tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62611708836287136772024-02-07T11:52:44.993-08:00MacabresqueCult, Trash, B, Exploitation, Sci Fi, Horror, Underground Cinema and others.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-48832701809662932512010-02-22T02:35:00.000-08:002010-02-22T03:14:27.879-08:00The Blind Wolf in Interrogation: An Interview with Kurando Mitsutake<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >It's been a while since Macabresque was updated, but we return with a killer interview with Kurando Mitsutake, writer, director, actor of </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Samurai Avenger: Blind Wolf</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >, whom our devoted (!) readers would remember from Macabresque diaries of Fantastic Planet. Kurando, who recently moved to Japan from L.A. to continue his film career there, has kindly taken the time in his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>850</o:Words> <o:characters>4849</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>40</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>9</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>5954</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:usefelayout/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS ゴシック"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Century; panose-1:2 4 6 4 5 5 5 2 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-justify:inter-ideograph; mso-pagination:none; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Century; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Century; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:JA;} @page Section1 {size:595.0pt 842.0pt; margin:99.25pt 3.0cm 3.0cm 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:42.55pt; mso-footer-margin:49.6pt; mso-paper-source:0; layout-grid:20.0pt;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Century; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Century; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOT9y6BJh32DNQSfSglSadGQ7k9HdF7OHV6CCF3quCO8qaC6HTsjFAiTYtWLJaiPldYvA6hN9A1DbOgKVy-G26Crd-h33Lj3_WB3BSW15WT6nBXasgil7SRAHDzlviaU2vPTfdPAg0LoL/s1600-h/Kurando+Mitsutake+as+Blind+Wolf+1small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOT9y6BJh32DNQSfSglSadGQ7k9HdF7OHV6CCF3quCO8qaC6HTsjFAiTYtWLJaiPldYvA6hN9A1DbOgKVy-G26Crd-h33Lj3_WB3BSW15WT6nBXasgil7SRAHDzlviaU2vPTfdPAg0LoL/s400/Kurando+Mitsutake+as+Blind+Wolf+1small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441021282766291538" border="0" /></a><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">How did you start your film career? Could you tell us about the films you have been involved in?</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >After film school, my first job in the film industry was to assistant produce DVD extras for New Line Cinema. I worked with one producer on behind the scene documentaries and audio commentaries for many films including <span style="font-style: italic;">Rush Hour, Lost in Space, and Blade</span>.</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Then I worked for a Japanese TV production company in Los Angele</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >s as a production manager during which time I made a directorial debut with a Japanese TV program called @T</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >V. </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >After a few years I was able to make my first feature film called <span style="font-style: italic;">Monsters Don't Get to Cry.</span></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Around that same time, I worked as a visual effect assistant for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Grudge 2</span> and was the Assistant Director for the film’s reshoot sequence in Chicago.</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I was also the director's assistant on 20</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><sup><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">th</span></sup></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > Century Fox's <span style="font-style: italic;">Shutter</span> as well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">You also took part in several projects as an actor, including the popular TV series, <span style="font-style: italic;">Heroes</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Ugly Betty</span> according to IMDB. Could you tell us about your acting career? How do you find time to act in other projects while you also work on your own films?</span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >My acting career started as an accident. After I finished my first feature, my friends and I made a short film called <span style="font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger: Lone Wolf Blood</span>. We did this short film to raise money for the feature version which evolved into <span style="font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf.</span></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>648</o:Words> <o:characters>3694</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>30</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>4536</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:usefelayout/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS ゴシック"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Century; panose-1:2 4 6 4 5 5 5 2 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-justify:inter-ideograph; mso-pagination:none; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Century; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Century; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:JA;} @page Section1 {size:595.0pt 842.0pt; margin:99.25pt 3.0cm 3.0cm 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:42.55pt; mso-footer-margin:49.6pt; mso-paper-source:0; layout-grid:20.0pt;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Century; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Century; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Since we had no budget for the short, I cast myself as a side character. When the short was done, one of my friends who is a working professional actor told me he wanted to introduce me </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >to his agent. From there one thing led to another and I signed with that agent and got very, very lucky with my run as an actor in Hollywood.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >But when I launched “Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf”, I had to stop taking auditions because I had to dedicate all of myself to the picture.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIp3rPT3AZG4Ir_G1B0LdYnFmEkzGSt1wLQ4eIMUxavroNzJ7qHi27iZF2vQGUIJRjs61VYSTgr-Lj0lO8QMwukigC3Bs0_j5Kiwlc6F7CTD8Fi1AcHAXR5Scg0D-GSShXImFvGA8LMdy/s1600-h/teaser+poster+4small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIp3rPT3AZG4Ir_G1B0LdYnFmEkzGSt1wLQ4eIMUxavroNzJ7qHi27iZF2vQGUIJRjs61VYSTgr-Lj0lO8QMwukigC3Bs0_j5Kiwlc6F7CTD8Fi1AcHAXR5Scg0D-GSShXImFvGA8LMdy/s400/teaser+poster+4small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441022420079169266" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >How did <span style="font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf</span> come about? What were your inspirations? Could you </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >also tell us a bit about the production process? How did you decide to write, direct and star in the film? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I always wanted to do a samurai movie, especially with a good kick ass revenge storyline. So the concept for LONE WOLF – THE SAMURAI AVENGER was with me for almost a decade.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I love classic samurai chambara films but they are so expensive to do them right. Costumes, wigs, props, and locations...<o:p></o:p> So I decided to </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >create a parallel world - Wild West meets Samurai East. In this world, I could tell a classic tale of revenge which I always wanted to tell but with a small budget, it was “everything is possible”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p>In the low budget independent film making world, one must wear as many hats as possible. This is the reason why I ended up doing so much for this movie. </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p> The decision for me to play the lead character was purely an economical one too. It is very difficult to secure an actor who can commit to a long feature film shoot with a very small budget. So I thought since I'm there on the set everyday anyway, why not play the main character. Also the fact I had a very lucky career as an actor helped my decision.</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Were you influenced by the revival of/homage to old exploitation films popular</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >ized by Quentin Tarantino?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I have always been a huge fan of those genre pictures from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I am happy to see the revival, but was already influenced by those films.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Do you think Samurai Avenger is an homage to exploitation/martial arts/spaghetti western films or does it parody them?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I guess it's both. But more homage with all my love and respect to those films, especially spaghetti western and Japanese chambara films.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Would it be safe to say there were some references to Jodorowsky’s El Topo aside from all the other exploitation film references? Is there a surreal/underground cinema influence in the film?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I love Mr. Jodorowsky's work but I'm a bigger fan of Santa Sangre than El Topo, if I had to choose.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Many people have seen influences from El Topo in Samurai Avenger, but it wasn't intentionally done. Samurai Avenger was influenced by such filmmakers like Kenji Musumi and Sergio Corrbucci.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >How has the film been received? What is it like to make an exploitation film in an age mostly driven by political correctness?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Samurai Avenger has been received really well by the genre film fans from all over the world. I guess because mainstream films have gone very politically correct, there is a huge demand for edgier more exploitative films.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Samurai Avenger was screened at 9 film festivals in 5 countries in 2009. We received best </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >picture awards from Fantastic Planet film festival in Sydney Australia and Indie Fest USA in Anaheim California. So far, we have secured distribution in several countries with many more hopefully to come.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Can you tell us about your future projects? It looks like there might be a sequel to Samurai Avenger…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >My next picture might be a "Mondo" style fake documentary on Japan. Another homage to the exploitation genre film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Another picture that's in the works is a hard boiled gun action movie. After a sword fighting movie like Samurai Avenger, I really want to do a gun fight movie.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >I am hoping to do a sequel to Samurai Avenger too. We have to see how well it does commercially in the world first. If it does well, I'm sure we can raise money for the sequel.</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Any advice to aspiring filmmakers?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >The life of both a commercial or independent filmmaker isn't an easy one. So I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p> But if you must make a movie, do a feature not a short film. If you plan well and execute the plan well, you might get lucky and the film might be distributed. That won't happen for short films.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Any last words?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Please find and watch Samurai Avenger. If you enjoyed it, recommend it to your friends. With the strong word of mouth, it might ultimately lead us to make the sequel. Thank you!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzn2vsIrDxPA-s64Lggte3lD_rDMqN_slXPDTb90gxxngAV371QgPHlHEJS5o5DmyBarB12abX6YJ0A8XGsbwmYiw7WmUeyjoqvrGQvVNaVy_VmgK8erKudq3W4UAu1it8o_Pgl1n_YRk/s1600-h/picture-157-300x225.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzn2vsIrDxPA-s64Lggte3lD_rDMqN_slXPDTb90gxxngAV371QgPHlHEJS5o5DmyBarB12abX6YJ0A8XGsbwmYiw7WmUeyjoqvrGQvVNaVy_VmgK8erKudq3W4UAu1it8o_Pgl1n_YRk/s400/picture-157-300x225.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441022820450082370" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">PS: To find out more about Samurai Avenger and Kurando's work, visit <a href="http://www.kurandomitsutake.com/">http://www.kurandomitsutake.com/</a></span><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-86795065746460065422009-11-28T01:18:00.000-08:002009-11-28T03:37:26.433-08:00Fantastic Planet Sydney Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival, Diary # 4<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SCeaKU-_2Pgv_lweaTA1mdFYoDZK1HNvp8QmdaziVRoRqAXRyTpTux-SqNwA6yDtWUTjzXfZ3KRUc7UhXIS5SxwC3p0KlzUARNmpCIAhIJmq9VuWfP3reYhZFODWBXLPB1Bk1-Ikn1ir/s1600/FantasticPlanet2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SCeaKU-_2Pgv_lweaTA1mdFYoDZK1HNvp8QmdaziVRoRqAXRyTpTux-SqNwA6yDtWUTjzXfZ3KRUc7UhXIS5SxwC3p0KlzUARNmpCIAhIJmq9VuWfP3reYhZFODWBXLPB1Bk1-Ikn1ir/s320/FantasticPlanet2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409082527499913378" border="0" /></a><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>387</o:Words> <o:characters>2210</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>18</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>2714</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; 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mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span style="">The next day of the Fantastic Planet Film Festival was also the last day. The closing night film was <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Franklyn </span>(UK), directed by Gerald McMorrow (2008). It was described in the festival catalogue as “</span><span lang="EN-US">Part steampunk fantasy, part super-hero adventure, part love story, <i style="">Franklyn</i> takes you on a unique cinematic journey to a place where fantasy and reality blur.”<br /><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-style: italic;">Franklyn</span> intertwines the stories of four characters in contemporary London and the fictional Meanwhile City, where most of the steampunk fantasy/superhero adventure takes place. Jonathan Preest (Ryan Philippe) is a masked vigilante a la Rorschach from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Watchmen</span>. He relentlessly looks for his archenemy </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kFPI-iiR8P3q7DhOwnGvkgai3veH9cbAGv4NF4Hjg85gWTtofJzTXVgI85sIVgqZeR-RVu7ewe7vbw6qpr0plv0520ikvO1gp6IsoKbaMBlUK4lm4PaZCT_SoebsPTfzPLhyphenhyphenu5KNXIKu/s1600/FRANKLYN.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kFPI-iiR8P3q7DhOwnGvkgai3veH9cbAGv4NF4Hjg85gWTtofJzTXVgI85sIVgqZeR-RVu7ewe7vbw6qpr0plv0520ikvO1gp6IsoKbaMBlUK4lm4PaZCT_SoebsPTfzPLhyphenhyphenu5KNXIKu/s320/FRANKLYN.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409083468010810098" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-US">known as the Individual in the religion driven urbanscape of Meanwhile City. Milo (Sam Riley), who has been through a nasty break up, starts looking for his first love. Emilia (Eva Green), a troubled and suicidal art student, is in the process of creating a very personal </span><span lang="EN-US">work of art while trying to resolve family issues with her mum. Peter (Bernard Hill), looks for his son who has escaped from a mental institution. Their lives are brought together in a climactic final scene.</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-style: italic;">Franklyn</span> might be a bit disappointing for people who expect more </span><span lang="EN-US">of the promised steampunk/superhero action, but rewarding for people looking for a psychological drama with some fantasy overtones. The scenes which portray Meanwhile City are quite visually stunning, and show evidence of a detailed concept design. Considering the acting is mostly sub par – or maybe intentionally downplayed - one kind of wants to see more of those scenes rather than the dramatic lives of the London characters. Yet, I should say that it is quite an unusual film and might deserve a second viewing.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT9ASfsa_na_qtr8MMt0Ax6Zw0BHZbrorkyP6SXP2jCU5-AjrnK-plUpqQpv5LTv2gdit6IqWpmbhAqXccfJyYxOSRHQXyfxepiAjHtOXQ8mmzbZSk0yj5lw5O2u4d9Jq5Y8sr5OtQTwR/s1600/franklyn1-440x292.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT9ASfsa_na_qtr8MMt0Ax6Zw0BHZbrorkyP6SXP2jCU5-AjrnK-plUpqQpv5LTv2gdit6IqWpmbhAqXccfJyYxOSRHQXyfxepiAjHtOXQ8mmzbZSk0yj5lw5O2u4d9Jq5Y8sr5OtQTwR/s320/franklyn1-440x292.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409083648396423202" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">After the screening, I stayed for the awards ceremony and the after party and had a chance to chat with the organizers as well as some of the filmmakers. And this, sadly, brings us to the end of yet another successful film event. Nothing left to do but wait for the next <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">A Night of Horror</span>!<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">MEANWHILE -<br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Here’s a list of films that won awards in the festival:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Short Films</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Animation: Deconstruct</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Australian Short: Oxygen</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Audience Choice: The Drawing</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Short Film: Intoxicant</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Visual Effects (of both short and feature films): Burden</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Feature Films: </span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Special Effects: Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Performance: Julie Carlson and Jadin Gould (Cryptic)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Australian Performance: Chris Baker (1 and 0 nly)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Director: Faye Jackson (Strigoi)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Australian Film: Eraser Children</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Film of the Festival: Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Screenplays:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Short: Kitten</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Feature: Time and Again </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-88531164808640649512009-11-12T02:43:00.000-08:002009-11-12T05:12:19.095-08:00Fantastic Planet Sydney Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival, Diary #3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAt0YzwFaHavTkDt9jlnVJTUVMNFVDRaY8xTdbIhcccPc7_0ziTv5AoJMUX8jnAzZofCyoc-I3LSRkA6swBr6HGD_CpM8u3i9ryOS9yygno6vO2MSchTn7mBhxwooqAZrEOqOhtX-Cmt2y/s1600-h/top_banner_date.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAt0YzwFaHavTkDt9jlnVJTUVMNFVDRaY8xTdbIhcccPc7_0ziTv5AoJMUX8jnAzZofCyoc-I3LSRkA6swBr6HGD_CpM8u3i9ryOS9yygno6vO2MSchTn7mBhxwooqAZrEOqOhtX-Cmt2y/s400/top_banner_date.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403173749954281250" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>866</o:Words> <o:characters>4940</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>41</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>9</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>6066</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span lang="EN-US">On November 5 Thursday (when we all remember, remembered!), I went to see two sessions of the fantastic Fantastic Planet film festival. The first of these was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shorts Program # 4: Future attacks</span>, and the other one was the “sushi western” <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf</span>, directed by Kurando Mitsutake.<br /><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnVUUDv99XhFI9Xd-OMtjNltAzPJJoNZ_Nfti36QDS-VdrIVnn0UbscA2UT8EOa_j0toCzMSY9dyvtNNqSLWFEhXuDE4O0B4rh5dM0q_v1rWaIjJf_BpLsb7HwElLY0oeJPO4i7L8lO0k/s1600-h/091013_Burden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnVUUDv99XhFI9Xd-OMtjNltAzPJJoNZ_Nfti36QDS-VdrIVnn0UbscA2UT8EOa_j0toCzMSY9dyvtNNqSLWFEhXuDE4O0B4rh5dM0q_v1rWaIjJf_BpLsb7HwElLY0oeJPO4i7L8lO0k/s320/091013_Burden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403169026160870642" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-US">The shorts program included seven films, all of which were, I think, quite good, but some more so than the others. The first film of the session, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Burden</span> (http://www.burdenthemovie.com/) (Michael David </span><span lang="EN-US">Lynch, 2009 – 10 minutes), was one of the most visually stunning films in the festival (and won the best visual effects award in the fes</span><span lang="EN-US">tival). The film tells the story of a ‘watcher’ with super powers called Calik, who decides to take action when the earth is invaded by aliens. Michael David Lynch (that’s a killer name for the film industry, I reckon) was there to present his film and answer some questions at the end. We’ve learnt that this was a student project and it cost around 50.000 USD to make and that he’s hoping to turn it into a feature length film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-style: italic;">Burden</span> was followed by <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Spaceman on Earth</span> (Shant Hamassian, 2009), which was a live action/animation parody of 50s sci fi films, and particularly their main characters. Next, we watched <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Marooned?</span> (Ryan Nagata, 2009), which had a similar approach to 1950s sci fi, as it was shot in b&w and featured two space traveler characters in marooned (?) on a planet with savage inhabitants, it had a twist which turned into a terrorizing tale of amnesia, murder, and geekery!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">After the first three films, which were all from the US, we watched the 26 minute long short from Taiwan: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Intoxicant</span> by John Hsu (2008). The film re-imagines the internet forum setting as an actual room where the real life people put notices in a board where their actions are controlled by moderators, then turns this into a setting for a tale of mystery, in which the forum is under threat of an attack by a hacker. Intoxicant won the best short film award, and probably deserved it, too!