy" of a relationship-with an English author (opera singer William Shimmel) in Abbas Kiarostami's first feature made outside of Iran. A playful "art film" drama anchored by the joint mastery of Kiarostami and Binoche.
OF GODS AND MEN France, Director: Xavier Beauvois
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A French brotherhood stationed in Algeria holds off Islamic fundamentalists with the strength of its faith... Based on a true story, Xavier Beauvois' classical drama stars Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale, and is close to perfection. It captured the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes festival.
A SCREAMING MAN France/Belgium/Chad, Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
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The country of Chad has been in a devastating state of civil war for more than 30 years. When Adam, who proudly reigns over the pool in an upscale hotel, is replaced in his job by his own son, a civil war of another type breaks out. Faced with pressure from the government, Adam commits an act of betrayal... Winner, Prix du Jury, Cannes 2010
ANOTHER YEAR UK, Director: Mike Leigh
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"Mike Leigh's latest contemporary, North London-set drama about an interconnected set of family and friends is almost about nothing at all, and yet it gently juxtaposes the big issues of everyday life: loneliness and love, selfishness and kindness, birth and death. Arguably Leigh's tautest, most likable effort since Secrets and Lies..." – Variety
HEARTBEATS Canada, Director: Xavier Dolan
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Like multiple Cannes prize-winner I Killed My Mother, Xavier Dolan's sophomore effort garnered the Prix de la Jeunesse at the French festival, as well as the grand prize in Sydney. Dolan and Monia Chokri star as inseparable friends who both fall for the same handsome young man.
ARMADILLO Denmark, Director: Janus Metz
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Janus Metz's gripping documentation of reality at the frontlines of battle in Afghanistan started a firestorm in Denmark and resulted in a government inquiry into whether Danish soldiers broke the rules of engagement by their all-too-human actions. A vital counterpoint to Restrepo, and an important part of a growing re-evaluation of political goals... Winner, Grand Prix, Cannes Critics' Week 2010.
TAMARA DREWE UK, Director: Stephen Frears
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When attractive celebrity journalist Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) returns to her rural English village after the death of her mother, the men fall all over themselves... "A charmingly entertaining film that sees director Stephen Frears in relaxed and funny form and... Arterton delivering a sweet and smart performance. It is a fresh and witty film..." - Screen International
CARLOS France, Director: Olivier Assayas
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Edgar Ramirez channels Brando via Che in Olivier Assayas' celebrated five-hour-plus globetrotting biopic of the notorious terrorist Carlos the Jackal-it's a historically essential and wholly entertaining big-screen spectacle that never stops moving. Special Presentation pricing.
I WISH I KNEW China, Director: Jia Zhangke
Film Clip
Master director Jia Zhangke's eloquent Shanghai elegy recreates the hustle, the drama, and the music of that fabled, romantic Eastern city's glorious history. From glamorous art deco gangsters to modern-day literary idols, interviews and cityscapes bring cosmopolitan ghosts to vivid life.
INSIDE JOB USA, Director: Charles Ferguson
Film Clip
The financial crisis of 2007-10 that gave rise to losses in the trillions of dollars and kicked the global economy into the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression could have been avoided. Charles Ferguson (No End in Sight) makes the dizzying Byzantine complexities explicitly clear in his riveting and profoundly important documentary.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU Romania, Director: Andrei Ujica
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Completely compiled from official Romanian state propaganda, Andrei Ujica's masterful third film in a loose trilogy is a galloping, globetrotting reinvention of found-footage filmmaking, showing Nicolae Ceauşescu as the Great Dictator wanted himself to be presented. The parades in North Korea alone are worth the price of admission.
DRAGONS & TIGERS
AFTERSHOCK Tigers Gala Presentation China, Director: Feng Xiaogang
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The most popular Chinese blockbuster in history. After the giant 1976 Tangshan earthquake, a survivor struggles to heal the traumas that haunt her and her children. Master storyteller Feng Xiaogang creates an epic for the ages: an adventure-disaster movie and family-political melodrama in one extraordinary package.
13 ASSASSINS Japan, Director: Miike Takashi
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Miike Takashi plays it straight with a terrific action-adventure set in late feudal times. Righteous nobles decide to act against the shogun's sadistic and dissolute brother; Yakusho Koji assembles a crack team of assassins to ambush and kill him in a film that crosses Seven Samurai with A Touch of Zen.
COLD FISH Japan, Director: Sono Shion
Official Website
Set in the bizarre world of tropical-fish retailing, Sono Shion's outrageous thriller claims to be based on fact. A harried husband and father is coerced into merging his shop with a larger rival's but finds himself drawn into a web of gruesome murders and splattery corpse-disposals. Not for the faint-hearted!
THE FOURTH PORTRAIT Taiwan, Director: Chung Mong-hong
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A mom selling sex, a disturbing stepfather, and several strangely childlike adult companions lead a young abandoned boy through a gripping series of adventures. A major film from Chung Mong-hong, this stunningly shot, mysteriously entrancing tale is the outstanding Taiwanese film of the year.
MUNDANE HISTORY Thailand, Director: Anocha Suwichakompong
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Winner of a Tiger Award in Rotterdam, Anocha Suwichakompong's debut feature starts out as a study of the relationship between Ake, son of a wealthy but stern father and confined to a wheelchair by a road accident, and his working-class male nurse Pun. Then suddenly the perspective shifts to the cosmic...
OKI'S MOVIE South Korea, Director: Hong Sangsoo
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Fresh from the Venice Festival, Hong Sangsoo's second film of the year presents itself as four linked shorts, but actually tells one deliciously convoluted story of a romantic/sexual triangle between a college professor and two of his students, one female, one male. As ever in Hong's films, much soju is drunk, many home truths are uttered and male vanity is shot down in flames. With two bonus shorts.
