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Fantastic Fest 2015 – Part 1

This is the second year I’ve attended Fantastic Fest. It’s the largest ‘genre’ film fest in the U.S. and is held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar Location in Austin. Here is a link to my post last year which gives a more detailed description of the fest. I really enjoy this fest as it has some great movies from all over the world and many you are not likely to see anywhere else. It also has some great activities going on at The Highball . Here is a link to the schedule (which includes the Highball activities).

Here are some hilights from the first 4 days (this goes for 8 days):

Victoria

A really cool German film. They made this 2 hour 15 minute movie in a single take as they move through multiple locations in Berlin. The single take was incredibly impressive. The movie follows Victoria as she parties, meets some people and makes some increasingly bad decisions. Very interesting.

Anomalisa

Charlie Kaufman’s latest. This is all done in stop motion animation This is an exploration of one man’s psyche and sort of depressing. I think I liked it more for the animation and because of the Q+A with Kaufman. This film was also preceded by Don Hertzfeldt’s latest cartoon which was good (and he was there too).

The Brand New Testament

A French comedy about God’s daughter going off to find her own apostles and writing a new testament. Very funny (although some might be offended).

Son of Saul

This won awards at Cannes and is a great but very sad/depressing film. It takes place in a concentration camp during WWII over a day when one of the Jews that is forced to help the Nazis in the concentration camps finds what he believes is his dead sons body and wants to have a proper Jewish burial. Very powerful.

High-Rise

This is like last years Snowpiercer about class struggles but takes place in a high rise instead of a moving train. Entertaining but too long. See Snowpiercer instead.

Liza the Fox Fairy

I liked this one a lot. A dark comedy about a woman striving for true love. Very unique with a musical ghost.

Man vs. Snake

One of my all time favorite documentaries is ‘King of Kong’. It’s about Steve Wiebe trying to set a world record in Donkey Kong and is both hilarious and moving. Man vs. Snake is a documentary about the quest to get a billion points in a lesser know video game called Nibbler. This is also a funny documentary with lots off twists and turns. It’s good but I’d still recommend King of Kong first.

Schneider vs. Bax

Another good dark comedy. This one is about 2 hit man assigned to kill each other.

Klown Forever

This is a sequel to a Borat like comedy that I really loved called Klown. Klown was hilarious, totally inappropriate and unique. The sequel is good, but not as good as the original.

Black Mass

Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5

Black Mass is the story of crime boss Whitey Bulger and his relationship with the FBI prior to his 16 year life as a fugitive.

I liked this a lot. It is reminiscent of Goodfellas (although not as good). Johnny Depp gives a great performance as Bulger – nice as can be one minute and then a psychotic murderer the next. Joel Egerton (who Bill and I both liked in The Gift) was also awesome as Bulger’s FBI handler. He gives a really nuanced performance as someone heading into the abyss as he lets Bulger use him and forgets what his true role is.

This also has a great supporting cast. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Bulger’s brother, a powerful Boston politician. Peter Sarsgaard is terrific as a drug addict. David Harbour is also a standout as an FBI agent.

If you like this type of movie (and don’t mind violence) this is definitely worth seeing.

Bill I’s Review – 4 out of 5

I liked it a lot, same as Bill C, although my rating is closer to a 4- or even 3+, because it’s not close to Goodfellas or Departed (another film that is based on Whitey Bulger, although fictional). I think I liked Ben Affleck’s Town better. This film apparently sticks close to the book written by Boston Globe reporters. I lived in Boston during the heydey of Whitey, and all I knew was that the major crime figure in town was free to walk around while his brother Billy ran the state senate, as the most powerful politician around. This movie doesn’t show really the crimes other than whacking his enemies, or supposed friends, or his scheming, rather it’s a character study of a sociopath, played compellingly by Johnny Depp, and the incredible gullibility/blindness/one-mindedness of the FBI as they focus on the Italian mafia as they let Whitey do his thing, supposedly giving them valuable information, which of course is mostly bogus or invented by his Southie buddy on the FBI. I really liked when they cut to the Winter Hill Gang members who end up informing on Whitey, in order to shave years off their sentences. So, overall an enjoyable couple of hours, and standout performance by Depp and others, but a somewhat cliche story portrayed in a straightforward fashion.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Grandma

Bill C’s Review – 3 out of 5

Grandma stars Lily Tomlin in the title role helping to get her granddaughter through a personal crisis. It’s sort of a one day road movie with Tomling revisiting some past and current relationships as she tries to get the money to help her granddaughter. It has it’s good moments and Tomlin’s characters is able to explore and hopefully resolve some of her past/current relationships along the way.

I liked it but I’m not sure it will stay with me very long. If you’re a fan of Tomlin check it out.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Mistress America

Bill C’s Review – 3 out of 5

Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig team up again in this new comedy. As in the entertaining Frances Ha, they share writing credits and Baumbach direct while Gerwig stars. If you liked Frances Ha you will probably like this.

Gerwig stars along with Lola Kirke. Kirk plays Tracy, a college freshman in NYC who is lonely and bored. Tracy meets Brooke (Gerwig), soon to be her step sister, and Brooke show her how to open up and try to get more out of life. Though Brooke’s plans don’t always work out she is going for all the gusto.

Greta Gerwig is one of my favorite actresses during the past 10 years and, as usual, doesn’t disappoint.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Meru

Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5

Meru is an excellent documentary about the attempts by three climbers to become the first to scale the Shark’s Fin route up Meru mountain in the Himalayas.