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNl5Se0Rqng&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNl5Se0Rqng&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Un-gone</span> (Simon Bovey, 2006) hailed from the UK and was set in a future when molecular transportation is possible. However, there is a dark secret behind this form of transportation, which Julian Salinger, the protagonist, finds out to his utter displeasure. The Un-gone was followed by the Australian short <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Oxygen</span> (David Norris, 2008) was a dystopia, in which the world’s oxygen supplies are in shortage, and people live in airtight houses, in which air is supplied by the government. Xavier, a maintenance worker, is free to get out of his house with a special suit and fix people’s oxygen supply machines. Gradually, he finds out about a terrible plot to keep the society under control. I thought it was really well-made and the costume and set design was really successful. (It can be watched in its entirety on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi359006745/">imdb<span style="font-weight: bold;">) </span></a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The last film of the session was</span><b style=""><span lang="EN-US"> <i style="">The Attack of the Robots from Nebula-5</i></span></b><span lang="EN-US"> (Chema García Ibarra, 2008) was short little film from Spain, about a disabled young man, and his fixed belief in an imminent attack by </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Robots from Nebula-5, for which he tries to warn his parents, to no avail.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">After the shorts session, I went on to see <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf</span> (Kurando Mitsutake, 2009), </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAkN3ZGCqhepQOlbg3QBQnZGRcF_sHXPp5jDCrSvQ-0E6KQE8IODC-4cBFD_SU9vPeKjcyiBjQLUIr4Tfeck1e-42rDrj2KFr5sLEwU-7OMoGDyy0TPNYUVmeA_FWZUL5p5JbYB6Arrok/s1600-h/teaser_poster_1small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAkN3ZGCqhepQOlbg3QBQnZGRcF_sHXPp5jDCrSvQ-0E6KQE8IODC-4cBFD_SU9vPeKjcyiBjQLUIr4Tfeck1e-42rDrj2KFr5sLEwU-7OMoGDyy0TPNYUVmeA_FWZUL5p5JbYB6Arrok/s320/teaser_poster_1small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403170625208255074" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-US">which I have been looking forward to after reading the blurb in the festival program – “imagine a <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kill Bill </span></span><span lang="EN-US">on steroids!”. The film has a basic storyline, in which a nameless Japanese man, <span style=""> </span>sets out to kill the man, Nathan Flesher, who has blinded him and killed his wife (after raping her) and his daughter. While Nathan Flesher </span><span lang="EN-US">is in prison, the nameless man (Kurando Mitsutake) learns the ways of the samurai and becomes a swordsmaster despite his blindness. On his way to kill flesher upon his release from prison, he learns that he’ll have to encounter seven deadly assasins and kill them. In his quest, he meets an American swordsman who calls himself the Drifter and who decides to help the “Blind Wolf’s” cause. So they start killing the assasins one by one, till they reach Nathan Flesher.</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The writer/director/star Kurando Mitsutake defines the film as a sushi western, drawing its influences from the martial arts and spaghetti western films as well as 70s exploitation films. He cited films/series like <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lone Wolf and Cub</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Django</span> among the films that inspired him to make this films during the Q&A. It’s easy to compare his films to Quentin Tarantino’s homage films like <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kill Bill</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Death Proof</span>, as with the martial arts/western mixture in the formula and with the ‘restored grindhouse film’ aesthetic he is going for. However, Mitsutake made a short film called <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger Lone Wolf Blood – Episode 24 </span>as early as 2004, which formed the basis of the Blind Wolf and he claims he had thought about the “restored look” prior to the release of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Grindhouse</span>, and was worried upon hearing that Tarantino was making a film like the one he had in mind. Setting the questions of originality aside, <span style="font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger</span> provides a good 90 minutes of fun for the exploitation film aficionado, with its over the top violence (including a scene which involves a c section with a samurai sword!), litres of gushing/spraying blood, zombies, witches, and flashback explanations of several martial arts sword techniques, cheesy acting and one-liners etc. Although Mitsutake didn’t mention it among his influences, I thought the film also had an<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> El Topo</span> vibe going on with the Blind Wolf’s costume, the desert setting, and the general surreal mood.</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tNs7SfBu4fE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tNs7SfBu4fE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It was surprising to find out that the budget was “way way way below half a million USD” (Mitsutake didn’t disclose the actual budget) as the special effects looked really good, but Mitsutake informed us that there were quite a number of volunteers and interns involved, so that kind of explains it. The film won the best film award and best special effects awards, quite deservingly. I got to have a chat to Kurando Mitsutake and had my picture taken with him too!<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6hCIEb3y2m7NZ2WWY3ukvcvSnfAarFRW5eVHCF5HnKr4AWN3xXchsncl9i7NeLNXFYFkMW5ZMGgw4_EotdRnvHMSvkj5uZSgm94I-7UhlCHUSEyXj9TLUQOv5B7q-tyz7-h2sGb41YcA/s1600-h/IMG_0468.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6hCIEb3y2m7NZ2WWY3ukvcvSnfAarFRW5eVHCF5HnKr4AWN3xXchsncl9i7NeLNXFYFkMW5ZMGgw4_EotdRnvHMSvkj5uZSgm94I-7UhlCHUSEyXj9TLUQOv5B7q-tyz7-h2sGb41YcA/s320/IMG_0468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403171493617389538" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2zzNO1_N7eVdakhBkedBqNYZatnk4Vh_Stk_TADQAXgvIl3gqZkVB9ggOyzaDBgtGmDXNXixMSEsEcCIzz-JShZh83dNJIEOxAa5vwXJKCiYEweNXWHMYzIv0OG7YgJdyHCWi7jfhZsD/s1600-h/IMG_0469.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2zzNO1_N7eVdakhBkedBqNYZatnk4Vh_Stk_TADQAXgvIl3gqZkVB9ggOyzaDBgtGmDXNXixMSEsEcCIzz-JShZh83dNJIEOxAa5vwXJKCiYEweNXWHMYzIv0OG7YgJdyHCWi7jfhZsD/s320/IMG_0469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403172319935943058" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The diary will be concluded with the closing night of the festival. Coming soon! </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-57418068752881687812009-11-06T21:36:00.000-08:002009-11-07T00:05:42.883-08:00Fantastic Planet Sydney Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival, Diary #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-LMdfQCRYWu1SJecTMyCrOKjY2hjXLQOjdZATaBr4r-yUWl4kRDe3klqyjFIIUOSyp9NuW3v4oKFZuAxQtr8TEkChp-yoXhJwkOijq7tbro6U8XyardCEHFzWcDbJp2UyQbRmNqRhHK8/s1600-h/fantastic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-LMdfQCRYWu1SJecTMyCrOKjY2hjXLQOjdZATaBr4r-yUWl4kRDe3klqyjFIIUOSyp9NuW3v4oKFZuAxQtr8TEkChp-yoXhJwkOijq7tbro6U8XyardCEHFzWcDbJp2UyQbRmNqRhHK8/s400/fantastic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401234144919993810" border="0" /></a><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>616</o:Words> <o:characters>3512</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>29</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>4312</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><span style="">The official opening night of the Fantastic Planet film festival on October 30, hosted the world premiere of the Aussie sci-fi dystopia <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Eraser Children</span> (Nathan Christoffel, 2009). I arrived at Dendy Newtown about half an hour earlier and got a chance to see the pre-screening activities, such as actor Jonathan Welsby interviewing the cast and the crew in his stockings and make up with a gun shaped microphone – possibly for a DVD featurette. The walls were decorated with Misner Corporation posters, and there were promotional badges sitting on one of the tables for us to pick. Around 7 pm, Dean Bertram (PhD) ordered us to go to the theatre in his dystopian policeman attire, shouting “Hail Misner!</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Eraser Children</span> is set in a future where a corporation called Misner rules the world.<span style=""> </span>Misner Corporation </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJGGfH8Pk8iUJ7-yl9tlCR_D5bEbPZ6MSIsVKxXFFetUEbduHhLhB8lRN6Lapv8vJhFMMmpUfg5jFlCcN7Q-G1chrB-GJJrNMwYVmxZRbBPqjW0NoASTa8RdEevV7cBnhALn2UNJP1aDY/s1600-h/eraser_children_poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJGGfH8Pk8iUJ7-yl9tlCR_D5bEbPZ6MSIsVKxXFFetUEbduHhLhB8lRN6Lapv8vJhFMMmpUfg5jFlCcN7Q-G1chrB-GJJrNMwYVmxZRbBPqjW0NoASTa8RdEevV7cBnhALn2UNJP1aDY/s400/eraser_children_poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401233477071829522" border="0" /></a><span style="">erases people’s memories to turn them into more effective workers. There is a long list of violations that govern the society, including dreaming and having original thoughts.<span style=""> </span>There are people who refuse to live in these conditions, called the resistance and they live underground as social outcasts. The protagonist, Finnegan Wright (Fionn Quinlan) is a low rank worker in the Misner Corporation who proofreads the violations written by Maximum </span><span style="">Blizzard (Jonathan Welsby).<span style=""> </span>One day he is kidnapped by Alfred Fleemort (Shane Nagle) who is part of the resistance movement and who tries to help him regain his memories persuade Wright to kill Misner.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">The film, presenting a dystopic future, has obvious references to the masterpieces of the genre such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1984</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Brazil</span>. During the Q & A, director Christoffel pointed out Brazil as their main influence. So, in terms of the message, it is hard to say <span style="font-style: italic;">Eraser Children</span> is saying anything that hasn’t been said before – a totalitarian regime ruled by a corporation, headed by a man who can associated with Hitler (“Hail Misner”), however, it has a compelling plot, and also details – both visual and narrative – that makes it worthwhile to watch – such as the intercutting advertisements,<span style=""> </span>which give the audience a feel of what it would be like living in Misner’s world. Also, the use of super 8 cameras in dream sequences have led to some visually stunning scenes – and the cinematographer Adrian Kristoffersen deserve some praise for his work not only in those sequences but throughout the entire film.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0P_NUPWlNmDMZXwdqWTY5KjTcYBS4CkanP95trtW6MKNDt7E_MJwLSY05jFwcrmgPmf0SGFyoAz5Nmc5ImxgMgPT2gg3jtQyuXxk4N66bAIDcvKQQ2TeeGfP77LHmqGpNMZy4UQdTYm3L/s1600-h/strigoi_poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0P_NUPWlNmDMZXwdqWTY5KjTcYBS4CkanP95trtW6MKNDt7E_MJwLSY05jFwcrmgPmf0SGFyoAz5Nmc5ImxgMgPT2gg3jtQyuXxk4N66bAIDcvKQQ2TeeGfP77LHmqGpNMZy4UQdTYm3L/s400/strigoi_poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401233852536593282" border="0" /></a><span style="">One of the gems of the Fantastic Planet, for me, was the UK production <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Strigoi</span> (Faye Jackson, 2008), which was set in Romania and introduced to many of us the title monster that we haven’t come across before. A strigoi is a vampire-like creature in Romanian folklore. They can be either dead people returning from the grave (strigoi morti) or born that way (strigoi vii). In <span style="font-style: italic;">Strigoi</span>, A young man called Vlad, who has been living in Italy, goes back to his village in Romania to find out about a conspiracy of land ownership that involves everyone including the priest, the villagers, the mayor, the rich landowners and the police. There has been some suspicious deaths, and some of the deceased insist on rising from their graves at night to haunt the villagers, suck their blood and, err… eat all the food in their fridges. Young Vlad is resolved to solve the mysteries and fight the undead.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">You might think, “just the thing we need, another bloody vampire movie, as if we don’t have enough of those already” but <span style="font-style: italic;">Strigoi</span> brings a refreshing light to this tired old genre. It has a feeling of authenticity to it, being set in Romania and using folk myths specific to that geography. It also has that rare quality of being able to carry a humorous tone all throughout and at the same time being creepy as hell. Imagine one of your deceased neighbours coming to your house at night when you’re alone, and eat all the food in the fridge in grotesque manner and imagine yourself trying to cook more food, because you know when there’s no more food left, she will come and suck your blood! It is kind of funny in a bone chilling way. In that sense Strigoi reminds me of one of my favourite films of all times, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Cemetery Man</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Dellamorte Dellamore</span>, Michele Soavi, 1994) and I think anyone who likes that film will like this one too.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Macabresque Diary of Fantastic Planet will continue with reviews of sci-fi shorts and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-37695252094119216622009-10-29T21:10:00.000-07:002009-10-29T21:40:34.811-07:00Fantastic Planet Sydney Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival, Diary #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt5UZ1n85LUPPcUDXd3gdoBIBtVzifDUc9fkiIqAd-9KNqsmavNhvhmR9vizVLE7iyzWS23EZf_KUZcq_1XPikbzDX2XeA_7VGNq6Fip8dPEGJFJgvVd5GhPKuNQceCWHrR_HrF7lKNAX/s1600-h/fp_initials_logo_sml.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt5UZ1n85LUPPcUDXd3gdoBIBtVzifDUc9fkiIqAd-9KNqsmavNhvhmR9vizVLE7iyzWS23EZf_KUZcq_1XPikbzDX2XeA_7VGNq6Fip8dPEGJFJgvVd5GhPKuNQceCWHrR_HrF7lKNAX/s400/fp_initials_logo_sml.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398243269055084690" border="0" /></a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>666</o:Words> <o:characters>3801</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>31</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>4667</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Last Saturday was a good day for sci fi. We kicked off the day with <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Moon</span> (Duncan Jones, 2009), which I’ve been meaning to see for the last few weeks. I’ll put off writing a review for that one, since this post is about the first – of, we hope, many to come – <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fantastic Planet Sydney Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival</span>. Organised by the masterminds of <a href="http://macabresque.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Night%20of%20Horror"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Night of Horror Film Festival</span></a>, Dean Bertram (PhD) and Lisa Mitchell, Fantastic Planet promises a wide range of sf&f features and shorts, forums and parties. What a great occasion for yet another Macabresque diary!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We found out about the pre-festival event before we went in to see <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Moon</span>. Upon learning it was taking place in the inimitable Mu Meson Archives, we decided to go and immerse ourselves in more indie sci-fi goodness. The night’s program included screenings of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">La Crème</span> (Reynald Bertrand, 2007) and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1 and 0 nly</span> (Martyn Park, 2008) as well as a Q&A with director Martyn Park and producer/star Christopher Baker.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The French film <span style="font-style: italic;">La Crème</span> is a fantasy/comedy about an unemployed salesman, François Mangin, who <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVg02hDrXK_biLcB5SEIlvNuffpujKlWQhAEFchhxVTdclZD019-zCydRAkGw83ZlfoTB0BA2hIhx2vixmG29AqdKXTawxh3NuO60837SsLUgOyFh3PLk6C8DDY08ulGk6Dg-9nK-18Le-/s1600-h/affichG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVg02hDrXK_biLcB5SEIlvNuffpujKlWQhAEFchhxVTdclZD019-zCydRAkGw83ZlfoTB0BA2hIhx2vixmG29AqdKXTawxh3NuO60837SsLUgOyFh3PLk6C8DDY08ulGk6Dg-9nK-18Le-/s400/affichG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398244302570353154" border="0" /></a>receives a mysterious jar of facial cream, which seems to have magical qualities, as a Christmas present. Whenever he uses the cream, people seem to think that he is a celebrity and he starts to use this as an advantage. There are side effects of course, like being accused of rape during sex when the effect of the cream wears off, and the danger of losing his wife because of the attention he gets from women.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">An obvious satire on the celebrity culture, this indie French film had the feel of a rather light-hearted early Godard film. The performances of the actors were quite successful, especially those of Nicolas Abraham and Laurent Legeay, who had a nice chemistry as two rival, unemployed, almost nihilistic characters. I believe <span style="font-style: italic;">La Crème</span> would work better as a short film, as it seems like the point is to make a commentary about the superficiality of celebrity culture, rather than telling a story. It was enjoyable enough, but you won’t miss anything if you don’t see it. That being said, we haven’t actually been able to see the end of the film because the dvd jammed, but Dean Bertram and Jack Sargeant (writer of many wonderful books such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Deathtripping</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Naked Lens</span>) mimed and narrated the last two minutes of the film for us, which I think, was better than the whole film.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqIowNfBdONs1jkEoFiehJIjjvMwLy35Qrae4s4A61I-h8TI08qLlXpPeTukaPl_jWtsJXaeOM5XSl3KQuOquJ0eggPirTXSus6oUyZViw3aZ7yTpcpXS3A4AQ-vXW7iJvc5noH2Oh-aO/s1600-h/IMG_0446.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqIowNfBdONs1jkEoFiehJIjjvMwLy35Qrae4s4A61I-h8TI08qLlXpPeTukaPl_jWtsJXaeOM5XSl3KQuOquJ0eggPirTXSus6oUyZViw3aZ7yTpcpXS3A4AQ-vXW7iJvc5noH2Oh-aO/s400/IMG_0446.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398244610234729618" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCSEMS9qGZ0jL9EFzXRXR-hmiDsMxa3Z4syoHxxZ2GVkeCcLjYbnmHhX2uVYy9OLcfmgu3obBoQiAD0xGYvptkHRtkaiy2p51BuLLhlq82pYJakLMJuaSuuVPnfp7r9s4fbC9cZPXgid0/s1600-h/IMG_0447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCSEMS9qGZ0jL9EFzXRXR-hmiDsMxa3Z4syoHxxZ2GVkeCcLjYbnmHhX2uVYy9OLcfmgu3obBoQiAD0xGYvptkHRtkaiy2p51BuLLhlq82pYJakLMJuaSuuVPnfp7r9s4fbC9cZPXgid0/s400/IMG_0447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398244875265988242" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The second film was the much more interesting Australian indie feature <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1 and 0 nly</span> by Martyn Park. It is one of the smallest feature films I have seen, with a crew of four – the director, the actor, the composer and the production designer (and a bird named Sir William Wallace). It tells the story of genius scientist and environmentalist Frank James Morley, who develops a way to eradicate all humanity off the face of the earth (by targeting their DNA codes only), deciding that human beings are no longer a part of the biodiversity of earth. As the 1 and 0 in the title suggests, there is a cyberpunk aspect to it as well – man converging with the machine, the rise of the digital flesh!<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Da-k9a0D-18&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Da-k9a0D-18&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I must admit I was kind of annoyed and irritated by this, kind of ‘artsy’ sci fi film at first, mostly because of the constant banging of the electronic beats of the soundtrack in my eardrums, and there being no dialogues, or monologues for that matter. Sometimes there is a very thin line between a quiet, contemplative film and pretentious wankiness, and I think this film zigzags on that line. The influence of such genre films as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2001</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Solaris</span> are obvious, but it’s not in the same caliber as they. Still, I enjoyed watching it, and I wasn’t bored despite the elements I just mentioned. The film managed to draw me in </p> <p class="MsoNormal">itself in the end. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">During the Q & A, the director Martyn Park talked about <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGEGdi4mZ9UX9YFbRyU6B-oIh5J3h8qEe6aN9GE5Ssawck3Afxq3-7btQ-Y2QIhwhW0UAzzeLmT98I-PZSo65Vhl-f_hsuVxJ65Ux3Qd_jYuzDZ1APRhFPnA_A-02ekTj7H3RqOshn_wI/s1600-h/1+and+0+nly+Poster+0.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGEGdi4mZ9UX9YFbRyU6B-oIh5J3h8qEe6aN9GE5Ssawck3Afxq3-7btQ-Y2QIhwhW0UAzzeLmT98I-PZSo65Vhl-f_hsuVxJ65Ux3Qd_jYuzDZ1APRhFPnA_A-02ekTj7H3RqOshn_wI/s400/1+and+0+nly+Poster+0.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398245480183885074" border="0" /></a>how he wanted the audience to think about what’s going on with the world and the environment, as it is something not everybody takes as seriously as they should. He also talked about other influences, such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Ghost in the Shell</span> and other animes. Christopher Baker said they were making two different films in <span style="font-style: italic;">1 and 0 nly</span> – Christopher and the production designer Ray Rotton thought they were making a sci fi film whereas Martyn Park thought </p> <p class="MsoNormal">he was making a more psychological film with the implication that Frank James Morley could actually be crazy, rather than a genius scientist and could be imagining that he killed the entire human race. I think I like the latter version better. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUNpTshq_5TzFGGPyXEU6vin8yfF6NunwadQS0kEDY1HL-9b3niokaY3v2cX3jgqxloU1jq8L-6toaOPtUrcpo_uDKLeyJ1bFfrwpV92BMtfIUhKyioXbviQT9iYM2oFxlTs10n1rerds/s1600-h/IMG_0448.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUNpTshq_5TzFGGPyXEU6vin8yfF6NunwadQS0kEDY1HL-9b3niokaY3v2cX3jgqxloU1jq8L-6toaOPtUrcpo_uDKLeyJ1bFfrwpV92BMtfIUhKyioXbviQT9iYM2oFxlTs10n1rerds/s400/IMG_0448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398247302179139250" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Fantastic Planet is starting tonight at Dendy Newtown. You can find all the information you need at <a href="http://www.fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com/">http://www.fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com/</a> The macabresque diary will continue!