Hey folks, Harry here - Day 6 will become a legendary day at FANTASTIC FEST 2007 - as it was the single most frustratingly wonderful day. What was frustrating? Well at every juncture, you had the choice of 3 wonderful films to see. I like to think I chose the best path... yet, everyone I talked to feels the same way about the path they chose yesterday. Here ya go...
Largely, Day 6 has been the best for me, with four films spanning documentary, sci -fi, and horror. -------------------------------------------------- The Tale of How (3.5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- This 4-minute short features animation similar to something Terry Gilliam might do, but with finer detail and CG enhancements. Quirky, with a story narrated by a chorus of dissonant falsettos. -------------------------------------------------- Moebius Redux: A Life In Pictures (5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- A 70-minute biographical documentary that covers the life and times of Jean Giraud. I'll disregard the technical merits of this film (stunning HD, score by Karl Bartos, etc etc) and just say it was a treat. Moebius Redux doesn't just chronicle the story of Giraud but also provides insight into the history of comics and movies based on them. For someone who didn't live through the gold or silver ages of comics, this was a vastly entertaining and informative work. -------------------------------------------------- Un-Gone (2.5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- I was unimpressed with the sole sci-fi short that I can recall seeing this year. In 8 minutes, Un-Gone doesn't manage to cover any new ground. This is a retread of the same story that's been told everywhere from the final frontier to The Outer Limits, where a transporter malfunction results in a duplicate being in two places at once. One of them must be destroyed because there can be only one. Blah blah blah. Hey, didn't we see something like this just the other day in a much bigger time-travel feature? Was really only worth one and one quarter stars, but they were duplicated. -------------------------------------------------- Los Cronocrimines aka Timecrimes (4 stars) -------------------------------------------------- I would like to have given this one 5 stars, but it is also something of a retread on the story of accidental time-travel and the futility of trying to escape the clutches of causality. A few people have told me this story is common in Spanish literature, and the basic premise is no stranger to American sci-fi. Timecrimes excels, however, in the performance of the lead actor as he doggedly does what he knows he must. A theme not overtly stated, but which is explored here is the idea of event shadows: ways the actual outcomes of events can be manipulated to a satisfactory result as long as observed happenings are unchanged. For the most spectacular exploration into time-travel, causality, and event shadows, I would highly recommend the works of Kage Baker (The Children of the company series). Having experienced those, Timecrimes was a fun romp through familiar territory. -------------------------------------------------- Postman (2.5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- I was bewildered by this 2-minute short that felt more like an introduction to something than a story. The animation was really nice eye-candy, but as the credits rolled, I was asking myself "Are these opening credits or closing credits?" -------------------------------------------------- La Hora Fria aka The Cold Hour (5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- I'm torn choosing between The Cold Hour and Spiral as my favorite of the festival, but the Cold Hour wins for me, because it is a very strongn science-fiction film. Fantastic Fest has been hurting badly for sci-fi content this year, and with a category so under-represented, the selections have to be at their best. I was misled by the description of this as a horror film. It has elements of zombies, post-apocalyptic horror, suspense, but it sets them in a solid sci-fi environment. I mentioned to someone last night that it's always easier to review a film you hate, because you can pick apart all the reasons you hate it. But for a film you love, there is often little to say and still avoid spoilers. I can say if I were stranded in a building after the last great war, I could do worse than to meet up with this sexy group of freedom-fighters. The performances were great from both adults and children, and my attention was riveted for the entire 93 minutes. The Cold Hour struck a perfect balance between action and suspense, drama and horror. -------------------------------------------------- The Bird, The Mouse, and The Sausage (4 stars) -------------------------------------------------- Sad adaptation of a Grimm Brothers' story. This is an impressive work of traditional stop-motion filmmaking. I have to admit I'm not familiar with the story in question, but I have to ask "a sausage??? REALLY?" Still, it works on- screen as the symbiotic trio finds their lives upset by an outside force in the form of dissenting propaganda. -------------------------------------------------- Exte: Hair Extensions (4 stars) -------------------------------------------------- The images attached to this one made me want to see it, and truly Exte is underrated. We've all seen zombies, hacked-up bodies, festering wounds, etc etc. I myself can be a lot more creeped-out by hair, whether in the drain, in my food, growing out of nostrils and ears... This one really startles and shocks you with images of hair growing, moving in and out of places it shouldn't be, inciting people to murder, and exploding on screen. Exte would be giving me nightmares if I were able to get any sleep during the festival. It's a nice stand-alone film. Because it wraps up with a nice, neat ending, I don't feel it's sequel-worthy. While people will initially talk, it might not be something which they want to revisit. There are some extended periods of inactivity while the relationship is developed between the female lead and her niece. Fortunately, the payoff in the form of the hair-attacks is worth the wait. -Augustus Gloop
