On the Job (Philippines)

On the Job is an extremely engaging and cynical film that throws you immediately into the purposefully confusing story with two assassins about to go to work. The men are "on the job" and in prison at the same time. An evilly brilliant plan if you think I about it. The "powers that be" are pulling everyone's strings in a way that's as insidious and corrupt as can be. The "based on a true events" opening cards make it all the more real. Over the length of the film the story follows this pair of assassins (one older, one younger) and a pair of what appear to be the only two clean cops in the city (again, one older and one wizened). Part actioner, part melodrama it's a pretty darn good ride. Highly recommend keeping an eye out for it. Film is opening 9/27 in NYC and LA with a nationwide roll-out to follow.

Both story lines following the criminals and police are engaging and grant a disturbing view into corruption from top to bottom in Philippine society. Positively, neither provides much in the way of exposition - you figure out what's going on by paying attention. The prison is less of what one expects from US conventions and more a sprawling walled off community filled with criminals off all stripes. Both imprisoned professional killers have relationships on the outside that their killings allow them to participate in more fully than they could behind bars. The older of the two worries that his impending release may take away his ability to earn effectively on the outside. Of course he also ought to be worrying about how his current employees feel about him wandering about with more options to choose from. The younger and central figure of the two policeman is married into privilege - his wife being the daughter of seriously higher ups. Which means they may expect certain discretion from him - keeping in mind that schemes going on clearly have a scarily high level of sanction.

But it's not just a rotten to the core story of Faustian bargains. On the Job also repeatably brings the tension in a ways one would hope for in a tale of cops and cold blooded assassins. Most notably with an incredible stand out set piece involving a bit of cleanup at the local hospital. That alone would cover the price of admission in my view. But the unique perspective of a society's ugly underbelly, thrill ride moments and complex melodrama tie together into a thoroughly entertaining package. Keep your eyes peeled for this one. Even after an intense week of Fantastic Fest On the Job stands out and demands attention.

Miss Zombie (Japan)

Miss Zombie cannot be the first zombie movie with such an intense art house esthetic. But it's the first I've seen. More importantly this quiet but disturbing Japanese family horror film brings a level of sympathy unusual to the genre. Creating one of the few zombies where you care about their backstory and what happens to them. And no, Warm Bodies does not count.

The film's story starts with the delivery of a female zombie to a doctor's country home. Sent by a friend trying to create a new business around "low grade" zombies the box comes with two instructions. Don't feed her meat, and use the included pistol if things get out of hand. Zombiness in this universe is a viral condition of sorts. Lower grade carriers tend to be docile and not considered a large danger. Though things can of course change pretty fast under the right circumstances.

Soon she's put to work scrubbing an outside floor and is allowed to come and go on her own (living in the family's more urban storage shed). The way too adorable young son of the couple enjoys photographing the formerly young women (along with everything else around). While she deals with fragmentary memories of her own life cut short - workmen and others tend to admire her posterior. And perceived complacency to overt aggression. That sets up a vibe where the zombie tends to be in a a sympathetic space and the humans around her all seem too eager to exploit her. Including the wife of the family in a moment of desperation.

This is a zombie film after all ... not just just a picture reveling in overt subtext of a patriarchal culture of abuse of women. So eventually things start to become *ahem* complicated.  Which is when all the time building tends to pay off rather well.

There are some areas where suspense of disbelief is key. When the zombie is first delivered town leaders express strong concerns about the potential killer in their midst. But soon seem completely unconcerned that she's walking across town without supervision. Then there's the fact that she seems less than effective at here assigned job. And last but certainly not least - among literally thousands of potentially bad ideas, having sex with the zombie has got to be at least be in the top ten. But you'll be surprised at how little thought seems to go into the obvious potential complications of that. Even beyond the "hey isn't that rape?" issue. Though I suppose that last part/issue is very much the point of the story being told within the genre convention.

All said though there's a lot to recommend Miss Zombie. It looks terrific being mostly shot in gothic black and white. Then there are the simple but effective performances built upon by the visual editing. Finally, there's the true emotion that builds leading to the films compelling climax. It's not like all those other zombies - meaning while it's unclear how many more unique zombie stories exist to be told - Miss Zombie remains on the right side of that equation.

FantasticFest Awards

Yesterday evening, the folks from Fantastic Fest announced all sorts of awards. Things will continue to kick along being awesome in Austin through closing night on Thursday. But in terms of official winners - the audience has spoken. But as it's been since the beginning ... the audience are the true winners. 

I've been lucky to have seen the majority of feature length winners. Exceptions being limited to Jodorowsky's Dune, Our Heroes Died Tonight, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demon, Afflicted, Septic Man, Narco Cultura and We Are What We Are. Several of which I'm still hoping to catch up with this week. 

So go ahead ... feast your eyes on the victors. And make your future viewing plans accordingly. 

Goldberg and Eisenberg (Israel)

Goldberg and Eisenberg is the sort of film that's well done, but makes me wonder why I watched it. Not because of the filmmaking but because I probably could have found something more personally rewarding than watching a two people escalate towards the point of possible bodily harm for no particular reason. The film is listed as black comedy wasn't the sort of thing that actually made me laugh. I can chuckle I think about the bleakness of the human condition at times - but generally not much to laugh at here. Except perhaps Eisenberg's association with what I'm assuming is the sole Nazi in Israel.

