/slash 2015 – Day 5: Nasty Baby

Posted on September 27, 2015 by cornholio1980

Nasty BabyNasty Baby
USA 2015
Written by Sebastián Silva
Directed by Sebastián Silva
Watched on 21.09.2015

For the first 60 minutes or so, even though I mostly enjoyed it, I really started to wonder what the heck it was doing at the /slash Filmfestival – and even though the twist towards the end satisfactorily answered this question, I still think that it would have been better suited for the Viennale. Strange programming decisions aside, however, I liked “Nasty Baby” quite a bit.

It took me a while to find my way into the movie, though. The beginning was a little weird, with Freddie’s very strange art projects where he behaves like a baby, and lets himself get filmed while doing that. The whole art project stuff, actually, was one of its worse ideas, and I’m not sure if it was really necessary. I didn’t think that it added anything to the movie, and the oracle-scene was far too weird, and really stood out in an otherwise rather down-to-earth movie. I guess, ultimately, I might have preferred a different profession for him than “weird artist”. There’s also never an explanation how said artist and his boyfriend, who works as a carpenter, can afford such a big apartment, and in New York, at that. It also took me a while to understand how everyone here is connected, and that both Freddy and David are close friends with Polly, who they chose as mother for their child. It’s less a “surrogate mother” and more a “patchwork family” thing, and for me, the scenes that focused on their relationship – and the oppositions that they face, sometimes even from family members – were the strongest of the movie. The three leads portray their respective roles – and their feelings for each other – very convincingly, with Kristen Wiig (who I so far mostly knew from comedies) a particular standout. The supporting cast is also quite good, especially Reg E. Cathey and Mark Margolis.

Thanks to their performances as well as the slow buildup, I really got to know – and like – those characters. Which is why when finally, something pretty bad happens, I really felt for them. One of my favorite things about “Nasty Baby” though is the shockingly sober and realistic way the movie, and the characters, deal with this. Thematically, there’s a big similarity to another movie from this years /slash Filmfestival, but to even mention its name would be too huge of a spoiler, so let me just state that in my opinion, “Nasty Baby” took the same concept and handled it a lot better. My only major complaint is that it took the movie a little too long to get there. Yes, with a shorter introduction, I probably wouldn’t have felt such a strong connection to the characters, but that doesn’t help to make the first 30 minutes or so any more gripping and/or entertaining. Ultimately, I think “Nasty Baby” could have afforded to trim a couple of scenes here and there without losing anything essential, and would have been all the better for it. Thanks to the great cast, the nice relationship between the three main characters as well as the very strong finale, I nevertheless would very much recommend it, especially for fans of slow, subdued dramas with thriller-elements.
6/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 4: Me quedo contigo (I Stay With You)

Posted on September 26, 2015 by cornholio1980

I Stay With YouMe quedo contigo
Mexico 2014
Written by Artemio Narro & Antonio De La Rosa
Directed by Artemio Narro
Watched on 20.09.2015

After the screening, what I wondered first and foremost is what the reactions to the movie would have been if they would have switched genders (or rather, if they wouldn’t have switched genders), with the men as perpetrators who kidnap an innocent woman, raping and torturing her, and so on. Which already brings us to my biggest complaint about “I Stay With You”: For me, just switching genders wasn’t enough to justify the movie, and/or to make it worthwhile.