PINOY SUNDAY Taiwan, Director: Ho Wi-ding
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Ho Wi-ding's prize-winning first feature is a tale of two Filipino workers who lug a giant red sofa across Taipei. A picaresque road movie, a thoughtful comedy about displacement and an offbeat Taipei city story.
Winter Vacation China, Director: Li Hongqi
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Poet-novelist-cineaste Li Hongqi spins a comatose comedy of seriously slack kids and their oblivious parents in small town Inner Mongolia with a devilishly sharp wit buried under the saddest, dead-pan humour imaginable. Brilliant, unnerving, hilarious.
ARTS & LETTERS
CHECKPOINT ROCK: SONGS FROM PALESTINE Spain, Directors: Javier Corcuera, Fermin Muguruza
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That music often flourishes despite - and maybe because of - desperate times is brought home with joyous and affecting force in Javier Corcuera and Fermin Muguruza's journey through the Palestinian music scene. From uncannily soulful singers to rappers to classical musicians, the vivacity on display puts paid to any preconceived notions of life under occupation.
RIDE, RISE, ROAR USA, Director: David Hillman Curtis
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David Hillman Curtis' boundlessly energetic concert film captures David Byrne at his musical and theatrical peak while detailing the collaborative process that makes the performances come alive. "Stop Making Sense is a tough act to follow, but David Byrne gives his younger self a run for his money with Ride, Rise, Roar." - Hollywood Reporter
RIO SONATA France, Director: Georges Gachot
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Brazilian great Nana Caymmi's languid voice - and turbulent personal life - are the stuff of legend and gossip. Georges Gachot intimately chronicles her many ups and downs, showing how - more than her personal relationship with Gilberto Gil - her peerless musicianship has ensured her place as one of Brazil's most influential singers.
WAGNER & ME UK, Director: Patrick McGrady
Noted actor and writer Stephen Fry's love for the music of Richard Wagner - and, as a Jew, his attempts to reconcile this love with Wagner's Nazi associations - serve as the focus of Patrick McGrady's dazzling, emotional whirlwind of a documentary. Wit as sharp as ever, Fry visits Russia and Switzerland - and even gets backstage access at the Bayreuth festival.
THE YELLOW BITTERN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LIAM CLANCY Ireland, Director: Alan Gilsenan
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The late, great Liam Clancy, the last surviving member of The Clancy Brothers, who vaulted to fame in the 60s singing bittersweet Irish ballads and outselling The Beatles, recalls moments both storied (the Civil Rights movement) and tragic (the alcoholism that almost destroyed his career) in director Alan Gilsenan's warmly affectionate documentary.
REJOICE AND SHOUT USA, Director: Don McGlynn
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Don McGlynn has made films about musicians as diverse as Glenn Miller and Howlin' Wolf, and in this, his most ambitious film to date, he uncovers the progression in gospel music over the course of two centuries. A rousing combination of rare vintage clips, probing interviews and fantastic music will, indeed, make you want to rejoice and shout.
STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS USA, Directors: Kerthy Fix, Gail O'Hara
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"The thing that makes you really want to watch a Magnetic Fields documentary - aside from the fact that it's about a brilliant band... - is that the genius behind Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt, is so prickly... in interviews that no journalist has ever gotten an accurate picture of him." - The Stranger. Until now... Kerthy Fix and Gail O'Hara direct.
DANIEL SCHMID Switzerland, Directors: Pascal Hofmann, Benny Jaberg
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Daniel Schmid made documentaries and dramas, directed plays and operas, and collaborated with Fassbinder. Pascal Hofmann and Benny Jaberg's deeply affectionate documentary captures the ineffable mystery of the creative process through Schmid's oeuvre. "Brilliant, funny, stirring, self-deprecating, idealistic, diva-ish - a worthy salute to Schmid..." – Strangeflowers
THE WOODMANS USA, Director: C. Scott Willis
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C. Scott Willis's documentary sheds light on a fascinating figure. "The photographer Francesca Woodman had all the markings of becoming the next big art star: precocious talent, beauty, charisma, a driving ambition and a work ethic to match... Almost 30 years after her suicide at age 22, the art world remains transfixed..." - The New York Times
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD USA, Director: Tamra Davis
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"Tamra Davis has surpassed the art world's expectations with [this] definitive documentary, that superbly sets out the life and times of [Basquiat] with never-seen-before first-hand footage of the artist; source and anecdotal interviews and quotes from almost every player in the 1980s art scene in New York..." - Moving Pictures
WASTE LAND UK/Brazil, Director: Lucy Walker
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Renowned artist Vik Muniz takes us into the world of the catadores - the inhabitants of the world's largest landfill outside Rio who recycle trash for a living - and his three-year artistic collaboration with them. Lucy Walker's powerful film won the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at Sundance 2010 and the Panorama Audience Award at Berlin 2010.
SNOW WHITE France, Director: Angelin Preljocaj
A major stage event in France, this is a tremendously sophisticated dance film set to the sublime music of Mahler and the otherworldly costumes of Jean Paul Gaultier. The age-old tale of a beautiful girl and a wicked queen undergoes a profound reinvention; choreographer Angelin Preljocaj seemingly achieves the impossible by focusing on the more complex emotions at the heart of the story.
DANCING DREAMS: TEENAGERS PERFORM “KONTAKTHOF” BY PINA BAUSCH Germany, Directors: Anne Linsel, Rainer Hoffman
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Legendary choreographer Pina Bausch's most enduring work Kontakthof ("Contact Zone") is given lusty new life through the addition of surging adolescent hormones in Anne Linsel and Rainer Hoffman's gorgeous documentary. Forty high-school students investigate the complex rituals of social dance, sex and desire under Bausch's inimitable direction.