Things start to go wrong for Goldberg right from the beginning. A free lance middle aged programmer he's frankly a bit of a schlump. Out to meet an online date he's sitting alone in a darkened park where by day he walks his dog (and only visible friend). It's looking a lot like she's not coming - but along into the scene wanders Goldberg. A big, crude sloppy sort of fellow who exudes menace of an ill defined kind. Or perhaps he's just trying to make a friend also. Either way the two of them rub each other the wrong way rather quickly. Begging off the encounter I'm sure Goldberg is pretty sure he'll never see this guy again. But of course that's not the way this thing goes. 

Fantastic Debates 2013

Now that I've wiped away my tears from missing them I'm able to man up and speak of the Fantastic Fest Debates. Traditionally the most fun way during the entire year to spend midnight until 3am with way too many friends - in way too hot and sweaty environs - watching the thinkers of this glorious movie geek age argue the true questions of the day. And then pummel each other until agreement has been reached. From what I can tell things were as marvelous as ever for this year's debates. Plus there was word of possible conditioning at the new location.  

Festival organizers have been kind enough to publish some short video clips from the event. Those are shared directly below, and are a heck of a lot of fun. Just to make sure you're in the right frame of mind here's a short synopsis of the evening's topics (courtesy of the FantasticFest website.) 

Debate One: Alamo programmer Greg MacLennan versus /Film Managing Editor Russ Fischer. RESOLVED: Sylvester Stallone is the Only Truly Great Action Star in Film History. WINNER: Pro 

Debate Two: Denver film critic Brad McHargue versus Austin film critic Jacob S. Hall. RESOLVED: 28 Days Later, Which is Widely Considered One of the Great Zombie Movies of the Century, is NOT a Zombie Movie. WINNER: Pro 

Debate Three: Actor Noah Segan versus writer and filmmaker Andrew Todd. RESOLVED: Good-Looking, Well-Adjusted People Have Infiltrated and Destroyed Nerd Culture. WINNER: Pro 

Debate Four: Keanu Reeves and MAN OF TAI CHI actor and martial artist Tiger Chen versus Alamo Drafthouse and Fantastic Fest founder Tim League. RESOLVED: Tai Chi is a martial art relegated to elderly Chinese women and is inferior in every way to Tae Kwon Do. WINNER: Pro

Eega (India)

I could be wrong about how this all came about, but after seeing Eega I've been picturing the inception moment that led to the film. My imagining involves a bunch of friends shooting the shit - alcoholic beverages or other mind altering substances may or may not have been involved. It's got to be a bunch of folks talking about film, and maybe they were imagining creative stagings of revenge fantasies. Someone might have been reminiscing about the multi lifetime love story Dead Again. Maybe things got philosophical / religious and what people came back as in your next life and why became the topic. From this rich stew of religion and love stories and perhaps a bit of Tarantino sprang a crazy, crazy idea - a guy returns from the dead as a housefly to avenge his death and be reunited with his pre-destined love. Oh, and don't forget to leave room for Bollywood's signature musical interludes. Sounds completely nuts - but in a striking victory for fans of high concept everywhere the creators of Eega (Fly) have managed to near perfectly thread the needle resulting in a supremely fun and satisfying genre bending flick. Kudos to them and huge thanks to the people behind programming it at Fantastic Fest this year.

Bindu is a micro-artist by night and member of a NGO by day. Over the past several years she'd noted with appreciation the flirtatious of neighbor Nani across the way. Slowly being won over - her interest and eventual love for him is growing. Unknown to them a huge obstacle by way of Sudeep lurks just over the horizon. He's a rich, womanizer scumbag with serious anger/jealousy control issues. After becoming obsessed with Bindu he thinks he's making progress until realizing she only has eyes for Nani. Outraged he kidnaps his competition and proceeds to beat him mercilessly. When Nani realizes why he's being attacked he threatens to kill Sudeep should he touch Bindu. That takes things up another notch and Nani ends up dead at Sudeep's hand (technically his foot). In most films that would be the end of things. But Eega is just getting started.

Long story short - a reincarnated Nani retains his love of Bindu even as he loses his human form. Leading him to do anything and everything a fly can do to enact vengeance. As it turns out a lowly housefly can be a powerful enemy - especially if the powers of the universe are on his side. What follows is an affecting love story as he reconnects with Bindu coupled with a relatively bloodthirsty revenge story. He's not just back to hamper Sudeep's plans and get him to see the errors of his ways. Nani's back for biblical justice. He's on earth to end Sudeep - plain and simple.

By now you've got to be wondering "great idea, but how does one execute on that?" Short answer, extremely well realized computer graphics. Nani is back as a fly, one with depth, character and slick integration into the live action world of the other characters. We've come a long way in the 25 years since Roger Rabbit. I'm sure if you look closely enough the boundaries of film and CGI will be notable. But it's not easy - more importantly, I almost guarantee you'll be having way too much fun to look.

All three leads deliver performances well matched to the material. Righteous outrage, delightful chemistry, and evil but borderline mustache twirling cheesy villainy are all delivered. Leading to a wonderfully breathtaking pre-intermission sequence. By the time we get to a murderous  montage sequence or the creation of the most dangerous Mojito of all time all you'll do is enjoy the ride. To which colorful nighttime musical dance sequences are just a delightful bonus.

If I can say one thing with confidence about films coming out of Fantastic Fest - you're unlikely to see a better reincarnated as a fly revenge/love story regardless how many times your soul returns to this mortal coil. I'm off now to take a look at what else the co-directors of Eega have been up to. Eega truly deserves to be seen widely. Keep an eye out and jump on the opportunity when it presents itself.

