Ahoy, squirts! Quint here... every once in a while we get a heads up on the weirdest, out of left-field sounding films. Sometimes they live up to expectation and sometimes they don't, but it's always exciting to hear about something new. Especially if it has a Goonie in it. The trailer can be found on the website linked at the end of the review... it's an odd one. Can't really get a feel for the movie, but the end is a bit creepy. Anybody else seen this? Let me know and I'll post your review... get a consensus on what the overall feeling of this movie is. Until then, enjoy the review!
Hi Quint,
You won’t remember me, but we talked last year about the film festival I ran in Madrid (Muestra de cine fantástico Calle 13) and you helped me locate Bubba Hotep. I want to point you to a film film that’s passed under your radar. It is a spanish produced, english spoken black comedy-horror film called THE BIRTHDAY from first time director Eugenio Mira starring Corey Feldman (The goonies, The lost boys, Stand by me or Gremlins).
It’s been getting great word-of-mouth since its premiere at Sitges FF (by the way, are you going there this year?) and I also screened it at my festival (which sold out the 850 seats of the theater) . Since that I’ve learned that amont his fans you can count people like Guillermo Del Toro.
Now let’s go with the film. It is a one-man-show for Corey Felman, who makes here his best perfomance ever. The film is in real time and he is on screen always so the whole film is over his shoulders and the guy really delivers. His character, Norman Forrester, is a nerd that goes to the birthday of his girlfriend’s father (played by Jack Taylor) in an old hotel, where anyone seems to expect him and even his girlfriend (Erica Prior) is somehow mad at him.
SPOILERS
The poor guy sees the party as a chance to go to the next step with her, without knowing that she plans to break with him. Strange things start to happen and then he mets a waiter that tell him that a cult set is in the place preparing the born of their god and that they must stop it. From that point Norman will have to choose if he’s a bystander or will become a hero.
SPOILERS END
The film is homage to the 80’s films, specially the Amblin ones. Anyone that loved those films should definetly check this out. It’s an amazing film for a first time director so we’ll have to have an eye on Eugenio Mira. The movie is gorgeus looking, greatly shot and with a wise use of the sound. The bad part (because the film is far from being perfect) is that it is much weird, falling on the David Lynch ground sometimes, which is good for me, but here you find it by excess.
So, here you have it, a new cult film waiting for you all to discover it. The producers told me that it will play at Fantasia Film Festival so if any of you guys go there don’t miss the chance to check it out. Meanwhile, visit the website of the film (love its design) and watch the trailer there.
I hope you can check out the film and publish a review and the link to the website because the film it’s having problem getting the good distributor it deserves and any buzz from your site sure will help it to get more attention. Thanks.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
Adrian.
P.S. The link to the website IS RIGHT HERE!!!