<br /></p> <!--EndFragment--><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>666</o:Words> <o:characters>3801</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>31</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>4667</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><br /><!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-8193490000356107842009-10-21T01:14:00.000-07:002009-11-12T05:11:14.632-08:00Trasharama - Dick Dale Retrospective (17-10-2009)<span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFtqC343UKsR286vsbLHV9arMthGpXyfTPXbDnh4Rx-sw4F7x0MB-rc-ZtyIZYt9-W80n_k7m3ELqLh-FCa3A1atgPwhCAgxOn_ZK28bCfiG78ABJDsrZZ9HMoaVlZvIr3q-MnufzHOCg/s1600-h/trasharama2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFtqC343UKsR286vsbLHV9arMthGpXyfTPXbDnh4Rx-sw4F7x0MB-rc-ZtyIZYt9-W80n_k7m3ELqLh-FCa3A1atgPwhCAgxOn_ZK28bCfiG78ABJDsrZZ9HMoaVlZvIr3q-MnufzHOCg/s320/trasharama2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394972063416700178" border="0" /></a><br />One cool October evening, we set out for the Mu Meson Archives in Annandale. Mu Meson is an underground cinema venue run by Jay Katz and Miss Death and they have events on every day of the week – not just film screenings, but also fun stuff like Texas Chainsaw Trivia, a trivia quiz for ‘the rest of us’ and Miss Death’s knitting, where even “boys are welcome as long as they do a craft or something useful”.<br /></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>1422</o:Words> <o:characters>8109</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>67</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>16</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>9958</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --></style><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Tonight’s program is world’s first ever Dick Dale retrospective as part of Trasharama A-Go-Go: “Australia’s Nastiest Short Film FESTERval and Competition”, dedicated to trash, horror, sci fi films, and general low-brow entertainment. Dick Dale hails from Adelaide, where he’s been part of the punk scene for more or less the last two decades and has been organizing the Trasharama A-Go-Go festival since 1997. He made his first film in 1993, with his mates from the local punk scene, and since then, he’s been producing DIY gory horror and sci-fi films with ultra trash/punk aesthetics.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRLLD1RdAiszh9yYSACKkEMo8BeQk_fRbudl7SL-T0Tz_NduaRPi7I2U8Gl8s4yjA7Qr_svO2SHh9HnDeBp8ZAmCbCXdGo0EfSEq6Q9r_GKiSheC8C9dmTI9pn8rt1J0wlUpM00a-Zsxs/s1600-h/dick+dale.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRLLD1RdAiszh9yYSACKkEMo8BeQk_fRbudl7SL-T0Tz_NduaRPi7I2U8Gl8s4yjA7Qr_svO2SHh9HnDeBp8ZAmCbCXdGo0EfSEq6Q9r_GKiSheC8C9dmTI9pn8rt1J0wlUpM00a-Zsxs/s320/dick+dale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394966584797651826" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We climb the stairs to the Mu Meson Archives, and there is Jay Katz and Dick Dale conversing happily. They say hello to us and Jay Katz lets us in. We are the first ones to arrive. We find the most comfortable couch in this warehouse-turned-movie-theatre, full of totems and sculptures, old circus posters, dusty reel boxes, and various other paraphernalia, and start watching video works of Emergency Broadcast Network. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When we finally have two digit numbers in the venue, Dick and Jay introduce tonight’s programme: Along with the Dick Dale retrospective, we’ll be watching two documentaries on Dick’s oeuvre and the Trasharama festival.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The show starts with footage from an ongoing documentary project, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Australian Trash</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> by Daniel Knight. It focuses on Trasharama A-Go-Go and includes behind the scenes material from Dick Dale’s latest film </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Family Bizness</span><span style="font-size:100%;">. It also features interviews with friends of Dick - filmmakers, actors and sfx artists and other misfits, such as Jero Cocksmith, Barry Cree and Mike Nichols among others. This is a timely documentary, considering the good reviews Mark Hartley’s </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Not Quite Hollywood</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> received last year. Not Quite Hollywood showcased low-budget Aussie films of the 70s and 80s, and Australian Trash seems to be giving us a glimpse of what happened to low budget/no budget filmmaking films in Australia in the 90s and 2000s.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Australian Trash</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> is followed by a series of Dick Dale films, the first of which is </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Space Yobbysey</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (1996). Inspired by Thunderbirds, and starring action figures, the film is about a futuristic Australian yobbo couple landing in Mars, and annoying the hell out of a local by such activities as having sex, and a barbecue party.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4i3ufnNbvJO8JorzOfcFgYc5sDnAoe9YA1POF3-8Cs8-D9XX6acTuIAZY2NqTcrH0JzbZ2Y7-ukumi1rv-WwRXNkyCBtswIUD9zPnF1UCFBhMhVVu4YtZdn_wncdBqzTlKMznqSg-W2CA/s1600-h/Cheesy+knob+nasties+DVD+cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4i3ufnNbvJO8JorzOfcFgYc5sDnAoe9YA1POF3-8Cs8-D9XX6acTuIAZY2NqTcrH0JzbZ2Y7-ukumi1rv-WwRXNkyCBtswIUD9zPnF1UCFBhMhVVu4YtZdn_wncdBqzTlKMznqSg-W2CA/s320/Cheesy+knob+nasties+DVD+cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394966812337719586" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We then move on to a DVD titled </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Cheesy Knob Nasties</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, which collects Dick Dale’s works from 1997 to 2004. The first of these is </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >The Beast From Bomb Beach</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, made with a budget of 500$ - obtained from Social Security. It appears that the film is about a sea monster attacking a kid on the beach, but as the DVD freezes, we’re not able to watch the whole thing – at this point Jay and Dick start ranting about digital technologies and yearn for the beauties of VHS. Dick tells us that </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >The Beast</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> came second in Foxtel’s Graveyard Shift competition and won 1000$, which provided the budget for his next film (after Dick organized a keg party for his crew with some of that money).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">His next film, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Flies</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> can be described as a psychedelic mad scientist movie. An LSD experiment goes wrong – a scientist is stabbed in the eye with a syringe *ouch* and hallucinates that this lady is, in fact, a giant fly. He kills her and takes her for a drive. When he’s about to have his way with her corpse, the drug wears off and he finds himself in the car with hundreds of flies (which were actual, not sfx, flies!) It’s easy to see this film has a higher budget from the great giant fly and the corpse models. It is sad – but also kind of hilarious – to hear that the fly model was eaten by rats.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Up next, we have </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Yowie</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, which was made in either 98 or 99 according to Dick. It is an eco-horror/mutant soldier film. After John Yowie, a soldier who fought in Iraq and then turned into a mutant because of some experiments performed on him, kills an innocent boy, his commander – in true </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >First Blood</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> style – hunts him down in the outback</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">with the help of and aboriginal tracker. They think they’ve got him, but they fail to take some friends of Yowie’s – what seem to be drop bears – into account. Dick says this forms the base of his current feature project, which we look forward to seeing!</span></p><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMszLAlrmdo&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMszLAlrmdo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_v3UN5QyP_rNdXHTZ1VYeeqGZ4H1AniwY99dfhTlP7YBYMQkOE7i1aCnC1mC9BV2g3UUSDv3-fI9qe9VtAKL94lZsbUiykvpWFT40WTYY-hCTdjtt3QqtF4iPlJzTQYTClXhF2-Lkt3O/s1600-h/shopswamp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_v3UN5QyP_rNdXHTZ1VYeeqGZ4H1AniwY99dfhTlP7YBYMQkOE7i1aCnC1mC9BV2g3UUSDv3-fI9qe9VtAKL94lZsbUiykvpWFT40WTYY-hCTdjtt3QqtF4iPlJzTQYTClXhF2-Lkt3O/s320/shopswamp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394967400741500242" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Yowie</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> is followed by a music video Dick made for his band Kamikaze: </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Swamp Baby Succubus</span><span style="font-size:100%;">. It was shot </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">at 5 pm in a graveyard in Adelaide, and it captures the performance of a naked woman with vagina dentata and a huge snake around her neck to the catchy punk tunes of Kamikaze. Dick says the shooting was completed hastily, giving no time to the police to come and interrupt. Listen to the song on Triple J Unearthed <a href="http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/view.aspx?artistid=3964">website</a>!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Creamy Love</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> was intended as an entry for Tropfest for the producers who funded it, yet it ended up being rejected as it is a bit low brow (as you would expect). It tells the story of an encounter between unsuccessful porn actor Ricky Wilderbeast and the Devil. The Devil, clad as an ice-cream salesman, offers Ricky fame and success in return for his first born. Thinking he’ll never have any children Ricky accepts, but things take an unexpected turn when his girlfriend Bianca Bang Bang gets pregnant.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Dick’s next film is not a film but a faux trailer for a non-existent film called </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Pelican Boy</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, which was inspired by </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Storm Boy</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Surf Nazis Must Die</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> – a heartwarming story of a boy and his pelican. As we watch this coming of age story infested with nazi pirates and zombie pelicans, we can’t help but wish that there were a feature length version of it. Mic Bradshaw must have thought the same thing, as he made a 37 minute “making of” documentary for this five minute trailer, which we watch right after Pelican Boy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Mic Bradshaw’s documentary is titled </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Social Security Spielberg</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, and it tells the story of Dick Dale making films on social security loans while he’s working in day jobs or on the dole. Again, there are interviews with Dick’s circle of friends and colleagues, and fun stuff like how the special effects for </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Pelican Boy</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, such as the flying/exploding garfish, and the undead pelican, were made, and the details of a police raid on the set.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6RFDR2uuogU&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6RFDR2uuogU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We have a brief interval while Miss Death serves her homemade pumpkin soup and rants about people RSVPing to the Mu Meson events but not showing up. Things don’t seem to be looking up on the Mu Meson front – they need more attendance, or the venue might be shut down. Hence, the Save the Mu Meson Archives on facebook.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcdkS0JdlSaOZFIOhCtLfqq_v7jShKBccQbDRMRsU2A3iGbXB12sO12kZfe2q0-nOlJq6tH0Opv8xB7k9hzTPpYLfO3aE0o7eYM5Nq1dlw4qZM6Ydd9Z7DoDWuoM8YrXeFjBlec1rBuhF/s1600-h/IMG_0419.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcdkS0JdlSaOZFIOhCtLfqq_v7jShKBccQbDRMRsU2A3iGbXB12sO12kZfe2q0-nOlJq6tH0Opv8xB7k9hzTPpYLfO3aE0o7eYM5Nq1dlw4qZM6Ydd9Z7DoDWuoM8YrXeFjBlec1rBuhF/s320/IMG_0419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394967988963326482" border="0" /></a>As Dick is talking to Miss Death, I approach him and introduce myself. I tell him I will be writing a piece about him and the retrospective and ask him if I could take a picture. Jay Katz joins in the conversation, we talk about the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Turkish Star Wars</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Turkish Exorcist</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, and they both say good things about the films. I take their pictures and take my seat as they prepare for the second part of the program.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It’s Dick’s latest film, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >F</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >amily Bizness</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, or in his words “his Michael Jackson film”. An homage to Lovecraft and Stuart Gordon’s </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Re-Animator</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, and - well - Michael Jackson, the film opens with Michael singing a mock version of Beat It and dancing on the street with his gang. He goes home and his father slaps him and tells him off for being late and they start their hideous experiments of re-animating the dead. It turns into a family drama when Michael’s father kills his pet freak/lover Bubbles for the experiment and mother gets involved in the situation. What’s interesting is this was made before Michael Jackson’s death.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gsq5aNrgG2k&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gsq5aNrgG2k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Tonight’s last and maybe the most special film is </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Blue Dog</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, made in 1993 on a VHS camera (that Dick reckons was stolen by the guy who sold it to him) with zero budget. Directed by “Dick Disease” and infused with grained images, awful sound recording, a booming punk soundtrack, a cast of punks high on hallucinogens with faces painted blue as part of their roles as zombies, this film was a masterpiece of lo-fi/punk/DIY filmmaking. We’re informed in the end credits that all the animals in this film were raped and killed – and said animals are comprised of a toy blue dog – a dangerous alien which triggers the zombie epidemic by attacking one of the punks. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Blue Dog</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> hasn’t been released anywhere in 16 years, and it is near impossible to watch it anywhere else. So, I consider myself lucky to be there to experience what Dick and Jay defines as one of the first films ever made.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I think </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Blue Dog</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> is important in certain aspects. As well as being Dick Dale’s first film, it marks the beginning of Trasharama A-Go-Go festival, and in that regard, paved the way for Australia’s new generation of trash filmmakers… Also, it gives signals of what route Dale’s filmography would take over the years. We come across zombies, aliens, punks, and iconic elements of Australian culture – rugby balls, Hills Hoist, barbecues and lawnmowers; indigenous people, koalas (drop bears) and others in Dick Dale’s films that follow </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Blue Dog</span><span style="font-size:100%;">.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">As the night comes to an end, Dick tells everyone to go and make their own films. He humbly says that he’s just one guy among many that makes films like this but people know about him because he has a big mouth, and suggests that we do the same - go out and make films instead of sitting around and complaining.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We say goodbye to Dick and Jay and walk towards the exit. Dick shouts from behind as I go out:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvEBigxEMc6MxJWOoxi1jhkJNa4IeEIMEdGAP2-Uf6TUJ8lOZ50W3Ejn0r4AyCzbmVJvfITHeFtfNWcz3v3BQD75iBp9jsMScbPcKyxnHuewNgqMvnY2FAz3MKWtkgqMGMo32WoS5fNGv/s1600-h/IMG_0420.JPG"><br /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Turkish Star Wars and Turkish Exorcist rule, man!”<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">* To check out the Trasharama website and buy the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Cheesy Knob Nasties</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> DVD and/or Trasharama merchandise, go to </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:100%;" >http://www.trasharama.com.au/index.html</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2225BVJSAL2l04UYUtCI8ODPZu3gwcxanBX0TRx2Cfi6HKbBUFGrH3Mcf2QVrI74Imi0_s-EKBpvmezpp0dbCn2AOXtFE9PWTEs2WoRWPiBu4ssMmr3cToQyrFaL_GHFcvbVt30tdpmCp/s1600-h/IMG_0420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2225BVJSAL2l04UYUtCI8ODPZu3gwcxanBX0TRx2Cfi6HKbBUFGrH3Mcf2QVrI74Imi0_s-EKBpvmezpp0dbCn2AOXtFE9PWTEs2WoRWPiBu4ssMmr3cToQyrFaL_GHFcvbVt30tdpmCp/s320/IMG_0420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394969448913658674" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-88038656053470111682009-09-15T23:16:00.000-07:002009-09-16T07:22:34.225-07:00Balcancan - Darko Mitrevski (2005)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD9-_T-QifMHXGnHXWy8YWdWC2DYnPOLeXOnZOAhVeTXf0nKcwOdRjPREilGoaHz0ERze_eTT8p_Ko6kOktCMz0inFPe-4cCTolwHaJrDq7PIMaiAJBxrLr575IGLzwhvpXcbT7F74WSO/s1600-h/balcancanposter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD9-_T-QifMHXGnHXWy8YWdWC2DYnPOLeXOnZOAhVeTXf0nKcwOdRjPREilGoaHz0ERze_eTT8p_Ko6kOktCMz0inFPe-4cCTolwHaJrDq7PIMaiAJBxrLr575IGLzwhvpXcbT7F74WSO/s320/balcancanposter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381946880458876226" border="0" /></a>!!SPOILERS!!<br /><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>452</o:Words> <o:characters>2582</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>21</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>5</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>3170</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Balcancan</span> is slightly different from the films we usually talk about here. It’s not a cult, horror, exploitation film or anything of that sort, but it has a touch of quirkiness we appreciate here at Macabresque.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Directed by Darko Mitrevski, this Macedonian-Italian joint production is a road film/dark comedy, and is about a Macedonian man called Trendafil Karanfilov and his search across the Balkans, for the dead body of his mother-in-law, wrapped in a carpet. All the important dates of Trendafil’s life has been marked by wars, which is shown as the reason for his reluctance to join the army and/or take part in any violent act. When the military wants to enlist him, his wife Roza suggests leaving the country and going to Bulgaria, taking her mother Zumbula with them. Zumbula dies on the road and in an effort to evade bureaucracy, they wrap her up in a carpet to cross borders without any problems. When the carpet bearing Zumbula is stolen, Trendafil decides to call Santino Genovese (the son of Don Genovese, who was Trendafil’s father’s blood brother) and ask for help. Together, Santino and Trendafil travel across the Balkans to find the carpet and the body, encountering various shady figures from underground crime world, druglords, arms salesmen, organ mafia…<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cvGlV8fR_SLbPQfWVnKnNboZ3y-CKLO7v4A3mGaRVvmvZEvXkG-lo-IwTGYHnwfe1CTdfojiW66GOPXF4f95SnUvaGdAXWqL8xEuLFcVstr6AqC8moVCL-I0O4sPVBZgl6KnnMixs5dR/s1600-h/balcancan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cvGlV8fR_SLbPQfWVnKnNboZ3y-CKLO7v4A3mGaRVvmvZEvXkG-lo-IwTGYHnwfe1CTdfojiW66GOPXF4f95SnUvaGdAXWqL8xEuLFcVstr6AqC8moVCL-I0O4sPVBZgl6KnnMixs5dR/s320/balcancan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381947054205506706" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dina Iordanova, in her book <i style="">Cinema of flames: Balkan film, culture and the media</i>, writes about the common cultural identity in as well as the common stereotypes about the Balkans, saying that the Balkans have been subject to an othering process in the Western discourse, being labeled as people inclined to violence, “exotic and attractive” but “impossible to deal with”, and as “the gypsies of Europe”.<span style=""> </span>Balcancan – like many other films by such directors as Kusturica and Gatlif – reaffirms this view, but portrays these characteristics as lovable idiosyncrasies, or using them to create a dark humour. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Iordanova also states that the travelogue form, featuring the gaze of an outsider is quite dominant as a narrative strategy in the representations of the Balkans, both internationally and internally. Violetta Petrova explains this situation by saying it both tries to “‘tame’ the hostility of the foreign gaze” and mirror the stereotypes about the region<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> (<a href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/reviews/rev002/vpbr14a.html">link</a></span>).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Balcancan</span> is a good example of this, as it is a road movie with a Macedonian local and an Italian character as its protagonists, presenting both the local perspective and an outsider’s gaze on the violence, wars, crimes and corruption that’s been sweeping the Balkans. It’s a self-depreciative attitude, emphasizing an awareness of the problems in the country, which has the power to drive an absolute pacifist like Trendafil Karanfilov into a violence-crazed killing machine and destroy an entire underground organization that sells children’s organs in the black market.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRkCmxEC9aEzJ1E-BQgpzjg94_Vtpnr7agwn57cIvEKO4wxAXll76VHJ2eU6uqk498llRqywzljNxL5Oagl4DmXn_enQAaAhwLbpyEE4Kqps-zzquXb7_hXoTi7HY8CSEEd3hYnrRwzwP/s1600-h/UB-16-BALCANCAN.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRkCmxEC9aEzJ1E-BQgpzjg94_Vtpnr7agwn57cIvEKO4wxAXll76VHJ2eU6uqk498llRqywzljNxL5Oagl4DmXn_enQAaAhwLbpyEE4Kqps-zzquXb7_hXoTi7HY8CSEEd3hYnrRwzwP/s320/UB-16-BALCANCAN.