In celebration of this festival, I thought I would give the north Texas ScreenAnarchy readership a brief guide to movies you won't want to miss at this year's DIFF!
Enthiran (Robot) - If any of you have read my coverage or the review I posted on this site for this film, you know I'm a rabid and evangelical fan of this film. Enthiran is nonstop madness. Amazing and flashy musical numbers bump up against absurdly violent action scenes, all anchored by India's biggest film star, Superstar Rajnikanth. India's most expensive movie ever really delivers in the entertainment department.
Check Robot's show times here.
13 Assassins - This is probably Takashi Miike's biggest film to date in terms of exposure. With Magnet Releasing taking 13 Assassins to VOD and theatres simulatneously, it definitely marks a new high point in terms of Miike's recognition in the West. I haven't seen the film yet, I'm waiting to see it at DIFF, but all indications are that it is awesome. It made a couple of our own Top Ten lists from 2010, and I'm super excited if for no other reason than to see Koji Yakusho and Takashi Miike collaborate.
Check 13 Assassins show times here
The Last Circus - Alex de la Iglesia is the type of filmmaker that ScreenAnarchy was made for. He is incredibly original, he doesn't stagnate in one genre, and he uses his visual prowess to tell amazing stories. His first foray into English language film, The Oxford Murders, was almost universally panned, so it is great that he has made his way back to Spain to make a film the way he wants. This is another film I haven't seen yet, but it again made a couple of top ten lists from our boys in the field. Clowns with guns, how can you beat that?
Check The Last Circus show times here.
The Oregonian - David Lynch crossed with Street Trash and David Cronenberg styled body horror? I'm trying to find a good way to describe The Oregonian, but it really is a film that defies synopsizing and categorizing. It is the perfect midnight movie. I'll be honest, I watched several screeners for DIFF and this is the only one that I didn't need to pause or rewind from dozing off (mainly because I was REALLY tired most nights). Despite its having no discernible plot, The Oregonian is strangely watchable. This is what happens when you make a movie that is all the weird parts of Lynch's more obtuse efforts without the dialogue and drench the whole thing in blood. I liked it, but I really couldn't tell you why, come see for yourself.
Check The Oregonian's show times here.
Adios, Mundo Cruel - Ah! A comedy! I really think I liked this film. I say it that way because the screener I was given was missing the last twenty minutes, but that only makes me want to see the whole thing! A man, Angel, loses his job, and in order to avoid telling his wife, he takes up with a band of thieves. Adios Mundo Cruel is a very charming film, Angel is very likable, especially as he tries to play the moral watchdog to the lowlifes with whom he has associated himself. The climax of the film appears to have something to to with holding a lion for ransom, though the screener I have didn't get me through the end. Come see how it ends with me!
Check Adios Mundo Cruel's show times here.
The Ward - John Carpenter's latest seems to be a significant reversal of the downward spiral we could have inferred from his last few films. Todd seemed satisfied that The Ward was well worth watching and that is showed hope that the John Carpenter we all fell in love with in the late 70's and 80's was still in there somewhere. As Mr. Brown said, "Though not Carpenter's best work by a considerable margin, and though it had a tendency to recycle ideas from better films rather than really build its own, The Ward is still an effective and entertaining film." Sounds good enough for me!
Check The Ward's show times here.
Mangus! - I realize not everyone will be a fan of independent comedies, but I like them. Mangus! is a film very much in the tradition of John Waters, but with a more accessible subject matter. A boy, Mangus Spedgewick, wants nothing more than to play Jesus in the annual town play, Jesus Christ Spectacular, however, when a car accident renders him paraplegic, his plans are put on hold. Can he get it back? Will his motley crew of friends and family be able to help him, or will the only make it worse? Starring Ryan Nelson Boguss as Mangus with a great supporting cast of Heather Matarazzo as his sister and Jennifer Coolidge as his mother, Mangus! is a wonderful example of why you don't need a ton of money to make people care about your movie.
Check Mangus! show times here.
Poetry - Lee Chang Dong's latest work is getting a lot of good press around the US after its acquisition by Kino International for theatrical distribution. We weren't lucky enough to get a regular theatrical run here in Dallas, but DIFF is making up for that with a couple of festival screenings. Far less sensationalistic than the rest of the films on my list, Poetry will probably be my respite from madness during the festival this year. Once in a while, "contemplative" is my speed, and I'm greatly looking forward to this one.
Check Poetry's show times here.
Wuss - Wuss screened at SXSW and seemed to gather a lot of positive steam out of that experience, now the film heads home to Dallas for its first public screening here. Wuss was filmed in the suburb of Garland, and that certainly does pique my interest. The film tells the story of a teacher who is constantly getting beaten up by his students and decides to take back control of his life. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'm excited to!
Check Wuss' show times here.
Midnight Shorts Program - Technically this isn't a feature, but these short films are all being presented together, so here it is. The Midnight Shorts Program looks to have a lot of really great stuff. I was able to take a look at about half of the program, and while The Pact wasn't really my speed, Cold Sore and All Flowers In Time were really great. Cold Sore is a classic horror short, perhaps not terribly original in its content, but the execution was very good. All Flowers in Time is exactly the type of experimental short film that midnight programs are made for, very Lynchian. Does it make a whole lot of sense? Not really, but when a film is only fourteen minutes, it is easy to watch. While All Flowers in Time may spend a little bit too much time on random transitions, the payoff is worthwhile.
Check Midnight Shorts Program's show times here.