Day 4 of Fantastic Fest 2014
I was supposed to see five films today, but when that alarm hit at 9am, my wife spoke with my kinda conscious head buried in pillow which made noise answering in the affirmative to more sleep. I hated missing that WASTELANDER PANDA… but I’m also very greatful for the rest, cuz without it there’s no way that I’d be up writing right now.
When we arose from our coma, we rushed down to FANTASTIC FEST with the purpose having a bit of time to shoot the shit with some of the Fantastic Festers, then make our screening of LOST SOUL with time to strut. This film is a documentary trying to get to the heart of darkness that was the 1995-1996 production of the film. And definitely succeeds.
I tend to be highly supportive of the Director and Writer’s artistic right to make their movie with a fully supportive studio and production team – that works together to push film to new kickass levels that we as a society have never seen before. This was a huge story in the first year of AICN. There are amazing stories from the production, but I’ve never seen so many put in one place before. There’s a bit of a RASHOMON going on here with history, from the various perspectives of the key characters and crew that would go on the record. David Gregory has directed a wonderfully enlightening documentary about essentially… why the 1996 ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU sucked so incredibly bad. It was quite literally a perfect storm of epic clusterfuck levels – and the two people you feel most sorry for are Richard Stanley and yourself for not getting to see his version.
Imagine a HEAVY METAL psychotronic adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic story. Having Stanley tell his version is like watching a fever dream possess a man with fiery passion. It is quite evident in this doc that there were some unholy assholey forces between Richard Stanley and the Studio – that were fucking it all up. But then, Val Kilmer… you simply must hear the stories in this doc! Nightmarishly hysterical. And Brando… ooooooh brother… these are some of the most famous things from the production. I had once heard from a person that had to digitally remove Brando’s cock and balls, which were clearly visible in all standing full length shots throughout the film. For like months. When I told this to Richard Stanley – he loved it.
Oh – and good news, Richard Stanley told the audience that he apparently has the interest of the publisher of Jodorowsky’s INCAL to publish a graphic adaptation taken from Stanley’s original screenplay… which Stanley then hopes to use to possibly drum up interest in his original, completely unique vision for this tale. He swore an oath to see this through before us – and frankly… once you see this doc… you’re going to cry of the LOST SOUL of what might have been.
After that, it was time to see HORNS, the Alexandre Aja film version of Joe Hill’s novel of the same name. Up front here, I’m going to say your mileage will probably vary based upon your knowledge of the book. Everyone I knew (including, but not limited to my wife & Nordling) that read Hill’s novel was slightly disappointed to majorly disappointed in the film. However, the vast majority of the audience hadn’t a clue about the novel – and apparently Joe is very happy with the film – and that audience seemed to love the film. I’m in that side.
What I gather from my wife is the novel focuses not only on Daniel Radcliffe’s character, but also focuses with an equal level of detail upon the eventually revealed antagonist… revealing that characters rather deeply disturbing sociopathic tendencies… which are pretty much completely boiled down to the bare minimum necessities for the story.
I can totally see this as a completely acceptable way of not having the film short change all the other characters and to keep the film from running indecently long.
Point is… Daniel Radcliffe is fucking awesome in this film and so is Juno Temple. However, the casting is just consistently stellar in the film. From Heather Graham’s waitress to James Remar and Kathleen Quinlan’s wonderful parental characters, to David Morse’s grieving father. I also like Max Minghella and Joe Anderson as the best friend and brother of our main character.
The film begins with Radcliffe’s Ig Perrish waking up, listening to music and looking out at a raging protest in front of his house declaring that he’s a murder and should probably burn in Hell for all eternity… and other nice things that come from a society that is often annoyed by our Innocent before proven Guilty society… They’re just neutered lynch mobs in my opinion – and really a terrible side of all this tragedy.
I love all the supernatural aspects of this film and loved discovering the various “Satan” powers that our young boy from under the stairs has suddenly come into. These are really delicious! It’s kinda like having the ability to never be lied to – and to infinitely fuck with people… And it is used with relish and greatly entertaining manners.