TURN IT LOOSE UK, Director: Alistair Siddons
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It's a b-boy battle royal in the heated heart of Soweto, as 16 of the world's most explosive dancers - all of them kids with touching stories from different parts of the world - compete for the title of world champion. With little attention paid to the the limits of the human body, Alistair Siddon's riotous documentary reinvents physical possibility.
PALIMPSEST Hungary, Director: János Domokos
"My father used to teach philosophy here and these young people from Hungary are making a film about him." Part reminiscence, part city symphony, János Domokos' film accompanies an old woman around Moscow. It is a heartbreakingly lovely evocation of her city of Rachmaninov and philosopher Gustav Spet, who she knew well.
AFRICA TODAY
BUSH LEAGUE USA, Dir: Cy Kuckenbaker
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The players on the Tony Bombers football team in Zokolere, Malawi, serve as a microcosm for Cy Kuckenbaker's on-the-ground look at social progress - and the lack thereof - in that Malawian village. The team's engaging players shed light on their issues and concerns while the film as a whole captures the frustrations faced by Westerners trying to "do good."
KINSHASA SYMPHONY Germany, Dirs: Claus Wischmann, Martin Baer
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Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer's film shows how people living in one of the most chaotic cities in the world - Kinshasa, in the war-riven Democratic Republic of Congo - have managed to forge one of the most complex systems of human cooperation ever invented: a symphony orchestra. "An ode to joy." - The Economist
A PLACE WITHOUT PEOPLE Greece/Tanzania, Dir: Andreas Apostolides
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In the name of "conservation" the vast Serengeti plain in Tanzania has been made off-limits to the very Massai who have historically populated and lived from it. Andreas Apostolides' cogent documentary examines the growth of nature reserves and tourism there, and the social ramifications for the country's indigenous peoples.
RAINDROPS OVER RWANDA Rwanda, Dir: Charles Annenberg Weingarten
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At the Kigali Memorial Centre in Rwanda, the bodies of Tutsis murdered during the genocide are left unburied as a powerful reminder of the violence that claimed the lives of 800,000 people. Director Charles Annenberg Weingarten travels throughout the country with survivor Honore Gatera to discover how Rwandans are working to forgive and move forward.
SHOOTING WITH MURSI UK, Dirs: Ben Young, Olisarali Olibui
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More extraordinarily "exotic" than Leni Riefenstahl's Africa, this unique work has co-director Olisarali Olibui patrolling his tribe's ancient lands in SW Ethiopia with a Kalashnikov in one hand and a camera in the other, documenting the inter-tribal rivalries and threats of encroachment on the Mursi's traditional lands from a consummate insider's point of view.
TOGETHERNESS SUPREME Kenya, Dir: Nathan Collett
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Nairobi resident Nathan Collett's debut feature focuses on three young adults from three different tribes, all living in Kibera, Kenya, East Africa's largest slum, and getting caught up on the 2007 post-election violence that saw Kibera as a flashpoint. An insightful humanist drama full of startling authenticity, made with locals in key roles both in front of and behind the camera.
ZANZIBAR MUSICAL CLUB France/Germany, Dirs: Philippe Gasnier, Patrice Nezan
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Given the island nation's place at the crossroads of the spice route, Taarab, the music of Zanzibar, reflects two millennia of cultural exchange between East and West. Philippe Gasnier and Patrice Nezan's stirring documentary uncovers a world fed with Arabic tones, Latin rhythms, Indian melodies and African drums. |
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| • First art for Ian Clark's drug trail horror GUINEA PIGS |
 While the UK has been pioneering the micro-budget scene, the folks at Vertigo have partnered with the National Film and Television School to make films for new graduates, and while this was announced a while back we skipped it. But we're going to take this opportunity to share what little there is as there's now some sort of quad poster. As it started shooting back in June, I'm guessing it's in post now.
Eight volunteers find themselves fighting for their lives when a drug trial goes horribly wrong.
Brief eh? More as it comes. |
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| • LFF 2010: Jan Svankmajer returns with SURVIVING LIFE (THEORY AND PRACTICE) |
 That's right, the London Film Festival lineup has just been announced which includes the likes of Black Swan, Neds, Never Let Me Go, Essential Killing, Submarine, and Let Me In, but it also includes the new film from Czech animation genius Jan Svankmajer which premiered at Venice. It's not new ground as it combines live action and stop motion, but as usual, it looks fantastic. The foreign title is "Prezít svuj zivot (teorie a praxe)".
Here's a description from the fest website:
Eugene (Václav Helsus) leads a double life - married to Milada, he also dreams of the beautiful Evgenia (Klára Issová). Seeking to perpetuate his dream life, he goes to see a psychoanalyst, who attempts to provide an ongoing interpretation of his experiences. On the wall are portraits of Freud and Jung, which become animated, alternately applauding, disapproving or fighting over her interpretations.
Trailer after the break.
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| • The CGI is bad but it's Nigerian sci-fi in KJOLA |
 Actually, even with the dated CGI it looks pretty good. It just had it's premier about a month ago, and as we love supporting foreign film, especially from those countries which really don't do much, check it out!
Kajola is the yoruba word for commonwealth. In the year 2059, Nigeria becomes a totalitarian state. After a second civil war, the rich relocate to the Island areas of Lagos state and turn it into an ultra modern city. The war torn mainland of Lagos state is disconnected and abandoned. A rebel leader, Allen learns of a plot codenamed kajola to build cities on the mainland and eliminate the remaining survivors. He leads a rebellion against the govt. And must be stopped by Yetunde, the police chief. Though mortal enemies, both discover that everything they thought they knew where nothing but lies.Its a story of love and lust and it heightens the fact that we don't deal with the segregation and negligence issues facing the country today, then our feature is quite unpredictaable because TOMORROW IS TODAY.
