Free Preview: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES

Hey guys - going to keep this one simple and to the point. Have some more free preview passes to share. This time for the latest Paranormal Activity film which will let you kick your new year off with a scare. Or so I'd assume - I've been afraid to see any of these films. Even though the first one was playing outdoors at the Telluride Film Festival the year I went. No, not kidding - I'm a totally fraidy-cat. 

But if you're braver than I and free the evening of January 2nd then just click this link and grab yourself a pair of passes. Remember that these things are generally overbooked so arrive early. And no blaming me if you can't sleep afterward. 

This episode of the series apparently involves someone dealing with more strange stuff. Or more specifically "After being 'marked,' Jesse begins to be pursued by mysterious forces while his family and friends try to save him." I'm gonna assume at the end we don't just find out that the NSA's various monitoring systems went haywire and caused all the problems in a big misunderstanding. Or at least that that twist isn't revealed until the next film in the franchise. Oops, maybe I wasn't supposed to say....

Anyways - grab some tickets while you can and hopefully have a great time. 

See Inside Llewyn Davis for Free and nab the soundtrack while you're at it.

The highly anticipated new Coen brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis is coming to Seattle in a few weeks. Due to the generosity of the film's internet benefactors I have five pairs of tickets to give away for an early screening on December 9th at Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue. Each winner will also receive a copy of what looks to be a happening soundtrack album from the film.

If you'd like to throw your hat in the ring just send an email to 'contest   @ randomwalkthroughfilm.com' with your name, mailing and email address by 9am PST on Sunday December 8th. On Sunday I'll randomly select 5 winners to check out the movie (and soundtrack). By entering of course you assume any and all risks of attending, agree to be cool about mild issues that may come up and behave yourself in the theater. All the usual stuff. 

Free Previews: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and August: Osage County

Hey guys - I've been and continue to be super busy outside the blogosphere. But I didn't want to keep that from me sharing two cool opportunities to see a film (or two) ahead of general release. The details follow below. Just shoot over to Gofobo.com as indicated to snag a pass for two. As always remember theaters typically are overbooked to ensure a full house. Meaning it's worth your time to get there a bit early. 

And be sure to come back and let me know what you thought of the films. 

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM - Screening 12/11 - Click here to get passes
"A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa." Also, Mandela is played by Stringer Bell - just saying.

More details on their official website

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY - Screening 12/16 - Click here to get passes
"A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them."  It also features Meryl Streep. 

More details on their official website

Free Previews x3: Nebraska, Philomena, and Homefront

Whoa! This week brings a ton of opportunities to see some free movies. Thanks to the generosity of the movie powers-that-be readers can check out three different screenings next week - all in exchange for nothing more than a few clicks and some time online. You can't actually see all three (two are on the same night) - but choose at least one and have yourself an extra fun week.

Don't forget to get there plenty early as these things are typically overbooked to ensure a full house.

Your three options are:

Homefront (November 20th) - This one looks like the most guilty pleasure fun  "A former DEA agent moves his family to a quiet town, where he soon tangles with a local meth druglord." Most importantly I cannot picture how a movie with Jason Statham and James Franco won't be a total blast. Get your tix via this link.




Nebraska (November 19th) - From Alexander Payne comes something interesting and potentially frightfully depressing. More specifically "An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize." Get your tix via this link.

Philomena (November 19th) - If you missed your last chance to see this one here's another opportunity. If you've forgotten what it's about - "A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman's search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent." Get your tix via this link.

A Kickstarter Worth Checking Out: Diani & Devine Meet the Apocalypse

A couple of years ago while previewing films for local genre festival MIFFF I was rocked back by the awesomeness of the horror/comedy/real-estate genre film The Selling. If you haven't seen it just stop reading, jump over to your favorite streaming site, cough up $4 or so and correct that mistake. I'll wait.

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OK, everybody back? Good. Let's continue.