Pretty much the only thing that I liked about it were the long scenes, which gave this a stage-like quality. Otherwise, though, there’s nothing of value to be found here. First and foremost, it suffers from a lack of a protagonist whom I could feel, care and root for. The cowboy is just an arbitrary victim and never really gets any personality at all (showing the movie from his perspective, and how he meets those girls in the bar, might have worked way better than trying to put us into the mind of the abusers), and since I’m not a psychopathic killer, I couldn’t really relate to the women either. The only character in here which might have had a chance to draw me in would have been Ana, who I guess was supposed to be a substitute for the audience, being thrown into this horrifying adventure with these crazy bitches. Actually, that kind of follower-thematic could have been really interesting. Dealing with the psychology of it all, and how you can be drawn into something like that, be it for fear of the others and what they might do to you if you don’t participate, a certain crazy bloodiness which takes hold of you like a contagious virus, or just because she’s lonely and she wants to be part of this pack of hyenas. Showing us how she slowly turns and gets drawn into this heinous act, could have been really interesting. Unfortunately, that’s not what they do. Instead, they totally drop the ball when it comes to her transformation from innocent bystander to active participant. In one scene she’s appalled, then she’s going out (presumably to drink), and when she comes back he insults her and totally out of the blue, she grabs a knife and cuts off his nipple. And with that, her transformation from sweet, innocent girl to sadistic crazy-ass bitch is complete. What the fuck? She does a complete 180°-turn, but it wasn’t understandable for me at all, and felt like there was a scene missing in between. The movie is further hurt by the fact that it renounces a classical 3-act-structure, and there also was no noticeable build-up of tension. The movie just drags along, and never managed to convey the horror of these proceedings to me. Ultimately, I found “I Stay With You” to be totally pointless.
2/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 4: Excess Flesh

Posted on September 26, 2015 by cornholio1980

Excess FleshExcess Flesh
USA 2015
Written by Sigrid Gilmer & Patrick Kennelly
Directed by Patrick Kennelly
Watched on 20.09.2015

In the run-up to the screening, “Excess Flesh” got a little overhyped by the crowd, me included – not least because of the description in the festival program which described it as excessively disgusting. Thus, we wagered how long it would take until things escalate, and when the first people – and maybe even us – would leave the theatre. As with many hypes, it ultimately proved to be far more harmless than we previously imagined. At least when it comes to the disgust-level. As for the movie itself: It’s now been five days since I’ve seen it, and I still don’t know what to make of it.

Honestly, I haven’t really got much to say about “Excess Flesh”. One of the very few things that really stood out was the sound design, with all the munch- and crunch- and chew-sounds, as well as the many slow motion scenes of consuming food. Both main actresses also were quite good and bold, especially Bethany Orr as Jill, who gives a very vanity-less performance. Plus there were a couple of standout scenes, like the one where Jill starts to eat and then constantly hits herself. That was quite intense. Other than that, though, I didn’t really know what to do with it. I guess it tried to put the audience into the mind of someone suffering from eating disorder as well as mental problems, but I didn’t find it particularly gripping and/or interesting. It’s further hurt by a twist at the end (which I had already suspected) where I’m not sure if all the scenes that came before actually make sense – however, unlike “Sixth Sense” where I had a similar feeling afterwards, and was proven wrong on second viewing, I have zero interest in watching it again, just to point out possible plot holes. Which brings me to my biggest complaint: The movie just dragged along, and never ever managed to really grip me. It’s a one-note idea blown up to 100 minutes, without enough meat to sustain this running time. It’s also incredibly artsy and different for the sake of being artsy and different – which, granted, is exactly what Patrick Kennelly wanted, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it. Overall, I felt that the “X”-segment of the first “The ABCs of Death” did a much better job of dealing with this subject matter – and in far less screen time, at that. Ultimately, at least for me, “Excess Flesh” – in all regards, not just the level of disgust – proved to be unworthy of the hype that precedes it.
3/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 4: Body

Posted on September 25, 2015 by cornholio1980

BodyBody
USA 2015
Written by Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Directed by Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Watched on 20.09.2015

“Body” has an interesting concept, but towards the end, it derailed, and even before that, I had a couple of issues with it. For example, it felt to me like the three girls completely overlook the most obvious solution for their problem: Just get rid of the body. Granted, one could argue that those three petite women might have had a hard time dragging that heavy looking corpse into a car, but it would have nice if they would have at least talked about it – and discarded it as a viable option. There were also some rather predictable developments, like Holly’s boyfriend showing up (I understand that they had other things on their mind, but it would have been nice if at least one of them would have thought about him and written him a text to not come after all). And, of course, it went a little overboard towards the end, with the girls effectively turning against each other.