Trailer after the break.
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| • FANTASTIC FEST 2010: Third wave of titles announced. Included Agnosia, Bunraku! |
 And the third wave is here. Our own Austin correspondent rochefort will be providing coverage. What do we like?
Spanish baroque thriller Agnois.
Technicolor fantasy actioner Bunraku.
Álex de la Iglesia's The Last Circus (Balada Triste).
and many more!
Fantastic fest runs from September 23rd to September 30th in Austin, TX at the Alamo Drafthouse. Purchase tickets at the official website.
The entire third wave after the break!
PREMIERE SCREENINGS
Agnosia (2010)
Director: Eugenio Mira, Spain, World Premiere
The producers of Pan's Labyrinth and The Orphanage present a truly unique romantic thriller from Fantastic Fest veteran Eugenio Mira (The Birthday). "I've read few screenplays in my life that have impressed me as much as Agnosia," said director Guillermo del Toro. Director Eugenio Mira will be live in person.
Bunraku (2010)
Director: Guy Moshe, USA, US Premiere
In a world with no guns, a mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett), a young samurai and a bartender (Woody Harrelson) plot revenge against a ruthless leader (Ron Perlman) and his army of thugs, headed by nine diverse and deadly assassins. This visually stunning film is filled with uniquely choreographed action sequences of a new style that melds east with west and old school with new. Director Guy Moshe will be live in person.
Mother's Day (2010)
Director Darren Bousman, USA, Sneak Preview
After a botched robbery, three brothers, one severely injured, burst into their mother's house, only to find that she lost it months earlier in a foreclosure. The new owners (Jaime King and Frank Grillo) and their guests, gathered for an ill-timed birthday party, become the brothers' unwitting hostages. With the situation quickly devolving, the brothers have only one choice: call Mother (Rebecca De Mornay) to mastermind their escape. Director Darren Bousman, Rebecca DeMornay & Jaime King will be live in person.
RED (2010)
Director: Robert Schwentke, USA, Sneak Preview
Based on the cult D.C. Comics graphic novels RED is an explosive action-comedy starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren. Frank, Joe, Marvin and Victoria used to be the CIA's top agents – but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history. Karl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings) will be live in person.
SPECIAL EVENT SCREENINGS
Class of 1984
Special screening to celebrate the debut of new book "DESTROY ALL MOVIES!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film" edited by Zack Carlson & Bryan Connolly. More info on the book here.
The year is 1984. A rabid pack of rampaging punk teens run our schools, our drugs and our prostitutes. Brutality and decadence are everywhere. Enter first-year teacher Andrew Norris (Perry King), who's forced to violently turn the tables on the bloodthirsty gang before their trashwave swallows the town alive. Writer/director Mark L. Lester's reckless masterpiece debuted at Cannes Film Festival to severely divided reviews.
What detractors and many thrill-seeking fans both sadly overlooked was the fact that the movie had been done exactly right. Each actor turns in a memorable, convincing performance amid knifings and punk slam pits. Beloved ham Roddy McDowall pulls off what may have been his best scene of the decade. The film moves constantly forward at full speed, with humor and intelligent dialogue balancing out the horrors perpetrated by the vicious teens. Class of 1984 is a perfect exploitation film. It's relentlessly seedy, overflowing with assault, suicide, racism, drug use and crime crime crime, all of which is perpetrated by minors! The tension of victimization and vengeance create some of the most stirring scenes of violent retribution on record. But beyond all this, there's a bitterly absorbing air of human helplessness and leather-clad heartlessness that makes this movie the flat-out best in its genre.
Master Pancake Theater – Independence Day
During Fantastic Fest 6, the boys of Master pancake will be skewering the It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World of sci-fi disaster flicks. Featuring a massive cast of pretty good A-listers (Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum) and awesome B-listers (Judd Hirsch, Harry Connick Jr., and Brent "Data" Spiner) in the fight of their lives against a horde of invading aliens. Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle called ID4: "A gasping, bloated roller-coaster ride that veers from scenes of truly awesome destruction to stretches of numbingly bad melodrama and back again." The president himself, Bill Pullman, will be joining the Pancake team to mock the hell out of this bloated rollercoaster.
Spaceballs Quote-Along
Mel Brooks' Star Wars parody is soooo much more than just a parody film, bursting with the sorts of jokes that the writers of all the recently-made and vastly inferior "spoof films" only wish they could dream up. If your Schwartz is as big as mine, you're probably uncomfortably excited with just the prospect of this show happening. Somewhere in space, Dot Matrix's virgin alarm is ringing loudly. For this special voyage of the Eagle V, Lone Star himself (Bill Pullman) will be live in person to kick off the fun.
The Intergalactic Nemesis
The year is 1933. Pulitzer-winner Molly Sloan and her assistant Timmy Mendez are on the trail of a story so big, it's impossible to believe. The Intergalactic Nemesis is a truly unique live show. Imagine a modern spin on the radio serial that combines projections of 1250 hand-drawn comic illustrations, 3 voice actors performing a wide array of characters, a foley artist performing 100s of sound effects and an award winning pianist performing a riveting live score. You've never experienced anything like it!
ADDITIONAL FEATURE FILM OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
14 Blades (2010)
Director Daniel Lee, Hong Kong, Regional Premiere
Betrayed by his fellow Imperial bodyguard soldiers, Qinglong (Donny Yen) must seek out and rally the loyalists to rise and restore the Emperor to power. In his way are the deadliest assassins in the land, his former brethren, the Jinyiwei.