Commando - A One Man Army (India)

Holy cow guys. If you've ever wanted to see mashup of Commando, Roadhouse, Bourne, Last of  the Mohicans and a crazy dance party - with a touch of Gymkata thrown in - then have I got just to thing for you. Model turned actor, Vidyut Jamwal, the muscles of Mumbai (I may have made that up) flying kicks his way through legions of goons mainly to unwind and blow off some steam after a year of torture at the hands of the Chinese. Oh, and to clean up a corrupt politician culture and get the girl. Did I mention that the film opens with an announcement that he does all his own stunts with no wire-work or CGI? I know, I know ... I had you at Commando meets Roadhouse. You're gonna want to see Commando - A One Man Army - just trust me on this one.

The titular commando crash lands during routine helicopter training inside of China (nope, that seems shady to me also)g. For political reasons he's treated as a spy and the political elite let him twist in the wind. But due to a stunningly awesome monologue from his commanding officer we learn that such commandos are national treasures. In fact his description of what a commando is sounded suspiciously like a series of Chuck Norris Jokes. My favorite part being that if you take ten of the world's most poisonous snakes that would form a commando's breakfast.

Being transported for a sham trial our hero escapes and makes his way back into Indian territory. On the way he rescues the films gorgeous though often oddly unconcerned leading lady. She's trying to sneak out of town to avoid a shotgun marriage to villain AK. A politician with a penchant for sadistic murder and horribly corny jokes that are continually texted to him throughout the film (not making that part up). A short while later a dozen or so baddies for hire lie beaten or dead on the ground. Before we know it the couple are evading capture through the jungle occasionally stopping to unleash the dogs of war (or more specifically his mad commando skills) on the pursuers. They're on the run - but not without lots of time to stop and flirt. When he's not killing a dozen men at a time with his bare hands.

I wasn't especially thrilled with the portrayal of the female character. Though at the end there's a pseudo feminist "you're the first man to believe in me" bit she's more often written as an offensively silly woman. By which I mean there's a beaming smile on her face as she's being chased through the jungle. Not a concern in sight. Though I suppose if I was in the company of Jamwal with his buff bod, great looks and ability to fight in a way that  difficult to believe (because of how incredibly cool it is) perhaps I would be whistling while I ran also.

Being a Bollywood production there are a seies of dance numbers. They mostly make sense in context and are catchy enough. Though for me that's not the reason to see the film. See it for the action combined with a bit of cheesiness. Your inner Gymkata fan will be glad you did.* I'll be keeping an eye out for Jamwal ... this guy is seriously going places.



* this is actually a totally unfair comparison. The action sequences in Commando (Army of One) are super engaging and when you laugh it's typically because Jamwal did something you cannot believe you just saw (or is especially brutal). Though there is definitely a gymnastics element to the moves at times - it's just that he's not going to find a gymnastics horse in the middle of the jungle (as opposed to in Gymkata)

Mirage Men

You may want to believe - but in what exactly? That aliens are among us and engineered the creation of our species through DNA experiments on early primates. Or maybe that the government has been running a focused disinformation campaign to spread stories of UFO's to distract the public, flummox the Soviets, cover up advanced technology programs, or perhaps just to goose Hollywood box office numbers. Though don't forget the possibility that these government coverups are muddying the waters - hiding our dealings with the aliens by spreading half truths about aliens. Yep - if you thought the final years of the X-Files was all over the place then brace yourself for the Mirage Men. This documentary delivers access to the players - from UFO researchers telling tales of good men turned mad by the NSA to OSI agents who told the lies.

Frankly by the end it's just as impossible to know what to believe as when it started. On the negative side it's not really the intense mind-fuck I was expecting. Partly because after the most intense story of government manipulation early in the film everything else seems tame. And secondarily because the picture to me never really establishes the bonafides convincingly of the talking heads. Everyone seems off (like possibly delusional off) and lacking in gravitas - to put it mildly. So by the time the snake starts to eat it's own tail it's too easy to start wondering if you're watching a modern day Sasquatch... A film whose documentary provenance feels shakey (which in that case it was as apparently in that case anyone but seven year old me knew it was a dramatization - of probably absolute fiction).

The whole picture has the production values (likely purposefully) of what I'd imagine the X-File's Lone Gunmen would produce and at times could stand to use some exposition beyond the talking heads. If you're familiar and deeply into this UFO space I doubt it breaks any new ground. For me, it whet my appetite to understand what exactly the government was spending out tax dollars on. It's reassuring that the story isn't about how the military was killing off people to keep their secrets. But whatever was/is going on it's hard not to wonder if folks couldn't have come up with less elaborate ways of handling things. I'd be down for watching a deeper and more involved take on this material. For this one I'll vote moderately interesting with a lot of flaws.

Got to say though - great subject matter choice for FantasticFest. And unrelated to the fest, makes me think about the fictionalized retelling of the (alleged) aliens autopsy fraud from several years back.
                          

Confession of Murder (South Korea)

Confession of Murder continues Korea's success in delivering some of the most engaging and satisfying genre experiences out there. Taking what seems to be a tired old trope and making it into something surprising and visceral. The film opens with a cop attacked by a serial killer who he's been tracking. After the officer is wounded in the pitched running battle the bad guy gets away. Fast forward fifteen years and the murderer still hasn't been apprehended. A multi-year grudge, unresolved deaths ... you know where this is going, right? Well ... So did I but step into the theater and brace yourself. Things are gonna get wild.

After that opening scene we learn that 15 years is the statute of limitations for murder. Before you can ask yourself what idiots came up with that idea a young, brash cocky bastard is holding a press conference to announce he's the killer. With a new book as the lucrative path to confession. Obviously this doesn't go over too well with the man who ran the long cold case. Nor with some of the victims family who have the will, means and skills to exact their own direct revenge.

