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It was one of those perfect days: high 60's to low 70's, sunny, a near constant breeze. That was the little slice of Paradise I walked through for about an hour to get to my first movie of the day. There wasn't enough time for a proper lunch, so it was a bag of trail mix and a bottle of water to get me through my first movie. In keeping with my first movie, I should have bought Dorito's and Mountain Dew.
Zero Charisma:
An alpha nerd status is threatened when a new hipster geek joins his gaming group. Scott (the alpha nerd in question) is largely abrasive, but also pitiable. He rules over his gang of nerds, cutting down their own accomplishment to hide the fact that he has none of his own. There is enough of a back story to see where some of his ineptitude and pain comes from. While you watch him scramble to keep a grip on his dignity and control, you at one laugh at him digging his old grave. Then you feel sorry when he finds himself at the bottom. The film offers a small slice of redemption, but for the most part watches Scott come face to face with who he really is. Gamers and nerds of all sorts will love the little details that fill Scott's life. It is not an anti-nerd film at all. Rating: 4/5 d20's
Bushido Man:
A martial artist is taught by his sensei to "know your opponent by what he eats." The student travels all over Asia, telling his master of the local cuisine, and the master must determine who he fought and where. The martial arts are exquisitely choreographed, encompassing many different styles. There's a nod to another film franchise the director has produced (creating a real mythology), and an over arching story filled with humor and possibly the best "ending" sequence I have seen in a movie, ever. Foodies will also like the lingering shots of differenet dinners and drinks. Rating: 5/5 sushi kicks. (Sushi kick is now a thing.)
After Bushido Man we had a wee break, so it was off to Chinatown to get some delicious Korean BBQ with Tony, Juliet, Rachel, and a friend of hers. If I had to fight a Korean fighter that night, my dinner told me he would be fast out of the game and dangerous with feet and fists (sizzling beef and chicken was our dish) but if I stayed defensive and let him tire first, I could take him once his initial energy cooled.
Commando: A One Man Army:
This could have come right out of the 80's: a pretty, muscular commando stumbles over a girl who is pledged to marry a ruthless drug dealer. He has to protect her against an army of thughs, as romance blossoms between him and the girl he is trying to protect. As this was an Indian film, I don't know why I thought I could get through it without any Bollywood dance numbers. Fortunately, there were only four of them, and one was during the credits. To be fair, the first one fit into the flow of the movie very well. The lead actor did all his own stunts, and was a hell of a fighter. The bad guy was comically over the top. In fact, the entire movie was comically over the top. Fans of old Arnold Schwartzeneger and Sly STallone movies will be well pleased by this. Rating:
4/5 booby traps
It turns out there is a method to the movie madness at Fantasia, especially for weekend films. The first slot of the day is reserved for kid-friendly movies: animated features, PG level martial arts films, that kind of thing. The 2nd and 3rd slots are more niche films, getting more experimental or narrow in their appeal. The prime time slots are for blockbuster" movies, films that are either bigger in scope or films that the organizers think are the best of the bunch. That brings us to the midnight movies. They are exactly what you think: gonzo, shocking, violent, over the top and in questionable taste. Films that graced this slot last year could still be good in an awful way (Flight of the Living Dead, Inbred, Birdemic) or the could truly offensive and unredeemable(Morituris, Zombie 108) This year my midnight film was...
The Demon's Rook:
A boy is taken away from his parents and whisked to a magical realm, and tutored by a demon mage. The tutor is killed by three demons who escape his realm and start causing havoc on earth. The boy (now a very dishevelled and skinny man) returns to earth to stop the evil demon's and save his childhood sweetheart. Much violence and gore ensues. This film was about as low budget as you can get, and yet for a low budget the effects help up very well, in a 80's monster movie sort of way. The acting and such was non-existant, and the majority of our group hated the film. I had a certain fondness for those old style of movies, and who doesn't like a good old blood geyser now and again? Parts of the movie actually echoed a harrowing scene from Event Horizon, which brought some actual discomfort. Most importantly, the film didn't insult or make me angry enough to hate it. It's definitely not for everyone. Rating: 2/5 buckets of gore.