The good news is that the creators of that fun little adventure are hard at work on something new - and it looks big and fun. It's titled Diani and Devine Meet the Apocalypse. The bad news is that they still have a way to go on creating what I'm expecting will be another exciting genre bending romp. The great news is that you can step in to assist and ensure you'll be amongst the first to see it. Yep, that's right ... I'm talking about a Kickstarter campaign that's a win for everyone. I can attempt to explain what the film's going to be about, but I'd rather leave that to the professionals. So everyone get themselves over to their main page, soak up all the informative goodness and then (if the spirit moves you) make a contribution to the cause. I already have, and it's not just because I want a cool t-shirt, I seriously want to see their new movie ASAP*. They've got an intriguing cast of folks already signed up and ready to go. As an added bonus they've been releasing a new "Apocatips" video for each day of the campaign and they're definitely worth checking out too. Not to mention some fantastic rewards for those who back the film (beyond t-shirts of course).

So, seriously - what are you still doing here? Their page is way more fun. You can also follow the film's progress on twitter.

The Road but funny? Frankly, they had me at The Road and anything not The Road. That thing was a class-A bummer.



I can attempt to explain it

* Though one of my favorite t-shirts is from their last kickstarter campaign, so figure I may as well go double or nothing on this one.

All Is Lost

A man alone with himself sometimes has only one's mind to fear. Though sometimes the risk of drowning at sea cut off from all communication with the rest of humanity enters into it as well, even if there's not a giant CGI tiger to make things extra complicated. Robert Redford is such a man adrift, alone with solely himself to rely on as the open ocean and fates toss him about as a plaything. Little background about him is given as the audience is taken along as he attempts to survive his ocean going yacht being struck by a loose shipping container. In a nearly dialog free picture Redford delivers a deeply engaging performance, truly becoming a seasoned and calm mariner pushed to the breaking point. All is Lost is a worthy challenger to Gravity in this Oscar season's category of mankind against the elements pictures. It manages to to thrill and educate while presenting an intensely human portrait of a man running out of options and bearing almost all of it with the patience and determination of Job.

What I loved most about All is Lost was the decision to tell very little but show a lot. The opening moments of the film largely are presented as the conclusion of the tale, with a letter read aloud offering apologies to family and loved ones for sins unstated. Quickly we jump back to the start, Redford alone on a sailing yacht awoken by a bump and water running into the cabin. He's clearly an old hand at sea. Rather than freaking out he preternaturally calmly investigates what looks to an outsider as a huge freaking problem. In that the the ship has been struck by a large shipping container. Causing sneakers to spill from the container and water to run into the boat. This begins a surprisingly restrained, but high stakes battle for survival as Redford uses the constrained resources available and his brain to try and escape from harms way. 

With all his energy focused on problem solving nary a word is spoken, but you'll barely notice that until it's over. Sea (a opposed to outer space in the similar but more visually banging Gravity) doesn't reward chatter boxes. Practically the entire film relies on Redford's ability to convey inner state through face and movement. Delivering a powerful performance that's emotionally engaging Redford is a sure thing for a best acting nomination this year - if there's any justice in the film world. The filmmaking visually complements his performance switching seamlessly from the confines of the cabin to the vastness of the sea at just the right moments. 

I'll say no more other than this is a work that deserves to be seen on the large screen. Actually, perhaps deserves to be seem more than once as knowing how it turns out will free viewers to discover what I expect is a second level of richness in the performance. Maybe leading to a more definitive answer as to how it ends. Even though most folks I've spoken with saw it as cut and dried I'm not quite as sure. 

Oh, and if you are going sailing at sea I've definitely learned that investing in maybe a couple extra satellite phones might be worth it. Just saying. 

Free Movie Preview: Philomena

A quick note to announce another free screening. This one being for Philomena starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. Takes place on November 5th in Bellevue. All  you need to do to go is grab yourself a pass via this handy Gofobo.com link and show up early enough to ensure you get in. Haven't seen the film, but looks worth a shot. This year SIFF screening Philomena as part of their annual member's meeting. Typically a reasonably good sign. So maybe a great way to spend a (likely) cold November


.

