Today our annual alternative movies festival, so called Fantasy Film Fest came to an end - it is a small festival taking place in 5 German cities every year
Actually the name is a bit misleading as the smallest number of movies shown there would really be categorized „Classical Fantasy“ - indeed it was put to life 32 years ago by some Movie Nerds who wanted to see all kind of mostly R-Rated movies at least once on the big screens – today it has become a fine collection of movies which not only includes those too bloody or violent to be shown to a mainstream audience but those Horror flicks have been joined by all kid of alternative pieces, ranging from Asian movies (every genre, action, thriller, fantasy, wuxai…), to Arthouse stuff, movies too weird, to different, from directors (still) to unkonwn to cooperate with the big studios….
Anyhow – this year over 5 days about 30 movies have been shown and I had time and pleasure to watch at least 6 of them.
Here are my top 3 – or rather 4 as the 1st place is held by two movies. Yet they are so different in their nature and genre that none takes credit away of the other.
My No.3
„Under the Silver Lake“ - USA
Directors: David Robert Mitchell
Music: Rich Vreeland
The main protagonist Sam, is a good-for-nothing and daydreamer wasting his days away in LA by watching the girls in his apartment-block with binoculars (preferably when they are naked), drinking, smoking and having sex with random partners.
However when one day a girl from the neighborhood goes missing he sets off across LA to find her - and along the way he uncovers a conspiracy far more bizarre.
It is a movie as crazy and colorful as it comes – a movie about the dark corners of a glamour-society of fame and what people are willing to do for a tiny bit of time in the spotlight, of conspiracy stories and society as such.
It is a movie that beneath all it´s crazy scenes leaves you with the most sobering ideas regarding society and what it means to live….
I loved it because it is not only weird but in my opinion a piece which sticks to you after it ends, makes you think and discuss the very meaning of being alive.
My No.2
“Mandy” - USA
Directors: Panos Cosmatos
Music: Jóhann Jóhannsson
The most basic summary would be:
Mandy is set in the primal wilderness of 1983 where Red Miller(Nicolas Cage), a broken and haunted man, hunts an unhinged religious sect who slaughtered the love of his life.
… but that is nothing near explaining the real nature of this movie.
First of all it should start with all kind of trigger-warnings: excessive violence, drug-misuse, sexual-misuse, religious-sects, drugs, drugs, drugs, 80ties trash metal cover style visusals, Nicolas Cage, did I mention violence already?!…, nudity (dicks and boobs)… oh and there would be blood and excessive drug-misuse…
Anyway – you ask yourself why is that on 2nd place then? -
Because I loved it. I loved the trashy but epic 80ies style visuals accompanied by a heavy ax of 80ties electronic, e-guitar soundtrack. It is the weird, bloody, violent descent of a man into drug-induced madness tinted red by the headlights of crazy looking bikes and blood-splatters. And in the midst Nicolas Cage performing the hell out of it!
My No 1s:
a)“Skyggenes dal” (Valley of Shadows) – Norway
Director: Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen
Music: Zbigniew Preisner
In this mystery drama we follow the boy Aslak (6) who sets out on a quest searching for answers about recent tragic events and a monster…
Valley of Shadows is a film in the tradition of the Scandinavian Gothic.
A movie like long, beautiful, dark, melancholic, moving dream - slow in pace with wonderful visuals and enchanting soundtrack
b)”Hevi Reissu” (Heavy Trip) – Finland
Directors: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio
Music: Lauri Porra
In this offbeat comedy from Finland, we follow Turo a young Metalhead in his 20tes. He is stuck in a small village where the best thing in his life is being the lead vocalist for the amateur metal band he and his 3 friends founded 12 years ago.
The only problem? Up to this day they only practiced solely for themselves in the basement of one of the band-member´s father´s reindeer slaughterhouse - without playing a single public gig.
One day the guys get a surprise visitor from Norway-- the promoter of the heavy metal festival Northern Damnation - and decide it's now or never. They steal a van, a corpse, and even invent their own kind of Metal: “Symphonic Post-apocalyptic Reindeer-grinding Christ-abusing Extreme-war Pagan Fennoscandian Metal” in order to travel to Norway and make their dream become reality.
It is a wonderfully crazy, charming and growl-screaming comedy about dreams, friendship, being an outsider and going against all odds.
It touched me on a very personal private side, sending me down the Memory Lane many times, crying with laughter often enough, giggling and smirking at least most of the time.
A must see for every Metalhead and surely a cult-classic at least among this crowd.