Bibliotheque Pascal (2010)
Director Szabolcs Hajdu, Hungary/France, Regional Premiere
In order to regain custody of her daughter, Mona sets off on a surreal journey that will take her to the shadowy world of sexual slavery in Bibliotheque Pascal, the strangest brothel you could ever conceive.
Cold Fish (2010)
Director: Sion Sono, Japan, Regional Premiere
Equal parts black humor and bloody dementia in this true crime portrait of a Japanese tropical fish dealer responsible for over forty murders.
A Horrible Way To Die (2010)
Director: Adam Wingard, USA, US Premiere
When a serial killer escapes from prison, the dangerous past of a young woman dealing with alcoholic rehab quickly begins to catch up with her. Director Adam Wingard will be live in person.
In the Attic (2009)
Director: Jiri Barta, Czech Republic, Regional Premiere
Courageous toys from an old suitcase undertake a dangerous journey through a forsaken attic to rescue their friend, Buttercup a beautiful doll who finds herself in the clutches of the all-powerful plaster Head, ruler of the Empire of Evil
The Last Circus (Balada Triste) (2010)
Director: Álex de la Iglesia, Spain, US Premiere
Álex de la Iglesia's genius for dark humor is at its most eloquent in his latest parody about the Spanish Civil War. Two clowns attack and disfigure one another in jealous rages over a beautiful dancer. In the name of love, they destroy the very object of their affection. Director Álex de la Iglesia will be live in person.
Mutant Girl Squad (2010)
Directors: Tak Sakaguchi, Noburu Iguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Japan, Regional Premiere
In 2009, Tak Sakaguchi (Be A Man! Samurai School), Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police) and Noboru Iguchi (Robogeisha), got drunk and vowed to make a movie together. One year later, here it is. This splatter-ific, fetishy, hyperactive take on the X-Men is going to shock, horrify and delight you. Director Yoshihiro Nishimura live in person.
Naan Kadavul (2009)
Director: Bala, India, North American Premiere
Naan Kadavul is like an Alejandro Jodorowsky version of a Bollywood movie. A long haired Vedic ubermensch burns corpses, lives in graveyards, smokes dope, beats up people, and proclaims himself to be God before eventually become the savior to a collective of severely deformed beggars. Do not miss this film.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Director: Jalmari Helander, Finland, US Premiere
Santa Claus is somewhat less than jolly - in fact, he's the stuff nightmares are made of - in Jalmari Helander's Rare Exports, an atmospheric and witty re-working of a cherished folk tale. Co-writer and co-creator Juuso Helander will be live in person. (Was missing caps)
Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission (2010)
Director: Mike Woolf, USA, Encore screening
Last year Richard Garriott became the first son of an astronaut to go to space, but this is no millionaire's joy ride, he pioneered private space travel to make his dream come true: from his training in Russia to his launch in Kazahkstan to the dramatic, never before seen footage inside the capsule during fiery re-entry, this is a historic moment in human space travel. Richard Garriott live in person.
Summer Wars (2009)
Director: Mamoru Hosoda, Japan, Austin Premiere
When an online social networking community gets attacked by a piece of sentient malware that threatens to deliver a denial of service attack to the entire world, one girl and her massive extended family unites to restore peace to cyberspace. Gorgeously animated with tons of heart and soul to boot, SUMMER WARS is one of our favorite anime titles in recent years.
Transfer (2010)
Director: Damir Lukacevic, France, North American Premiere
Herman and Anna, a wealthy aging couple decides to extend their lives by leasing the bodies of two young Africans. For one million euros, the Africans signed away their lives for 20 hours a day, but in the 4 hours a day they have back in their own bodies, they begin to regret the arrangement.
Fantastic Fest has scoured the globe for the very best in action, horror, science fiction, fantasy to the truly bizarre in contemporary cinema for your viewing pleasure. Look for more announcements in the weeks to come, including information on our gala events, parties and AMD Next Wave filmmakers in attendance. |
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| • EXCLUSIVE: Trailer for Jamie Heinrich's I LIKE YOU (I love this film!) |
 Our own Marina reviewed a workprint of this film a while back, and I have to say my opinion on this is a bit different. I would easily place what I saw in my top 5 favorite films of the year, probably second at this point. Jamie Heinrich, who directed it, also does some of the best editing I've ever seen. The music was so good I got a track listing from Jamie so I could dig it all up. The acting, as Marina says, is nothing to write home about, but certain circles have been calling Heinrich the next Gus Van Sant considering how incredible this piece of work is and what he can do with amateur actors.
And no, this trailer does not give away the entire film nor does it really tell you much about it. That is, besides the teen romance. It's gone through some additional shooting since the last workprint reviewed and I'm sitting on the new copy, and since it was just submitted to Slamdance and Sundance, we're showing it some much deserved love. My money is on Slamdance.
You can follow the film on the facebook page and check out the official website.
Trailer after the break.
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| • New trailer for arthouse PA zombie flick THE DEFILED |
 We brought you first news of this flick, along with a teaser which has now been removed, back in February. Now our friends over at horror-movies have beat us to the new trailer, which except for a few spots, looks pretty damned good. It's almost like a Scandinavian film it's so chromey.
After a devastating global pandemic which turns infected people rabid, a man and woman must find shelter for a new born baby. They are besieged by inhabitants of this world-gone-wild and must make the ultimate sacrifice to save the child.
Trailer after ze break. Supposedly this is going to be out on DVD soon.
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| • Holy Mother of God, is this guy for real? Clip for AUSCHWITZ |
 There's not much to say on this one. Uwe Boll sleeps to the gassing of the Jews.