Free Preview Screening: Last Vegas

Not to be confused with Las Vegas, Last Vegas is a new film about (to quote IMDb) "Three sixty-something friends take a break from their day-to-day lives to throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single pal." With a bunch of names you'll recognize - including Michael Douglas delivering his obligatory, I'm marrying someone much younger than me, performance for the year. I'm not sure I'd give great odds that this is going to be the best movie of the decade month, but on the other hand it may be less of a Debbie downer than Stand Up Guys. The main thing in short is that it's free and it's this coming Monday in downtown Seattle.

You can find out all the details about the film via IMDb, or you can click over here to nab some free preview tickets (using code RWTFHBPM) and give it a try. Of course be sure to show up earlier than you normally would. Even at this point in his career it's possible De Niro may still draw a crowd. And preview screenings are generally overbooked to ensure a full house. 

Free Preview Screening: Bad Grandpa

Sometimes I'm not sure there's really that much more to say about a film. Bad Grandpa is likely one of those. A Johnny Knoxville character, the Bad Grandpa of the title takes an eight year old boy cross country. Encounters with real people occurs in what I'm told we're now calling "Borat Style." But what perhaps what an actual grandpa might call "Allen Funt being a dick" style. Either way judging from the trailer there's at least a chance hilarity may ensure. Or it might not - either way it can't hurt your odds to see the movie for free. And before any of your friends can, if you have the sort of friends you'll admit to seeing this to. 

Anyways, I'll admit to chuckling pretty hard at a few points in the trailer. So, sue me....

If you want to roll the dice all you need to do is click on this handy link and fill in the required info. Totally painless, I promise.

The screening is October 22nd at the Regal Thornton Place theater in North Seattle. Free parking abounds - just make sure you get there early as even with a ticket there's no guarantees. Pro tip for Thornton Place - the line is typically inside, just tell the ticket attendant you're heading to the preview screening and ask where the queue is. 

Ticket Giveaway: Muscle Shoals opening night at Landmark Harvard Exit Theater

Hey guys - have another opportunity to catch what looks like a super interesting movie for free. The documentary Muscle Shoals will be hitting Seattle starting this Friday at the Landmark Harvard Exit Theater. Due to the generosity of the film's internet benefactors I have five pairs of tickets to give away for the opening night screenings. If you'd like to throw your hat in the ring just send an email to 'contest   @  randomwalkthroughfilm.com' with your name and email address by 5pm PST on Thursday October 17th. After that point I'll randomly select 5 winners to check out the movie at the Harvard Exit on the 18th. By entering of course you assume any and all risks of attending, agree to be cool about mild issues that may come up and behave yourself in the theater. All the usual stuff.   

I haven't yet seen Muscle Shoals but have been meaning too since seeing the promotional trailers. I've included a brief synopsis, a trailer and the film's various standard sources of additional info below.

Free Preview Screening: Shrek The Musical

Hey Seattle readers - Excited to be back to share another free preview pass for an upcoming event. This time the show is a theatrical screening of Shrek the Musical. So I assume it's at least partially for kids. Or people who like musicals ... maybe both. As always please remember that these public free screenings are overbooked - so you'll want to arrive early and with an open mind about getting in. The show is at the AMC Pacific place on Saturday 10/12 at 10:30 AM. But don't run off quite yet, you'll need to print yourself a ticket. Details follow.

You can download the admit 3 pass here. Now I suppose that technically means that one of your 2.4 kids may be out of luck. But the good news is that the "exclusive" pass can be printed again and again (if I understand this newfangled technology correctly). So you can bring as many young'ins as you want. So long as they're OK possibly not getting in to see their favorite donkey onscreen due to other people being in line ahead of them. That's either a great life lesson about scarcity and patience, or the worst weekend of your life. Search deep inside for the answer and then act accordingly.

In case you missed it here the link for the printable PDF. Oh, and you can also pre-order the DVD/Blu Ray and watch it in the comfort of your home or watch it streaming right now. Though that's of course not as free.