Twists and turns will follow including at least two that I didn't see coming - at all. The director seamless marries thriller twists and tension, dynamic camerawork (including some well used for the storytelling flying cameras between building floors), off the hook action and old fashioned melodrama. Yep, this one kicks ass.

Oh yes ... the action. You've got fights, you've got car chases, you've got poisonous snakes unleashed in hotel pools. All high octane and incredibly dangerous looking. Specifically one of the most off the charts car chase sequences I've ever seen. Shot seamlessly enough that I'm willing to be significant portions are continuous moving shots. Maybe the risky nature of the stunt work isn't so surprising once you recognize the film was directed by the guy who did the documentary Action Boys about the world of Korean stuntmen. I didn't love that doc, but I recall that the guys in that field would go to lengths that were considerably more extreme (and often unwise) compared to a lot of other folks. Ethical issues aside it makes for some riveting and gripping cinema.

Like in all such situations where one builds to an incredibly high crescendo it's hard for the ending to be as satisfying as the journey.  But it's mild departure from a top notch experience - I'd happily take the ride that is Confession of Murder again at the first opportunity.

Fantastic Fest Bumper Finalists Announced

As I've likely mentioned in the past Fantastic Fest pre-film bumpers are attendee made taking really, really varying takes on the year's theme. In the case of 2013 the theme is "Intergalactic Fantastic." Little exists in the way of rules excepting length (< 45 seconds) and the need to end with the phrase "That's Fantastic." You can re-create the true festival experience at home watching all the submitted entries on the BadAssDigest website. Or you can checkout the five finalists that will be judged this Monday - five enter only one can leave. At least only one can leave with the prize of two VIP badges for next year's festival.

If you're especially lazy you can watch 3/5 below. But it's really worth watching all of them - at least assuming you're not easily offended. The first one in particular may not be safe for work - depending on the employer's views.

Fantastic Fest - Day 2

As I did on Day 1 - wanted to recap some of the films I've seen that played during Day 2 of Fantastic Fest. It's going to continue to be a grab bag as I'm relying on the grace of others to determine what films I can catch remotely. So jumping off in no particular order...

Monsoon Shootout (India) - a tight and satisfying take on first day on the job law enforcement dramas while layering in a metaphysical treatment of the power of choices we make in each moment of our lives. Clocking in at a fast 88 minutes a lot gets packed into this one. If you threw The Wire, Training Day, Sliding Doors, a class on ethics and drenching rainstorm into a blender you'd get Monsoon Shootout. And if you could I'd advise you to take a long deep gulp of that cocktail. I assure you that 88 minutes will scream buy punctuated only by a couple of excellent WTF? moments. Drink up! [Full Review]

Detective Downs (Norway) - Within the guardrails of a pretty standard noir detective tale exists the very unusual Detective Robert of Detective Downs. Limited by his Down's Syndrome - and complete lack of experience with a case he plays on his strengths using his "own method" to get to the bottom of the disappearance of a former Norwegian speed racing champion. More specifically listening to the emotional state and cues of all around him - something he's remarkably well attuned to. When it becomes clear that the missing man's family doesn't want him found (and therefore hired him) he barely misses a stride in his relentless uncovering of the double dealings of everyone around him. Occasionally enlisting the aid of his more traditionally detecting father on the local police force, Robert makes time to drink in trashy strip clubs, seduce women, plant tracking devices, and generally be an incredibly likable star. It's hard not to grin as he unsettles those around him first with his mere existence and then with his unstoppable confidence. I didn't expect much going in, but Detective Downs turned out to be both amusing and utterly charming.




A Field in England (UK)- Four deserters during a war run into each other and take refuge in a startlingly un-war stricken field (in England). They engage in a bit of self justification / delusion ("We're not running away we're going for a beer") and chat away the time as they seek out an ale-house one of them claims to have seen nearby. They meet some other traveler and things get weird as they're compelled to search for buried treasure. Along the way they eat mushrooms, trip out some and not surprisingly for director Ben Wheatley engage in a bit of violence. All the things you'd expect from the creator of Kill List.

The film is shot beautifully - in sharp, crisp black and white. Much of the dialog (when I could make out the accents) is clever and engaging ("It does not surprise me that the devil is an Englishman. But I'd thought perhaps a bit taller"). Problem is that I wasn't especially engaged in what was going on or why. Perhaps because there was no character to latch onto as especially interesting. Which is a prerequisite for me to want to untangle the strangeness, symbolism, and perhaps historical references that make A Field in England near completely inscrutable at first glance. Many will love the complete respect for the audience in suggesting nothing. Others will find it maddening. Me, I just found it a less than thrilling watch - though with enough bits that reminds one there's a lot of talent at the root of this thing even if the end result didn't quite work personally.



She Wolf (Argentina) - A dangerous women roams the subways looking for willing men. Three actresses play the same character, or more specifically three aspects of her fractured psyche. She's a serial killer who likes to go all praying mantis after sexy time with strangers picked up on the Buenos Aires subways.The black and white fits visual sensibility perfectly matches the high concept noir subject matter. Things get complicated when one of her intended victims turns out to be a pervey cop assigned to her case. Not to mention when she starts to establish something approximating a healthy stable relationship. Inventive camerawork and presentation makes it hard to look away and the film effectively plays the game of making your root for a person who's clearly terrible. Delivering more depth than is usually brought to this sort of exploitation subject matter She Wolf marries well art film complexity/sensibilities with genre violence. I'm sure there's more than one statement in there about women, sexuality and violence for the most analytically minded amongst us. In the meantime it will certainly make you second guess your decision to have sex with that random person you picked up on mass transit. Though perhaps that's just me...

