After having a chance to try a few extra curricular activities, I felt it was best to try and combine the insanity of days 4 & 5 together into a giant exciting post. I know it’s exactly whT the people want!
Day 4
Fantastic Fest clearly loves Takashi Miike, because not only is there a 4 Restoration of Ichi the Killer playing this week, but so was his 100th film. Blade of the Immortal can be described as a rather straight forward Miike movie, but it also includes the flourishes that make the director a fan favorite. His ability to make a 142 minute film feel as if it’s 90 minutes is something most other filmmakers need to make note of.
Feverishly kinetic the story focuses on Manji, a Ronin cursed with immortality. Not in the traditional sense, mind you, as bloodworms in his body help him to heal in battle. After a young girl seeks his help on a quest of revenge. While there are a few massive battles, a lot of the fights are of the one-on-one variety, where different weapons and strategies are employed to ensure survival. A perfect way to start the day.
I took some time to see a repetory screening mid-day by viewing The Nude Vampire. The movie itself is a humble, working better as a visual journey than an actual narrative film. The colors pop and plenty to lose yourself in, but never works as a whole. All was not lost, as this wasn’t just a regular viewing. Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women, was on hand to intro the film, as well as talk a little about the book Lost Girls, which is a a collection of essays on the works of Jean Rollins done entire by women writers. I picked up the book and highly suggest everyone follows suit, as it’s a fascinating read.
Next was Gerald’s Game. Anyone following Mike Flanagan knows the man only gets better with each film and this is probably his best. Essentially set in one location, the film is buyoed by the performances of Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood.
Suffering setbacks in their marriage, the couple travel to their beachhouse, hoping to reignite sparks. Due to an unfortunate dosage of medication, Greenwood is incapacitated, leaving Gugino dhsvked to the headboard of a bed, due to the titular game. Adapting from a Stephen King novel, Flanagan is able to weave a compelling tale with very little. Gugino though is the star of the show, playing a wounded woman overcoming both her current situation and events in the past that linger. She won’t get a ton of accolades for the part, yet totally deserves to be discussed.
The most unexpected film if the fest was the inclusion of Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. I’m happy to say though that it’s an absolute delight. Angela Robinson wrote and directs a film that is emotionally honest, but filled with humor and intelligence. Much like Carla Gugino, this film is anchored by a strong female role. Rebecca Hall is radiant and commanding as Elizabeth Marston, a women held back only by the time she lives in. Few characters in recent years get to be a winsome and ferocious as she is. If her name isn’t tossed into the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe ring, we need to have a serious discussion about how these things are handled.
Fantastic Fest is littered with movies that scream “midnight madness” but none possibly more than Mom & Dad. You tell me there’s a feature that’s directed by Brain Taylor (Crank 1/2) and stars Nicholas Cage, then I have to be there. Overall the movie is a bit of a mess, yet has Cage at his zenith. The man is a force of nature when he’s totally unhinged, which is what happens here.
I won’t say much about the story, since going in blind is best. What can be revealed is that the movie is best experienced with friend and just maybe a drink or 3.
Day 5
The best thing about festivals is as they move into the 2nd half, the options of films opens up a lot. There’s also the added benefit of having a wealth of opinions of the films you’ve missed or knew nothing about.
It took a while to get there, hut I was able to find the biggest surprise of the festival, Top Knot Detective. A documentary focusing on a short lived Japanese mystery chambara TV series, it wins you over almost instantly. Lots of footage from the show is interspersed with regular talking head interviews. The quality is 2nd generation VHS master, but easy to follow. Of course, the behind the scenes mischief & mayhem is just as entertaining. Every wacky Japanese trope is covered. Robots show up. Heads are punched to the heavens. Actors forget lines or run into things. It’s a testament to directors Aaron McCann & Dominic’s conviction to the piece making everything on display all the better. But more on their process later.
Iceland’s official submission for the 2018’s Academy Awards, Under The Tree lands like a sucker punch. This isn’t directly apparent at first, slowly setting up a series of separate stories that set out in a collision course that erupts 87 minutes later. At points people seem to be acting more than a bit irrationally, but could easily be linked to the shorter summer season the country experiences. Silence plays a big part of the anger boiling up under the surface. The 3rd act takes a turn, but fully employs that previously mentioned gut punch.
Throughout the week there was close to a billion guesses as to what the Secret Screening may end up being. The most popular options were The Shape of Water and Blade Runner 2049. Jokingly a few people threw out the Death Wish remake. A choice that seemed all too likely when Eli Roth was spotted in the South Lamar lobby. It wasn’t until the title came across the screen that everyone knew it was Death of Stalin. If you are a fan of Armando Iannucci, then you know what to expect and he excels even more so here. Combining his trademark humor with slapstick elements of The Marx Brother’s, it will go down as most likely the funniest film of whatever year it gets released.
Every year Fantastic Fest has a few events that are their bread and butter. The Debates take the top spot as far as unmissable things go. In the second spot is the Fantastic Feud. Just like Family Feud, but with a lot of booze, nerdy trivia and lots of shenanigans. One team had the Matlin Clan (Leonard, his daughter and her husband) and Doug Benson. The other had Barbra Crampton, the directors of Top Knot Detective and the director of Haunters. If you ever come to the fest, you owe it to yourself to go.