——————————– SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD ——————————–

What I liked, first and foremost, was the idea behind it. The three girls – unbeknownst for two of them – breaking into a stranger’s house, their clash with Arthur, him accidentally falling down the stairs, and then the question: What the fuck do you do now? Granted, I didn’t necessarily care for the solution they came up with (it seemed like their first reflex was to cry rape), and it was weird that they didn’t just simply clean up and leave (yes, they left fingerprints, but assuming they weren’t arrested yet, that wouldn’t have really mattered), but at least they talked about what a shitty thing this is to do to someone, so I was kinda ok with it. The movie got really interesting though with the revelation that Arthur’s not dead (yet) after all, but just very badly hurt and paralyzed. He begs them to call an ambulance, assures them that he won’t tell anyone what happened – and that’s where the movie really gripped me, where I felt like part of the group of these three girls, asking myself: What would I do in a situation like that? Thus, this part of the movie was my favorite. I also already liked the beginning of “Body”, with the relaxed christmas party and the three of them drinking, playing scrabble, and smoking weed. All three young woman have some nice chemistry together, and I loved all of their performances, especially Helen Rogers.

I also loved the dynamic of the team, with the crazy one, the good-as-gold one – both essentially strong-headed alpha-females – and then Mel, who often is the one to tip the scales when they have to come up with a decision, but who’s mostly a follower instead of coming up with ideas (or opinions) of her own. That part of the movie I found quite interesting. However, the catfight at the end was far too exaggerated for my taste, especially the repetition of a certain scene (the “scream”), which felt incredibly forced. I was about to give this movie only a slightly above-average rating – and then came the ending, accompanied by “Silent Night” (they actually start with the line “sleep in heavenly peace”, which gave a great, darkly humorous quality to the scene), and I slightly fell in love with the movie again. The whole ending was great in my opinion, I definitely didn’t expect it to end the way that it did. It’s still not as good as it could have been, and I can’t totally forgive some of the things that bugged me before, but despite our previous quarrels, me and “Body” kinda kissed and made up again at the end.
6/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 4: Zhì qu weihu shan (The Taking of Tiger Mountain)

Posted on September 25, 2015 by cornholio1980

The Taking of Tiger MountainZhì qu weihu shan (The Taking of Tiger Mountain)
China 2014
Written by Jianxin Huang, based on the novel by Bo Qu
Directed by Tsui Hark
Watched on 20.09.2015

As someone who found asian cinema only recently, I have yet to see the movie that this is based on. As for this remake, it pretty much offers what you came to expect from a Tsui Hark-film: lush cinematography, vibrant sets, rousing action, and a tidy amount of pathos and kitsch.

Like with his “Detective Dee”-movies, he again goes back into the past, although not quite as far. “The Taking of Tiger Mountain” is set during the Chinese revolution after the Second World War. He uses this backdrop for lots of great, gripping action scenes that are made in his classic, sweeping style, with lots of slow-motion, and also a couple of bullet time-effects thrown in for good measure. The sets are big and lavish, with the hideout of the bad guy a particular standout. The CGI, however, is surprisingly uneven. Interestingly enough, everything that depicts something from nature looks incredibly well, with the tiger a particular standout, who looked so life-like that I couldn’t believe my eyes. Absolutely stunning work (which is true for the entire sequence, which by far was the highlight of the movie for me). However, whenever they try to create something technical – like the jeep that’s get hit by an explosion – it looks surprisingly weak. There were a couple of other things that stood out for me. For example, I found the idea of throwing a party for the gangster boss quite funny, and immediately wondered what Blofeld’s birthday party would look like. What I found weird was the fact that there were basically two showdowns between Yang Zirong and the Hawk. It’s almost as if Tsui Hark couldn’t decide which showdown to feature, so he decided to simply make both. Don’t get me wrong, the second one was quite thrilling (and reminded me a little bit of a scene from “Captain America”, with a similar retro-adventure-charm), but it was strange nonetheless. With 141 minutes, “The Taking of Tiger Mountain” also overstays its welcome a little bit. Even though it was the first movie of the day and I slept quite well the night before, I had to fight a little bit in order to keep awake, especially during the middle part. My biggest complaint, however, is the framing device, which felt completely unnecessary to me, and which led to an incredibly kitschy and stupid last scene that had me rolling my eyes. If they would have cut those scenes, and tightened the rest of the film, this could have been a great, gripping adventure movie. As it is, “The Taking of Tiger Mountain” was ok, but a little too long to keep me entertained throughout.
5/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 3: Bloody Knuckles

