What We Do in the Shadows
Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's hilarious vampire mockumentary is the perfect midnight laugher and the festival's closing night film.
Here's what I has to say in my review from Sundance:
What We Do in the Shadows is an incredibly funny film. It doesn't redefine the genre and not every gag is a home run, but there are enough singles and doubles here to make this a movie that can be revisited for plenty of laughs time and time again.
R100
Matsumoto Hitoshi's dominatrix-themed comedic-thriller has found fans-a-plenty along its extremely comprehensive festival run.
Todd had plenty of great things to say when he reviewed the film at Toronto:
What Matsumoto has done here is essentially take the premise of David Fincher's The Game and applied it to S&M with some very odd and frequently perplexing results. Matsumoto engages in what is now recognizable as his customary structural tricks and meta-narrative devices to create what is very likely a significantly different experience than what you may be expecting thus far.
Open Windows
Elijah Wood and Sasha Grey star in the latest POV-centric thriller from friend-of-everyone Nacho Vigalondo.
Here's what Peter Martin had to say when he reviewed the film at SXSW:
Open Windows is presented from a dizzying array of computers, cameras, and cell phones, but what might seem like a gimmick is smoothly subsumed into the storytelling.
Blood Glacier
This Austrian creature-feature directed by Marvin Kren was formerly known as The Station.
Todd was less than ecstatic about the film in his Toronto review:
The Station initially impresses with the massive scope of its visuals, Kren taking full advantage of the massive vistas and the absolutely gorgeous surroundings that he is shooting within. The Alps, simply, are gorgeous, and it would seem that it is simply impossible to take any sort of shot within them that is less than gorgeous itself. But, sadly, it doesn't take long at all to realize that once you get over the view you are left with a collection of characters that are shrill in the extreme, under written and extremely unlikeable.
Starry Eyes
One of the big midnight hits of SXSW was Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kölsch's story of a girl who wants fame just a little too much.
Here is Zach Gayne's rave review out of SXSW:
Stellar script, skilled cinematography, and clear direction aside, perhaps most striking of all is a fascinating, dedicated performance by newcomer Alexandra Essoe, who meets the thematic endeavor with bravado and undeniable chops.
Doc of the Dead
The Stanley Film Fest opening nighter is The People Vs. George Lucas director Alexandre O. Philippe's exploration of all things "Z" and the zombie mania that has infected popular culture.
Here's what John Jarzemsky thought when he reviewed the film at SXSW:
Doc of the Dead is a worthy follow-up for Phillipe, and may give new insights into the genre to its more casual fans, as well as a healthy amount of obsession and gushing for the more hardcore audience members in attendance.
Moebius
Kim Ki-duk's f*cked-up family horror has most everyone who has seen it saying, "ewww." That will surely make for the perfect evening of cinema for Stanley.
Perhaps needless to say, Pierce Conran loved the film when he reviewed it out of Venice:
Make no mistake about it, Moebius is an extremely difficult film that is destined to be hated (even reviled) by many. Yet for each that detests it, others will be taken in by its sheer force.
The Sacrament
Ti West's latest takes us deep inside a utopian society under the guise of a docu-esque VICE report. This smart telling stars Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley, Amy Seimetz, and Gene Jones, all at the top of their game.
Here's what I had to say back at Toronto:
The performances are strong across the board. This has been a hallmark of West's other films and it is no different here. It's also a big part of the reason the film works so well. Often these sorts of films forgo acting for scares; perhaps a hallmark of numerous horror films over the generations. More times than not, if genre acting is as strong as it is in The Sacrament, the film will be one of the more notable titles of the year.
The Babadook
Jennifer Kent's Aussie screamer had the Sundance audience hiding their eyes when it took the big fest by storm this January. IFC will be putting it out in theaters later this year.
Todd was also a fan when he filed this report from Sundance:
Kent proves herself to be a creator who understands the importance that this technical ability be employed in service of believable, grounded characters to reach maximum effect. Though she can play the bump-and-jump game with obvious ease, Kent has set her sights much higher.
Housebound
What happens when a troubled young girl gets sentenced to house arrest... in a house that's haunted?! Find out in Gerard Johnstone's Kiwi-horror-comedy.
Peter Martin had many good things to say at SXSW:
It's rare to see a horror-movie premise that's upended and shaken about as completely as done here. For once, it actually makes sense as to why someone would stay in a house that they think is haunted by a restless, unfriendly spirit: she doesn't have a choice. So simple, so elegant, so forceful.
Lesson of the Evil
Japanese contemporary master Miike Takashi's latest (ha! More like fourth or fifth latest) is this violent school-house thriller about a charismatic teacher with an extreme plan up his sleeves.