NSFW clip after the break. via Twitch
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| • Bittersweet revenge. Review of Michael Morrissey’s excellent BOY WONDER |
 Year: 2010
Director: Michael Morrissey
Writer: Michael Morrissey
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8 out of 10
Revenge films are a dime a dozen. Some are good, some are great but few have the raw energy of Michael Morrissey’s fantastic directorial debut Boy Wonder. Part of the appeal of Morrissey’s film is the story itself which pits a 19 year old as a vigilante who has been working on honing his hunting skills from an early age. The other is the performance from relative new comer Caleb Steinmeyer as Sean, the young man at the centre of Morrissey’s tale.
At the tender age of 9, Sean saw his mother brutally killed in a car jacking gone wrong and every day since, he has spent hours at the police station, looking through mug shots in search of the man who killed her. Over the years, Sean has manicured the perfect exterior: a quiet teen, straight As and staying out of trouble but in his spare time, when he’s not at the station, he’s at the gym, building muscle and the power to take down nearly any opponent. When ready, he begins the hunt and his targets? Mean individuals, men who have killed once and gotten away with it only to wreak havoc on more lives. Along the way, he’s concocting another plan, one that will take down the man responsible for his mother’s death.
Morrissey’s film is a solid mystery, using a well developed script and excellent editing as building blocks to the final reveal. There are hints and parts of the story which come to light throughout, purposefully built with care and determination. There are few writers who have the knowledge and understanding of the story they’re telling and the world they’re building that they can control the divulging of information so carefully but Morrissey manages to control both the script and the filmmaking at this expert level, leading to a conclusion that is both satisfying and unexpected.
Although it wears the trappings of a revenge tale, like the best films of the genre Boy Wonder is a personal story of one young man coming to terms with his life. Yes, Sean wants revenge but he’s not looking to do this for life, he simply wants to do whatever necessary to move on. Though he feels in control of both of his personas, it’s clear from early on that Sean’s carefully divided worlds are coming ever closer to each other and when they eventually collide, the result isn’t the expected mess. Indeed, it does get a little ugly but Morrissey keeps his story original by avoiding the cliché’s that often come with the genre and in the end, things sort of work out for Sean.
Carrying the film is the aforementioned Caleb Steinmeyer who turns in a great performance as Sean. It’s difficult to be both appealing and scary but Steinmeyer is nuanced and reserved, a difficult task considering the material and the opportunity to showboat some of these scenes. The one major fault of the production is Zulay Henao as Teresa Ames, a new officer at the precinct who threatens to interfere with Sean’s carefully laid plans. Henao is flat and uninteresting in nearly every scene though she’s particularly difficult to watch when pitted against Steinmeyer who makes her look like an amateur. Thankfully the rest of the film more than makes up for her bland performance.
Expertly edited from a great script and featuring an outstanding lead performance, Boy Wonder is an excellent revenge film, one that plays in the emotional sandbox more than it does in the action but that performs well in both. I can’t wait to see what Morrissey has up his sleeve for a follow-up.
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| • Like prison, juvie's a place to avoid. Review of Kim Chapiron's DOG POUND |
 Year: 2010
Director: Kim Chapiron
Writers: Kim Chapiron, Jeremie Delon
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 7 out of 10
It’s always quiet ones you have to look out for. At least that’s the case in Kim Chapiron’s Dog Pound.
Taking place at a youth correctional facility in Montana, Chapiron’s film opens with an introduction to three soon-to-be new arrivals at the Enola Vale Youth Correctional Center. We meet Angel, a 15 years old thief, Davis, a 16 year old drug dealer and Butch, at 17, the most soft spoken yet violent of the bunch. The rules at Enola Vale are laid out early on: stay out of trouble and stick to the rehabilitation program and chances are you’ll limit your stay. Not an easy thing for the three newcomers whose arrival immediately pegs them as fresh meat for picking.
Butch takes some of the abuse (though not without fighting back) and upon his return from a short stint in solitary, starts watching from the shadows, plotting his revenge on Banks, the top dog at the “dog pound,” and his cronies, in what elevates into full scale war when one of the young inmates dies at the hands of another key player, a correctional officer named Goodyear who is dealing with his own personal problems.
Chapiron’s film fits almost seamlessly into the plethora of prison films, taking on many of the themes that have been explored in previous films. From the idea of the low man on the totem pole to the race division that plagues many of these institutions, Chapiron and co-writer Jeremie Delon pepper their film with many of these, giving some more weight than others but what stands out above all else is the close quarters feel of the film and the starkness of the surroundings.
It’s a film of whites and greys which lends even more power to the action that takes place in the foreground. Surprisingly, it’s also a quiet film, one which uses volume to its advantage; when it gets loud, the impact of the (for the most part) violence that accompanies it is that much more effective. Now don’t be thinking that this is a film full of action, the tension is very deliberately built with much observation and discussion but the bits of violence that do arise are swift and come in waves that rise and then wade into the background.
In the advent of reality television which has brought the great “Lock Up,” Dog Pound could have felt like an unnecessary film, one that’s come up a little late and in some respects, it is. Chapiron’s film doesn’t carry the same power as watching the real thing unfold but it brings something else: a look at the day to day on the inside and the view is anything but picturesque (there’s no glamorizing at play here). The film is greatly helped by the casting with excellent performances from all of the players but particularly from Adam Butcher as Butch. The choice to shoot the film at close range, putting the viewer in the middle of the action rather than as a distant observer, only accentuates the great performances.
I didn’t find Dog Pound particularly memorable but it’s a film that shells out a number of great performances and an excellent closing few minutes complete with a final scene which raises more questions that the preceding 90 minutes. Worth a peek if only as a stepping stone in the career of an up-and-coming filmmaker and an array of soon to be Canadian film stars.