Posted on September 24, 2015 by cornholio1980

Bloody KnucklesBloody Knuckles
CAN 2014
Written by Matt O‘Mahoney
Directed by Matt O‘Mahoney
Watched on 16.09.2015

“Bloody Knuckles” takes a hot topic which you might as well have used for a highbrow drama, and uses it as springboard for a trashy splatter movie instead. A combination which most likely will not work for everyone, but I appreciated the fact that it wasn’t just about the splatter, and that there was a little bit more behind it all.

Despite all the blood and gore, at the center of “Bloody Knuckles” lies the question, how far art is allowed to go. Where’s the line? Is there a line in the first place? Should there ever be a line? And furthermore: If some find art offensive, should we be scared and stop making it? There’s definitely a certain “Charlie Hebdo”-vibe to it all, even though Matt O’Mahoney completely detaches this from any religious debate, instead making this about a comic artist who makes fun of a local gangster – who retaliates by having him abducted and cutting off his right arm as a “warning”. Subsequently, through Amy, it also deals with the work ethics and obligations of journalists, with her boss refusing to run a story out of fear – in order to protect her, and of course also to save his own sorry ass. In the real world, rebellion against oppressive forces, be it governments, terrorist organisations or organized crime, can have terrible consequences for those who refuse to bow down. And while in “Bloody Knuckles”, their insurrection also comes with a price, ultimately it’s a wish fulfilment-movie where good triumphs over evil – which is an encouraging and reassuring thought. I also quite liked the characters, especially Travis and Amy, and really started to feel for them very early on. Adam Boys and especially Gabrielle Giraud give good performances, and also had some nice chemistry together. That I still can’t rate “Bloody Knuckles” any higher, despite those strengths, is mostly due to the fact that I found all the stuff with the hand a little too silly. I also felt that the movie started to drag a little bit during the middle part. And, of course, they once again fail to make sure that the antagonist really is dead – something that I’m just sick of. Overall, though, I quite enjoyed this unusual mix of an important topic and a funny and trashy splatter movie.
6/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 3: Bunny the Killer Thing

Posted on September 24, 2015 by cornholio1980

Bunny the Killer ThingBunny the Killer Thing
Finland 2015
Written by Joonas Makkonen & Miika J. Norvanto
Directed by Joonas Makkonen
Watched on 15.09.2015

Joonas Makkonen was part of a panel discussion about indie horror filmmaking at this years /slash Filmfestival, and seemed like I really nice guy. Which is why writing this review was no fun at all – just like the movie, I’m afraid. Before I go on, I should once again point out that humor is a very subjective thing. And unfortunately, most of the gags in “Bunny the Killer Thing” didn’t work for me, and overall, I found the movie to be far too puerile for my taste.

