Fantastic Fest: September 28, Day 5

-Kayley Viteo

Well. Day five started out interestingly, what with me having to refresh my browser for twenty minutes to buy my VIP badge for next year’s festival at 10AM this morning. Not sure why they go on sale so fast (this year’s fest isn’t over until Thursday), but they sold out for 2010 in under five minutes. Regular film badges are still available and if anyone is thinking of going, I want to stress that you can still get into pretty much anything you want (except probably not secret screenings).

It’s always interesting to me the range of movie types you can see at a festival, even at a genre festival like Fantastic Fest. Today started with a kick-ass (literally) Spanish revenge flick, then moved on to a clever animated film, and then finally to some horror. Sadly, the horror was what I liked least about the day – and boy is it rare when that happens.

Mandrill: One of this year’s Fantastic Fest best, in my opinion. Basically a revenge movie about a hitman who tracks the man who killed his mother at all costs, it also incorporates heavy martial-arts sequences and romance. Strangely, it all works fantastically (even the romance!), mostly due to the undeniable chemistry of the lead actor (Marko Zaror). Zaror also choreographed all the fight scenes and performed without any wires – a feat, considering some of these stunts. He’s sort of a Spanish mix of Daniel Craig and Bruce Lee, which ought to tell you something. An awesome, fun film that kept me absolutely enthralled and, even better, made me feel for all of the characters. In an action film, I find that’s rare.

Metropia: A strange, but clever animated story about a young man struggling with the monotony of life in a world that has drastically changed. A huge metro system has been created to connect most everything in Europe, natural resources have dried up, and shampoo leads to people controlling your mind. Seriously. Visually arresting, this one had me from first to last frame. Although the pace does sometimes drag, the style (completely unique) and subject matter are such that the film never quite loses your attention. Enjoyable and thought-provoking.

REC2: REC2 starts off exactly where the first left off, with a SWAT team preparing to enter the building with a doctor to search the penthouse where it all started for an antidote. The problem with this film is that it starts off slow and doesn’t pick up the pace until the last 30 minutes. The other problem is that instead of keeping the suspense high by keeping the infection a mystery, REC2 explains it all away with an explanation that just didn’t interest me at all (and, I fear, won’t resonate with most fans of the original). Watch out for a full review of this one later on – I’ll explain in more detail why I just couldn’t get into this one.

Tomorrow I’m taking a chance and seeing Uwe Boll’s Rampage, in addition to Kaifek Murder, a secret screening (which I hope is either Where the Wild things Are or The Cabin in the Woods), and I end the day with Clive Barker’s Dread.

MOVIE OF THE DAY: Mandrill.