While watching this, it is hard not to think about how crazy these guys are for doing this. They put up with incredible hardships as they hung off the side of this mountain in awful conditions while attempting this climb. They sleep in a little tent tethered to the side of the mountain while carrying everything they need while climbing.

One of the climbers was a co-director and the footage on the mountain is incredible. It will be interesting to see how the footage in the fictional movie ‘Everest’ of the disastrous climb in the late 90’s compares to this.

In addition to the great footage the backstories of the 3 climbers has a few surprises that add to the film.

If you like this type of movie it is definitely worth seeing.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Cop Car

Bill C’s review 3.5 out of 5

Cop Car has a very simple premise: two kids are running away from home and stumble upon a hidden, seemingly abandoned police car. They take it for a joy ride. Unfortunately, the cop car belongs to a bad (a very bad) cop, and he wants it back.

This is another movie with a lot of twists and turns that keeps you sitting at the edge of your seat. James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford do a great job as the two kids, and Kevin Bacon is sufficiently menacing as the cop.

This movie is a lean 86 minutes, so the action moves along swiftly, and there’s good usage of black humor to break up the tension.

This film might be hard to find in theaters. For those near an Alamo Drafthouse, you might check for it there.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Bill C’s Review – 2.5 out of 5

The new The Man From U.N.C.L.E. film is a prequel to the the 1960’s TV show. This was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. I thought the film was OK, but there are tons of this type of movie (Mission: Impossible, for example) that are better.

I was hoping that the nostalgia factor would overcome any shortcomings, but while they used the same title, characters , etc., the movie came up short in this area. My memory of this TV show from my childhood is probably faulty—I’m actually recording a couple of episodes to see what it was really like. As a prequel that tells the story of how Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakan came to be a team working for Mr. Waverly, the movie had none of the friendly banter I remember from the show. Worse, Kuryaken was nothing like he was on the TV show. I remember him as a really smart person who was not physically intimidating, but in the movie he can rip trunk doors off of cars. While the movie version of Napoleon Solo was similar to the TV show character, Henry Cavill is no Robert Vaughn.

The film’s action scenes, humor, and plot were fine, but again nothing special. I’d like all who were fans of the show to check this movie out to see if they agree. Otherwise, you can probably skip this one.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5

This is the fifth Mission: Impossible film (about 20 years since the first!), and the franchise is still going strong.

The scene from the coming attractions of Cruise hanging on to the outside of an airplane as it takes off is just from the set piece before the opening credits. This film is 2+ hours that flies by due to great action sequences as well as some Simon Pegg for comic relief.

Kudos to Cruise for still doing outrageous stunts into his 50s. Don’t analyze the plot too closely and just go along for the ride.

Bill I’s Review – 3.5 out of 5

It’s a fun, action filled episode, with Tom Schmooze doing his best, and paired with a charismatic, enigmatic, beautiful nemesis/ally (you are kept guessing where her loyalties lie) played by Rebecca Ferguson. I think we’ll see much more of her, she’s so good. Reminds me of when I first saw Jessica Chastain. As Bill C. says, don’t expect the plot to pass deep examination; in fact, I was confused at several points. Why is Tom diving into an industrial whirlpool and switching orange security cards under water? How do you just run into your colleagues on a random street in Morocco? How are you able to build a high tech bullet proof glass cage with gas jets in like, a couple of hours? (By the way, what happened Tom’s wife, played in prior episodes by Michelle Monahan? Not here, guess she’s already been kidnapped and rescued so she is playing it low key.) So, the confusion distracted me (I did close my eyes for a few minutes, maybe I missed the whole explanation). There are funny parts, and Simon Pegg is a great buddy for Tom. Jeremy Renner seems wasted as his ostensible boss, and Alex Baldwin is great as the CIA chief who believes Tom and his IMF crew are the ones going rogue. The villains are cliches, probably leftovers from Austin Powers. They capture you but take their time to torture you before killing you, giving you plenty of time to figure out how to escape. It helps if you get within striking range when Tom is tied up, so he can kick you in the chest or head butt you. Amazing motorcycle chase scenes and great scenery along the way. Perfect summer movie, but not one of the best Mission Impossible films.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Amy

Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5

Amy is the documentary about the life and (spoiler alert) death of Amy Winehouse. The film makers had access to tons of footage from friends and family which makes this much more than you’d get with just a bunch of talking heads discussing her life in retrospect.

The film gives a good view of her meteoric rise, what she was like before her drug addiction and then the sad and possibly preventable downfall. It gives a sad view of how some around her were more interested in her fame than in helping her recover.

An excellent documentary but definitely a downer.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5

If you’re tired of action films this summer, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl is the film to see. Greg (Thomas Mann) is a shy/awkward high school senior who spends his time making films with his ‘co-worker’ Earl (RJ Cyler) and trying to stay invisible at school. When Rachel (Olivia Cooke) is diagnosed with leukemia, Greg’s mom makes him spend time with her even though they are not friends.

This movie is at times very funny and at other times very sad. This is a coming-of-age story for Greg as his and Rachel’s friendship develops and she helps him come out of his shell, and he realizes that, while relationships have their risks, they are worth taking.

In addition to the excellent acting by the three young co stars, there is an excellent supporting cast including Nick Offerman and Connie Britton as Greg’s parents and Molly Shannon as Rachel’s mom.

This is also a funny homage to movies. The films that Greg and Earl make are their versions of films that Greg’s father has introduced them to. They are quirky/funny.

This is my favorite movie of the summer so far.

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