Seattle Latino Film Festival 2013

This Friday kicks off the Seattle Latino Film Festival which starts at SIFF's Uptown Cinema, travels to the local classic Grand Illusion theater and then on to AMC Pacific Place for closing night. The full list of tickets available and links to where to buy them is online along with trailers for each picture. Just look for the "purchase tickets" link - unfortunately due to the SLFF site's design I cannot seem to point you directly at the buyable goods. Passes are also available and for $40 ($50 including parties) that seems like an utter steal.

The list of films looks pretty impressive, blending some lighter fun fare with more serious topics and several fascinating looking documentaries.Opening night and closing nights includes a party with the festival - which sounds like it'll be a lot of fun.

Unfortunately I haven't seen any of the films yet so cannot make any specific based on personal knowledge recommendations. But then again the fact that I haven't seen any of their films and they all seem pretty intriguing bodes well. Oops, actually on a second look I have seen the 2006 Jennifer Lopez / Marc Anthony biopic about Hector Lavoe. It's not really terrific from what I recall, but seeing it with an audience with the director attending for Q&A might be worth it if you're in the Tacoma area.

Some random choices that caught my eye are below. I'm hoping to check out some of the films over the next week - hope others pick up the opportunity to support this local festival as well.

Sagrada - The Mystery of Creation - a documentary about an architectural project in Barcelona that's been running since the late 1800's and is rocking a 7.4 rating on IMDb (admittedly with only a smattering of votes).

Sip for SIFF 2013

A view out one of the Chihuly Boathouse windows

This weekend SIFF held their benefit event "Sip for SIFF" which featured some adult beverages to sample, fancy hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants and of course many, many ways to give SIFF money. I hadn't tried it in the past, and since I was flush with not attending Fantastic Fest cash (*sniffle*) I decided to see how the other half lives. The event took place at the Chihuly Boathouse which explains all the crazy glass installation photos below. The whole space is a free ranging art installation ranging from a giant table overhung with crazy glass sculptures, random sort of art stuff (including a car and bathrooms lined with children's adventure books), to a lap pool ... overhung with crazy glass installations. There's also what looks like a working glass blowing area - which doubled as the restaurant setup and live auction site.

If you've considered attending the event, here's what goes on. First there's a section for wine tasting into which is ensconced a bunch of items to bid on in a silent auction. Then you can wander around the space of the boathouse - wherein were setup four vermouth craft cocktail creators (I was told that a hard alcohol license for the event wasn't available for some reason). Local mixologists vied for supremacy with a made for the event concoction. Then on to the "hot shop" for eating small bites, and toward the end of the evening a live auction stuffed with awesome donated items for a range of tastes. It was OK, but not really totally my scene. Much like 42nd street of old, everyone was very very nice and outgoing - until they learn you're not buying that evening. Kidding aside, I did actually bid on one item, but thankfully for SIFF's bankroll someone wanted it a lot more than I did. From what I can tell SIFF did pretty well from the evening.

At the end of the evening I thought I was being clever getting out to un-valet my car ahead of the crowd, but due to some involved screw-up non-linear car return algorithm I got my vehicle back basically last. Perhaps my embarrassing ride was parked in the back behind all the BMW's and Audi's. I did take some photos, more of which are after the jump. For higher resolution versions of the shots below you can jump over to this album.

Folks admiring the view ahead of entering the boathouse

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. 

Free Preview Screening: Parkland

Back with some free passes to checkout Parkland which is A recounting of the chaotic events that occurred at Dallas' Parkland Hospital on the day U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated." Yep, that's all I've got ... plus the trailer below. Sorry, wish I had more to say about it. But between Fantastic Fest coverage and work I haven't had much time to research this one. And IMDb pretty much just has the simple too the point synopsis. It's not quite as uniquely intriguing as "A murdered man is reincarnated as a housefly and seeks to avenge his death." - but sometimes things are classics for a reason.

The screening takes place Tuesday, October 1st at 7pm at the Pacific Place AMC. All you need to do is download and print this PDF pass. Clearly given this super elite and restricted access distribution method there may be more than a few folks at the theater. As always admission is not guaranteed - and I'd suggest checking out the situation a bit earlier than normal. But if you're down with that there's a free movie in it for you. Look forward to hearing what folks who check it out think.

 

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.