SERIOUSLY SPLATTER-IFIC:
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
by MALCOLM FRASER,
MARK SLUTSKY and
CHRISTOPHER SYKES
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
Festival favourite Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police) is back with another splatter-ific tale that’s low on budget but rife with gore and special effects. It seems innocent enough when transfer student Monami (Yukie Kawamura) lusts after the handsome but awkward Mizushima (Takumi Saito). Except Kawamura ain’t your average schoolgirl! She’s secretly a vampire, and poisons her crush with a blood-filled chocolate. As if this weren’t bad enough for Saito, he’s already got a girlfriend—the trashy-but-popular Keiko (Eri Otoguro)—and she’s pissed! With the help of her mad-scientist father, Otoguro is assembled into an ass-kicking Sailor Moon-cum-Frankenstein and the stage is set for one bloody standoff. As ridiculous as it is bloody, this mockery of the teen movie is gleefully tongue-in-cheek and a whole lot of fun to watch. (CS)
Orochi
In this manga adaptation from director Norio Tsuruta, the title character (Mitsuki Tanimura), a mythical wandering spirit of sorts, happens upon a country mansion housing a particularly dysfunctional family. Yoshino Kimura plays a movie star and singularly nasty stage mom who makes life miserable for her two young daughters, in between visits to her own mother, who she keeps chained up in the attic. In spite of Tanimura’s guardian-angel efforts, the girls grow up to engage in an often bloody ongoing feud over a mysterious family curse. Shot in an archly classical style with great production design, the film mixes Poe-esque gothic spookiness, psychological horror and the cautionary morality of a fairy tale. It’s melodramatic and over the top, but unpredictable, stylish and compelling. (MF)
Playing Columbine
In 2005, independent designer Danny Ledonne created Super Columbine RPG!, a game based on the Columbine massacre that immediately attracted plenty of mostly hostile attention. Ledonne insisted that the game was a valid and thoughtful artistic response to the school shooting. Playing Columbine, which he directed, tells the story of the game and the controversy it attracted. Ledonne makes an admirable attempt at including all kinds of voices, including anti-video-game activists and Columbine survivors. He also spends time on the Dawson shooting, talking to the kids who lived through it and getting their opinions on how violence should be treated in games and the media. Ledonne makes good points, especially when he questions why people feel it’s okay to represent Columbine-like events in movies like Elephant but not games, which have plenty of (admittedly largely untapped) artistic potential and reach. The film’s parade of talking heads gets a bit tiring, but this is still a thoughtful and interesting doc. (MS)
Train to Nowhere
This surreal Québécois feature was shot entirely on location in India and using no external lighting or manuscript. Making good on a promise to his mother, a nameless Québécois (Luis Bertrand) sets out to find his identical twin. It’s not made clear why the brother went to India in the first place, but it is apparent that both men are tortured souls. Many questions arise on the journey. Is blood really thicker than water? Do the ends always justify the means? There’s a lot of staring into mirrors in Train—both metaphorically and literally—and the cryptic composition and editing of this curious film force the viewer to be as discombobulated as one man stuck in urban India searching for someone he’s not sure he wants to find. (CS)
Arcanum
This local feature from writer-director Sanjay F. Sharma is a kind of metaphysical detective story about a soul-searching young man (Sasha Smith) who discovers a peculiar camera-like device (unseen by the audience). The device not only  shows him recordings made by its previous owners, but opens the door to a deep spiritual journey. The film occasionally recalls Darren Aronofsky’s debut Pi, with an even higher concept and even lower budget. Hampered by stilted dialogue, bargain-basement effects and a general lack of clarity, it’s nonetheless undeniably and admirably original. Earnestly tackling the deepest of themes with ambitions far beyond its resources, it’s reminiscent of a student film, one that definitely deserves an A for effort. (MF)
Lascars
Freestylin’ French hip-hoppers Tony (voiced by Vincent Cassel) and José (Izm) have got themselves into a jam. It’s summertime but there’s no money for the vacation they’ve been bragging about all year. To make a quick buck, each comes up with a plan. Tony’s going to turn around five kilos of weed he picks up from the sociopathic neighbourhood dealer, while José will do renovations and housesit for a high rollin’ local judge. When both schemes blow up in their faces, the boys end up more desperate for cash. Solution? House party! This Ralph Bakshi-inspired animated feature was originally released in snippets on France’s Canal Plus and gathered such a fanbase, a cinematic adaptation was called for. Sports a fantastic hip hop soundtrack and is absolutely hilarious from start to finish. (CS)
ALL FILMS PLAY THIS WEEK AT
FANTASIA; FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE,
SEE FANTASIAFEST.COM |