Let’s start with the positive: It makes good use of the impressive finnish landscapes, and visually, it looks quite impressive – far better than I expected it for such a moderately budgeted affair. I liked some of the characters and their dynamics. Despite the fact that the humor mostly didn’t work for me, there actually were a handful of gags that at least mildly amused me. The acting is decent. And the twist at the end was so bonkers that I still can’t decide if I should applaud them or roll my eyes – but at least it was memorable. However, all of that ultimately doesn’t help a lot when I don’t find it all that funny. Everything with the bunny and his huge dick was just far too immature for me, and the whole plot was rather stupid. I also felt that in the middle part, there were almost too many different things going on, with the personal stuff between the group of friends, the three weird guys who they pick up and who have their own not-so-little secrets, and – of course – the huge killer bunny who wanders around, longing to – literally – eat pussy. In the matter of full disclosure, however, I should point out that I didn’t watch this in the theatre, but at home (thanks to a screener), and I think that this is one of the movies that works better with an audience. Thus, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from seeing it – preferably with the right crowd – especially since with comedies, more than anything, it boils down to individual taste. And I’m afraid that “Bunny the Killer Thing” hardly met mine.
2/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 3: Nina Forever

Posted on September 23, 2015 by cornholio1980

Nina ForeverNina Forever
GB 2015
Written by Ben Blaine & Chris Blaine
Directed by Ben Blaine & Chris Blaine
Watched on 19.09.2015

Last year, we already got two movies with dead ex-girlfriends coming back zombie-style. I haven’t yet seen “Life After Beth”, and saw “Burying the Ex” at last years festival and thought that it was ok (review here), but it definitely left room for improvement. I hoped that “Nina Forever” would realize said potential, but unfortunately, after a strong beginning, it ended up leaving me rather cold.

It started so well. The first half or so was rather excellent. Abigail Hardingham and Cian Barry have great chemistry together, and sell their mutual, growing attraction very well. I also loved the idea of your dead ex-girlfriend coming back whenever you have sex with another woman (well, I mean as a movie concept; not that I’d want it to happen to myself, of course). It’s a great way to address the shadow of a previous relationship hanging over and thus threatening to destroy a new one before it really began, and for the first half, it also seemed to deal with difficulties of letting go, which I also appreciated (or would have appreciated). The cast was great, especially uber-cute Abigail Hardingham, but Cian Barry and Fiona O’Shaughnessy also did a great job. There’s also a lot of nudity, which is always a plus. And I just loved the scenes between Holly, Rob and Nina. How the latter tries everything to split them up and discouraging Holly from continuing their relationship, and how Holly is – at first – unfazed and assures Rob that she’s not willing to give up so easily, and that they’re going to make it work. It all culminates into a great scene at the cemetery that would have been the perfect ending of the movie, and actually felt like the ending of the movie. Unfortunately, after that, the movie decomposes completely.

In the matter of full disclosure, I should point out that this was the fifth film of the day, and I didn’t sleep that well the night before, so even going in, I was already a little groggy. But hardly was my inner watch as off as it was during “Nina Forever”, since by the time said cemetery-scene came around, I could have sworn that roughly 90 minutes were already over. Instead, it probably was closer to 50-60 minutes, and after that, the movie went on and on and on, featuring one possible ending after another, which seemed to me that the writer/directors simply couldn’t decide when – and how – the movie should end. Everything that came after the cemetery-scene, with the single exception of the great dinner scene between Rob and Nina’s parents (which should have taken place far sooner), was a huge letdown. The movie just dragged along and got very boring very quickly. Despite that, I might have given it an average rating, since the first half was so strong… but then came the twist. Now, I’m not saying that it doesn’t make any sense. It does. But suddenly, we learn that the things that I thought this movie was about (all that “letting go”-stuff mentioned previously) actually aren’t what the movie is all about. And since that was exactly what I loved about it, this rotten twist ultimately ruined it for me.
4/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 3: Some Kind of Hate

Posted on September 23, 2015 by cornholio1980

Some King of HateSome Kind of Hate
USA 2015
Written by Adam Egypt Mortimer & Brian DeLeeuw
Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer
Watched on 19.09.2015

“Some Kind of Hate” mixes a typical slasher-movie with a supernatural angle (well, more supernatural than your average unstoppable, invulnerable and unkillable killer) – a combination that might not work for everyone, but which (to my horror-layman mind) felt rather new and fresh to me. At its core is an anti-bullying-message that I definitely could approve of, and I also liked the interesting approach of the revenge-part. Contrary to, say, rape-and-revenge-thrillers we’re you’re supposed to root for the revenger, it’s not quite that clear-cut here, because some of Moira’s victims definitely didn’t deserve to die. Thus, it condemns the violence on both sides – something that I found quite interesting.