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381950695922637058" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Balcancan</span>, which has broken the box office record in Macedonia when it was released, is a must see for anyone who enjoys film about the Balkans. </p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-46994738720821328812009-09-02T00:37:00.000-07:002009-09-02T00:40:54.117-07:00Drag Me To Hell, An Addendum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5Ek8tCMHKxZFRqFO9ilehL-k-t6Vo4RRUza4Tz6UqyA7XsA4l80zuTrzx7PIyB0iozT2FLKOnpMj51rdd-mS8d8pqAq_F3CXLhCY1zbQ7PxK3S1X12QtBD0v6NeUtEnH_CIDVfqwuezE/s1600-h/alison_lohman_drag_me_to_hell_movie_image.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5Ek8tCMHKxZFRqFO9ilehL-k-t6Vo4RRUza4Tz6UqyA7XsA4l80zuTrzx7PIyB0iozT2FLKOnpMj51rdd-mS8d8pqAq_F3CXLhCY1zbQ7PxK3S1X12QtBD0v6NeUtEnH_CIDVfqwuezE/s320/alison_lohman_drag_me_to_hell_movie_image.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376771822017140914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>157</o:Words> <o:characters>900</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>7</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>1105</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style>I have mentioned in the previous post that the main character, Christine is from a Southern town and is trying to fit in the Californian lifestyle. From that perspective, it is possible to say she is an ‘other’ herself. Her boyfriend’s parents, particularly his mother, has a lot of prejudices against her, deeming her a farmer girl and judging her because of her background. Hence, Raimi brothers are trying to gain the audience’s sympathy for Christine by positing her as a likable, ordinary, unpretentious girl. The real ‘enemy’ here should be the ‘Western’, elite, capitalist class represented by the Bank manager, and to a certain extent by Clay’s parents, which forces Christine to conform to their values, and which pushes her to the frontline, by making her confront a poor – and easily dislikable – gypsy woman. Christine’s sin, then, becomes her ambition to fit in to this world of capitalistic order, leaving her ‘simple’ background behind. What is criticized in Drag Me To Hell, is ultimately the American dream of class mobility, and a greed for success that knows no limits. <span style=""> </span> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-38147316921867748282009-08-25T03:15:00.000-07:002009-08-25T03:29:00.894-07:00Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi (2009)<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ-Va7aeiFq9ClIUUso2TYE7MnB7qwJt4fcxY0n4iIdJm2GPdHWU08V9NMlivBAqev-a4ohif8WCV8KjcZGzomK762cqrHAKSIEluGtUcEG8YKxRHz6fCAxtvl1NGpYHJQNTl1Fzpp-l8/s1600-h/drag_me_to_hell.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ-Va7aeiFq9ClIUUso2TYE7MnB7qwJt4fcxY0n4iIdJm2GPdHWU08V9NMlivBAqev-a4ohif8WCV8KjcZGzomK762cqrHAKSIEluGtUcEG8YKxRHz6fCAxtvl1NGpYHJQNTl1Fzpp-l8/s320/drag_me_to_hell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373844932195058290" border="0" /></a>!!SPOILERS!!<br /><br /></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>642</o:Words> <o:characters>3662</o:Characters> <o:company>Macquarie University</o:Company> <o:lines>30</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>4497</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><span style="font-size:100%;">Continuing our “gypsies” run with a review of the recent Sam Raimi film, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell</span>. It is Raimi’s first horror film in a long time – I’m aware I’m disregarding <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Gift</span>, here, which was an all right </span><span style="font-size:100%;">film, but not as much fun as a big Evil Dead fan like me would like it to be, and was more of a paranormal thriller than a horror film – one in which he goes back to his roots as the director of the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Evil Dead</span> trilogy. We should note that a fourth installation of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Evil Dead</span> series is to be released in 2010.<br /><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell</span>, written by Sam Raimi and his brother Ivan (</span><span style="font-size:100%;">who also co-wrote <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Army of Darkness</span>), tells the story of Christine Brown, a southerner living in California, and trying to fit in by working on her accent and by trying to get a promotion in the bank she’s working as a loan officer. The assistant manager position is to go to either her, or her co-worker Stu. Christine’s boss advices her to prove herself by making tough decisions, which she does by denying an old Eastern European woman, Sylvia Ganush, a third extension on her mortgage. Sylvia begs Christine to help her in a forceful manner, and Christine has to call security to take her out.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">When Christine leaves work in the evening, she gets att</span><span style="font-size:100%;">acked by Sylvia. Unable to beat Christine physically, Sylvia takes a button from her coat and curses her. Later that night, after Christine told the police about the incident, she and her boyfriend, Clay, go into fortuneteller’s store, to Clay’s protest. The fortuneteller tells her she is haunted by an evil spirit called Lamia, which will come to claim her soul in three days.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Christine is attacked by invisible forces for the next couple of days. She goes to talk to Sylvi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KBXIcwEw38MFa-C08cRCeo_xVF8A99fNDeP9U39uzT7UIBW1xzksSrbZb7fqqR94eXGkq9SAY02xRetENAOCbay4qFgPUIUlv6UhPEZvJ6sZrxybVwtnudmCRLEE6QINOTSrtOQR0K2z/s1600-h/drag_me_to_hell_witch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KBXIcwEw38MFa-C08cRCeo_xVF8A99fNDeP9U39uzT7UIBW1xzksSrbZb7fqqR94eXGkq9SAY02xRetENAOCbay4qFgPUIUlv6UhPEZvJ6sZrxybVwtnudmCRLEE6QINOTSrtOQR0K2z/s320/drag_me_to_hell_witch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373844119680942226" border="0" /></a>a but finds out she died from her daughter. She tries to get rid of the curse by sacrificing her cat, which doesn’t work. Neither does a 10.000$ séance. As a last resort, Christine tries to give the button to someone else, as Lamia will come for the owner of the cursed object. She decides to give it to Stu first, but she can’t get herself to do it. So she opens up Sylvia’s grave and puts the button (which is in an envelope) in her hand and goes to meet her boyfriend, only to realise, she gave the wrong envelope to Sylvia. It is the third day, and as she falls onto the railroad in panic, the ground opens and she is dragged into a pit of hellfire.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">As much as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Wolf Man</span> was ahead of its time in its treatment to gypsies, <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell</span> goes back to the image of gypsies as source of evil. In the opening scene of the film, we see a Mexican family in late 1960s California, whose son is cursed by gypsies for stealing a necklace. The boy ends up dragged into hell, and dies a horrible death. Then, when the film moves onto present day, Christine is cursed by a “gypsy” woman, for doing her job. The film treats gypsies as the exotic, uncanny ‘other’.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">There is a small scene in <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell</span>, where the gypsies are portrayed in their celebratory mood during Sylvia’s funeral. Christine’s disturbance by this scene is quite apparent, as the laughter and the “beastly” appetite of Sylvia’s friends and relatives are emphasized in a grotesque way, and Christine’s face goes immediately sour. Sylvia, in true witch fashion (!), gives Christine trouble even in her death, her dead fingers pulling her hair out. Sylvia’s daughter has no sympathy for Christine either.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfFdKQGg0wZH-txTLHKrHDOCn9TAUx9lA7nl3cqJ8RRRrjnyC59b08H3DmWCTTuSHsYbMzhE2g8XkiXBf3vh1X-wmtR0SPPzSCJlvKUJxU6psUNY6N-uwRyC4uJ59h6_AedTkT3NbRthV/s1600-h/dragmetohell.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfFdKQGg0wZH-txTLHKrHDOCn9TAUx9lA7nl3cqJ8RRRrjnyC59b08H3DmWCTTuSHsYbMzhE2g8XkiXBf3vh1X-wmtR0SPPzSCJlvKUJxU6psUNY6N-uwRyC4uJ59h6_AedTkT3NbRthV/s320/dragmetohell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373844579513555378" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">On the other hand, the gypsy characters aren’t the absolute evil in the text. Or rather, Christine is not the absolute good. Christine acknowledges she could have given Sylvia another extension but she didn’t do it for the sake of getting the promotion she wanted. She doesn’t refrain from sacrificing her cat, or considering condemning someone else to hell to save herself. In the end, she ends up being dragged into hell, and as the audience, we vaguely derive some pleasure from that.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">What makes it all all right is that, there is kind of a tongue-in-cheek attitude in the film. <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell </span>is a good old fashioned horror film in a modern make up. The special effects, with scenes featuring eyes popping, blood splattering, and green puke gashing are a tip of the hat to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Evil Dead</span> films and all the gore films of the 1980s. In that regard, the gypsy curse might be regarded as an homage to another old horror film tradition.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Overall, I can say that I enjoyed watching this film in the cinema and I’m looking forward to seeing <span style="font-style: italic;">Evil Dead 4</span>. </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-62158520829223229512009-08-12T23:09:00.000-07:002009-08-12T23:19:42.761-07:00The Wolf Man (1941) - George Waggner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai87c8Ha8v0vpgxenMKRp4fDXacoVcsmwb4I4UlmTyUtio575A9os5nJU2COUEC3L2zGV-rCcAEL_OyBSyNftoqRo6rgWs_wDIIHJr2UsQaLvWZ3PEmK9aOadplS61wLlA3dhubSjBZHY/s1600-h/the-wolf-man-1941.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai87c8Ha8v0vpgxenMKRp4fDXacoVcsmwb4I4UlmTyUtio575A9os5nJU2COUEC3L2zGV-rCcAEL_OyBSyNftoqRo6rgWs_wDIIHJr2UsQaLvWZ3PEmK9aOadplS61wLlA3dhubSjBZHY/s320/the-wolf-man-1941.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369327496036777586" border="0" /></a>!!SPOILERS!!<br /><br /><div>As a remake of the classic horror movie <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Wolf Man</span> is due next year, with an all star cast of Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Hugo Weaving and Emily Blunt, I thought it would be an appropriate time to dig up one of my older drafts of a review on the 1941 version featuring Lon Chaney, Jr and Bela Lugosi and put it up on <span style="font-style: italic;">Macabresque</span>.<br /><br />The film is about Larry Talbot, who returns to his homeland, Wales from the US upon learning about his brother's death. One night, as he is walking with a woman called Jenny Williams around the gypsy camp near the town, he is attacked by the werewolf/gypsy Bela. Larry manages to kill him but is bitten during the process. Bela's mother Maleva tells him that he's marked (he has a pentagrad appearing in his hand) and that he will turn into a werewolf during certain times. The rhyme popularised by this movie goes:<br /><i><br />Even a man who is pure in heart</i><i><br />and says his prayers by night</i><i><br />may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms</i><i><br />and the autumn moon is bright.</i><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDiiP5vGobnOMRd5Wnf7pCPnpydNVRzogZWTaU0XKcEkMbASJ0Fd6SEFIvcegb3eo5H1ZWYn-Ehl9F665hv-uGOQC63_qPvHMwf5AYu6LFHR6Noh9ixpQK4r9ZJp2BH724fIrZYD8ovJh/s1600-h/wolfman2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDiiP5vGobnOMRd5Wnf7pCPnpydNVRzogZWTaU0XKcEkMbASJ0Fd6SEFIvcegb3eo5H1ZWYn-Ehl9F665hv-uGOQC63_qPvHMwf5AYu6LFHR6Noh9ixpQK4r9ZJp2BH724fIrZYD8ovJh/s320/wolfman2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369327948016358226" border="0" /></a><br />Talbot then starts turning into werewolf and terrorising the townsfolk. He tells his father Sir John about his curse, but he doesn't believe him. Sir John, hunting down the "wolf", finally catches him and kills him, only to find out that it was actually his son Larry, when he turns back into his human form.<br /><br />Gypsies were often represented as untrustworthy, uncanny (bearing an uncanny sexuality) and supernatural people in gothic literature and early horror cinema. Bram Stoker, for example, employs them as Dracula's faithful servants. In old horror movies, a gypsy is, by default, an old hag who looks at whatever tool available to see the future (tarot cards, crystal spheres, palms) and see ill omens. </div><br /><div> </div>This is far from the romantic image of gypsies as an irrational (by which I mean "not belonging to the rationality of the Enlightenment and current capitalistic world order") people who hail each and every minute of life (and death) with songs and dance in a joyful manner - an image brought to life by such directors as Emir Kusturica and Tony Gatlif and recently bands like Gogol Bordello.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppiI8mCcF_Pe6czDAG1nvpVf7kCwLIA1V15YJmeBXWHJdrX254LjUElAi268lbZ65LGElL4cnSln4DKVKBUd0Me4Ezuebkp4CoE3MxCA15UPcFHz8b13ygC8zYYiVOQvLxEN1EUs97pW_/s1600-h/the-wolf-man-703924.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppiI8mCcF_Pe6czDAG1nvpVf7kCwLIA1V15YJmeBXWHJdrX254LjUElAi268lbZ65LGElL4cnSln4DKVKBUd0Me4Ezuebkp4CoE3MxCA15UPcFHz8b13ygC8zYYiVOQvLxEN1EUs97pW_/s320/the-wolf-man-703924.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369328634122682482" border="0" /></a><div> </div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Wolf Man</span> presents a mixture of both these images related to gypsies. This is a movie set in England and it bears elements from the gothic literature tradition. In that same spirit, gypsies are portrayed as a source of the supernatural and as an uncanny people, yet they are not agents of absolute evil. They are allowed to live their <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTjh_EvjWlXujDjaoSQT3bBzSyHN98kPIn3rxIiFF9SDcEj16OOespEXZgVn8X3wNbczycDOSG6-vIRm1ItkgrM4DCt-UlF-fO-2vZefYUh_t4AssS8kMrKsodIME0AVgTC-TgbGLU72D/s1600-h/gypsy.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTjh_EvjWlXujDjaoSQT3bBzSyHN98kPIn3rxIiFF9SDcEj16OOespEXZgVn8X3wNbczycDOSG6-vIRm1ItkgrM4DCt-UlF-fO-2vZefYUh_t4AssS8kMrKsodIME0AVgTC-TgbGLU72D/s320/gypsy.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369328316231500114" border="0" /></a>tragedies. When the gypsy Bela dies, the old gypsy woman Maleva and a priest have a conversation about how the funeral service should be. Maleva does not want a Christian service, which makes the priest angry. He says he knows what they do, they dance and sing around the dead. To this, Maleva replies, "Us gypsies bury our dead like this for a thousand years. I couldn't change this tradition even if I wanted to."<br /><br />This in an interesting case of representing a minority, that has been subject to much discrimination until very recently, in a more humanistic light. One may wonder if it has anything to do with the screenwriter Curt Siodmak being a victim of the Nazi policies, and having to escape his homeland, Germany, and move to the US, and therefore understanding the plights of being a minority.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-86662007905662211932009-07-14T21:50:00.000-07:002009-07-16T21:46:14.046-07:00Pervert! - Interview with Jonathan Yudis and Mike Davis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wBu41Bukt0V06fTJ75qyCHJE4MtlECYeIhyphenhyphenX-ou_s_NLVBIBpX-Gup_mfmvCavYW4E2i4CisEQ0LNO6Wd8tFQ5PPDk0dKHGIwG5Nr8aJubNF80u_8f2BRfGwSqAdPuf3WkZospyL4Qe5/s1600-h/pervert_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wBu41Bukt0V06fTJ75qyCHJE4MtlECYeIhyphenhyphenX-ou_s_NLVBIBpX-Gup_mfmvCavYW4E2i4CisEQ0LNO6Wd8tFQ5PPDk0dKHGIwG5Nr8aJubNF80u_8f2BRfGwSqAdPuf3WkZospyL4Qe5/s320/pervert_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358546859158863378" border="0" /></a>Pervert!<span style="font-style: italic;"> is an American indie movie for the fans of cult sexploitation</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> films, made by the fans themselves. It is an homage to Rus</span><span style="font-style: italic;">s Meyer films, but the producers call it rather a “love letter”. The movie can be defined as Russ Meyer meets H. G. Lewis meets </span>The Hand<span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span>Kondom Des Grauens<span style="font-style: italic;">. It has been received with praise by the cult movie community and it won the Best Feature Aw</span><span style="font-style: italic;">ar</span><span style="font-style: italic;">d at the 20</span><span style="font-style: italic;">06 Coney Island Film Festival. I did an interview with the creators of the film in 2006 for </span>Sonic Splendour<span style="font-style: italic;"># 5, which was unfortunately never published. So without further ado, here is a peek at the world of </span>Pervert! <span style="font-style: italic;">through the eyes of the writer/co-producer Mike Davis and the director Jonathan Yudis. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hello, Mike and Jonathan. First of all, can you tell us about your background on filmmaking? How did you decide to make “Pervert!”?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Davis:</span> I studied screenwriting at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, optioned my first screenplay (it was never made) and have been writing scripts ever since. Jonathan and I have been working together creatively since I moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and had varying degrees of success trying to work within the Hollywood system, but weren't able to get our work produced. We did "Pervert!" outside the system, and it is my first experience with film production. For me, co-producing Pervert! was better than going to film school.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jonathan Yudis:</span> I've always loved movies. I grew up on 70's and 80's movies and TV. My <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-gX8-adIvk0iOifNdSYnZhtq0_4dg1pDVGcdWFIgHhUBeAT92-AIe2dNAvbkFJW78CkuAkEPwQdLaPR9zupM6UrFiBoxp5O-Blce7bvoE8uSxv8bllVePJqgPsIpKi-cEhV4NIwqzWbl/s1600-h/Sally%252c+Jonathan+%2526+Poster+at+SLFF_0898.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-gX8-adIvk0iOifNdSYnZhtq0_4dg1pDVGcdWFIgHhUBeAT92-AIe2dNAvbkFJW78CkuAkEPwQdLaPR9zupM6UrFiBoxp5O-Blce7bvoE8uSxv8bllVePJqgPsIpKi-cEhV4NIwqzWbl/s320/Sally%252c+Jonathan+%2526+Poster+at+SLFF_0898.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358547656570249506" border="0" /></a>directorial influences are all over the place, from Kubrick to Spike Lee to Ron Frike (Baraka) to Coppola to - of course Russ Meyer. Like Mike said- we really just wanted to MAKE a movie and stop developing and pitching ideas to other people. After nearly 10 years in the game and many award winning shorts and some TV gigs, I was still paying the bills working as an office PA at Paramount when we created the opportunity to direct PERVERT! The goal was to make something outrageous and funny for very little money.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Who and what are your influences?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M: </span>I love classic directors and cult directors. I am inspired by the amazing work of Fellini, Kubrick, Hitchcock, Herschell Gordon Lewis, John Waters and Roger Corman. As for Pervert!, the most important influence was unquestionably the late Russ Meyer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J:</span> Russ Meyer catalogue/ 70's exploitation/ Outrageous Comedy in general<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How was the movie received generally? And how was it received in terms of political (in)correctnes</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">s?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M: </span>The reception to Pervert! has been incredible. It was made for a specific audience which is outside of the mainstream, and that audience has embraced the movie as the 'modern cult classic' we wanted it to be. Fans of cult, exploitation, sexploitation can be very picky (including myself) about new movies, and the general reaction we get is "You guys got it right." That is a huge compliment. But above anything else, Pervert! is a comedy, and the laughter from the audience always warms our hearts. We did not take ourselves seriously in the creation of Pervert! (except on a technical production level) and I think the fans appreciate that. It's hard to hate and be offended by a movie that is meant as one big joke.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J: </span>Mainstream Hollywood has completely dissed PERVERT! I have collegues that no longer return my phone calls and others that avoid talking about Pervert! completely. Still other producers and people I know say that if I had any sense at all or ever want to work in Hollywood- I should remove my name from Pervert!<br /><br />On the other hand, the cult movie community (which is who we made Pervert! for) has completely embraced PERVERT! and seems to not only "Get it" but celebrate it for what it is- a silly sexploitation comedy that pays its respects to Russ Meyer, 70's Drive-In classics, the horror /exploitation genre and movies that are created to push some buttons and make you laugh. I think it's also safe to say that anyone who appreciates big boobs will dig Pervert!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you think about the rise of exploitation/trash movies during the recent years?</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4ed__I80cYVy5mydsyhw_VccO7uVODfJteoYyeY0LZNZXMsHZV5SYCfZciBgWadQd2gacGDV4CJw-Qzr7dBH5Yyb-DJerLWsaL55WASJwd_WFPGlKaGcfnXWZCP5mV4UalV7keYCz6CX/s1600-h/PERVERT2.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4ed__I80cYVy5mydsyhw_VccO7uVODfJteoYyeY0LZNZXMsHZV5SYCfZciBgWadQd2gacGDV4CJw-Qzr7dBH5Yyb-DJerLWsaL55WASJwd_WFPGlKaGcfnXWZCP5mV4UalV7keYCz6CX/s320/PERVERT2.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358547928462901106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M:</span> I love it. I'm happy to see these sickos coming out of the woodwork. I just hope the quality stays high (I mean low) and that the genre continues to evolve and be updated, not retreads of what's already been done.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J:</span> It Rocks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike also runs an independent film company called Stag Films. So, what is your motivation to produce and promote independent, cult, exploitation films? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M: </span>Like any great underground movement, I feel like the twisted souls who get off on this kind of stuff need a venue to get themselves heard. It's very exciting to me whenever the existing system of power gets lazy and little punks come along and kick it in the ass. If enough of us do it, then things may actually change!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Can you talk a little bit about future Stag Films projects? Are you guys planning to make another movie together?