Here's what Marshy had to say when he reviewed the film last April:
Miike's film does side with the theory that some people are just born evil, rather than turned into monsters by decades of abuse or neglect. However, the suspicion is that Miike is less interested in giving a lesson in human nature as much as he wants to return to his roots and let rip with a triumphantly bloody and humourous slice of exploitation.
Ragnarok
Mikkel Brænne Sandemose's family-friendly creature feature tells the story of an archaeologists looking to uncover Viking truths.
Peter Martin was a fan when he reviewed last Fantastic Fest:
Ragnarak is not trying to subvert but to celebrate; it's as though the kids in 1985's The Goonies were accompanied by adults on a wilderness adventure.
Witching And Bitching
Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia has found plenty of fans with his films that include The Last Circus and As Luck Would Have It. His latest is this horror-comedy about a gang of thieves and a coven of witches.
Kurt Halfyard reviewed the film at Toronto and had this to say:
There is a manic energy on display co-existing with a reverence for the tiniest details in any given scene. The sense of escalation achieved here is a marvelous thing.
The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears
Amer directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani's second feature is this blood-soaked horror that is as much a sensory experience as it is a story.
Though Todd's brain was broken after the TIFF screening, he still had this to say:
Like Amer, Strange Colour is meant to be an experience felt somewhere in the subconscious, the experience following some sort of dream logic as it becomes progressively odder and odder with the visuals and ultra-aggressive sound design combining for a potent sensory experience.
Rigor Mortis
Hong Kong popstar-turned-actor-turned director Juno Mak makes his debut with this style-packed supernatural tale produced by Shimizu Takashi (Ju-On, The Grudge).
James Marsh gave this report from Venice:
The result is a film that will no doubt surprise many viewers, both in its maturity, technical competence and host of uniformly excellent performances. Mak has refused to go easy on himself with his latest artistic endeavor, venturing even further into the moody darkness that his earlier work, Revenge: A Love Story, suggested, while also embracing CGI and local horror iconography.
LFO
An introverted man uses sound waves to control people's minds in this darkly comic thriller by Swedish director Antonio Tublen.
Peter Martin had this to say in his Fantastic Fest review:
Tublen and his collaborators make extremely creative use of space and situations to maximum effect, without resorting to visual flourishes that call attention to themselves.
Nothing Bad Can Happen
German director Katrin Gebbe's debut feature is this look at religious faith that was formerly known as Rising or Tore Tantz when it premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard.
Dave Canfield made this observation when he reviewed the film at Fantastic Fest:
If you see this film you may talk about the gorgeous look Gebbe and her team achieve for the film which takes place in otherwise tawdry settings. You will certainly discuss the perfect casting, and especially the ethereal performance of Julius Feldmeier as Tore. But hopefully you'll also find time to discuss if only with yourself the powerful nature of faith, the intense self sacrifice it can inspire, and the good that comes of taking it seriously for oneself rather than as something to expect of others.
Late Phases
Adrian Garcia Bogliano's follow-up to Here Comes the Devil casts Nick Damici as a cranky old war vet out to protect his old folks community from an onslaught of werewolves.
Unfortunately, John Jarzemsky didn't have many good things to say when he reviewed the film at SXSW:
It should be noted that this is Garcia's first English language film, and his efforts to craft a compelling narrative with those hurdles in mind should be applauded, but the end product is something that disappoints by painting a clear picture of what it might have been given a few more months in development.
Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead
Tommy Wirkola is back and he's brought his zombie Nazis with him in the follow-up to IFC's 2009 genre fave. This time he's brought along Martin Starr as well.
This also happens to be the only first-run film at the fest ScreenAnarchy has yet to review so stay tuned for all our thoughts soon enough!
Everything Else!
On top of 19 first-run features (and one unknown secret screening), Stanley also has some great repertory screenings in store. These include a Joe Dante-presented 30th Anniversary screenings of Gremlins, a 15th Anniversary screening of Eyes Wide Shut, a musically accompanied The Fall of the House of Usher from 1928, a free family screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas, the 40th Anniversary restoration of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, rarely seen 1976 Spanish horror Who Can Kill A Child?, and Mick Garris's Stephen King-written 1992 cult-classic Sleepwalkers.
Like any good fest, there will also be multiple Short Film Programs including a juried competition of student shorts.
The weekend is definitely packed with tons of fun activities from the Dead Right Horror Trivia night to Glass Eye Pic's Tales From Beyond the Pale live audio drama. There are also a few great panels in store including one on horror film distribution presented by ScreenAnarchy. It's going to be a blast!
We hope to see you at the fest!