Actually the name is a bit misleading as the smallest number of movies shown there would really be categorized „Classical Fantasy“ - indeed it was put to life 32 years ago by some Movie Nerds who wanted to see all kind of mostly R-Rated movies at least once on the big screens – today it has become a fine collection of movies which not only includes those too bloody or violent to be shown to a mainstream audience but those Horror flicks have been joined by all kid of alternative pieces, ranging from Asian movies (every genre, action, thriller, fantasy, wuxai…), to Arthouse stuff, movies too weird, to different, from directors (still) to unkonwn to cooperate with the big studios….
Anyhow – this year over 5 days about 30 movies have been shown and I had time and pleasure to watch at least 6 of them.
Here are my top 3 – or rather 4 as the 1st place is held by two movies. Yet they are so different in their nature and genre that none takes credit away of the other.
My No.3
„Under the Silver Lake“ - USA
Directors: David Robert Mitchell
Music: Rich Vreeland
The main protagonist Sam, is a good-for-nothing and daydreamer wasting his days away in LA by watching the girls in his apartment-block with binoculars (preferably when they are naked), drinking, smoking and having sex with random partners.
However when one day a girl from the neighborhood goes missing he sets off across LA to find her - and along the way he uncovers a conspiracy far more bizarre.
It is a movie as crazy and colorful as it comes – a movie about the dark corners of a glamour-society of fame and what people are willing to do for a tiny bit of time in the spotlight, of conspiracy stories and society as such.
It is a movie that beneath all it´s crazy scenes leaves you with the most sobering ideas regarding society and what it means to live….
I loved it because it is not only weird but in my opinion a piece which sticks to you after it ends, makes you think and discuss the very meaning of being alive.
Trailer - Youtube
My No.2
“Mandy” - USA
Directors: Panos Cosmatos
Music: Jóhann Jóhannsson
The most basic summary would be:
Mandy is set in the primal wilderness of 1983 where Red Miller(Nicolas Cage), a broken and haunted man, hunts an unhinged religious sect who slaughtered the love of his life.
… but that is nothing near explaining the real nature of this movie.
First of all it should start with all kind of trigger-warnings: excessive violence, drug-misuse, sexual-misuse, religious-sects, drugs, drugs, drugs, 80ties trash metal cover style visusals, Nicolas Cage, did I mention violence already?!…, nudity (dicks and boobs)… oh and there would be blood and excessive drug-misuse…
Anyway – you ask yourself why is that on 2nd place then? -
Because I loved it. I loved the trashy but epic 80ies style visuals accompanied by a heavy ax of 80ties electronic, e-guitar soundtrack. It is the weird, bloody, violent descent of a man into drug-induced madness tinted red by the headlights of crazy looking bikes and blood-splatters. And in the midst Nicolas Cage performing the hell out of it!
Trailer - Youtube
My No 1s:
a)“Skyggenes dal” (Valley of Shadows) – Norway
Director: Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen
Music: Zbigniew Preisner
In this mystery drama we follow the boy Aslak (6) who sets out on a quest searching for answers about recent tragic events and a monster…
Valley of Shadows is a film in the tradition of the Scandinavian Gothic.
A movie like long, beautiful, dark, melancholic, moving dream - slow in pace with wonderful visuals and enchanting soundtrack
Trailer - Youtube
b)”Hevi Reissu” (Heavy Trip) – Finland
Directors: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio
Music: Lauri Porra
In this offbeat comedy from Finland, we follow Turo a young Metalhead in his 20tes. He is stuck in a small village where the best thing in his life is being the lead vocalist for the amateur metal band he and his 3 friends founded 12 years ago.
The only problem? Up to this day they only practiced solely for themselves in the basement of one of the band-member´s father´s reindeer slaughterhouse - without playing a single public gig.
One day the guys get a surprise visitor from Norway-- the promoter of the heavy metal festival Northern Damnation - and decide it's now or never. They steal a van, a corpse, and even invent their own kind of Metal: “Symphonic Post-apocalyptic Reindeer-grinding Christ-abusing Extreme-war Pagan Fennoscandian Metal” in order to travel to Norway and make their dream become reality.
It is a wonderfully crazy, charming and growl-screaming comedy about dreams, friendship, being an outsider and going against all odds.
It touched me on a very personal private side, sending me down the Memory Lane many times, crying with laughter often enough, giggling and smirking at least most of the time.
A must see for every Metalhead and surely a cult-classic at least among this crowd.
Trailer - Youtube
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