Monsoon Shootout (India)

"The law is what it is. If you can't use it to get justice then you're the ass!" - Rookie officer Adi addressing his superior.

Monsoon Shootout from director Amit Kumar is a tight and satisfying take on first day on the job dramas such as Training Day while layering in a metaphysical treatment of the power of choices we make in each moment of our lives. Clocking in at a fast 88 minutes a lot gets packed into this one.

The film kick offs with Adi's first day on the job as a cop. He's teamed with Khan, a beyond pragmatic lawman who believes in justice but not upholding all the details of the law. That's made pretty clear when within minutes of reporting for duty Khan executes a group of suspects in the extortion murder of a real estate developer. Adi's asked to crash their car to cover up the "escape" attempt and his moral dilemmas begin. Before long he's making choices that are all over shades of grey spectrum as they try to put away Shiva (aka the "Ax killer") who's the tip of the bloody spear wielded by local gangster "the Slum Lord." In the meantime corruption is all around in what could just as easily serve as a scathing indictment of Indian society as a hard nosed police thriller.

Adi turns out to be a hell of investigator and coupled with Khan's sack of guns makes rapid progress on the streets. He's quickly on the heels of Shiva, racing through a crowded night market. Drenching rain provides the backdrop for a fateful split second judgement around with the rest of his existence pivots. I will say no more about that.

The look of Monsoon Shootout tends to be dark, lush and predictably rain soaked. Which blends nicely with the relationship of few, but often explosive, words between Khan and Adi. Things start off pretty fragile but the deepening relationship adds authenticity to the story. Truthfully, the actual nature of the crimes are bluntly simple enough that they're almost besides the point. But they form an important construct to hang off everything else. Plus the Shiva is one seriously serious bad ass dude. Especially for a guy with such a sweet clay sculpting kid.

If you threw The Wire, Training Day, Sliding Doors, a class on ethics and drenching rainstorm into a blender you'd get Monsoon Shootout. And if you could I'd advise you to take a long deep gulp of that cocktail. I assure you that 88 minutes will scream buy punctuated only by a couple of excellent WTF? moments. Drink up!

Fantastic Debates - Pre Fight Videos

If I had one regret about not being able to get to Fantastic Fest this year it'd be missing the Fantastic Debates. I've described it more than a few times in past years and that one 3 hour block into the wee hours of the night are alone worth the price of admission to the entire festival. I'm realizing it's a damn shame that there's not a live stream of it - even if it was for a fee, or restricted to Drafthouse Alliance members.

This year the title debate/fight will be on the topic - "Resolved: Tai Chi is a martial art relegated to elderly Chinese women and is inferior in every way to Tae Kwon Do." Festival founder and Tim League will support this position arguing against Keanu Reeves who will argue the negative. When things get physical though Keanu will bring in the start of his new film Man of Tai Chi - Tiger Hu Chen to actually handle the fighting part. This does not sound like great news to friends and family of Mr. League. Though it should make some pretty entertaining sport for those lucky enough to be in the audience.

The two sides have released pre-fight taunting videos. This is gonna be ... what's the word I'm looking for? .... oh right, ..... FANTASTIC!






Oh ... and in case you're wondering about Tim's black-belt. Unless I'm missing something I believe his black belt was an honorary / fake thing awarded as part of last year's debate. So make sure you watch all the way to the end of his video where he points out he has two beautiful young daughters so it'd be great if he didn't actually perish in the ring. Good Luck Tim!

Why Don't You Play in Hell (Japan)

Almost equal parts Yakuza drama, slavish love story to classic cinema shot on film, romantic comedy and over the top bloodbath, the Venn diagram intersection of those three makes it feel as if Why Don't You Play in Hell was specifically created for Fantastic Fest audiences. The wacky gonzo feel appealed to me, especially once I decided that logical consistency had no place in evaluating the film.

It's hard to comprehensively explain the tangled plot and motivations of all the characters. Thankfully I don't especially want to say anything that would take away from deconstructing the tangled bits yourself. There are essentially three groups interacting over the course of a ten year period. First - a group of gonzo (and supremely un-talented) filmmakers who for reasons never fully explained have named themselves the "Fuck Bombers." The second storyline tracks two gangs of feuding Yakuza - one of whom bosses has decided they should always wear kimono and setup their headquarters in a castle. Finally budding potential romance between the child actress since grown up daughter of one of the crime bosses and a guy she meets on the street while trying to run away. Ultimately all these groups are pulled inevitably towards each other as the girl's father's attempts to make her the star of a serious drama ... Largely as a thank you to her mom who has spent the lay ten years of prison praying for the girl's return to the stage. Which is a dicey proposition at best so many years after the girl's popular nationwide toothpaste commercial was taken off the air, due to the scandal of the mom violently dispatching a group of Yakuza assassins. Yep ... that's seriously the plot. Mixed in there's plenty of references to specific films and cinema in general. What's not to like?

One thing to especially love is the early sequence which explains how the Mom ends up incarcerated. Turns out it's hard to claim self defense when you chase one of the killers through the street with a chef's knife. The whole setup is visually amazing, and made laugh out loud. It's one of the most memorably enjoyable sequences I've seen in a while. The rest of the film for me never quite recaptured that high. But I suspect a lot of viewers will equally or even more appreciate the final epic conclusion where all parties come together to film a battle royale between the feuding gangs. Arguably fulfilling the Fuck Bombers lifelong dream to "to make a damn good movie - even if it's only one." Demonstrating in incredibly violent fashion one of the film's themes that a person should be willing to sacrifice everything for one's art. Though in the case of the bombers their passion seems to eclipse putting in the time and discipline to learn how to make a movie. Those and many other pieces creates a work about film that will give folks plenty to discuss, in addition to just marveling at the chaos. Whether you believe realists will always lose out to fantasists or not - there's a surprising amount to chew over after the final frame rolls.