I loved the story of Ig & Merrin though… young love through to their tragedy – and the piecing together of what actually happened that Radcliffe’s character is set upon does oddly remind of Young Mr Potter’s quests from those films from long ago, but that’s where I really love Aja and Radcliffe’s joy at playing with that incredibly iconic role – through clothing color choices, to discovering powers he didn’t know about, to gripping his forehead in pain. Oh – and badass showdowns. Loved the KNB and Tippett Studios work on this – especially the whole last third of the film. This was a very fun bit of romantic horror!
After that was a film that Yoko demanded we go check out about apparently Disco Vampires… That’s kinda all I knew. Called NORWAY. I assumed that meant this was a film from NORWAY, but… no. It’s a film from Greece – and from a first time filmmaker at that.
Director Yannis Veslemes was in attendance and he also contributed the amazing soundtrack to the film with just two brief exceptions.
So, get the glitter Disco fantasy out of your mind (though just think of Edward & team in the 70’s Disco scene – Edward’s Boogie Nights) OK – get that out of your head, that isn’t this.
This film stars an elder vampire fellow named ZANO (played wonderfully by Vangelis Mourikis), who has arrived in Athens of 1984, but not exactly… Our first time director chose to envision that period in model form (loved this) and included for exteriors, model trains – and it was charming… refreshing… Kind of Wes Andersony… and that quirky sensibility is throughout – and while it is a Greek Horror Comedy, it completely translated for me. By the time Adolph Hitler is demanding to be made eternal… I was just… YEAH, this is for me. This is a sleazy dirty vampire universe, where Vamps can pass out drunk on a dance floor… lose their lust for blood through Heroin… and… they love to dance and fuck and move and seem alive! When Zano hooks up with a prostitute and she wants this elder vampire as a boyfriend… I just smiled. This is so unlike any vampire film I’ve quite seen before. It’s got a definite quirk and vibe to it. You should definitely check it out!
The final Midnight film tonight was the fourth magnificent collaboration of director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and the friggin unbelievably massively awesome Chilean Martial Artist… Marko Zaror. I tell you, I could totally see a remake of ENTER THE DRAGON shifted to South America and starring Marko Zaror, Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White. It’d have a completely different vibe, but it would fucking own! Sorry, that’s pure cinematic masturbation stuff right there.
Anyway, their latest piece of pure Badass cinema is REDEEMER! Marko plays a man with a haunted past filled with guilt and seeking redemption through a life of humbling himself before God and fighting for those that need him fucking A-TEAM of 1 style!
The REDEEMER has a score from ROCCO that feels like an 80’s John Carpenter soundtrack and Cliff Martinez’s DRIVE score. As a result your head could bop with the beat as the film makes you pulse with energy as Marko Zaror delivers 100% phenomenal physical action that just does need the pussy powers of wires or CG. Not only that… but just like Scott Adkins… there’s a very very real sense of POWER to every single blow he delivers. AND for the first time in Marko Zaror’s career he exhibits Awesome MMA grappling powers – and that extended sequence in the film was fucking GREAT!
Also adding a bit of domestic hilarity in the film is Noah Segan as the American that wants to be the great next big Drug Lord of Chile cuz he’s pretty sure they don’t even have a DEA or FBI fucking with ya. Noah’s also a long time lover of FANTASTIC FEST – and this is yet another example of something on film that just took off from the wonderful feeling of friendship and community that folks seem shocked by when attending FANTASTIC FEST!
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and Marko Zaror have now brought KILTRO, MIRAGEMAN, MANDRILL and REDEEMER. All for of these films show a consistent progression of kickassery that have been thrown together family style in Chile on a shoestring budget. I was talking to a friend on the phone when I got home tonight and I pointed out – that at tonight’s show there was more pure applause and outloud reactions to REDEEMER than any other film I’ve seen this year other than RAID 2. RAID 2 is a vastly superior work of pure Action cinema… but it’s also at a completely different Indie budget level. I know for a fact is Ernesto and Marko ever got real backing, they’d make films that would fucking shake the world. They’re just that fucking great!
Alright - Now I'm off to sleep! Another big day of cinema tomorrow!!!
