It was set to be another jam-packed day as a selection of nine short films were unveiled, the dynamic Andy Nyman (THE GLASS MAN) presented his devilishly difficult ‘Quiz From Hell’, and, of course, we’d several feature films to devour ravenously.
Here’s our overall low-down of the fourth day’s events…
The FrightFest International Short Film Showcase:
THE HALLOWEEN KID
Director: Axelle Carolyn (UK)
Overall: A charming little story about an outcast with an over-active and subtly foreboding imagination, who only finds true happiness during Halloween. It’s probably the least offensive horror film ever made, but there’s an eerie subtext that plays with your mind.
GARGOLS! (SNAILS!)
Director: Geoffrey Cowper (Spain)
Overall: This high concept film sees inexplicably huge snails tear a teenage party to pieces whilst a young man tries to woo his ex-girlfriend. An absurd horror that mixes romance, black humour, and a blistering soundtrack. It yields a laugh or four and doesn’t take itself seriously in the slightest.
METAL CREEPERS
Directors: J Oskura Najera and Adrian Cardona (Spain)
Overall: A popular glam metal band are putting together their next album in the studio, with their insanely hot-headed wally of a producer, when he hands them some supernatural scores.
A satire of the music industry and music producers in particular, METAL CREEPERS has a torrent of energy, as well as some funky puppetry. Thoroughly enjoyable.
TOKOPHOBIA
Directors: Evrim Ersoy, James Pearcey and Russell Would (UK)
Overall: A young woman finds she is pregnant and attempts to self-abort in a series of increasingly gruesome ways, in what is one of the most raw and resonating pieces of cinema at the festival this year.
It’s an unflinching depiction of a deeply imprisoning phobia that is not widely discussed, and is not for the fainthearted, or even the brave for that matter. TOKOPHOBIA rams the message home too well if anything, rendering a second watching of the film an unlikelihood.
Feature Films:
The Thompsons
Directors: The Butcher Brothers
Cast: Caory Knauf, Samuel Child, Elizabeth Henstridge, Daniel O’Meara, Mackenzie Firgens
Plot: The Hamiltons return with their newly adopted names and head for a new location; the sleepy village of Ludlow, in England. They plan to lay low after finding themselves on the world’s ‘Most Wanted’ list, and believe local residents, the Stuart family, can help, but soon discover an ominous hidden agenda.
Horror Highlights: An acceptable premise exploring the themes of natural selection and trust, as well as a decent performance from Daniel O’Meara are the only positives to be taken from this otherwise irritating affair.
Gory Gash: The textbook formula of the story is tainted further by gargantuan plot-holes and an indecisively messy structure. Furthermore, the over-used narration detracts from the tone greatly, making it feel like an eighties American high school drama at times (they even adopt the clichéd freeze-frame when introducing each character).
Overall: An average offering at its best, it’s a struggle not to cry with frustration at its worst.
Berberian Sound Studio
Director: Peter Strickland
Cast: Toby Jones, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Susanna Capellaro, Cosimo Fusco, Eugenia Caruso
Plot: It’s 1976 and Gilderoy, a timid sound engineer from Dorking, goes to Italy to work on the horror film THE EQUESTRIAN VORTEX, with exploitation master Santini.
Horror Highlights: This painstakingly detailed and unique story succeeds where many horror films try but frequently fail; the comedic aspect of the film is second to none. The juxtaposition of Gilderoy’s reserved politeness with the Santini’s passionate intensity is a culture clash of epic proportions. Exceptional casting, claustrophobic storytelling, and the most vivid soundtrack you are ever likely to hear all combine to form a crescendo of emotion.
Gory Gash: The film draws on very obscure source material which can be difficult to follow at times, especially if you’re not overly familiar with the giallo film genre.
Overall: Although it isn’t the easiest film to watch, it’s a mind-bendingly different experience which could take several viewings to fully appreciate. Great art should be elusive, and force the recipient to the top of their game (or push them even further where possible) which BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO does perfectly.
Sinister
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone
Plot: Ellison Oswald and his family move into a house where the previous inhabitants were killed or reported missing in mysterious circumstances (unbeknownst to his wife). A true crime writer, Oswald sees it as his calling to unearth details the Police sometimes overlook, but he soon regrets his decision when a box of Super 8 films in his attic draw him into a world from which he may not escape.
Horror Highlights: Believable characters and unforced dialogue are rare in modern horror, but SINISTER boasts both. Character-driven moments of comic relief break up the tension with expert timing, and plenty of well-crafted red herrings keep you guessing until the very end.
Gory Gash: The basic premise (a struggling and tortured writer delves too deeply into his work) and setting (a haunted house) have been utilised numerous times, though rarely in such an engaging way.
Overall: It’s a fresh take on an old fable, with well-paced shocks that build in magnitude.
Check out all of our Frightfest 2012 coverage here!