The film's top charms are the murderous stage mom - and the two Yakuza leaders. Each of which are ridiculous but strangely compelling. The lack of skill of the Bombers combined with their extreme passion for film were a smidge annoying to me at times, to an extent I was pulled out of the film. Though thinking back perhaps that's one of the possible points of the picture. Around how enthusiasm, willingness to do anything and blind prayer may not be enough to create something of substance. Thankfully writer/director Shion Sono and his cast both clearly love cinema and have taken the time to master the skills required to create it.

Why Don't You Play in Hell is an ultraviolet genre film that likely will appeal to the sort of folks who like to see films about film - assuming they can look past all the blood. And I'm talking little child sliding across a floor covered in the stuff two inches deep. I know for many readers I had you at two inches of blood. But even if it doesn't sound awesome I'd suggest a broader group give it a chance - it's violent and flows red, but it's not especially gory (OK - there are a couple of exceptions to that too).

Fantastic Fest - Day 1

Not sure I'll be able to hold this schedule. But intending to post some capsule sized notes on what I've seen after each film's screening at Fantastic Fest. Being outside of Austin I'm unable to speak to the highest profile film of day 1 - Machete Kills but I have seen three of the things that did screen. With thoughts on Coherence coming soon (the part I've seen so far has me super intrigued). Without further adieu - let's head off to the races ...

On the Job (Philippines) - This extremely engaging and cynical film throws you immediately into the purposefully confusing story with two assassins about to go to work. The men are on the job and in prison at the same time. An evilly brilliant plan if you think I about it. The "powers that be" are pulling everyone's strings in a way that's as insidious and corrupt as can be. The "based on a true events" opening cards make it all the more real. Over the length of the film the story follows this pair of assassins (one older, one younger) and a pair of what appear to be the only two clean cops in the city (again, one older and one wizened). Part actioner, part melodrama it's a pretty darn good ride. With at least one super stand out set piece involving a bit of cleanup at the local hospital. One of my faves of what I've seen so far from Fantastic Fest.
 

The Dirties (Canada) - demonstrates that talent and a clever idea is way more important than technical equipment in producing an engaging picture. Shot on what looks like simple consumer grade video the film follows a pair of best friends as they create films for their school project. They choose to film what they know - an action comedy about school bullies - a group they collectively refer to as "The Dirties." It's a revenge comedy - but things go a shade darker when one of the pair suggests a new twist on the production. While the other is enjoying some new found popularity with the girl of his dreams it becomes less and less clear that his buddy is truly kidding about his new high concept approach to their creation. Loved the first 2/3rds of the film, respected what they were going for in the last third. The Dirties is definitely worth your time. But not as sure I'd recommend skipping your dream film (or date) for it.
 

Northwest (Denmark) - Solid Danish crime thriller which is different enough to recommend it. I don't think it'll be the film you're talking about in a year's time. But it's compelling for the performances. Not the adrenaline fueled rush that some pictures under the thriller category provide. But if realistic, gritty and criminal coming of age is more your thing then you will not be disappointed with Northwest.



Why Don't You Play in Hell (Japan) - you can checkout my longer review coming shortly. But WDYPIH has literally everything one might look for in a film - blood, violence, feuding Yakuza, child actors in jingly toothpaste commercials, comedy and meet-cute romance. Plus it's a film about the love of film. Actually that last part often portends a problem. But in this case the whole crazy mashup works. It's not a 10/10 affair - but very much worth checking out.

Fantastic Fest Final Film Lineup Additions

With the start of Fantastic Fest less than a week away organizers have laid most of their cards on the table announcing remaining films and publishing the schedule. I say most as there are still a few secret and buzz screenings on tap. The schedule is now available to those who want to plan, salivate over it and/or torture themselves.

Thanks to the Seattle International Film Festival I've seen some of the films disclosed in the final round. Specifically the long delayed All the Boys Love Mandy Lane as well as the Korean film Fatal.

Fatal is a South Korean film which bangs the "all men are sinners" drum pretty hard. A young man is dragged along to witness a rape (off camera). Ten years later he meets the victim accidentally and is torn between his attraction to her and crushing guilt. The story goes in a way I didn't expect making it far more interesting than it sounds. But I'm still not sure interesting enough to recommend it.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is a nicely twisted horror film that I caught and enjoyed this past May when I saw it at SIFF. Somehow the film got delayed in some sort of production hell. Mandy Lane has come into herself shifting from less popular to the much chased after hot girl of the school. With a former friend and possible stalker giving her grief Mandy sets off with the cool kids to a remote ranch for some unsupervised downtime. Which begins feeling just a bit off and then gets downright bloody. Not as engrossing as You're Next the film definitely still manages to do something entertaining with a twist on the sexually focused teens in jeopardy genre. Worth a look of the occasional slasher film is on your movie going agenda.

A pro-tip for folks like me whose real life is keeping then from Austin - All the Boys Love Mandy Lane can be watched in the comfort of your own home via the standard video on demand providers. 

Fantastic Fest begins Thursday - so stay tuned for reviews of films as things play at the festival. Lots of greatness ahead... [though less fun on the spot photography as in past years as I won't actually be able to participate on the ground in Austin]. Thankfully due to the wonders of online screening rooms I'll still be able to participate remotely to a degree. Though I'll certainly miss all my festival friends - old and new...

