Frightfest reviews: Sunday
Sorry for the delay on these!
Among The Living
Three teenage buys play hooky on the last day of school and decide to go play in an abandoned film studio. But while there they witness the kidnapping of a yound woman. Disbelieved by the police they find the kidnapper doesn't like to leave loose ends...
This French film plays like a warped version of 'The Goonies' with the film sets of the abandoned studio giving a very 'meta' air to the film. The violence is shocking and the director is not afraid to kill people, although much of the killing happens off camera. The kidnappers/killers are well rounded and not totally shallow characters. I really enjoyed this one.
Open Windows
Nick (played by Elijah Wood) is the web master of a fan site for actress Jill Goddard (played by Sasha Grey). When he wins a competion to interview her at an event he sets up his laptop in the hotel room they have booke for him. We only ever see his laptop screen and the windows on it. Hence the film's title. But as he finds his interview has been cancelled a 'friendly' hacker offers to help his web site secure an exclusive. But why is he beibg helped?
Okay any description past the first 15 minutes of the film will just be spoilers for the twisty, turny remainder. The film is genuinly clever; we can only see what Nick can, and characters on the other end of web chats cannot see other events on his screen. This will be the next 'Inception'. Honest. One of my fave films of the weekend, although more of a thriller than horror.
Faults
A washed up writer on cults is approached by the parents of a young woman who has joined a new cult 'Faults'. Driven to despair by money problems he agrees to kidnap and deprogram her. But who is the one who is really being deprogrammed?
This small film has such a tiny cast and few sets I can imagine it working as a stage play. Due to the tightness the excellent acting shines, and there is mich dark humour in eveidence. Not deep, not clever, not big, but well done all the same and the sort of tiny film I go to festivals to see.
Home
An artist tries to work out what happened in the home her estate agent sister was selling when she died there. But the death is a ruse as she has been drawn to a dark purpose...
Okay, this is basically a 'Rosemary's Baby' scenario film. It was just okayish. Personally I was alienated by the film jumping in time in a very confusing fashion and using fake tesnsion (music cue build ups) as a cheap trick. Mediocre.
The Samurai
A small town German cop Jakob is fascinated by stories of local wolves, to the point he leaves meat out to divert them from the town. But one day a long package arrives addressed to 'Lone Wolf' via the officer. When he receives a call asking after the package he takes it to a remote house where he finds a man in a dress and makeup expecting him. Upon receiving the package the man take the sword within and procedes to go on a killing spree in the town. But is the killer the threat that Jakob really has to fight?
This clever film builds the realisation of what is really going on well. Some of the background characters are shallow but that shows the depth of the conflict between Jakob and the Wolf into relief. A great film, one for much discussion and analysis after.