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M:</span> Stag Films/Infinite Entertainment is planning on making a follow up to Pervert entitled "The Corpse Corps." It is an homage to 60's biker flicks about an outlaw motorcycle gang that reunites only to find that someone is trying to wipe them out. It will be different from Pervert! but equally outrageous!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J: </span>Yes- THE CORPSE CORPS which Mike described (and we also have several other scripts I'd like to see produced including an Alien Comedy )<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Pervert!” has an overt tongue-in-cheek attitude – one which is reminiscent of parody - which is another common characteristic among the new exploitation films. What do you think separates you from <span style="font-style: italic;">Scary Movie </span>series? </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HnezpZ-sD4hAYQWwbs79x7usVsLwW7BO7yGtpVPeTLsAn_AemZw1MwmpzX9WmrnN0L0btBb1FpSyNunxqcGUq_F2zWA7pR0RIJ7nAO-OuokamplVyb63HVwluh-LuZOw2ydDSe0yro5B/s1600-h/comic.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HnezpZ-sD4hAYQWwbs79x7usVsLwW7BO7yGtpVPeTLsAn_AemZw1MwmpzX9WmrnN0L0btBb1FpSyNunxqcGUq_F2zWA7pR0RIJ7nAO-OuokamplVyb63HVwluh-LuZOw2ydDSe0yro5B/s320/comic.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358548243620767986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M:</span> Pervert! does not take itself seriously in any way, even as a 'parody.' We homage bits and pieces of many different types of movies and mix them together into a soup. This time the overriding flavor was Russ Meyer, the next movie will be biker gang movies. We don't recreate scenes of other films with a funny twist, we just want the audience to know who inspired us and make the whole damn thing twisted. I guess it's more like the Quentin Tarantino technique than Scary Movie. I like to think of Pervert! not as a parody or an homage, but as 'a love letter.'<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J:</span> I agree with Mike’s response on this.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The movie derives a lot from comic book aes</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">thetics, especially at the beginning and at the end. Do you like comics? The style used in the comic book cover of “Pervert!” reminded me of the works of underground comix artists. Was this a conscious choice? Do you think you have anything in common with them?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M:</span> I'll defer this to Jonathan since it was his idea. But I will say it helps establish that this movie is meant to be viewed like a cartoon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J:</span> I always thought of PERVERT! as a live action cartoon- so I thought the comic book opening and closing could be a simple but effective way of telling the audience - "Hey- this is just a COMIC world, none of this or these characters are meant to be taken too seriously". And yes, I am a comic fan myself and loved the techniques used in movies like American Splendour or all the Ralph Bakshi catalogue (which interconnects the live action and animated worlds on film)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What kind of equipment did you use while making the film?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD61vzROMhm4qn5pXa3VnQCdpc4E4gmqPfZqC_W7k8eMo5ZR6upULjdvv5qWzuUn2jQk6IedY7-eXHidXntz-XprXTp2Hb1L8_GtwFbACVPUAnhE7hCG8RFdJFWcF8j6KkAxJQIVMmRvgL/s1600-h/15+ShotgunPattyA.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD61vzROMhm4qn5pXa3VnQCdpc4E4gmqPfZqC_W7k8eMo5ZR6upULjdvv5qWzuUn2jQk6IedY7-eXHidXntz-XprXTp2Hb1L8_GtwFbACVPUAnhE7hCG8RFdJFWcF8j6KkAxJQIVMmRvgL/s320/15+ShotgunPattyA.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358548650538622306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">J</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> We were committed to shooting PERVERT! on film. I thought that given the subject matter and nudity in the script, if we shot on any Video format, it would subconsciously connect the viewer to PORN as opposed to the 70's sexploitation movies which were all shot on film. Though I wanted to use 35MM, we could only afford super 16MM which turned out to look amazing. We were going for the BRIGHT Colors of the Russ Meyer films which also lend to the Cartoon aesthetic. we shot with a great 16MM ARRI camera.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What would you like to say to those who want to make their own films?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M:</span> The technology exists now that almost anyone can make their own film (or at least video). I hope that everyone will, and that each person will attempt to do something that has never been done before.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J: </span>Do it. Go for it. The world needs to see your visions and films. Don't let all the nay sayers or Hollywood nonsense get you down. You could never imagine ALL the people in this world that might really be moved, inspired, or transformed by your film (no matter how crazy or absurd it might be)- but they can only be inspired by it if you actually MAKE it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Any last words?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M:</span> Russ Meyer lives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">J:</span> Thanks for the support. Live long, Laugh loud, and Embrace your inner Pervert!<br /><br /><br /><br />PS: Check out <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pervertthemovie.com/">http://www.pervertthemovie.com</a>/</span> to order the DVD and for more informationcan y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-31778050330689470522009-07-05T07:10:00.000-07:002009-07-05T19:03:49.051-07:00Kondom Des Grauens (Killer Condom) - Michael Walz (1996)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftWRoQssFCu6Z1OAY5TB45PJZwFoFGnw62TmDPTWDDP1UOSNjSopQMRxBiVZlhNNpBWPIcArXx9hyphenhyphenOD2PtOLKCgtBysjCOKGHxZMbGGP4JXN1gBLDGkuLlBeeXrgT9a__WaxSEAJvLuPk/s1600-h/killer+condom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftWRoQssFCu6Z1OAY5TB45PJZwFoFGnw62TmDPTWDDP1UOSNjSopQMRxBiVZlhNNpBWPIcArXx9hyphenhyphenOD2PtOLKCgtBysjCOKGHxZMbGGP4JXN1gBLDGkuLlBeeXrgT9a__WaxSEAJvLuPk/s320/killer+condom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354979105486843058" border="0" /></a>!!SPOILERS!!<br /><br />Moving on from castrating genitalia to castrating prophylactics. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kondom des Grauens</span> was adapted from gay comics artist Ralf König’s graphic novel<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>of the same title by Martin Walz. Set in New York with an all German cast, it tells the story of the Sicilian harboiled detective Luigi Mackeroni fighting against killer condoms with razor sharp teeth, and homophobia among other things.<br /><br />New York Police Department’s attention is drawn to Hotel Quickie, a brothel in the most sleazy part of N<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMVsys8p0zkxnnmQMvWzLR0yjfozdLtEWo2TRpI9QWF2uYcUphAJH7zQT6TrEOzbzgNn2TWIFdX6x5NzDMWafAtiJRqe4bLAAHvruN66sBxnLeSeyvEt8Md3cVS69wUIUB08YhAvEOKUZ/s1600-h/bulle+and+billy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMVsys8p0zkxnnmQMvWzLR0yjfozdLtEWo2TRpI9QWF2uYcUphAJH7zQT6TrEOzbzgNn2TWIFdX6x5NzDMWafAtiJRqe4bLAAHvruN66sBxnLeSeyvEt8Md3cVS69wUIUB08YhAvEOKUZ/s320/bulle+and+billy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354979308430912626" border="0" /></a>Y, when four incidents of castration take place in one night in its rooms. Detective Mackeroni, seemingly a frequenter of those parts, goes there to investigate the case, and meanwhile taking the opportunity to have sex with a male prostitute, Billy. As they are about to start, they realise the condom provided by the hotel is moving around the room. Mackeroni loses one of his testicles trying unsuccessfully to catch it and opens his eyes in the hospital, where he swears vengeance on the killer condom. Billy comes to visit him in his apartment and implies he’s in love with him, to which the cynical detective replies by saying he doesn’t believe in love any more.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79Ufyh_co075v7VMp6k4mAnBvVJwvn77y95DbXTcQZhAAjcauFeGZnqjv17JYowwlt18UxGvZF2BWRXgBeZOH3VP_vNNQJ9PhwEe7yBCe4YKsuLVVxbEFKzZGwDrtNb2yEUYSqtdc4rpL/s1600-h/killercondom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79Ufyh_co075v7VMp6k4mAnBvVJwvn77y95DbXTcQZhAAjcauFeGZnqjv17JYowwlt18UxGvZF2BWRXgBeZOH3VP_vNNQJ9PhwEe7yBCe4YKsuLVVxbEFKzZGwDrtNb2yEUYSqtdc4rpL/s320/killercondom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354979623138948114" border="0" /></a><br />Aided by former-cop-turned-transvestite Bob/Babette, who has a crush on Mackeroni, they catch the killer condom and kill it by using a hose as a bait whose other end is connected to the gas pipe. However, their troubles don’t end as more killer condoms emerge from the sewers and go on a castration spree, chopping the republican presidential candidate’s penis off on the way. Mackeroni & co follow the clues to the chapel hospital where Mackeroni was treated, where Frau Dr Riffleson, aided by the mad scientist Dr Smirnoff and a Chinese man, produces the genetically engineered killer condoms to fight pre-marital sex and homosexuality, which are, according to her, against the Lord’s intentions for mankind. After beating her, and killing the giant killer condom intended for Mackeroni’s 32 centimetre (12.5 inches) penis, Mackeroni gives his ‘sermon on the mount’, preaching love regardless of gender. He, then, walks off to the sunset with Billy promising to take him to Sicily to meet his family.<br /><br />This film is wonderful in so many ways, it is hard to decide where to start. It satirises certain aspects of American society, like the ever present conservatism in Republicanism and fundamental Christianity, which deem homosexuality unnatural and dirty. Frau Dr Riffleson is an exaggerated version of the homophobic frenzy among the c<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xCP4lKk6nn9ioDNWtnVHBUCBZQSdFtjMotQEmJQdrcIXtXVazPIyDJFeS2v7LwZcU6I06i_HzZfZdPRMjzSUfoMbCjLhqLtQ2zR0MTwYqNlUWiSFpLdAOcRH4It8OPR6b9oKAs7oJsmW/s1600-h/babette.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xCP4lKk6nn9ioDNWtnVHBUCBZQSdFtjMotQEmJQdrcIXtXVazPIyDJFeS2v7LwZcU6I06i_HzZfZdPRMjzSUfoMbCjLhqLtQ2zR0MTwYqNlUWiSFpLdAOcRH4It8OPR6b9oKAs7oJsmW/s320/babette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354980027969458962" border="0" /></a>onservative segments of the society in her crazed attempt to end the sins of the ‘depraved’ by setting loose monster condoms in the gay and sleazy districts of the city. Ironically, one of the killer condoms find its way to the Republican presidential candidate’s bathtub, after his speech against sexual deviance in the city – as he is about to have sex with a prostitute.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kondom des Grauens</span> parodies the American hardboiled detective genre by replacing the straight macho detective with a charming ‘bear’, complete with trench coat, unshaven face, chain smoking and a voice over. His femme fatale is an ‘homme fatale’ and he fights for gay rights, thus reversing the gender roles perpetrated in many detective films. It is also a camp, and at times carnivalesque, celebration of gay culture. The transvestite Bob/Babette, with her lip-synching to “Killing me Softly” and insistence on Mackeroni’s seeing her as his mother - thus finding her sexy - is lovable in every scene she’s featured. The homophobic detective Sam is punished for his ignorance of the gay culture by being urinated on, but after a fist fight with Mackeroni, he bonds with his gay colleague, and becomes more accepting of homosexuality. The short, fat, hairy detective Mackeroni, with his big penis, is clearly a carnivalesque figure, who fights against the orthodoxy of the Church, which wants to end life based on pleasure, and promote abstinence outside of being fruitful and multiplying.<br /><br />I have been able to ge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zm0KCqnvpPoGOEJhDCOawlAgkLLZH4B2u1d5d2Pd_xBy5oetd0gqoRTIIPmOBsPGghNqUbfHBjhYEzxttnTLwCYf5-NRMEHdGfMeHGAhyWbBSwebMcJdLFC9-LV-2dwxVcjekz5ZJiin/s1600-h/kondom+comic1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zm0KCqnvpPoGOEJhDCOawlAgkLLZH4B2u1d5d2Pd_xBy5oetd0gqoRTIIPmOBsPGghNqUbfHBjhYEzxttnTLwCYf5-NRMEHdGfMeHGAhyWbBSwebMcJdLFC9-LV-2dwxVcjekz5ZJiin/s320/kondom+comic1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354980240240900914" border="0" /></a>t my hands on the graphic novel to compare it with the film. The copy I have is in German, but as the first part of the film is more or less the same with the graphic novel, which is not surprising as König seems to have created the book as a "horror film" as indicated on the cover. It wasn’t difficult to understand what was going on. The film also makes use of the sequel of <span style="font-style: italic;">Kondom des Grauens</span>, titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Bis auf die Knochen</span> (To the Bones), but is not entirely faithful to the script, which features a gay alien/monster who eats men with his penis and spits their skeletons out. The graphic novels are definitely more pornographic than the film, and look worthwhile to get a hold of for underground comix fans.<br /><br />(PS: Above, you see the cover of the Dutch version, courtesy of Lambiek.net).can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-7606196896186348182009-06-07T18:01:00.000-07:002009-06-07T18:09:47.923-07:00Shaun of the Dead – Edgar Wright (2004)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1te8aGdaGd9uBDm-Bm4Hv2wE_yhJWP1AAXlS3f2Kzb6sYCZ_gg2unYOXGwemDRVzzB2rmOLRtc2G5mANPszVZeFSa3oTkSSHExtMF-l5g6ICWRWRSHn6-F6SGrD0U03yAGujLDKr8DJG/s1600-h/300px-shaun-of-the-dead1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1te8aGdaGd9uBDm-Bm4Hv2wE_yhJWP1AAXlS3f2Kzb6sYCZ_gg2unYOXGwemDRVzzB2rmOLRtc2G5mANPszVZeFSa3oTkSSHExtMF-l5g6ICWRWRSHn6-F6SGrD0U03yAGujLDKr8DJG/s320/300px-shaun-of-the-dead1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344757631634024226" border="0" /></a><br />“A romantic comedy... With zombies” The tagline says it all. I’d heard good things about this movie and when I saw the DVD at a rather cheap price at an airport, I thought “well, it might worth giving it a try” and worth it, it was. British cinema, since the nineties, have put forth some really cool films that are bound to be classics. This one ranks among the best of them. Simon Pegg, as Shaun and Nick Frost as Ed are hilarious. Clever observations on the lifestyle of the English, ups and downs of a romantic relationship and zombies snatching the intestines of people out. Basically, it’s a parody of zombie movies, winking here and there to all the zombie fans out there. However, its style of parody is not as 'disturbing' as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Scary Movie</span> series' is. It is only a movie that does not take itself too seriously. If I had watched it before I saw Undead, I would have liked it much more than I did. But see both of them if you are into zombie movies and watch out for that cricket bat, we might have a new Ash coming our way.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">From<a href="http://www.myspace.com/sonicsplendour"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Sonic Splendour</span></a> # 4</span>can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-27261398001969609972009-05-22T03:32:00.000-07:002009-05-22T03:38:18.165-07:00Pig – Nico B. (1999)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEuWGK1zeckezmsB3PKhRY2U3_aj6emyHDMKFVAdeaS6b5IYg3WJnqj07UMkLpzqTlmbaHNkZgO0ieEPzI_393Jsos4kuuXbv61iQfEEOlhorGwVUDKSxveVewvMdxsc60DNyNUyV2uYc/s1600-h/pig_cover_rozz_williAMS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEuWGK1zeckezmsB3PKhRY2U3_aj6emyHDMKFVAdeaS6b5IYg3WJnqj07UMkLpzqTlmbaHNkZgO0ieEPzI_393Jsos4kuuXbv61iQfEEOlhorGwVUDKSxveVewvMdxsc60DNyNUyV2uYc/s320/pig_cover_rozz_williAMS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338595019657408658" border="0" /></a>23-minute-long, 16 mm, b&w underground film by the Dutch filmmaker Nico B. This is also the latest project of Rozz Williams, the late frontman of Christian Death and several other bands, and a source of inspiration for the likes of Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson. Written by Williams, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pig</span> depicts the relationship between a killer (Williams himself) and his victim (James Hollan). It does not contain any dialogues. Just bizarre imagery, coming right out of the killer’s mind... We see him reading from a book called <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Why God Permits Evil</span>, full of swastikas all over, and applying several different torture techniques on his victim, including sewing his penis and nipples together. The uncanny soundtrack, also by Williams, adds up to the irritating atmosphere of the film. It says “Rozz Williams spoke of the film as a form of exorcism and transition of his personal demons” at the back of the DVD. What an exorcism... definitely not for the squeamish. <br /><br />From <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sonicsplendour"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Sonic Splendour</span></a> # 4can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-88783947525715422312009-05-17T08:10:00.000-07:002009-05-17T08:36:35.038-07:00B for Bad Cinema Conference Diary, Entry #3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEojTJSTFtAQ9UOgv0l_m8eTmctG8chvMmMAaDlhLHRsCWUBAkjf8dmNmEWBH1INoMeqNlvB_cM_7Uvlp_-WWicDXeN1IHeiG1XoagiQG0McmVHT-SyRkGnN9pUG7JAxtEQrxMZg1swMmE/s1600-h/DSCN1493.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEojTJSTFtAQ9UOgv0l_m8eTmctG8chvMmMAaDlhLHRsCWUBAkjf8dmNmEWBH1INoMeqNlvB_cM_7Uvlp_-WWicDXeN1IHeiG1XoagiQG0McmVHT-SyRkGnN9pUG7JAxtEQrxMZg1swMmE/s200/DSCN1493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336813066800700274" border="0" /></a>7 in the morning on Friday April 17, I woke up with a hangover the size of Yarra River. Nothing a quick shower and a couple of painkillers couldn’t cure, as it turned out. This was the day I was presenting my paper. In some cases, I’ve found hangovers help me with my performance in presentations and the like. Fortunately, this was one of those cases.<br /><br />I was a bit late to the morning plenary session, where Ernest Mathijs argued bad cinema presents a different experience of time in his paper “Discontinuity and Lack of Progress: Time in Bad Cinema”. He asserted that bad cinema either refuses to or is unable to represent a logical progression of time, and therefore challenges the way we are used to perceive time in modern society.<br /><br />After the morning tea, there were four parallel sessions, which were called “Dirt(y) TV”, “Films no-one likes”, “More Horror”, and “Eroto-cinema”. I was presenting at the “More Horror” panel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WWdWwi5T_wFqoZZJdXcQm7duhpS2_pV3559zFLOA8hdJ1trEWo-sWnvulNUBM_ZXp291tq8SliJ4to5v02bSYgdp1WJRACQAQsRch3k2kbbvD4dzrAMTOLqrcXcHxzydLx0ZiTIlJlm9/s1600-h/InseminoidF-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WWdWwi5T_wFqoZZJdXcQm7duhpS2_pV3559zFLOA8hdJ1trEWo-sWnvulNUBM_ZXp291tq8SliJ4to5v02bSYgdp1WJRACQAQsRch3k2kbbvD4dzrAMTOLqrcXcHxzydLx0ZiTIlJlm9/s200/InseminoidF-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336813192064158178" border="0" /></a>, and thinking about how the organizers made our panel sound more boring than it actually is: “Yeah, more horror, nothing special there” – which definitely wasn’t the case, and not because I thought my paper was interesting, either. I think creativity for panel titles was the one thing lacking in this conference, in general. First in our panel was Jason Bainbridge with his paper “When Big Budgets Go Bad: Fraternizing with <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash Gordon</span> and Going down <span style="font-style: italic;">The Black Hole</span> or Why Don’t More People write papers on <span style="font-style: italic;">Inseminoid</span> (1981) anyway?” Bainbridge, accompanied by a Flash Gordon action figure, looked at the cases of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Black Hole</span> (1979) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash Gordon</span> (1980) to talk about films that aim to be blockbusters but fail, and compared the bad blockbusters and the cultural value that is attached to them with that of the low budget bad film, embodied by <span style="font-style: italic;">The Inseminoid</span>. Next up, Dominic Lennard, whose paper’s title was quoted in <a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/film/films-so-bad-theyre-good/2009/04/15/1239474932759.html?page=fullpage">an article published in <span style="font-style: italic;">T</span></a><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/film/films-so-bad-theyre-good/2009/04/15/1239474932759.html?page=fullpage">he Age</a> on April 16, did something that’s rarely done in horror film studies, and took the male body and its horrors in focus in his paper “‘Somehow the indentities, they get all Mixed Up’: Fatherhood, Science and Semen in Larry Cohen’s <span style="font-style: italic;">It’s Alive</span> (1974)”. He analysed the patriarchal discourses in the film, which poses reproduction “as a male technological process”, as the male character’s sperm is identified as the cause of a mutant baby’s birth. My paper, being the only one that does not mention sperm anywhere throughout – and therefore probably not as much fun – was titled “<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s1N9mtp4lTSrakL1qPb18pMUTBaiy3nGPBQH3J8D3ExTlVfvSBLRwwi8_Lhpe_mxvVlq8Q1sMBEVDCRtb7yurs0IByq46Faq6RW8gqGVFu4o6AzbqtooMtvZ-kVTrPczm2ecXvMvjirA/s1600-h/musallat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s1N9mtp4lTSrakL1qPb18pMUTBaiy3nGPBQH3J8D3ExTlVfvSBLRwwi8_Lhpe_mxvVlq8Q1sMBEVDCRtb7yurs0IByq46Faq6RW8gqGVFu4o6AzbqtooMtvZ-kVTrPczm2ecXvMvjirA/s200/musallat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336813346779527186" border="0" /></a>Exorcising Hollywood?: Turkish Islamic Horror Cinema”. I focused on five recent Turkish horror films with Islamic themes or overtones, in the light of Yuri Lotman’s model of cultural transfer. My final argument was that these films represent more the return of the bad film than the horror film. I received quite a few questions, some of which were about whether it was possible to get these films with English subtitles. It made me feel good to see a few people, who weren’t at our panel, come up to me and say “Are you Can Y.? I heard about your paper. That sounds really interesting. Could you send it to me?”. Ego-boosting, to say the least!<br /><br />The afternoon session with the panels “Stars”, “Australia II”, “Bad Boys”, and “Valu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8118j8dNk5iMzfuFLKT9k0l0D8jGsPu6CGAaMnHdWIYA-aWxeRfuoSt9UNproNOkmLb7yFWokiYlFDe6gbcZO_40w4xpTzyIaPfdeyMCwgIxZ-CsC8sQgzJ-DXxDXLh6-bchmb4pZ60X_/s1600-h/28-days-later.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8118j8dNk5iMzfuFLKT9k0l0D8jGsPu6CGAaMnHdWIYA-aWxeRfuoSt9UNproNOkmLb7yFWokiYlFDe6gbcZO_40w4xpTzyIaPfdeyMCwgIxZ-CsC8sQgzJ-DXxDXLh6-bchmb4pZ60X_/s320/28-days-later.