FANTASTIC FEST 2013 ANNOUNCES

CLOSING NIGHT FILM & FINAL WAVE OF PROGRAMMING

Austin, TX-Thursday, September 5, 2013- Fantastic Fest is excited to announce its final wave of film programming, including Terry Gilliam's unique dystopian vision of the future, The Zero Theorem, as the closing night film on September 26^th.  The ninth edition of Fantastic Fest, will take place September 19 - 26 at Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline in Austin, Texas.  See below for descriptions of twenty-five new World, North American & US premiere films at this year's festival.

Fantastic Fest 2013 Special Events

When people ask me why Fantastic Fest is the most fun festival I've been too there are so, so many potential answers that could be shared. But ultimately the simplest and most effective is the Fantastic Debates. Two adversaries debate a topic of global import. First with their oratory skills and then with their fists. There is no higher form of geek discourse. 

I've been lucky enough to document the 2012 and 2011 bouts in Austin. 2013 looks like it's going to continue to raise the bar.

The debates are the best example of the festival's twisted awesomeness. But this year's stuntmen demo outside the theater may give them a run for their money. Two event descriptions are below. The rest can be found on the festivals site. And yes, there is a Karaoke event that may include members of Metallica. I wouldn't bet against is all I'm saying. 

FANTASTIC FEST 2013 ANNOUNCES SIGNATURE EVENTS

The Fantastic Debates Presented By "Man of Tai Chi" and Radius-TWC Will See Fantastic Fest Co-Founder Tim League Face Off Against the One Himself, Keanu Reeves

Austin, TX - Friday, September 6 - Fantastic Fest proudly announces the signature events lineup for 2013.  Sure, Fantastic Fest is ostensibly a film festival, but a tremendous portion of the thunderous wildness happens off the screen.  The festival is pleased to continue the tradition with events like Fantastic Debates and Chaos Reigns: Fantastic Fest Karaoke Party along with new events like the Master Pancake Mystery Mockery Show and the Cards Against Humanity Happy Hour. 

This year's highly anticipated Fantastic Debates will be presented by MAN OF TAI CHI and Radius-TWC with director & star Keanu Reeves debating Fantastic Fest Co-Founder Tim League, followed by a round of boxing with Mr. League and MAN OF TAI CHI lead Tiger Hu Chen, a superhuman master of form and combat.

Full lineup and dates below.

Danger Gods!: The True Daredevils of Hollywood Legend

Location: The Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25^th

Time: 7pm

Description: Easily the most bombastic, explosive event in FF history, Danger Gods! is an in-person tribute to the top five surviving, pioneering stuntmen from Hollywood's greatest action era, the '70s and '80s. The following decades-spanning stunt legends will appear live for the show... Chuck Bail, Bob Ivy, John "Bud" Cardos, Gary Kent, and Bobby Sargent.  The night will start with an in-theater overview of their daredevil history, featuring eye-bulging clips and a Q&A with the stuntmen. THEN... the audience will move outside for an explosive, turbo-fueled, death-defying LIVE STUNT SHOW featuring the legends themselves! Death-defying stunts include car rollovers! Stunt fights! High falls - on fire! Cars on fire! Men on fire! Monster trucks... possibly on fire! It's going to be an evening of nerve-shredding thrills and wild impossibilities performed by Hollywood's real, immortal DANGER GODS!!!

Event Page: http://fantasticfest.com/events/danger-gods-the-true-daredevils-of-hollywood-legend

The Fantastic Debates Presented By MAN OF TAI CHI and Radius-TWC

Location: John's Gym

Date: Saturday, Sept 21nd

Time: Midnight

Description: Quench your thirst for blood AND intellectual disputation with another installment of the Fantastic Debates, where the burning questions facing the fan community are resolved once and for all... first with words, then with furious FISTS!! In honor of the U.S. premiere of the epic martial arts film MAN OF TAI CHI, this year's main event features the film's director/star Keanu Reeves versus Fantastic Fest co-founder (and honorary black belt) Tim League, wherein Keanu will defend the negative in the debate: "Resolved: Tai Chi is a martial art relegated to elderly Chinese women and is inferior in every way to Tae Kwon Do." To back his stance, Reeves will hand over the physical portion of the match to MAN OF TAI CHI lead Tiger Hu Chen, a superhuman master of form and combat. It was nice knowing you, Tim.

Event Page: http://fantasticfest.com/events/the-fantastic-debates-presented-by-man-of-tai-chi-and-radius-twc

Fantastic Fest - Wave 2 announcements and recommendations

Fantastic Fest has announced a second set of films that will make up this year's must-be-at festival. As there's such an abundance of richest that it's truly hard to pick which ones are the most interesting of the bunch. But via the FestivalScope service I was lucky enough to be able to checkout two of the recently announced films, so I'll talk a bit about those.

First off there's O Apostolo - a beautifully shot stop-motion animation film filled with creepy clergy, religious pilgrims and a thief just looking to collect his last score and retire. Set in the Gothic Spanish countryside a town of overly welcoming yet pointedly insistent older folks offers those following the Way of St James a place to sleep for the night. And they really, really want you to drink something. At times the film feels a bit loosely held together going off in different directions at once. But in the end it's so gorgeous to look at and generally satisfying that I rather strongly recommend it. Plus, I'm pretty sure it'll look even better in 3D when it screens in Austin.



