Marching on with Emilie Noetzel's barrage of mini reviews from the amazing line up at Fantasia 2013!
Go Down Death
Based on the works of folklorist Jonathan Mallory Sinus,
whose entire work is 6 pages long, this movie works to fill in the voids and does
so very well. It is an oddity in black
and white with songs and great acting.
The least you know about this one going the better I believe. It is weird, it is enjoyable and it is a must
see if you can find it.
After School Midgnighters (Hokago Middonaitazu)
A crazy fun kids movie that is probably better for grown-up
kids than the little ones. After School Midgnighters is about these
3 little girls who go wandering in the forbidden part of their school and see
a science lab mannequin and model come to life. These two decide to use the little girls to
win a wish and avoid their upcoming demises with the destruction of their room. The steps to get there are filled with
randomness and fun, odd characters and crazy schemes. The whole movie is ultra-colorful and child
friendly, yet the story may be a bit too scary for some children and just about
perfect for most of us nerdy adults. Loved it!
How to Use Guys with Secret Tips
A “plain” girl cannot seem to get ahead in her work life or
her love life. One night she buys a
series of tapes to help get a man and use him with tips. She watches these with hesitation at first, but having nothing to lose, she eventually throws herself into it. The tapes come to life in the oddest of ways
around her and the tips are starting to pay off. Her life at work and with men improves. She gets better and better at being social which, in turn, helps her in
her career. The movie is very whimsical
and takes you on a thoroughly enjoyable ride. As the lead character goes through life changes, we all learn a thing or two about love and life. This is a fun, romantic comedy that does not
take itself seriously. Possibly the most fun movie in the this year’s official selection at Fantasia
International Film Festival.
Key of Life
A man, down on his luck, goes to a public bath house where a hit man falls and loses his memory. The
first man trades his life with the second man without his knowledge and starts
living a better life, or so he thinks. At this point, the movie became very dull. I had
a very hard time keeping up as my attention wandered and the
movie went on and on..and I became increasingly lost. This story seemed
interesting but the execution made for a very dull result.
The Burning Buddha Man
Weird, weird movie. Amazingly odd and great! The Burning Buddha Man is animated in a style that will repulse some people. It is not so much animated as drawn, and the
drawings are moved around in a drawn world. This is the story of a girl whose parents where killed by Buddha thieves, or so
it seems. As we follow the girl through her
story and her tests, she becomes more and more enlightened and can eventually fight
the bad being who represents greed and other sins. This is one of the oddest movies I’ve seen in
a while and yet, one of the most entertaining movies as well! Not sure I’ve loved it, but I definitely
appreciated it and its themes.
The Resurrection of a Bastard
The lead in this story is a criminal enforcer. His drug-dealing boss sends him to enforce
his reign on the local populace. The enforcer's life has
been full of violence and making people hurt when they can't pay what they owe. Suddenly, he starts having visions. His “co-worker” tells someone on the phone
that he is now less Die Hard Bruce Willis and more the Sixth Sense version of
the man. This movie from the Nederlands
left me cold even though the story moves along at a good pace. Plot developments and acting throughout are all fine and good, but not memorable.
Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1
This is exactly what you’d expect from a Troma movie: Boobs, gore, mutants, sex, giant apparatus,
violence, corruption of official, girl on girl action, …
It is what you'd expect and, unfortunately, no more, but that seems to be enough for crowds that have come out loving it. The
story is fairly simple, some of it a bit stupid perhaps, but always
entertaining. It is a
quasi-remake-sequel-redo-whatever of the first Nuke Em High, now broken into two parts to prolong the afterglow. If you are into these
sort of movies, you will most likely love it. If not, you
may want to skip it.
The Dead Experiment
Chris comes home one night looking like he has a very
powerful hangover. When his girlfriend
sees him, she is freaked out. He doesn't understand why. Without ruining the movie, it can be said
that her terror comes from watching him die and burying him. He is the walking dead...A zombie...but a very functional one... who can conduct scientific research! With his old
research partner, he continues his studies in death and how to reverse
it. This is an interesting take on the
subject and far from the usual direction these stories go. The Dead Experiment is about the human drama and not the
gore. How would one react seeing their
loved one(s) come back to life and resume life as they knew it? It is an interesting movie, slow burn per
say, but so interesting, it does not matter that it takes its time. The fact that it is not rushed enhances the emotional elements for a more rewarding experience.
The Battery
Two friends roam the
Northeast United States, but they are not
doing it by choice. There has been an
outbreak and the undead are everywhere, forcing our "heroes" to do whatever they can to survive. They break into houses to get supplies but
almost never stay in them. Things go as well as they possibly could in such a situation, but the pair are seemingly alone in this world with the undead...until they are not. This is a
fairly typical zombie movie, but with less violence. The leads want to survive, but while one
loves killing zombies, the other wants to avoid them at all costs. The story is fairly well crafted and the characters fleshed out to an enjoyable degree, but nothing in the film pushes the whole to above average heights. Thankfully, the friendship between the two leads seems genuine, which
does help the movie along and makes the ending more powerful than the rest of
the film's events. This is just an OK entry in the
zombie genre. A missed opportunity for greatness.
Missionary
A movie about a Mormon missionary who wants his own family
and is ready to take an instant one when he meets a single woman and her son
who seem to need company and a helping hand. He begins an affair with the woman and as her life changes, so do his
manners. Missionary is a chilling
thriller that starts off a romance...a basic drama, until the pressure
mounts and things escalate, becoming terrifying for the protagonist. The suspense builds and the intensity levels soar as
the movie sails along at a speedy pace. Missionary
is a well-crafted thriller with believable characters and solid
performances. It will slowly penetrate your
mind and eventually creep you out!
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