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336813601473005570" border="0" /></a>e” was when most of my conference buddies were presenting their papers. I started with the “Value” panel, where Phil Betts was presenting his paper “The Gentrification of Bad Cinema”. Phil, who in numerous occasions confessed to be “not a horror film person”, was more than able to blend in with us zombie crowd by his industry analysis of Fox Searchlight distributed <span style="font-style: italic;">28 Days Later</span>, where he questioned the lines that blur between the independent and the commercial, bad cinema, and the mainstream. After Phil’s presentation, I moved on to the “Bad Boys” panel to listen to Karen Mauri talking about the New Zealand animated series <span style="font-style: italic;">Bro’ Town</span> in her “B For <span style="font-style: italic;">Bro’ town</span>: ‘Im goin 2 da pub I may be some time”. Karen looked at the way in which this “minority” TV series employ strategies of self-mockery and st<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbzzDd9tJf93FLxFyWwaNLVbyZu-F8sGXTdaj36LbPAZuHYQ18LZGGoCRRNs6ow4l8xiyKUc2J1MEGSY2uS0ZYkTsVqvVLYvBqWCWqoYcEQbCn8dwgNN0VMA8tygsXbTraLvmA8LPvSwX/s1600-h/brotown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbzzDd9tJf93FLxFyWwaNLVbyZu-F8sGXTdaj36LbPAZuHYQ18LZGGoCRRNs6ow4l8xiyKUc2J1MEGSY2uS0ZYkTsVqvVLYvBqWCWqoYcEQbCn8dwgNN0VMA8tygsXbTraLvmA8LPvSwX/s320/brotown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336813780902672642" border="0" /></a>ereotyping, along with more “commercial” elements to address a broader audience. The last paper of the session was Mario Rodriguez’s “Horror-Ritual: Horror Movie Villains as Re-Presentational Sacrifice”. He argued that villains in horror movies are ritual construct and the reason for their existence is to transgress boundaries. He gave examples from films like <span style="font-style: italic;">There Will be Blood</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">No Country for Old Men</span> as well as <span style="font-style: italic;">Saw</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Hostel</span>, to show the function of villains as receptors of re-presentational punishment.<br /><br />The last plenary session of the conference was Jamie Sexton’s “Cult Film: From Bad to Good and Back to ‘Bad’ Again?”. Sexton’s paper was an archaeological investigation of the term ‘cult’ and outlined the changes the term has undergone since the early twentieth century, when it had a negative meaning. Identifying ‘cult’ as a generic term, he differentiated it from other generic terms, as its connotations are mostly reception-based. After Sexton’s talk, Con Verevis made the closing remarks in “Close: A Bad Ending”, and implied a possible sequel to “B for Bad Cinema”.<br /><br />We went to Lygon Street for some nice Italian Pizza and then to Brunswick Street for a couple of celebratory beers. The conference was over, but Melbourne still had some attractions to offer: the Queen Victoria Markets, a meeting with a fellow Melancholy scholar, the Comedy Festival, hanging out with people who gave us <a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://www.macms.org/DDK/">A Dark Day’s Knight</a>, Setting the Scene exhibition at ACMI, and “world’s freakiest bookstore”, <a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://www.polyester.com.au/">Polyester Books</a>!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje83LN2Qc7WIzzdNUB2B8ym4UaXtFLHcY6zRkkjuxBTHEBcMpXo0gwJ_YlWVzDEI0DuNO9fXeBm-9EXhTfETh1O1hdCy8SPxdyt3yBXizEExlhWsZRoxAXRhpulbqVLUhLqFjAo9LAvJeE/s1600-h/polyester.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 121px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje83LN2Qc7WIzzdNUB2B8ym4UaXtFLHcY6zRkkjuxBTHEBcMpXo0gwJ_YlWVzDEI0DuNO9fXeBm-9EXhTfETh1O1hdCy8SPxdyt3yBXizEExlhWsZRoxAXRhpulbqVLUhLqFjAo9LAvJeE/s320/polyester.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336814032102779698" border="0" /></a>can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-74904992315091633272009-05-11T06:39:00.000-07:002009-05-11T07:11:52.800-07:00B for Bad Cinema Conference Diary, Entry #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWWbIEQpovQ1nF_UEl_U1o20ZUt2PTF5ZOLtLWLPezWixF9Ky9vA1Iyvk0m_l9BDyBnyVvqaSwkfPu9LAyIaq0iOoQ4XGpN_632MQXG7rhn2vxmKbkY73qgyOTS-yZ3sU0ELkr_8X1-9H/s1600-h/DSCN1491.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWWbIEQpovQ1nF_UEl_U1o20ZUt2PTF5ZOLtLWLPezWixF9Ky9vA1Iyvk0m_l9BDyBnyVvqaSwkfPu9LAyIaq0iOoQ4XGpN_632MQXG7rhn2vxmKbkY73qgyOTS-yZ3sU0ELkr_8X1-9H/s200/DSCN1491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334565966000334290" border="0" /></a><br />We were told the day before that one of the plenary speakers, Jeffrey Sconce – writer of the legendary article “Trashing the Academy” – had notified the organizers, 48 hours before the conference, that he would not be able to make it, which gave us an extra hour of sleep at the expense of getting the chance to see a celebrity academic.<br /><br />The first parallel session of Thursday April 16 had “Pedagogy”, “Australian”, “Perversion”, “Eighties” and “Politics” to choose from. I decided to follow my friends to the 80s session, but I still think the Perversion one might have been more suitable to my taste, much as the 80s session was good fun. It started with Tim Groves’ paper “Bad Affects, A/sociality and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">St Elmo’s Fire</span>”. He looked at Joel Schu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY531sjfRDDdjj14fJ8wz9B3rU0U7KjKw2D5GPGQXLbEpLnmJ6ajmYbHynX4GhxLe82xQiJrak7aLgwP40RFjNdkI0jla-13nLKblWw-a7jNsZyCXPHsY2Gg7YlSCrQekINN4mMeMnDoqd/s1600-h/CommandoPoster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY531sjfRDDdjj14fJ8wz9B3rU0U7KjKw2D5GPGQXLbEpLnmJ6ajmYbHynX4GhxLe82xQiJrak7aLgwP40RFjNdkI0jla-13nLKblWw-a7jNsZyCXPHsY2Gg7YlSCrQekINN4mMeMnDoqd/s200/CommandoPoster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334565413928430450" border="0" /></a>macher’s 1985 film <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">St Elmo’s Fire</span> using group psychology theory, particularly using writing that deconstructs Freud’s work on sociality, such as Mikkel Borch-Jocobsen’s. Next, Matt Sini gave us a taste of best of Arnie’s one-liners in “‘I Eat Green Berets For Breakfast’: Schwarzenegger, Cheesy Lines & 80s Action Film”. Instead of measuring the size of the governator’s legendary biceps, he focused on his Austrian accent and “poor acting ability” (his acting talents weren’t poor, he was a visionary deconstructing the notion of the serious action film star!) and how these made it possible for his fans to enjoy his films through recognizing their artificiality. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-tRErs5UcI">Here</a>’s one of the clips Matt showed. Third, Suzanne Woodward talked about the 2007 <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Hairspray </span>remake in her “‘Moral Turpentine’ – The Recuperation of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Hairspray</span>”, comparing it to the original version by John Waters. She maintained there’s a move to the mainstream, but there is still counterculture, bad taste, and ickiness and it still satirises the shallowness of the American Dream.<br /><br />The next parallel session of the day brought us such panels as “Russian”, “Horror”. “Revisions”, “Hyper-bad Theory” and “Bursting the Frame”. My ‘panel crawl’ started with the first paper of the Hyper-bad Theory, with John Scannel’s “Why ‘Bad’ Cinema is Often Rather ‘Good’”. John used Deleuze’s theory from his Cinema books and said the power of bad cinema comes from its repetition of diffe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuARqNqOyICzys5jKTp0WbiwgfrweKMhgmQE77zaDwWYa4bKnP2lG3m8UkPWaBcg0B80SKnOLvmklH6JZKb10Ba9sf6Yz1srVAZhESIDVy-Zrn8cLi5yJzJeUKEydXOzKzThbyFDxvpcW/s1600-h/howling3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuARqNqOyICzys5jKTp0WbiwgfrweKMhgmQE77zaDwWYa4bKnP2lG3m8UkPWaBcg0B80SKnOLvmklH6JZKb10Ba9sf6Yz1srVAZhESIDVy-Zrn8cLi5yJzJeUKEydXOzKzThbyFDxvpcW/s200/howling3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334566913289812498" border="0" /></a>rence, which is unlike good cinema’s repetitions of preconceived clichés, and ever ready to extend into chaos. I sneaked out of the panel to go to my supervisor Catherine Simpson’s talk on Aussie Eco-Horror. In “Ozploitation and Gaia’s Revenge”, she talked about such great Ozploitation films as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Long Weekend, Razorback, Howling III: the Marsupials</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Rogue</span>, which all feature animals wreaking havoc on people who do not respect nature. As the panel ended with Catherine’s paper, I went back to the Hyper-bad Theory panel to listen to Alan Cholodenko’s “B for Baudrillard (Hyper)cinema”, which blurred the lines between a conference paper and rap poetry as Choldenko recited lines as “the logic of paracinema as hypercinema is: at once bad more and less good than good and at the same time good more and less bad than bad” with the speed of a machine gun.<br /><br />Following the afternoon tea, we all went to Angela Ndalianis plenary session titled “Corpse <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw4DHRG0X_x7AHzlnblIRDn_pKCMzIIJoqPHkV6QeoxGRBLBGY90unyIGC9_qZ8-wUDb1vjTt9MKBkxKgp8PK76ZRSvwQPAiWBnoop7zG-IjsC5cquuOYx09g8OFvjc6yq1duog6oagau/s1600-h/pride_prejudice_zombies1w.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw4DHRG0X_x7AHzlnblIRDn_pKCMzIIJoqPHkV6QeoxGRBLBGY90unyIGC9_qZ8-wUDb1vjTt9MKBkxKgp8PK76ZRSvwQPAiWBnoop7zG-IjsC5cquuOYx09g8OFvjc6yq1duog6oagau/s200/pride_prejudice_zombies1w.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334567130061236434" border="0" /></a>Contagion and Aesthetics of Disgust”, which was an homage to zombies. Ndalianis showed examples of the zombie subgenre across a variety of media – cinema, comics, computer games, and literature (<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pride and Prejudice and Zombies</span>). Encompassed by scenes of consumption of human flesh, zombie cultural products evoke a sensation of disgust, which pushes audiences into a dilemma of whether to look or not to look. This is probably best exemplified in the “splinter-in-the-eye” scene of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfcHg7XLPSw&feature=PlayList&p=64ADBCF38F264CA2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=15"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Zombi 2</span></a>.<br /><br />The last parallel session offered “Music”, “Japanese”, “Women”, “Visionary Bad” and “Exploitation”. I first went to the Japanese panel to listen to Brady Hammond’s “Haunted Girls, Bad Girls, and Mothra: Charting Feminism in Post-War Japanese B Movies”. Brady (who is t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnXkQHYwBfSyMeBgFJdwsihgriaueMPepJLHK0KQ8FxELyEhChNr0cfcdh7vAsIOV4wXmzbsX529jspN6cZKbMkwOr1Rk6NWm_NI4S4Rx2QkI7Mq2ERMC645G1TdOAGMwA6wsrLcoXF-U/s1600-h/lordofg-strings01story.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnXkQHYwBfSyMeBgFJdwsihgriaueMPepJLHK0KQ8FxELyEhChNr0cfcdh7vAsIOV4wXmzbsX529jspN6cZKbMkwOr1Rk6NWm_NI4S4Rx2QkI7Mq2ERMC645G1TdOAGMwA6wsrLcoXF-U/s200/lordofg-strings01story.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334567403498687250" border="0" /></a>hinking of making a film about werewolves on the moon), questioned the presence of feminism in Japanese cinema and culture, in films and subgenres such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mothra</span>, which presents the first female monster to destroy Japan; Pink films, which objectified women, and J-Horror, with its avenging female spirits. I then moved to the Exploitation panel and listened to Scott Knight and Alison Taylor’s account Seduction Cinema and Retro-Seduction production and distribution companies in “ Sexploitation Paracinema & DVD: The Case of Retro-Seduction Cinema”. Mostly known by their softcore parody films such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lord of the G-Strings</span> and their house star Misty Mundae, Seduction – a branch of the company Pop Cinema – has a sister company called Retro-Seduction, which distributes sexploitation classics from the 60s and 70s, along with their remakes. The last paper of the day was Beth Toren’s “Jager Shots: Quentin Tarantino Exploits B-Movies in <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Death Proof</span>”, which summarises what the paper was about. Toren, gave examples from films like <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Texas Chainsaw Massacre</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Halloween</span> to show how Tarantino borrows extensively from old B-Movies, also focusing on the shifting roles of the female characters in B horror cinema, as well as in <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Death Proof.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREuqPd25-HHdtf35isBb-a42P6W_eGJKJJQk03HDsNVxUsuEt-ZdU9fMcCd5hnDuFXQulQ78wQRSZssWCfqv2ggJZLQnBPD6UTvc-GDRz2N_vbihj3o5fF0tMVNOmZFO0o4R9Ba48jH0e/s1600-h/alko05.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREuqPd25-HHdtf35isBb-a42P6W_eGJKJJQk03HDsNVxUsuEt-ZdU9fMcCd5hnDuFXQulQ78wQRSZssWCfqv2ggJZLQnBPD6UTvc-GDRz2N_vbihj3o5fF0tMVNOmZFO0o4R9Ba48jH0e/s200/alko05.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334568410227111666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We went to have some Thai food in the city with my conference buddies before the Conference party at The Order of Melbourne started. The place was quite suitable to the theme of the conference, with stuffed animals here and there, and old 45s of B films playing in the background. Considering I had a paper to present the following day, I had way more drinks than I should.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-51032000096697380872009-05-03T00:50:00.000-07:002009-05-11T07:16:02.731-07:00B for Bad Cinema Conference Diary, Entry #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B_bqTt3Az-Ba_p0jc2txsS6Vm4cZi_p6j4_HvhpkURcBoIWuGUPV3JNENScst3Mr_12y48sWCmCfVOZ64Z4J7Dp2mqB0WOLwt-bVevqk0NyVkxwRVxCWiZaWlAvlqt6yotoRYdZdLGBG/s1600-h/bad-cinema-640v.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B_bqTt3Az-Ba_p0jc2txsS6Vm4cZi_p6j4_HvhpkURcBoIWuGUPV3JNENScst3Mr_12y48sWCmCfVOZ64Z4J7Dp2mqB0WOLwt-bVevqk0NyVkxwRVxCWiZaWlAvlqt6yotoRYdZdLGBG/s320/bad-cinema-640v.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331502819370357314" border="0" /></a>After immersing myself into the delights of <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Night of Horror</span> a few weeks ago, it was now time to go to Melbourne for a Conference devoted to splatter, zombie, Euro-trash, Ozploitation, exploitation, and erotic cinema among other things!<br /><br />The incredibly cool titled conference <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">B for Bad Cinema</span> started on April 15th. I missed the opening night, which was on the 14th, as I arrived in Melbourne around the time it finished and got to my hotel around 9 pm. But I was able to find my way to Monash University, Menzies Building on Wednesday, just in time to get registered and attend the first plenary session.<br /><br />The organizers did a really nice job of putting together an awesomely designed folder, containing the Conference programme, abstracts, and two badges along with the name tag. I kind of wish they did souvenir conference t-shirts and bags, too, but oh well…<br /><br />The first plenary speaker was Murray Pomerance from Ryerson University and his paper was titled “The Villain We Love: Notes on the Dramaturgy of Screen Evil”. Pomerance first talked about how “the elimination of embodiments of evil has been a spectacle and a source of intense pleasure for audiences for hundreds of years”. Then he moved on to the representations of evil on the screen, saying no dramatic film will seem successful if it shows the demise of the villain too early. He looked at the case of Brian Singer’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Valkyrie</span>, asked what would happen when the evil represented on the screen is based on a historical figure like Hitler, and showed how Hitler was divorced from historical facts for the sake of filmic narrative and catharsis.<br /><br />After the plenary session I decided to go to the Splatter session (the other parallel sessions were “B-Auteurs”, “Boredom”, “Video”, and “Gender”). The first speaker was Phoebe Fletcher from the University of Auckland. Her paper “‘Fucking Americans’: Postmodern Nationalisms in the Contemporary Splatter Film” focused on dystopian representations of capitalism in recent films such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Hostel</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Turistas</span>, and emphasized the orientalist tendencies in these films as the image of the east is distorted. She also analysed this trend as a result of global anti-Americanism after the invas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZrW3bS8W3lkf5QKCCcsLqnLmIbGFatkoxew03WWGuzQVq9NBw-GH5t2awhGTJzvBjNIJdmyqe4hSzrLyBZ5ZE4W5V8zD_YTkuT7vJO06yMJ70VzzctBCefF-OJ6CiO9Of4DfqdgF0ii3/s1600-h/142224__texas_chainsaw_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZrW3bS8W3lkf5QKCCcsLqnLmIbGFatkoxew03WWGuzQVq9NBw-GH5t2awhGTJzvBjNIJdmyqe4hSzrLyBZ5ZE4W5V8zD_YTkuT7vJO06yMJ70VzzctBCefF-OJ6CiO9Of4DfqdgF0ii3/s320/142224__texas_chainsaw_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331503642078920690" border="0" /></a>ion of Iraq. Next, Craig Frost talked about remakes of old horror films in his “When Bad Cinema Goes Bad”. He particularly looked at the Michael Bay produced <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</span> remake, and underlined how bad this version was compared to the original, stripped of any cultural context, and just striving to be commercially viable. The last talk of the session was Naomi Merritt’s “‘A Vile Little Piece of Sick Crap’: Battaillean Transgressions and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</span>”, and analysed Tobe Hooper’s classic film within Battaille’s concepts of Taboo and transgression, drawing on the idea of extreme seductiveness of horror.<br /><br />The afternoon session had such titles as “Ozploitation”, “Television”, “Reception”, “Imaging” and “Capitalism” and I chose to go to the last one. The first speaker, Manish Priyadarshi didn’t <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL28QoA_gr903Jr3WYtNRUz8hKubYmJbmwa4xnceE_AXCuv-AxslDy2Q-gTens_a8PLanLpNlcjf6dG4gmS7KoFUqyeVe5ElvGnpMGn8Ql_4gR-chpg54Q4_m3c636-jXzKlbdJvaM764L/s1600-h/revengeofthenerds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL28QoA_gr903Jr3WYtNRUz8hKubYmJbmwa4xnceE_AXCuv-AxslDy2Q-gTens_a8PLanLpNlcjf6dG4gmS7KoFUqyeVe5ElvGnpMGn8Ql_4gR-chpg54Q4_m3c636-jXzKlbdJvaM764L/s320/revengeofthenerds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331504192472168818" border="0" /></a>show up, which gave the second speaker, Brendan Murphy from Central Queensland University plenty of time to show us a lot of sweded films on youtube in preparation for his paper “B Grade 2.0: Gondry, ‘Sweding’ and B Movie Tropes in Emerging Social Media Culture”, and looked at how newly emerging media technologies reshaping media production, with a case study of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Be Kind Rewind</span> fuelled sweded films. Next, Mark Steven, a self-confessed nerd, presented his paper on <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Revenge of the Nerds</span> titled “Their Time Has Come: Bad Cinema Nerds as Late-Capitalist Paradigm”. His argument was that the nerds versus jocks paradigm could be read as the 21st century vs 20th century capitalism, where nerds stood for the late capitalist paradigm.<br /><br />The second plenary session was conducted by Adrian Martin, who delivered a paper titled “My Bad (Part 1) – The Risible, or; On With the Adventure!”. His paper started with an account of how, as a child, he enjoyed watching films without any judgment, which turned even the worst films into a thrilling adventure. He stated how he rebelled against the standards set by rationalized and intellectual frames of mind for ‘good cinema’, which prevents audiences to enjoy not only B-grade films but also more avant-garde and experimental works. A big chunk of the paper dealt with films of the French director Jean Claude Brisseau, with accompanying clips, which seemed to blur the boundaries between arthouse cinema and exploitation films, and presented a revolutionary worldview, not unlike Jean Luc Godard’s in <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Week End</span>. Instead of despising or loving these films for the same reasons: because they are ridiculous and silly, we should return to that fundamental pleasure of watching them we experienced as children, Martin suggested.<br /><br />The last parallel session of the day presented such p<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabmfWrI9MRcC4pVkTTxDJjnTCw6DZZqhtai4JAsk7m8REfsP6ooWqy4GmEGhXkRpOGdyCGMZfE7T1XnCgsCPEL9CbPEqMH7elJW-rv_I2MsAshRdRiY2ySEiVzpsYwMaGq1bzelSBCAcF/s1600-h/brisbanezombie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabmfWrI9MRcC4pVkTTxDJjnTCw6DZZqhtai4JAsk7m8REfsP6ooWqy4GmEGhXkRpOGdyCGMZfE7T1XnCgsCPEL9CbPEqMH7elJW-rv_I2MsAshRdRiY2ySEiVzpsYwMaGq1bzelSBCAcF/s320/brisbanezombie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331504513760826578" border="0" /></a>anels as “Zombies”, “Realism”, “Indonesian”, “Euro-Trash”, and “Hollywood”. I was really torn between Indonesian, Euro-Trash and Zombies, but then I couldn’t resist the charm of the living dead, those rock stars of horror cinema. The first speaker was Allan Cameron, who talked about the sense of contingency in zombie films and horror cinephilia, drawing examples from Lucio Fulci’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Zombi 2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">- a.k.a Zombie Flesh Eaters</span>(especially the notorious shark vs zombie scene) and Romero’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Diary of the Dead</span>, in his paper “Zombie Media: Resolution, Reproduction and the Digital Dead”. Next, John Edmond did a presentation on zombie fandom. His paper “Zombie Fans, Zombie Walks, and Everyday Life” focused on cultural productions of zombie fans, which, due to the speechless nature of zombies, is usually visual and performance based, showing photos from Brisbane Zombie Walk 2008. Lastly, Lindsay Hallam looked at Lucio Fulci’s zombie films in the light of texts of Marquis de Sade and the concept of transgression, and underlined Fulci’s fascination with the limitations and possibilities of the body, and how they can be destroyed. This session was also one of the best in terms of discussion, as it was where different opinions on the speed of zombies (John Edmond said he would feel cheated if he saw fast zombies, in the same way as he would feel cheated if he saw a UFO in a Western) and when the best time to watch a Fulci is (one audience member suggested it should be the morning after a big night out) were articulated.<br /><br />My conference buddies and I finished the night at an Indian place called Gaylord, where I feasted on a plate of Gaylord special! Awesome ending to an awesome first day at the conference.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-91583401456665078112009-04-10T21:26:00.000-07:002009-04-10T21:43:23.352-07:00A Night of Horror International Film Festival Diary, Entry # 5<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3330-K116mVY9s2vc6d282om3BUcMrXWMeCYbHfTIbxprV8VCKTWG3E3tEGwbw_Xvh_9abO0frEDBFR6wg_d7AgWDXxmHtZYWa21Zq-paN1aFhTcTk_94bY3pD2S3nZEiX4Z4SIAsl4M/s1600-h/a-night-of-horror-international-film-festival-20091.