Fantasia 2013: Open Wider (aka Opening Weekend part 1)

Opening weekend did not see that many high profile world premieres, but there were enough sleeper hits to keep you “first” geeks satiated. That being said, there was still plenty of screenings for films most of us were itching with HIGHves to see on the big screen; so don’t fret, Fantasia’s got your back like that.

V/H/S 2

(USA, Canada, 2013)

Huge expectations for the sequel to last year’s bizarre mish-mash that was V/H/S. Part anthology, part meta-film about the relationship between extreme footage and its effect on the viewer, V/H/S 2 brings Brad Miska’s et al. strange analogue vision to a more mainstream audience, despite being heavy on the stuff that the good people of Fantasia’s audience were there for: jiggly tits, gag inducing effects and freaky shit hitting the fan. All three did their dirty work but surprisingly enough, I didn’t feel like taking a shower after sharing the experience with my fellow drenched gore-hounds and splatter fiends.

Comprising four separate shorts, shot “first person”, each one independent from the other, including the cool little “wrap-around” film that ties the narrative together (directed by Simon Barrett), reviewing this sucker is kind of like answering who you like better: Betty or Veronica.

Kicking off the fun was Adam Wingard’s (POPSKULL) “Clinical Trials Phase 1”, a spooky tale of eye implant surgery gone horribly wrong. Car accident victim turns to experimental science to get his vision back after losing an eye. The catch? The bionic eye films everything it sees for further analysis by the tech lab. Turns out however, that this eye can perceive different wavelengths allowing the subject to “see” beings from another plane of existence (aka: ghosts), who aren’t the friendliest things to go bump in the night. Sometimes, it’s best to be left in the dark. Evoking the feeling of old The Outer Limits episodes, this punchy little ghost story gets the blood pumping and serves as a great starter to the rest of the show.

Following is “A Ride in the Park”, directed by Eduardo Sanchez, who is no stranger to the first person one trick pony (Blair motherfucking Witch Project). People keep calling the zombie subgenre dead on arrival, despite the fact that there seems to be no shortage of brilliant and innovative takes on the theme (see The Battery in our next series of reviews). The main character goes out mountain biking, equipped with a Go Pro style camera strapped to his helmet, thereby capturing his rad moves in order to bang more chicks (no doubt). Lo and behold: zombies start shambling out of the woods. He doesn`t stand a chance. That’s when the fun begins, as our main character rises, undead (or turned) and the viewers are treated to some high octane first person zombie action. Delightfully gory and loads of fun to watch, more movies should be shot from the monster’s perspective.

This leads into the nail biting “Safe Haven”, helmed by Indonesia’s Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans (of The Raid fame), my favorite entry of the series. Exotic locales accentuate this familiar tale of a cult leader’s influence on the weak and oppressed. However, in this case, maybe this cult isn’t as crazy as it seems to be. A documentary crew shows up to the compound to interview the “Allfather” and things just got apeshit from there with all sorts of demonic happenings. Nobody does crazy, adrenaline pumping action like these guys and the last 5 minutes will have you gasping for breath as you literally go through the short in survivalist first person shooter style.  Amazing.

Last, we have Jason Eisener’s take on a slumber party alien abduction called “Slumber Party Alien Abduction”. Alien abduction films are an underserved subgenre and I always get completely absorbed into any film dealing with the subject. It’s fucking scary stuff that is probably rooted in the fact that my parents were abducted from their happy communist Eastern European bunker town and transplanted in North America to serve its capitalist scum population. I still get shudders. Anyways, the story kicks off with a group of kids being left to fend for their own on a house by the lake. Typical teen partying and hijinks ensues, but the fun comes to an abrupt end when the grey men show up to crash the party. The intensity of the abduction scenes overshadow the goofy rubber costumes, which frankly, add more to the visuals rather than take away: despite looking awkward, the aliens were absolutely terrifying (probably due in part to the actors really nailing that sense of dread). Great low budget thrill fest.

Production value and the general flow of things leads me to believe that everyone involved in the first V/H/S seems to have learned from their past mistakes. This sequel just feels like a better package, suited for mass analogue consumption. Seek it out, hit that EP mode switch, and dub baby, dub.

Frankenstein’s Army

(Netherlands, 2013)

As horror shticks go, I don’t think I will ever get tired of Nazisploitation and was enthused to see Frankenstein’s Army (directed by Richard Raaphorst) added to this year’s midnight screening circuit. The real atrocities of World War II provide enough fodder to fuel this type of film cannon forever, and I don’t think I’ve seen a film dealing with this subject matter hasn’t disgusted me to a certain degree (including Iron Sky). Throw in rubbery, monstrous, mangled hybrid steampunk freaks and you should have a recipe for success. Well, how I define success anyway.

A covert soviet infantry team, chaperoned by a “filmmaker” assigned to document combat footage, is deep behind enemy lines. Their radio picks up faint signals from fellow comrades, seemingly in trouble. The group follows this trail to a mysterious village where they are ambushed by freaks of nature designed to main, torture, disembowel anyone that comes in their way.  You see, there’s a certain doctor conducting certain experiments in this village, and these experiments make for fantastic, rubber monster midnight movie madness. Each set piece is an excuse to showcase the next abomination. Shot first person, simulating the perspective of a 1940’s era camera, there’s fun first interplay with the viewer around each corner as lenses switch, get dirty, or simply goes out of focus. You feel like you are in a haunted house ride at your favorite theme park.

The characters are dumb chum for the monsters to toy with, but the doctor (Karel Roden!) is played with such nice, tongue in cheek gusto. I’ve heard people in the crowd complain about the pacing  (it gets tough to sit through at 1:00am), but this is quickly compensated for every time a humanoid in a diver`s helmet decapitates a soldier with its crab pincers. The monster design is bonkers, over-the-top goodness (think of having intercourse with chocolate and peanut butter). The twisted creatures are beautiful living and breathing beings and are a testament to the lasting force of practical effects, who have been seeing a renaissance as of late.

Despite its shortcomings, Frankenstein’s Army succeeds by bringing us Monster Kids the fun, sloppy, trashy goodness we are always clamoring for.  We’re a hungry bunch, aren’t we?

That’s it or part one of opening weekend. So stay tuned you creepy, creepy critters: the fun has just begun.

So long sunshine,
I’m out!
Joey jo-jo Satanadoo