I also quite liked the way Moira kills her victims. She’s some kind of voodoo doll – if she hurts herself, she also hurts her victim. I found this approach quite interesting. Also, the kills themselves were quite bloody and brutal. I also loved the bullying-theme, which was something different from your “classical” rape-and-revenge. They did a pretty good job of depicting the typical dynamic that goes along with it, especially when it comes to the followers of the bully. I also quite liked the actors. I didn’t particularly care for Isaac as a character, but that’s not Spencer Breslin’s fault. Sierra McCormick also was quite good. The real standout for me, however, was Grace Phipps (who’s running around in ridiculously short hot pants – but I’m not complaining), who gave a very intense, varied and powerful performance. Unfortunately, there were also quite a few things that I didn’t like. My main complaint with the movie is that I couldn’t find anyone to root for. Isaac was arguably the protagonist that we were supposed to sympathize with, but I found him rather insufferable. Moira is just crazy and takes her revenge too far. And Kaitlin is more perpetrator than victim (even though the scene where she reveals her back story to Isaac was one of the highlights of the movie). Also, the movie drags along quite a bit, especially at the beginning. It took “Some Kind of Hate” far too long to get going, and by that time it had almost lost me. The slow buildup didn’t manage to grip me, and instead of drawing me in, it rather shut me out. Finally, I hate “Think it’s over? Think again!”-endings, since they’re completely overdone, thus nowadays, I simply find them worn out and annoying. Ultimately, I feel neither love nor hate towards “Some Kind of Hate”.
5/10


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/slash 2015 – Day 3: Cooties

Posted on September 22, 2015 by cornholio1980

CootiesCooties
USA 2014
Written by Leigh Whannell & Ian Brennan
Directed by Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion
Watched on 19.09.2015

“Cooties” was hilarious, and so far, I’d say that it was definitely the biggest crowd pleaser of this years /slash Filmfestival. It offered just my kind of humor, and had me laughing my ass of from start to finish. I’s been a long time since I’ve laughed so hard in the cinema. Granted, if you’re easily offended by violence, you should probably skip it. And it’s definitely more comedy than horror, not really offering up much when it comes to tension and suspense. But if you’re just looking for a good time with a movie about teachers fighting off their pupils-turned-bloodthirsty-zombies, you’ve come to the right place.

There were many great gags and funny moments (with an allusion to a certain big role of a cast member definitely getting the biggest laugh), as well as a couple of memorable kills that got cheers from the audience. There also are a couple of really funny dialogues, and much of the humor also stems just from the characters, and/or the dynamics between them. Granted, they’re mostly one-note, and their further development (if any) is quite predictable, but they really worked for me – which is definitely due to a large part to its performers. Rainn Wilson, Allison Pill, Elijay Wood, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Nasim Pedrad… they’re all great. They might not necessarily play against type, but they fill out their respective roles perfectly. Add to that a small appearance by fan-favorite Jorge Garcia, and you got a movie that definitely owes much of its charm and overall appeal to its cast. What also stood out for me is that “Cooties” isn’t just a succession of gags and jokes. There are a couple of quiet moments that also worked really well, and where they flesh out the characters a little bit (with Wade redeeming himself in one single, great scene, for example). I pretty much loved all of them, in their own way, thus I was really rooting for all of them to get out alive. Also, while some might find the reappearance of a certain, supposedly dead character gutless, I was pleasantly surprised since I thought that they would go into a different direction (which I wouldn’t have liked that much, since it would have been a little too forseeable for me). Overall, I had a blast with this, and I’d definitely recommend it – preferably after a visit to KFC.
9/10


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