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 82px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3330-K116mVY9s2vc6d282om3BUcMrXWMeCYbHfTIbxprV8VCKTWG3E3tEGwbw_Xvh_9abO0frEDBFR6wg_d7AgWDXxmHtZYWa21Zq-paN1aFhTcTk_94bY3pD2S3nZEiX4Z4SIAsl4M/s320/a-night-of-horror-international-film-festival-20091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323289829020329890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The last event of the festival, featuring Toby Wilkins’ feature film <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Splinter</span> and the awards ceremony, was on April 3rd, Friday.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Splinter </span>was one of the best films I watched in t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0V0JhJfPH7PjaoF2GSb-VeqTYReGLSwFDhQi-mm0U1ifiG8Kam3cO8Mwfi8yzS5li7qYYSlMgE0hpPrDSz2OH040hx1ucLHCBf5QheV4g-DkVbaNUfy0Fu-rAiIvd5g4XAMl8ynx3Lnv/s1600-h/splinterpost2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0V0JhJfPH7PjaoF2GSb-VeqTYReGLSwFDhQi-mm0U1ifiG8Kam3cO8Mwfi8yzS5li7qYYSlMgE0hpPrDSz2OH040hx1ucLHCBf5QheV4g-DkVbaNUfy0Fu-rAiIvd5g4XAMl8ynx3Lnv/s320/splinterpost2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323286789462999266" border="0" /></a>he festival, and was duly awarded with Best Feature Film and Best Feature Film special effects. It told the story of two young couples, Seth and Polly, who want to spend their anniversary camping in the woods, and Deke and Lacey, who, take Seth and Polly as their hostages along with their car in their attempt to avoid going to prison. When they stop at a gas station to refill their tank and stomachs, they come face to face with a monster unlike any we’ve seen. A parasite that spreads via its splinters and takes over bodies of its victims, only to break their bones inside and control them like puppets in its search for food. In the tradition of films like Dawn of the Dead, Splinter then becomes a film, in which a group of unlikely people take shelter within the confinements of a small space, and unite against the threat that surrounds them.<br /><br />As Stephen King says in <span style="font-style: italic;">Danse Macabre</span>, “humor and horror lie side by side, and to deny one is to deny the other.” <span style="font-style: italic;">Splinter </span>became a festival favourite with its comic moments as well as gory scenes. The response of the audience to such scenes as an arm amputation with a box cutter knife and a concrete brick was, to say the least, joyously disgusted. The fact that its original monster concept, with echoes of John Carpenter’s <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thing</span>, was mostly created with practical effects rather than CGI made the film all the more real and stronger. Director Toby Wilkins, knowing well that mediocre computer generated effects act to a horror film’s disadvantage chose to employ practical ones as much as possible and the result is a film that resonates with <span style="font-style: italic;">An American Werewolf in London</span> with its transformation scenes (rather than, say,<span style="font-style: italic;"> An American Werewolf in Paris</span>).<br /><br />For more information on <span style="font-style: italic;">Splinter</span> and to see the trailer, visit the <a href="http://www.splinterfilm.com/Home.html">website</a><br /><br />The screening was followed by the awards ceremony, and festival organizers, judges, and previous award winners presented this year’s competitors with their specially designed A Night of Horror Awards. As I mentioned earlier <span style="font-style: italic;">Splinter</span> got the best feature film award along with best special effects. The best Australian feature award went to <span style="font-style: italic;">I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer</span>, which I had unfortunately missed. Three of my favourite short films in the festival, <span style="font-style: italic;">Treevenge</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">AM 1200</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">A Break in the Monotony</span> all returned with awards. In an example of terribly irresponsible journalism, I neglected to take notes of all the winners; however, such categories as Non-English feature film, Independent Spirit, Australian Independent Spirit made it possible for almost everyone to get an award, I should say! Joking aside, the Festival should be applauded for its recognition of Independent filmmaking, and providing a venue for independent horror cinema in Australia.<br /><br />All in all, the festival gave us a wonderful couple of weeks of horror, thrills, laughter, tears – in short, a bloody good time, and I guess I’m not alone in wishing them a long life and prosperity.<br /><br />Next: Macabresque gets lost in the dungeons of academia…can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-85075766769276110522009-04-06T06:21:00.000-07:002009-04-06T07:36:53.124-07:00A Night of Horror International Film Festival Diary, Entry # 4<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRviWrK4SbpAVXXnd6hU2nOZ7Pt8XRG7rjn5ojIVWP6xohDQViwBT9EKb79ED6RofpzBO7xuOd-0zOMzdANkYWkO1WrHVkeMCa25iRc6iDaqKKkrgMA7heRG-rW8WZM6v0e5DxQigZG9PJ/s1600-h/postermyspace2009kb8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRviWrK4SbpAVXXnd6hU2nOZ7Pt8XRG7rjn5ojIVWP6xohDQViwBT9EKb79ED6RofpzBO7xuOd-0zOMzdANkYWkO1WrHVkeMCa25iRc6iDaqKKkrgMA7heRG-rW8WZM6v0e5DxQigZG9PJ/s320/postermyspace2009kb8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321575512597672450" border="0" /></a>On April 1st, Wednesday, I went to see Kerry Anne Mullaney’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Dead Outside</span> at the Dendy Newtown. The programme started with three short films of the zombie variety, namely <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">H5N1, Le Jour De La Pandemie</span> by Jean Olivier from France, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gasoline Blood</span> by David Pope from the UK, and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A Break in the Monotony</span> by Damien Slevin from Australia. The first two were more in the lines of short scenes from any zombie films around, with mindless flesh eating violence - which I have no objection to and quite enjoy.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A Break in the Monotony</span>, introduced by the director at the screening, on the other hand, was something different. This four minute animation, made in three years was <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_ckI2ct49gPEMCqKvrAakNJSmZCckx9Ngz5i9H9_3RvEgnBdS8TlOSbac5WgkpqSlVCyzAPaG1XvgYjRWok875MECmbmDLVVwqTRTtS_rzMWv17TGaCBlLKhl6AMDNISY7MsAFqQqHlS/s1600-h/abreakinthemonotony.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_ckI2ct49gPEMCqKvrAakNJSmZCckx9Ngz5i9H9_3RvEgnBdS8TlOSbac5WgkpqSlVCyzAPaG1XvgYjRWok875MECmbmDLVVwqTRTtS_rzMWv17TGaCBlLKhl6AMDNISY7MsAFqQqHlS/s320/abreakinthemonotony.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321576405174523474" border="0" /></a>a combination of 2d pencil drawings and 3d backgrounds. In the tradition of best zombie films, the film used zombies as an allegory for the monotony of corporate work places, which is broken through a surprise ending. Watch the trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_YFp-dqY8Q&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quietearth.us%2Farticles%2F2008%2F09%2F24%2FZombies-are-A-BREAK-IN-THE-MONOTONY&feature=player_embedded">here</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Dead Outside</span>, the feature debut of music video director Kerry Anne Mullaney, had two of my favourite things in it. Scottish accent, and zombies. So, ah wis bound tae like it nae matter what it wis like, ken? (I humbly bow to Irvine Welsh’s genius).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Dead Outside</span> opens with a shot of Daniel, a survivor of a neurological pandemic that left most of the population in an aggressive, p<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jfsEuPHcj0fwpnCu8_XSVQi3xk_GOfbmvmh5GQOL_Ik0fYMM8flKCUdw_awxfoXRZAmM5zxsYkhkDWwowvmoQcXa2dObMMSS_q9lAMd0x3b0UbfRFcPAP4tdFcBkKkdO7OOGKhAq0QAy/s1600-h/poster_TDO_Postcard_March08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jfsEuPHcj0fwpnCu8_XSVQi3xk_GOfbmvmh5GQOL_Ik0fYMM8flKCUdw_awxfoXRZAmM5zxsYkhkDWwowvmoQcXa2dObMMSS_q9lAMd0x3b0UbfRFcPAP4tdFcBkKkdO7OOGKhAq0QAy/s320/poster_TDO_Postcard_March08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321576663785935522" border="0" /></a>aranoid and zombie-like state, driving around Scottish countryside, until he runs out of gas and starts looking for a place to stay. He goes into a seemingly deserted farm, and then gets caught in surprise by a young girl named April, who first tries to get rid of him, but then tells him he can stay. April, unlike Daniel, is all for killing the infected mercilessly and she exhibits her shooting talents in a few instances. Soon, Daniel finds out about the secret April is trying to hide and then their ‘monotonous’ life is interrupted by a stranger named Kate, who asks for help, but Daniel and April have a clash in determining whether she’s friend or foe.<br /><br />Being an independent film, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dead Outside</span>, appears to have been made with a low budget, but it uses the material at hand cleverly. Most of the film is shot in and around a farm in rural Scotland. The use of available light and hand-held camera gives the film a verite look, which goes nicely with the grim subject matter. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dead Outside</span> reminds me partly <span style="font-style: italic;">28 Days Later</span> with the atmosphere of desperation and partly the wonderful indie horror <span style="font-style: italic;">The Signal</span>, with the use of a neurological illness, instead of zombies. However, there was almost no action in it, compared to these two films.<br /><br />The plot was intercut with dream sequences and/or what seems to be hallucinations, which had a key role in explaining important details in the film. However, they weren’t always very clear to me, and there were times I felt I was missing something important. If I get my hands on a copy of it, I’ll definitely watch it again to make more sense of it. But by all means, go see it for yourselves if you get the chance. It’s worth seeing. Meanwhile, you can check the official <a href="http://www.thedeadoutside.co.uk/">website</a> for the trailer and other information.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-64762038132945597732009-04-05T04:26:00.000-07:002009-04-06T06:57:30.265-07:00A Night of Horror International Film Festival Diary, Entry # 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9S5EWRHW1Ggfr49qNLToVd1AdtdFBTZtsp8i2fcN5B2uwmwWqzBulsLH4iNiBOIEjxsrEIDot9mGBPAMDSvX8qVfAFRZGQQ8HHtr8tcDPhLuePom6Vqh1THMZees58nNb0jnsiFMymVsz/s1600-h/postermyspace2009kb8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9S5EWRHW1Ggfr49qNLToVd1AdtdFBTZtsp8i2fcN5B2uwmwWqzBulsLH4iNiBOIEjxsrEIDot9mGBPAMDSvX8qVfAFRZGQQ8HHtr8tcDPhLuePom6Vqh1THMZees58nNb0jnsiFMymVsz/s320/postermyspace2009kb8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321172302289172482" border="0" /></a>I know I have been quite lazy about writing this entry, but I haven’t had any time until now to continue sharing my ramblings with my ‘devoted readers’ (Yes, they exist!)<br /><br />As I had stated in my previous entry, the second event I attended on march 29th, Sunday was the horror themed party held at the “notorious” <span style="font-weight: bold;">Club 77</span> of King’s Cross. The programme informed me that the party would be the world premiere of the French film <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Burn Paris Burn</span>, and it would also feature some short films and horror themed music videos, as well as “live Surgical Side-show”. This, the programme said, would be a party to end all parties!<br /><br />Now this all sounds very exciting, but frankly, the party turned out to be not quite what I expected it to be. A world premiere! At a “notorious” club! In King’s Cross! And a surgical side-show!? Horror themed music videos! A party to end all parties!!! I may be a bit over-imaginative but I had an image of a night club, which wasn’t much different from the one in the opening scene of <span style="font-style: italic;">Blade</span>, with countless Goths dancing under flashing lights to some techno-industrial music. I was even hoping we would be sprayed with blood! (No, not really)<br /><br />Instead, I went into a sparsely populated underground club, showing some trippy short films on the screen, which was otherwise really quiet. Not that I didn’t like the atmosphere in there, but it was hardly as apocalyptic as the programme promised it to be. In fact, it was hardly a party – just a bunch of really enthusiastic horror fans gathered to watch obscure stuff that they probably won’t have a chance to see again.<br /><br />Here’s the party’s programme:<br /><br />Short films:<br />Anyone There? - 10 Min Holger Frick (Germany)<br />Kagimiko - 13 Min Mathieu Arsenault (Canada)<br />The Flies - 5 Min Josh Collier (UK)<br />Stygian Horizon - 5 Min Evan Chan (Canada)<br /><br />With horror themed music videos:<br />More Control - 6 Min Steve Daniels (USA)<br />The Beauty - 4 Min Luca Vecchi (Italy)<br />Hunt - 2 Min Yohei Ito (Japan)<br />Francois Martin By The Tenth Stage - 4 Min John Von Ahlen (AU)<br />The Man Who Made Monsters - 6 Min Onethirtyeight (UK)<br />Haunted By The Thought Of You - 6 Min Terran Schackor (USA)<br />Karaoke Show - 5 Min Karl Tebbe (Germany)<br />Crystal - 4 Min Jason Lapeyre (Canada)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HwFZ-8kutJlw_0xIjFeeW0yOtXZEu1b9MPhmtxQzP2QZdEXt76lrgXU7jpT5rXbO_UwmkgxplktQplan7Q5w2D0BrJ_PbPR_hxnxmaYAbb_M_70Z7Moa1i4FMkdff8TzSJgFvmJuMwWZ/s1600-h/sandra2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HwFZ-8kutJlw_0xIjFeeW0yOtXZEu1b9MPhmtxQzP2QZdEXt76lrgXU7jpT5rXbO_UwmkgxplktQplan7Q5w2D0BrJ_PbPR_hxnxmaYAbb_M_70Z7Moa1i4FMkdff8TzSJgFvmJuMwWZ/s320/sandra2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321172435746374370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Of the short films, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Anyone There?</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Flies</span> were my favourites. <span style="font-style: italic;">Anyone There?</span> is a slasher with a twist ending – watch the teaser trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4MAbE2SNq8&feature=PlayList&p=41E7CEA920BBD28D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=15">here</a>. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Flies</span> is a black and white surrealist piece that draws its texture from the stuff nightmares are made, and wasn’t unlike something David Lynch would make. To watch the film, <a href="http://www.fletcherwilson.com/work/fw-produce-independent-film-the-flies/index.php#/work/fw-produce-independent-film-the-flies">click here</a>.<br /><br />One of the best music videos shown at the party was The Heist and The Accomplice’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">More Control</span> directed by Steve Daniels. The video opened with a quote from Kenneth Ange<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjy7nfmHN77o0rM4bQwLg5trugKZzC9L3ERqL1TEsSoOCz86MPRYMSZlcgTh-gYouyf6lZ4e20wIBAtQLeoQH2Z-a2YPoc63oKfgOd5kR2R7hCpdXzA-xDDCiZ-G3oaUxJmY0HBJj2-Dc/s1600-h/m_53b5cdc459380f6b002fadda6e9f82ee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjy7nfmHN77o0rM4bQwLg5trugKZzC9L3ERqL1TEsSoOCz86MPRYMSZlcgTh-gYouyf6lZ4e20wIBAtQLeoQH2Z-a2YPoc63oKfgOd5kR2R7hCpdXzA-xDDCiZ-G3oaUxJmY0HBJj2-Dc/s320/m_53b5cdc459380f6b002fadda6e9f82ee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321172861415661074" border="0" /></a>r: “Cinema is an evil force. Its point is to exert control over people and events” and continued with five minutes of the band playing in an old cinema theatre and being attacked by the said evil force. I quite liked the retro feel of the video, which fit the indie style of the band nicely. Watch the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR3xuwjqXng">here</a>.<br /><br />Oh, I almost forgot! In between the short films and videos, there was another trivia quiz, and this time I won a DVD (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Descent</span> by Neil Marshall) by answering the question “Who was <span style="font-style: italic;">Videodrome</span> written and directed by?” Thanks A Night of Horror!<br /><br />After the music videos, it was time for the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Surgical Side-show</span>. Well, no, it wasn’t a carnivale act featuring live surgery, but it was a performance piece by two mascots wearing sku<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwrp-v4ppCyGYhO2J7UmrBfXzTV7qrFOVsWFwqv9OtHA_6SzBUQyeyJ1xruG_rA6BCszrOvwnXwPoekMZXatdVautKavqlu5jcKvLhSxc9qXWe3ViCtcOv9-b29SADvtDCZZ5xhhY7Iv4/s1600-h/surgival.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwrp-v4ppCyGYhO2J7UmrBfXzTV7qrFOVsWFwqv9OtHA_6SzBUQyeyJ1xruG_rA6BCszrOvwnXwPoekMZXatdVautKavqlu5jcKvLhSxc9qXWe3ViCtcOv9-b29SADvtDCZZ5xhhY7Iv4/s320/surgival.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321173177427035138" border="0" /></a>ll masks, and a woman dressed alternatively as a receptionist and a policewoman. And it was quite enjoyable, in fact, surprisingly much more so than live surgery! Find out more about the Surgical Side-show <a href="http://www.bonedaddydesign.com/surgicalsideshow/index.html">here</a>.<br /><br />The final treat of the night was the bizarre French film <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Burn Paris Burn</span>, with its world premiere (this almost made me look around for a red carpet inside the club). Check the trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5lOWP-nufw">here</a>.<br /><br />In an attempt to define <span style="font-style: italic;">Burn Paris Burn</span>, I will call it a surr<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ86bQTtsG6_cjw06vx-Rz2q-GKTc09TXIvXM-7Swza1Af3Ju2050WfLh4U8Cnw_2NGNEUTAvdKEfjlefYrjLbaa2pN5O8NZ5U4gGehqFmvSfyIbteNMJoLzku2rPUQpr1nHa2UWz-4w0/s1600-h/burn+paris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ86bQTtsG6_cjw06vx-Rz2q-GKTc09TXIvXM-7Swza1Af3Ju2050WfLh4U8Cnw_2NGNEUTAvdKEfjlefYrjLbaa2pN5O8NZ5U4gGehqFmvSfyIbteNMJoLzku2rPUQpr1nHa2UWz-4w0/s320/burn+paris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321173909823195314" border="0" /></a>ealist-goth-fantasy rock video meets Japanese giant monster film. Romarik de Malkhange (co-director Laurent Sebelin) is a student who is into computer games, collectible toys, and rock music. One day, he meets Venus Flytrap (Elodie Briet), who happens to be a young witch. Venus takes a peek into Romarik’s mind, and sees his alter ego, with raven black hair, goth make-up, and a constant joker smile on his face, shows great potential as a rock star who can take over the world with his music, which he makes with a bone flute. So she casts a spell on the album Romarik records with his band Satan System, and a series of events that lead to the destruction of the entire city of Paris transpire. Visually, the film was no different from a music video, and it wasn’t going for a realistic imagery, either. It was highly entertaining, and Club 77 was definitely the right place to see it with its Goth club feel.<br /><br />The night was still young for vampires and other children of the night, but I was quite tired after the “party”, so I headed home.<br /><br />Next on the diary: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Dead Outside</span>!can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-3802967541920070892009-03-31T04:42:00.000-07:002009-04-05T05:04:52.725-07:00A Night of Horror International Film Festival Diary, Entry # 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAFq4R5PCXBx0AuxzoyZFeXba4mfp1L2LoKgzKd1cUxAKhKAl9MOT-EtAYzV1aPB96wupiiXIiNKpkm9T0pHpGd433i6lTNTaewmJfnExBxAdreSdGqZJTyW6ykUdfErOz8RchFvZr8JF/s1600-h/anightof.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAFq4R5PCXBx0AuxzoyZFeXba4mfp1L2LoKgzKd1cUxAKhKAl9MOT-EtAYzV1aPB96wupiiXIiNKpkm9T0pHpGd433i6lTNTaewmJfnExBxAdreSdGqZJTyW6ykUdfErOz8RchFvZr8JF/s320/anightof.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319322534437816018" border="0" /></a>I went to see two events on March 29th, Sunday. The first one was “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Shorts Programme # 2: H. P. Lovecraft & Other Adapted Shorts</span>” and the second one was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">horror themed party</span> held at Club 77 in King’s Cross.<br /><br />As a fan of Lovecraft and all sorts of tentacled horror, I was looking forward to seeing Sunday’s shorts programme. This session provided a fun couple of hours for lovers of strange eons and eldritch horror.<br /><br />The films that were shown during the session were:<br /><br />H.P Lovecraft - 5 Min Russell Fox (Music Video - USA)<br />Come to Us - 3 Min Edward Martin Iii (USA)<br />A Mere Et Marees - 19 Min Alain Fournier (Canada)<br />Allure - 11 Min Ian Hunter (USA)<br />Casting Call of Cthulhu - 9 Min Joseph Nanni (Canada)<br />The Book Dealers - 8 Min Andrew Jones (USA)<br />H.P. Lovecraft's The Book - 11 Min James Raynor (UK)<br />Langliena - 7 Min Emiliano Ranzani (Italy)<br />Morella - 10 Min Jeff Ferrell (USA)<br />AM 1200 - 40 Min David Prior (USA)<br /><br />The first film of the programme was Ian Hunter’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Allure</span>, which the director – present during the screening - confessed to not having been intended as a Lovecraftian film, but since all the ingredients were there – an alluring terror from the deep – the organizers decided to put his film in this session. The film is about a sailor who, instead of going into a club with his mates and three young women, decides to wait for a more mature woman who would make him happy. Of course, expectedly, he meets something that makes him regret not going to the club. During the Q&A, he informed us on the production process of the film, which cost about ten thousand dollars, at which point I was thinking about how pointless it was. His back story for the film – exorcising demons of a past relationship – made me like it a bit more.