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| • Maria has a death wish in Marcel Grant’s MONSIEUR FRANCOIS trailer |
 Maria has a death wish but she’s not waiting for something to happen to her that will cause her death instead, she has planed her own demise, a plan that will roll into action on her 27th birthday. “So many famous people I like died when they were 27... Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison. Also - death is inevitable - so why pay more taxes?” Then she meets Michael, a small time film producer whose tenacity pays off and after numerous rejections, he and Maria begin a relationship. But will their burgeoning romance be enough to derail Maria’s fatalistic birthday wish?
That’s the basis for Marcel Grant’s Monsieur Francois, an “existentialist drama about the meaning of life, death and love.” They had me at Maria explaining why 27 is such a great time to go and though I don’t agree with her, I’m curious to see what has led her to feel this way. The trailer for Grant’s film is beautiful and I expect the film will look equally gorgeous; the existentialist bit will be a nice bonus.
Now I’m really curious: who exactly is Monsieur Francois?
Trailer after the break.
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| • Trailer for Pablo Larraín's POST MORTEM is quietly disturbing |
 Chilean director Pablo Larraín is a bit of a wild card. His sophomore effort Tony Manero (a film about a serial killer obsessed with the title character in Saturday Night Fever) was hailed by some as genius and others as a twisted mess but however you cut it, the film marked the arrival of Larraín on the world circuit and now his follow-up is turning more heads.
Taking place during the last days of the 1973 Chilean coup, Post Mortem has as its centrepiece the autopsy of Chilean President Salvador Allende but the story focuses on Mario, a man working at the morgue who falls for a woman who has mysteriously disappeared during the coup.
Admittedly, I wasn’t a big fan of Larraín’s previous film but I did love the look of it and the audacity of the story and though Post Mortem doesn’t seem quite as outlandish, I am more than a little interested to see what sort of twisted fate is ahead for Mario. Larraín doesn’t strike me as a filmmaker that shies away from the dark corners of humanity and there’s something quietly twisted about this trailer as well. The last 15 seconds of this trailer are full of quiet violence, almost taunting the viewer to overlook it.
Trailer after the break.
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| • Swedish hand puppets = drug using cats in WE R ANIMALS |
 Thobias Hoffman, writer and director of this upcoming film now currently in pre-production, describes it as a "live action version of a cartoon world" which will be filled with crude humor and all sorts of craziness. Apparently they've already shot some sort of pilot or promo which they plan to release later on, but at this point all that's available are some stills. While ostensibly nothing profound, the twisted puppet thing has always had me intrigued but has yet to satisfy. Here's hoping.
Choke him out!
Snow White the rabbit is stuck in a sadistic man’s pet store, she craves for love but nobody wants to take her home. But one day the animals wreck havoc and they all escape, including Snow White. She gets lost with her newfound freedom and almost dies, until the nice old lady Alice saves her. Snow White would've had a bright future if not for Alice's jealous and vindictive dogs, who call on their friend Flash, a shady and devious pimp cat. Together they plan to transform Alice's apartment into a brothel for animals, and force Snow White and even the human Alice into prostitution.
We R Animals is a comic adventure, filled with drug-using cats, horny dogs, cat-ninja assassins, vampire bats, cruelty and magic. In essence We R Animals is a love story told with warmth, where sometimes the laughter sits in the throat and forces us to question the morals and views of both animals and man.
You can check out more stills from the pilot/promo here. |
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| • LIFFF 2010: Full lineup for the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival |
 Lund is back yet again. Running from September 3rd to October 2nd in Lund Sweden and covers genre film from all over the world. We'll be covering the fest, so you may ask, what am I looking forward to?
Post apocalyptic zombies in Rammbock.
Simon Rumley's Red White & Blue.
More post apocalyptic zombies in Greek sequel To Kako II: Evil in the Time of Heroes.
Consciousness Transfer.
What would I recommend that I've already seen?
Ivan Engler's Swedish scifi flick Cargo.
Cyberpunk animation Technotise.
Irish after-beating study Savage.
Neil Marshall's Centurion.
And there's plenty more. You can check out the full list after the break and buy tickets at the official website.
International Competition
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: An utterly brilliant and incredibly entertaining comic book adaptation from Edgar Wright(Shaun of The Dead)
The Loved Ones: It's the prom night from hell in this; one of the festivals most colourful and brilliantly written films! rarely has a high school film been this brutal, a torture-horror this humane and or a study in grief been this exciting!
The Illusionist: An animated gem from Sylvain Chomet who gave us The Trio from Belleville. Based on a Jacques Tatí script.
Technotise: With its mix of science fiction, social commentary and Serbian humour, Technotise: Edit & I could well be called a Serbian AKIRA!
Embargo: The film is based on a short story with the same title by Nobel prize winner José Saramago, who has also written Baltasar and Blimunda and Blindness. António Ferreira has created a fabulous portugese pearl that feels warm, comical and comfortably peculiar.
Melies Competition
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec: Luc Bessons wonderful adventurefilm, also based on a comic book.
Vampires: Brilliant fakumentary about vampires in today’s Belgium.
Red, White and Blue: Simon Rumley’s descent into the evil of man.
Cargo: Directors Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter have created the first Swiss Sci-fi film with Cargo. And what a film it is!
Stranded: A dark, multifaceted and exiting desert thriller!
Glenn 3948: With artificial intelligence comes artificial emotion.
Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre: Júliús Kemp has directed an exotic Icelandic slasher film. A splendid entertainment massacre which has combined the basic genre ingredients with the Icelandic countryside, a multifaceted atmosphere accompanied by the original score of Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and unpredictable twists.
Rammbock: With some delightful and sympathetic characters and everyday realism that few zombie films portray, Rammbock touches both our hearts as well as our nerves. And of course with a great deal of intestines!