After having endured The Demon's Rook, we traveled back to our base camp and drank the pain of the movie away. One more day of movies to go. I didn't want the festival to end.
Zero Charisma:
An alpha nerd status is threatened when a new hipster geek joins his gaming group. Scott (the alpha nerd in question) is largely abrasive, but also pitiable. He rules over his gang of nerds, cutting down their own accomplishment to hide the fact that he has none of his own. There is enough of a back story to see where some of his ineptitude and pain comes from. While you watch him scramble to keep a grip on his dignity and control, you at one laugh at him digging his old grave. Then you feel sorry when he finds himself at the bottom. The film offers a small slice of redemption, but for the most part watches Scott come face to face with who he really is. Gamers and nerds of all sorts will love the little details that fill Scott's life. It is not an anti-nerd film at all. Rating: 4/5 d20's
Bushido Man:
A martial artist is taught by his sensei to "know your opponent by what he eats." The student travels all over Asia, telling his master of the local cuisine, and the master must determine who he fought and where. The martial arts are exquisitely choreographed, encompassing many different styles. There's a nod to another film franchise the director has produced (creating a real mythology), and an over arching story filled with humor and possibly the best "ending" sequence I have seen in a movie, ever. Foodies will also like the lingering shots of differenet dinners and drinks. Rating: 5/5 sushi kicks. (Sushi kick is now a thing.)
After Bushido Man we had a wee break, so it was off to Chinatown to get some delicious Korean BBQ with Tony, Juliet, Rachel, and a friend of hers. If I had to fight a Korean fighter that night, my dinner told me he would be fast out of the game and dangerous with feet and fists (sizzling beef and chicken was our dish) but if I stayed defensive and let him tire first, I could take him once his initial energy cooled.
Commando: A One Man Army:
This could have come right out of the 80's: a pretty, muscular commando stumbles over a girl who is pledged to marry a ruthless drug dealer. He has to protect her against an army of thughs, as romance blossoms between him and the girl he is trying to protect. As this was an Indian film, I don't know why I thought I could get through it without any Bollywood dance numbers. Fortunately, there were only four of them, and one was during the credits. To be fair, the first one fit into the flow of the movie very well. The lead actor did all his own stunts, and was a hell of a fighter. The bad guy was comically over the top. In fact, the entire movie was comically over the top. Fans of old Arnold Schwartzeneger and Sly STallone movies will be well pleased by this. Rating:
4/5 booby traps
It turns out there is a method to the movie madness at Fantasia, especially for weekend films. The first slot of the day is reserved for kid-friendly movies: animated features, PG level martial arts films, that kind of thing. The 2nd and 3rd slots are more niche films, getting more experimental or narrow in their appeal. The prime time slots are for blockbuster" movies, films that are either bigger in scope or films that the organizers think are the best of the bunch. That brings us to the midnight movies. They are exactly what you think: gonzo, shocking, violent, over the top and in questionable taste. Films that graced this slot last year could still be good in an awful way (Flight of the Living Dead, Inbred, Birdemic) or the could truly offensive and unredeemable(Morituris, Zombie 108) This year my midnight film was...
The Demon's Rook:
A boy is taken away from his parents and whisked to a magical realm, and tutored by a demon mage. The tutor is killed by three demons who escape his realm and start causing havoc on earth. The boy (now a very dishevelled and skinny man) returns to earth to stop the evil demon's and save his childhood sweetheart. Much violence and gore ensues. This film was about as low budget as you can get, and yet for a low budget the effects help up very well, in a 80's monster movie sort of way. The acting and such was non-existant, and the majority of our group hated the film. I had a certain fondness for those old style of movies, and who doesn't like a good old blood geyser now and again? Parts of the movie actually echoed a harrowing scene from Event Horizon, which brought some actual discomfort. Most importantly, the film didn't insult or make me angry enough to hate it. It's definitely not for everyone. Rating: 2/5 buckets of gore.
After having endured The Demon's Rook, we traveled back to our base camp and drank the pain of the movie away. One more day of movies to go. I didn't want the festival to end.
