The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

Well, I wish I could tell you that we have a substitute premiere lined up, but for several reasons that hasn't happened. We're still working on a replacement, but I can't guarantee that it will be a premiere.

I am seeing many of these at screamfest LA and more. So far I have seen:

100 FEET
A woman (Famke Janssen) is on house arrest after murdering her abusive husband in self defense. The problem is that his ghost is hell bent on revenge and she can't leave! Pretty lackluster. Good performance from Famke Janssen, but the deeper we get into the film the more and more we see of the CG ghost effect which isn't really that scary.

FEAST 2: Sloppy Seconds
Even more outrageous than the first Feast film. Feels really random at times with it's outrageousness, which interfered with the flow of the film. Has some pretty funny sequences...overall, just an OK film.

DANTE 01
A new film from Marco Caro (City of Lost Children CoDirector). As you can imagine it is very stylistic with beautiful cinematography. The plot was a little confusing - from what I gathered a group of psychologist are studying the criminal minds on an isolated space station. A new inmate shows up who starts exhibiting powers. Was a little slow. Overall, just OK.

KING OF THE HILL
Spanish Suspense/horror film. Man is hunted by faceless gunmen. Reminded me of duel with hunters rather than a Truck. Superbly acted and directed. Highly recommended.

Later this week I will see LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, MARTYR'S, and TRAIN. Then at a different theater RETRIBUTION, the newest from Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

My thoughts on Donkey Punch and Tokyo Gore Police, if anyone cares.

First of all, with Donkey Punch, I am wondering "why all the hate?" I liked this movie, though admittedly not enough to label it a "must see." But it is better than mediocre in my opinion, and sexy. It's a "something happens" movie. There is a forty minute or so buildup of getting to know the characters and then something happens and all hell breaks loose. I can see why someone would argue that the characters were unlikable, but what can I say? It worked for me.

As for Tokyo Gore Police, no offense to those who like it, but I have pretty much given up on being entertained by Japanese cinema. It's just not my thing. Believe me, I have tried. The last Japanese movie I saw that I enjoyed is probably Cowboy Bebop at the marathon in 2003. Tokto Gore Police is JAFJM. The setup is compelling: A race of so-called "engineers" where dismemberment equals regeneration of an organic destructive weapon. I liked a couple of the set pieces (the hooker from the latex party cut in half after biting off... well you get the idea), the Japanese certainly have some effed up fetishes. But, after the third or fourth firehose-like arterial spray I was bored silly. Remember the hilarious and effective board room scene in Kill Bill? Now imagine that scene over and over again. Plus, I saw a dubbed version and the dubbing was intentionally goofy, so that didn't help.
I'm sorry, I just don't get it. If you enjoy these kind of things, that's fine, you are allowed to. I've tried, it's just not my cup of tea.

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Aliens? Us?
Is this one of your Earth "jokes?"

I'm with you on Tokyo Gore Police. Now, I am painting with a broad brush here and basing it on a small sample so I may be way off, but, in general, the Asian filmakers have seem to have gotten in a rut of late and the direction they are going in is to just increase the gore to the point they really have made it almost boring.

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The wages of sin are royalties.

TOKYO GORE POLICE comes to DVD on January 13th.

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I'm marking my calendar!