On the other hand A Field In England is going to be a hit with a much narrower audience. Four deserters during a war run into each other and take refuge in a startlingly un-war stricken field (in England). They engage in a bit of self justification / delusion ("We're not running away we're going for a beer") and chat away the time as they seek out an ale-house one of them claims to have seen nearby. They meet some other traveler and things get weird as they're compelled to search for buried treasure. Along the way they eat mushrooms, trip out some and not surprisingly for director Ben Wheatley engage in a bit of violence. All the things you'd expect from the creator of Kill List. 

The film is shot beautifully - in sharp, crisp black and white. Much of the dialog (when I could make out the accents) is clever and engaging ("It does not surprise me that the devil is an Englishman. But I'd thought perhaps a bit taller"). Problem is that I wasn't especially engaged in what was going on or why. Perhaps because there was no character to latch onto as especially interesting. Which is a prerequisite for me to want to untangle the strangeness, symbolism, and perhaps historical references that make A Field in England near completely inscrutable at first glance. Many will love the complete respect for the audience in suggesting nothing. Others will find it maddening. Me, I just found it a less than thrilling watch - though with enough bits that reminds one there's a lot of talent at the root of this thing even if the end result didn't quite work personally. 

The full 2nd wave list of stuff announced as playing at the festival this year is right past the jump.

Thoughts on 1st wave of Fantastic Fest 2013 Programming Announcement

Last week the fine folks from FantasticFest announced their first wave of programming for the September 2013 event. That's in addition to an earlier announcement that Robert Rodriguez's new film Machete Kills will open the fest. The Machete sequel is a film that I had moderate interest in, but the thought of seeing it with a packed festival house and at least some of the folks with the film has definitely ratcheted up my excitement several notches. My flight gets in a bit later than I'd like on the first day of the festival. So keeping my fingers crossed I can make it to that opening event. And of course as always doubly crossing fingers and toes that life doesn't get in the way of attending the festival in the first place.

Of the announced films I'm probably most jazzed about Big Bad Wolves which has been garnering lots of positive buzz. The film is from the directing team that brought the wonderful (and first Israeli) slasher film Rabies to the festival several years back. Since then I've been waiting anxiously to see what they come up with next.

The whole list is packed with intriguing bits - I'm not worried about Fantastic Fest 2013 keeping up the tradition of delivering multiple entries to my list of 2013 favorites. Also jumping out at me are Commando - One Man Army, Eega, and definitely the Japanese film Kid's Police. The full list of films announced with descriptions of each from the official press release is below after the jump.

But I don't just have to wildly speculate on all of the films announced. Thankfully via screenings at earlier festivals and the incredibly useful FestivalScope website I've already been lucky enough to screen seven of the announced films. I'll recap which ones and my thoughts after the jump.

Nothing Bad Can Happen

When I'd first read the description of Nothing Bad Can Happen - I must say I wasn't especially interested. But the execution of the film while extremely uncomfortable held my interest both during and after. In the sense that for reasons I cannot entirely explain the experience has stayed with me, my brain periodically and randomly revisiting moments in the film.

The story isn't exactly subtle ... Tore, a lost young man with an angelic face has been found and saved, becoming a fervent member of the "Jesus Freaks" a Christian punk rock collective of believers. The opening moments of the film show Tore's baptism with the group. Like punk itself they've striven to strip things down to the basics - in this case that of their Christian faith. And Tore is a true, true believer in the power of prayer and belief. So much so that when he runs across a family with a broken down car he prays over the hood. Much to the surprise of the family's dad, Benno, the car restarts. Clearly, not believing, Benno is intrigued enough on some level to take up Tore's invitation to learn more. Long story short - Benno comes to meet Tore and ends up taking him home after the boy experiences an epileptic seizure (or as Tore prefers to think of it a visiting by the Holy Spirit).

As the title of the film suggests, all is not well in the Benno household, and the family patriarch soon begins to test Tore's faith in ways that even Job himself might have struggled with. We know it's coming, but the extent of the bullying to abuse (not entire limited to Benno) will still shock even hardened audiences. Tore suffers, but believes that holding to his principles will save those in the family, and saving they are in serious need of, from father to mother to children. Tore's personal and religious transition and that of the families is complex, disturbing, but also rather engaging. Some of it is extremely in your face, but there are also moments of powerful and more subtle change, particularly a late moment in the hospital where Tore admits something being of the mundane rather than supernatural that shows more about where he is than any amount of telling would.

This is not a fun movie to watch, and at times it's hard to believe that someone would subject themselves to the level of misery that Tore does. Likely a credit to actor Julius Feldmeier his performance makes the unbelievable believable enough to roll with the story. Benno (played by Sascha Alexander Gersak) delivers an incredible performance. Managing to be both overstuffed with quiet menace, incredible evil, yet likable to the degree it's understandable as to how those around him could be pulled into his damaging spell. Not all the relationships are horrible, Tore's growing closer to the family's daughter elicits the most touching moment of the film as he struggles to hold true to his vow of celibacy until marriage. And it's for her and the younger brother that he endures (or believes he's enduring) the suffering. None of this is to say that I agree with what might be viewed as the film's message. I venture to say most viewers will be screaming at Tore to take a very different path. But I don't have to necessarily agree with the artistic vision, or even fully like to recommend Nothing Bad Can Happen as a unique picture worth watching.

The film's cinematography is simple, but often beautifully calibrated to the story at hand. The performances, and perhaps the discussions that could erupt later bring me to recommend taking a look. But again, not a nice film about good people. And given one extremely memorable scene of forced feeding I don't expect you'll want to watch it directly before or after dinner. Though I suspect they'll definitely serve chicken during a future screening at the Alamo Drafthouse given their dark sense of humor.