From Nippon with gore
Mutant Girls Squad: Imagine The X-men directed by the lunatics who gave us The Machine Girl and Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl. Totally over the top and playful, guaranteed to become one of the craziest films ever shown at LIFFF
Alien vs Ninja: If you want 85 minutes of pure messy fun then this is the film for you, a wet and latex filled ninja action extravaganza!
Robogeisha: If you’ve ever wanted to see a Japanese temple transform into a giant robot and start tearing down a city, a la Godzilla style, then this is the film for you!
Cruel Britannia
Black Death: LIFFF-veteran Christopher Smith returns with a "men on a mission"-film set during the Black death.
Strigoi: Strigoi is a wonderfully dark, provincial and exciting vampire tale with a charmingly twisted sense of humour and elements of improvised dance parties that put a twinkle in your eye. In a genre that seems to have lost its flare for blood and is stuck on all things shiny, Strigoi pulsates with innovation and homemade blood.
Savage: Savage flirts with our senses and pulls us into the emotional world of a deeply traumatised person in a way that is in equal parts captivating, exciting and interesting. Not to mention disturbing.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed: With merely three actors and a few scenes to mention, the film lifts us into a close knit and paranoid world where trust and betrayal are the focal point.
The Eclipse: Contains a startling amount of symbolism. Every detail is measured, every angle has its reason..
Centerpiece
Despicable Me: A wonderful film for everyone who’s still a kid at heart , this is guaranteed to make you laugh so hard that you forget to eat your cinema candy! Midnight Madness:
El Monstro del Mar: An incredibly entertaining ride filled with nods to creature features and exploitation cinema, packed with busty bad-ass Russ Meyer babes!
Primal: Wilderness horror that constantly builds up an increasing feeling of discomfort and excitement all the way to the very end.
Dragonetti: Exploitation at its most entertaining stage. The director describes his film as a mixture of Hellraiser, Rambo and Ichi The Killer. Sounds like a perfect midnight movie!
Rampage: Uwe Boll takes us on a socially critical tour-de-force that shakes, moves and provokes the audience.
Evil In The Time of Heroes: This grotesque splatter fest is filled with bloody humour, lively editing, bizarre characters and oh, so gory zombie slaying!
The Open Vault
Phasma Ex Machina: A scifi-film that combines heart and mystique with the technological. And ghosts. A low key and lo-fi gem that reminded us a bit of Primer.
Mars: A romantic science-fiction comedy, told in the form of a animated graphic novel.
TiMER: Romantic science fiction comedy featuring Emma Caulfield who played Anya in Buffy!
Transfer: Imagine having only weeks to live and getting a chance to escape death, live a new life with your beloved with the strength and vitality of youth but in the luxury of retirement. Wonderful, right?
Machotaildrop: It's not easy to describe Corey Adams and Alex Craigs film as it is filled with imaginative and utterly absurd scenes and situations and is probably one of the most amazing things we've seen in a long time
Documentaries
Video Nasties: LIFFF veteran Jake West is back and this time he's bringing his co-producer
Marc Morris(ex Redemption Films). Together they've put together Video Nasties, a documentary about the moral panic over video violence in Britain during the 80s and 90s.
Cameraman – The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff: A caringly made documentary about the now deceased cinematographer Jack Cardiff, whose name turns up in the credits of some of the most acknowledged films in the history of cinema.
Strangers in a Strange Land: How many Greek sci-fi, Noir or thriller films have you seen? Do you know anything about Greek fantasy? Do you know anything at all about Greece’s dark genre jungle?
Closing film
Centurion: Neil Marshall( Dog Soldiers och The Descent), gives us an intense and engaging survival film about a group of Roman soldiers stuck in the Scottish highlands. More Deliverance than King Arthur.
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| • Three TV spots for THE WALKING DEAD |
 In case you've somehow missed this huge epic which will start on AMC Halloween night (and we're all impatiently waiting for), you can watch the trailer and read about it here.
TV spots after the break.
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| • Harmony Korine's ACT DA FOOL |
 This is better then Trash Humpers. Why? It's only 4 minutes, and the girl is just f'ing ill.
"I used to call my dad Saint Nick cause he fat as hell!"
"Most people here don't have names, everyone is just passing through."
Really, if he had cut Trash down to this length, it mighta been good.
Full short after the break.
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| • First teaser for Rachael Tsangari's ATTENBERG is adorably bizarre |
 I'm starting to wonder if Greece hasn't started a new sub genre (or maybe continued one) with this isolationist and perversion theme they've got going with Dogtooth and now Attenberg. Me likey.
Marina, 23, is growing up with her architect father in a prototype factory town by the sea. Finding the human species strange and repellent, she keeps her distance. Instead she stubbornly observes it through the songs of Suicide, the mammal documentaries of Sir David Attenborough, and the sex-ed lessons she receives from her only friend, Bella. A stranger comes to town and challenges her to a foosball duel, on her own table. Her father meanwhile ritualistically prepares for his exit from the 20th century, which he considers to be "overrated." Caught between the two men and her collaborator Bella, Marina investigates the wondrous mystery of the human fauna.
NSFW Teaser after the break. English subs too!
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| • Trailer for Italian PA zombie flick EATERS |
 We first reported on this in January, but a full trailer just dropped with English subs, so have at er folks.
The world, devastated by the Great Epidemic, is governed by hordes of living dead. Three men, Igor and Alen, two hunters of dead and a scientist, Gyno, try to gtive an answer to what has happened to the human race. Alen and Igor leave for two days of hunting to find new "guinea pigs" for Gyno and meet the most varied characters: a crazy painter, neo-Nazis, and a mysterious girl, daughter of the feared Plague-Spreader, supposed craftsman of the epidemic...
Trailer after the break.
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| Updated: 89 minutes ago |
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