<br /><br />The best pieces of the session, for me, were Alain Fournier’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A Mere Et Marees</span>, Russel Fox’s music video for the industrial band Cockfight Club’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">H.P. Lovecraft</span>, and David Prior’s almost feature length film <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">AM 1200</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A Mere Et Marees</span>, which can be described as a Lovecraftian family drama, with a touch of French arthouse film sensitivity, starts with a shot of a French Canadian man walking out of the bottom of the sea, and it focuses on his transformation into a creature of the deep, and how his mother and sister deals with it. It evoked the same sentiments as another film shown in the same session titled Come To Us, in that, it associated the depths of sea as a homely and peaceful place. You can take a look at the trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3aKaqWPr5A">here</a>:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazEOsg7_7ykZWFe3JlrP4vtaCkuw7F3qd9HymhGTaCw9OYcdIsVeQiGqUQmYIIGf0DESTmQSl9VPFGqBUR2Z8eGSC8tnsZLuKKKVaz0KNn1Lu9VWvaHyxbRDb3pS7zQ3F2YOCuQYLyuvr/s1600-h/cockfight"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazEOsg7_7ykZWFe3JlrP4vtaCkuw7F3qd9HymhGTaCw9OYcdIsVeQiGqUQmYIIGf0DESTmQSl9VPFGqBUR2Z8eGSC8tnsZLuKKKVaz0KNn1Lu9VWvaHyxbRDb3pS7zQ3F2YOCuQYLyuvr/s320/cockfight" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319322648951339666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Russel Fox’s <span style="font-style: italic;">H. P. Lovecraft</span> portrays the author in a humorous way, as he works in his study surrounded by weird creatures preserved in jars, certain ancient books of magic, some back issues of Weird Tales, and a band declaring him as “a friend of mine” against the backdrop of a goth industrial music. The video finishes with a scene showing the author playing chess with everyone’s favourite tentacled Great Old One. <a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=53991049">Click here </a>for the video if you are interested:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkbbI2-UzDkXKmU7HHQUSqrkTY3zloN4p0FLs96tjbpuT68TWAHoejxyiNvReDMeG_18GZDA577X39Ch62R_y0mdLlcYLk2UnBbUPn5QbPl_koskO2lrkICLEOy4_9iaqE-9Ga5SrKqQ4/s1600-h/01_am1200_saciff2009_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkbbI2-UzDkXKmU7HHQUSqrkTY3zloN4p0FLs96tjbpuT68TWAHoejxyiNvReDMeG_18GZDA577X39Ch62R_y0mdLlcYLk2UnBbUPn5QbPl_koskO2lrkICLEOy4_9iaqE-9Ga5SrKqQ4/s320/01_am1200_saciff2009_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319323903799507570" border="0" /></a><br />Probably the best film of the session, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujN9Hz008F46W6PjchrxinR3qD7uZkV-13yIYytWYb1MAmowoTtLqh7_q1Gdx5vNOc07kWos5VmBOJpYifyena37NmW5bQlBr4wmyDVuDaCuBJxhuob-4wi5UdhlI0cjFZ1kACFX7vpGY/s1600-h/01_am1200_saciff2009_l.jpg"></a><span style="font-style: italic;">AM 1200</span>, is about an investment analyst who is running away from his guilt due to a failed financial scam. He is drawn into a radio station when he hears what seems to be a distress call on his car radio, and comes face to face with an unnamable horror of insatiable hunger. The film encapsulates, with great success, the insanity, and helplessness against the face of ancient cosmic horror that is at the heart of the best Lovecraft stories. You can have a look at the trailer and some scenes from the film <a href="http://www.am1200.com/">here</a>, as well as order the dvd.<br /><br />There was also a short film based on Edgar Allan Poe’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Morella</span> in the programme., which was rather a theatrical adaptation and reminded me of Roger Corman’s Poe films with Vincent Price. The inclusion of this film to the set is a nice touch as Lovecraft considered Poe as his master.<br /><br />And a Macabresque Bonus before we go:<br /><br />Here’s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyd7U_p3mEc"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Casting Call of Cthulhu</span></a>, one of the funniest films shown at the Lovecraft session.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pyd7U_p3mEc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pyd7U_p3mEc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />We’ll be back with an account of the Horror themed party. Stay tuned.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-56843703732634929662009-03-28T18:21:00.000-07:002009-03-31T05:26:11.291-07:00A Night of Horror International Film Festival Diary, Entry # 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJNXpGb4wgXMy_0rYQPoEWs5qKSAa7eMDnb_e-ePLogrvLL72TMXzsvsknTgJKafTiW2_VbW3mEVOgCQXtMCd02G3LvlEMSY41IyWH5_rdFpXS7aFd_vqOjE1wk1u_npz_5YhNs5d60m7/s1600-h/strip_test.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 58px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJNXpGb4wgXMy_0rYQPoEWs5qKSAa7eMDnb_e-ePLogrvLL72TMXzsvsknTgJKafTiW2_VbW3mEVOgCQXtMCd02G3LvlEMSY41IyWH5_rdFpXS7aFd_vqOjE1wk1u_npz_5YhNs5d60m7/s320/strip_test.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318438589973668194" border="0" /></a>For the next week, I’ll be publishing a diary of my impressions on the <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Night of Horror</span> film festival.<br /><br />The third <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Night of Horror International Film Festival </span>in Sydney started on Thursday, March 26th. You can find details about the festival at their website: http://www.anightofhorror.com/<br /><br />I intended to see as many films as I could during the festival; however, I haven’t had the chance to go to any sessions before yesterday’s (Saturday, 28th) “Shorts Programme # 1: Horror Comedies & Animations” .<br /><br />Here's a list of the films that were shown:<br /><br /><i>Em</i> - 8 Min Joshua Long (AU)<br /><i>Shut Eye Hotel</i> - 7 Min Bill Plympton (USA)<br /><i>Soul Mates</i> - 19 Min Tom Flynn (USA)<br /><i>Little Snaps of Horror</i> - 2 Min Graham Rathlin (UK)<br /><i>Evil Twin</i> - 4 Min Yun Wang (Taiwan / USA)<br /><i>Aim for the Heart</i> - 6 Min Fernando Huerto (USA)<br /><i> Bad Reception</i> - 7 Min Kyla Ward (AU)<br /><i> C/O Flap Jackson</i> - 6 Min John Lustig (USA)<br /><i> Death in Charge</i> - 15 Min Devi Snively (USA)<br /><i> Where Nightmares Feed</i> - 3 Min Pete Sleeper (USA)<br /><i> Treevenge</i> - 16 Min Jason Eisener (Can)<br /><br />In a time when most feature horror films suffer from a lack of originality, this set of short horrors was like a breathe of fresh air. Of the 11 presented at this session, very few was unable to raise horrorific laughter from the audience.<br /><br />The best ones among this selection of international films were <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Soul Mates</span> (Dir: Tom Flynn/19 min/USA), <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Aim for the Heart</span> (Dir: Fernando Huerto/6 min/USA), and my absolute favourite <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Treevenge</span> (Dir: Jason Eisener/16 min/Canada).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Soul Mates</span> is about an unsuccessful couples therapist, Barry, who finds himself in a nightmarish scenario when he goes on a blind internet date. His date turns out to be a crazy old woman, who is looking for a body for the ghost of his rockabilly husband. Barry finds, in the face of death, his therapy skills will have to sharpened.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Aim for the Heart</span> presents a short course on how to efficiently kill a vampire, when crosses or garlic don’t work. The narrator, Chris Marino gives valuable tips on which martial arts is best in fighting vampires (kickbox), what kind of weapons to use (wooden stakes, obviously), and the use of one-liners for the finishing touch (“suck on that ass clown!”). The film is available on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NELSWGr1rF4">youtube</a> if anyone is interested.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJknV4GC_vZkT8K6dGa1m7E9y1WLU3QSPKGkg19ARBsZ8eY2Y5oqjMmGL7b20x6nWkaWTED-W2yI3_hISmOYPQBFoji0wHjDqR3MCNIROKKwOOWP6D3stwK5vt25fEkJ0VYrjejBp8kzWN/s1600-h/auburn-hills.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJknV4GC_vZkT8K6dGa1m7E9y1WLU3QSPKGkg19ARBsZ8eY2Y5oqjMmGL7b20x6nWkaWTED-W2yI3_hISmOYPQBFoji0wHjDqR3MCNIROKKwOOWP6D3stwK5vt25fEkJ0VYrjejBp8kzWN/s320/auburn-hills.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318439236330572594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Treevenge</span> tells the story of Christmas Trees, torn cruelly from their homes by a bunch of vicious humans, and in turn decide to take revenge by a) killing people b) raping them c)crushing their babies’ heads among other things. The film was at the mountains of hilarity with the intentional overacting of the tree cutters, and the dialogues of the trees in their own language, translated in subtitles. This is environmentalist horror at its best! Here’s the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLawcjYiBs8&feature=player_embedded">trailer</a>:<br /><br />The session started with a trivia quiz with horror dvd giveaways. Although I knew the answers to two of three questions they asked, I wasn’t quick enough to raise my hand to answer them (Damn!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVsO97fiVY06bOsmv4Q12RscndCXH-h3QFWbI1VqPZg7Nd9BhGbqpRexFK1EgsyTobwHAPkQis7ylxS2hkUk4-jAH9R2Bb76KbhtNEhCKyuGNq0w-mKme3R0WJMP43uxYVEsEDabo-a7O/s1600-h/wardkyla3483.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVsO97fiVY06bOsmv4Q12RscndCXH-h3QFWbI1VqPZg7Nd9BhGbqpRexFK1EgsyTobwHAPkQis7ylxS2hkUk4-jAH9R2Bb76KbhtNEhCKyuGNq0w-mKme3R0WJMP43uxYVEsEDabo-a7O/s320/wardkyla3483.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318439728386882050" border="0" /></a><br />The director/actress from one of the films shown, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyla Ward</span>, was there as well. She did a short introductory speech on her film before the programme. Her film Bad Reception was a vampire story with a twist ending, and gave those of us who have been looking for cheap places to live an idea as to one of the possible places to look.<br /><br />I left the theatre in a totally satisfied manner, and didn’t forget to get a <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Night of Horror</span> t-shirt to support the festival.can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-34218469661868121872009-03-21T23:05:00.000-07:002009-03-31T05:19:44.066-07:00THE KILLBILLIES: AVUSTRALYA’DAN BİR GERİLLA SİNEMASI ÖRNEĞİ<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrYrnTPxzi3kkM9iOM0qiE7Cpcn6lLZbY2ALaUf_Me1heoWhnc3p5JEk4SRUTBnk5fHBlg3_WVSrKBXViH8MwfiVicuMCzi8_2Rqbk3r1HihnRfd9ly3D7MGHVnsCzZTCVBA3SLQ0tGzT/s1600-h/Killbillies.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrYrnTPxzi3kkM9iOM0qiE7Cpcn6lLZbY2ALaUf_Me1heoWhnc3p5JEk4SRUTBnk5fHBlg3_WVSrKBXViH8MwfiVicuMCzi8_2Rqbk3r1HihnRfd9ly3D7MGHVnsCzZTCVBA3SLQ0tGzT/s320/Killbillies.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315890093364749394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Another article in Turkish... A rather lengthy review of </span>The Killbillies<span style="font-style: italic;">, a film by Hendrix/Fish Films, who I had <a href="http://macabresque.blogspot.com/2007/09/hendrixfish-films-interview.html">interviewed</a> for </span>Sonic Splendour <span style="font-style: italic;">in 2003. I wrote this article for </span><a href="http://www.ake.hacettepe.edu.tr/pg053.html">Dead Letters</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, a fanzine published by a group of American literature students from Hacettepe University. </span><br /><br />2003 yılının yazında, Sydney’de, bağımsız bir sinemacı olan Duke Hendrix’le tanıştım (bu onun filmlerde kullandığı takma adıydı ve John Wayne’in lakabı olan “the Duke” ile Jimi Hendrix’in soyadının birleşmesinden oluşuyordu). Kendilerini “gerilla sinemacılar” olarak adlandıran arkadaşlarıyla birlikte kurduğu Liquid Monkeys adlı bir film şirketiyle birlikte, 2001 yılında, senaryo yazarlığını, yapımcılığını, yönetmenliğini ve başrollerinden birini üstlendiği The Killbillies adlı bir film çekmişti. Dijital kamerayla çekilmiş olan bu 77 dakikalık filmin bütçesi yalnızca 2000 Avustralya dolarıydı. 2002’de Teksas’ta gerçekleştirilen “Zombie-dance” adlı film festivalinde 4000 dolarlık bir ödül kazanınca, bu parayı bir sonraki filmleri Bloodspit’e yatırmaya karar verdiler. Filmin post-prodüksiyonu halen sürüyor.<br /><br /> Bu yazıda, The Killbillies’i iki açıdan ele almaya çalışacağız. İlk olarak filmin içeriği ve biçimi, ikinci olarak da, böyle bir filmin çekilmiş olmasının, politik olarak ne gibi anlamlar içerebileceği üzerinde duracağız. Fakat bunlardan önce, biraz filmden ve yapımcılarından bahsetmekte fayda var.<br /><br /> Duke Hendrix, ilk uzun metrajlı denemesinden önce Zombie Crackhouse gibi kısa filmlere imza atmış. Daha sonra, şimdiki ortağı olan yazar Leon Fish’le tanışmış ve birlikte Frankenbilly adlı başka bir kısa film yapmışlar. Bu film The Killbillies’e bir hazırlık olmuş.<br /><br /> The Killbillies, adından anlaşılacağı üzere, öldürme içgüdüleri yüksek taşralıları anlatan bir film. Film iki düşman aile arasındaki kan davasına odaklanır. Lowborn ailesinin ödüllü domuzu Hank, McCoy ailesinin annesini yedikten sonra bu kan davası iyice kızışır. Baba McCoy (Leon Fish), Hank’i vurup, üç oğlu ve kendisi için bir ziyafet çektikten sonra, oğullarından ikisini, Raymond (Duke Hendrix) ve Boy’u (Boy Boy takma adlı bir oyuncu tarafından canlandırılıyor) annelerinin intikamını almak üzere görevlendirir.<br /><br /> Söz konusu iki ailenin bütün üyeleri bir tuhaftır. McCoy ailesinden Raymond ve Gator, ürkütücü plastik maskeler takmaktadırlar. Boy, bezden bir maske ve kadın elbiseleri giymekte ve elinde oyuncak bir bebek taşımaktadır. Lowborn ailesinin oğulları Ed ve Earl, siyah cellat maskeleri takmaktadırlar. Sally Mae/Styler (yine Leon Fish) çift kişilikli bir hermafrodittir (aslında bu konu da biraz muğlaktır. Bu iki karakter bazen aynı bedeni paylaşıyor gibi görünürler, bazen de kendilerine ait bedenlerde). Sally Mae kişiliği Raymond McCoy’a aşık olan bir nemfomandır, Styler kişiliği ise tavuklara karşı önlenemez bir cinsel arzu beslemektedir.<br /><br /> Boy, 48 yaşında olmasına rağmen bebeklerle oynadığı ve kadın elbiseleri giydiği için ailesi tarafından pek takdir edilmemektedir. Babası onun artık erkek olma vaktinin geldiğini düşünmektedir. Raymond ise, tüm McCoy erkekleri (ve hatta bazı Lowborn erkekleri) gibi, Lowborn ailesi üyelerinden Sally Mae’le (Leon Fish) yatmak dışında fazla bir şey düşünmemektedir. Styler Lowborn, bir tavukla evlenmeye karar verdiği zamandan beri aile içinde pek popüler değildir. Fakat o da artık hayatını gözden geçirmiştir ve tavuklarla evlenmenin pek de kabul edilir olmadığı kanısına varmıştır. Yeni gelin adayı ormanda tabutunda uyumakta olan bir zombidir. Baba Lowborn (Sven Jonnsen) bu gelin adayından pek hoşnut kalmaz ve onu öldürür. Bir şekilde McCoy’ların artık onların üzerlerine zombileri salacak kadar ileri gittikleri kanısına varıp oğulları Ed (Cat Cahounas) ve Earl’ü (Ringo Ray) McCoy’ları katletmeleri için görevlendirir.<br /><br />Raymond ve Boy babalarından aldıkları görevi gerçekleştirmek üzere yollara düşerler. Yol boyunca, Boy’u taciz etmeye çalışan yaşlı ve kör bir adam, Raymond’a tecavüz eden bir dişi zombi, Boy’u kaçırıp üzerinde garip, ‘psychedelic’ deneyler yapan bir uzaylı ve daha çok zombi gibi çeşitli tehditlerle karşılaşırlar. Baba McCoy rüyasında oğullarının tehlikede olduğunu görür ve Gator’ı da yanına alarak onları aramaya gider. Fakat çok geçtir. Boy’dan geriye sadece kıyafetleri kalmıştır. Bir cenaze töreninin ardından yollarına devam ederler. Yolda Ed ve Earl’le karşılaşırlar ve onları öldürürler. Bir süre sonra Raymond’ın sancıları tutar. Raymond babasının yardımıyla anal bir doğum gerçekleştirir. Ağzı bozuk bir zombi bebek doğurmuştur! Raymond nasıl bir anne olacağının telaşına düşse de onlar uyuyunca Junior adını verdikleri bebek olay mahallini terk eder.<br /><br />Nihayet Lowborn’ların evine varırlar ve kızı Sally Mae’le evlenmeye karar vermiş olan Baba Lowborn’u da öldürürler. Raymond ve Sally Mae evlenir. Filmin sonunda karakterlerin bu noktadan sonra neler yaptıklarını öğreniriz. Boy, “Boy’la yemek Pişiriyoruz” adlı bir televizyon programı yapar. Raymond bir kung fu okulu açar. Styler senatör olmuştur, ama bir otel odasında reşit olmayan tavuklarla basılınca hakkında soruşturma açılır.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kült, Metinlerarasılık ve Pastiş</span><br /><br />The Killbillies, kabaca bir tanımla, bir janr filmidir. Western, korku, bilim kurgu vb kategorilerde sınıflandırılabilecek filmler, janr filmleri olarak tanımlanmaktadır. The Killbillies ayrıca bir kült film olarak da adlandırılabilir. Bu noktada kült kavramını da açmakta fayda var: İngilizce “cult” sözcüğünden gelen kült, kendisine çeşitli nedenlerden ötürü, adeta tapınan bir seyirci kitlesine sahip filmleri, romanları vs tanımlamak için kullanılan bir kavram olagelmiştir. Bir filmi kült olarak adlandıran kimseler, o filmle karmaşık bir ilişki içerisindedirler. Filmdeki gülünçlüklerin farkındadırlar ama öte yandan her repliğini ezbere bilirler ve çoğu zaman filme bir aşkınlık da yüklerler.<br /><br />Bu bağlamda, Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam filmi iyi bir örnek teşkil edebilir. Filmin hayranları, Cüneyt Arkın ve Aytekin Akkaya, teknik imkansızlıklar içinde peluş canavarlarla dövüşürlerken kendilerini gülmekten alamazlar. Fakat filmin mistik yönüne de atıfta bulunmaktan geri kalmazlar: Cüneyt Arkın’ın uzak doğu felsefelerinden esinlenen “Bedenini unut, sadece zihninle yaşa, o zaman toprak altında nefes almadan yaşayabilirsin” repliği gibi.<br /><br />90’lı yıllarda ise kült kavramı daha farklı bir boyut kazanmaya başlamıştır. 90’lı yıllar ve ardından 2000’li yıllar, “adlandırma” yıllarıdır . Geçmişe veya günümüze dönük olarak her şeyin etiketlendirilmesi, sınırlarının çizilmesi, kısaca adlandırılmasına yönelik genellemeci ve indirgemeci bir dilin ortaya çıktığı yıllardır. Wes Craven’ın yönettiği Scream üçlemesi, bu dilin sinemadaki tezahürüne bir örnektir.<br /><br />Söz konusu üçleme, 80’li yıllarda çekilmiş ve sonradan kült olmuş Halloween ve Friday 13th gibi teen-slasher/stalker filmlerinin trüklerini tanımlayan, onlarını sınırlarını çizen, adlandıran bir yapıya sahiptir. Üçlemenin karakterleri, 80’li yılların teen-slasher filmlerini izleyerek büyümüş 90’lı yılların “cool” gençliğidir. Film boyunca, kendileri de, kült olarak addettikleri filmlerdeki gibi bir katilin pençesine düşen bu gençler, türün kurallarını bir bir dile getirirler ve katilden kurtulmaya çalışırken bu kurallardan faydalanırlar: “asla evililik öncesi seks yapma, asla ‘birazdan geri döneceğim’ deme, katil kovalarken asla evin üst katına çıkma.”<br /><br />Scream üçlemesi, 90’lı yıllarda bir furyaya yol açmıştır ve ona benzeyen pek çok film çekilmiştir. Scream ‘in senaristinin yazdığı Faculty, örneğin, Scream’in teen-slasher filmler için yaptığını, bilim kurgu filmleri için yapmaktadır. Bu filmler, özünde, meta-anlatılar olma özelliğini gösterirler. Bu filmlerin metinleri, kendi kendisinin bilincindedir, ait olduğu janrın yapısal özelliklerini dile getirerek – adlandırarak – metinlerarası bir boyutta varlıklarını sürdürürler.<br /><br />Umberto Eco, “Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage” adlı makalesinde Casablanca’dan yola çıkarak kült filmlerin anatomisini çizmiş ve Casablanca’nın sırrının aslında tek bir film değil de “filmler” olmasından kaynaklandığını söylemiştir: “İki klişe bizi güldürür ama yüz klişe bizi duygulandırır çünkü belli belirsiz bir şekilde klişelerin kendi aralarında konuştuğunu, yeniden bir araya gelişlerini kutladıklarını hissederiz.” . 90’lı ve 2000’li yıllarda, Scream ve takipçisi olan filmlerde, Quentin Tarantino ve takipçilerinin filmlerinde, Umberto Eco’nun yaptığı bu teşhisi görmek mümkündür. Bu filmler tek bir film değil, “filmler”dir. Tarantino’nun son filmi Kill Bill için “bütün filmlerden çaldım” demesi boşuna değildir. Kung Fu, Western, Korku filmlerinden esintiler taşıyan ve bu filmlerden aldıklarını abartılı bir estetikle sunan Kill Bill, malzemesini fetişleştiren bir pastiş örneğidir.<br /><br />The Killbillies de 90’larda başlamış olan bu geleneğin takipçisidir. “Kendi seyretmek istediğimiz tarzda filmler çekiyoruz” diyen Hendrix/Fish Films ekibi çeşitli janr filmlerinden, kült filmlerden aldıkları parçalardan bir film oluşturmuşlardır. Duke Hendrix, kendilerinin de Tarantino gibi “bütün filmlerden çaldıklarını” belirtmektedir . En büyük ilham kaynakları “Ed Wood Jr, Paul Morrisey, Tobe Hooper, Sam Raimi, John Waters, Ren ve Stimpy, Roger Ramjet, Hillbilly Bears, Addams Ailesi ve the Munsters”tır . Filmi seyrederken Liquid Monkeys ekibinin ilham kaynaklarının izini sürmek zor değil. Onlar da Ed Wood gibi sinemanın ‘büyük resim’le ilgili olduğunu düşünüyor gibidirler. Tobe Hooper’ın kült filmi Texas Chainsaw Massacre’da olduğu gibi yüzleri maskeli bir grup “bağnaz ve cahil taşralının” vahşetini ele almakta ve John Waters kadar ‘iğrenç’ olmaya çalışmaktadırlar. Ama Addams Ailesi ya da Munsters kadar da komiktirler. Ayrıca The Killbillies’in çağrıştırdıkları arasına, ilham kaynakları listesinde olmayan, H.G. Lewis’in 2000 Maniacs!’ını eklemek de mümkündür.<br /><br />The Killbillies tam bir kolajdır. Tuhaf maskeler takan taşralılar, zombiler, kadın elbiseleri giyen erkekler, hermafroditler, dünyalılar üzerinde uyuşturucu deneyleri yapan uzaylılar, tuvalet mizahı, surf rock, doğaçlama oyunculuk, devamlılık sorunları ve benzeri bilumum acayip öğenin bir araya getirilmesiyle ortaya çıkarılmış, belki dünyanın en gereksiz filmi, belki de içerdiği bunca gariplikle ileride kült olmaya aday bir filmdir.<br /><br />Ancak bu noktada, kült kavramıyla ilgili olarak bir çıkmaz devreye girmektedir. Geçmişte çekilmiş ve günümüzde kült olarak anılan filmlerin yapımcıları, filmlerinin kült olarak anılmasına sebebiyet veren özelliklerinin çok farkında değildirler. Hayranlar, bu filmlere, belki de mevcut olmayan anlamlar yükleyerek onları kült mertebesine getirir. Yani kült olmanın başat sebeplerinden biri kısmi bir naifliktir. Oysa, 90’lı ve 2000’li yıllarda yapılan, yukarıda bahsini ettiğimiz filmlerde, bir “farkındalık” vardır. Bilinçli olarak, kült filmlere ait öğeleri, bağlamlarından kopararak, bir kolaj estetiği yaratırlar. Bu estetik, kimi zaman, hikayenin de önüne geçmektedir. Gönderme için gönderme yapılmakta, film kendi kendinin bilincinde olan cool diliyle seyirci ve sinemacı arasında bir oyun sahası haline gelmektedir. Bu süreç içinde de, bir kolaj haline gelmiş filmin kullandığı öğelerin, anlam bazında içleri boşalmaktadır.<br />The Killbillies üzerinden örneklemeye çalışalım. Daha once bahsettiğimiz gibi, filmde “bağnaz ve kana susamış taşralılar”, uzaylılar ve zombiler gibi farklı janrlara ait öğeler bir araya getirilmektedir. Popüler sinema tarihinde bu öğeler bambaşka kavramların, bambaşka korkuların metaforları olarak kullanılmışlardır. Örneğin, 2000 Maniacs! ve Texas Chainsaw Massacre gibi filmlerdeki güneyli, kana susamış taşralılar, “redneck”ler, aslında Beyaz Anglo Sakson Protestan, kuzeyli, şehirli Amerikalıların “Güney”e duydukları korkuların dışavurumu olarak kabul edilmiştir. 1950’li yıllarda çekilen “uzaylı” temalı filmler, komünizm korkusu olarak yorumlanmıştır. George Romero’nun Yaşayan Ölüler filmleri, özellikle serinin ikinci filmi olan Dawn of the Dead, tüketim toplumunun bir eleştirisi şeklinde okunmuştur. Tüm bu öğeleri kullanan The Killbillies’de ise söz konusu yan anlamların hiçbiri yoktur. Bu öğeler sadece, filmin oluşturmak istediği estetiğin parçaları olarak kullanılmıştır.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">İğrençlik, Grotesk ve Mainstream’e Direniş</span><br /><br />The Killbillies, izleyiciyi iğrendirme/ iğrendirerek güldürme çabasında olan bir filmdir. Filmde, bir tuvaletteki kanlı dışkılar, karakterlerden birinin beyaz iç çamaşırının arka kısmında yer alan kahverengi, sarı, yeşil tonlardaki lekeler, kusma, kafa kesme, anal bir doğum gibi, izleyicide hoş duygular uyandırmaktan uzak görüntüler mevcuttur. Yine de tüm bunlar mizahi bir şekilde sunulmaktadır. Filmin yapımcılarının aktardıklarına göre, filmin gösterimi sırasında, izleyiciler durmaksızın gülmektedirler .<br /><br />Grotesk olanla gülme arasında yakın bir ilişki vardır. Mikhail Bakhtin, Rabelais and His World adlı kitabında, bu ilişkiyi, Orta Çağ Karnavalları ve alt sınıfların belden aşağı mizahı bağlamında, bu olguların Rönesans edebiyatında ve bilhassa Rabelais’nin eserlerindeki tezahürleriyle incelemiştir. Bakhtin’e göre, edebiyatta grotesk gerçekçiliğin özündeki prensip yüksek, ruhani, ideal ve soyut olan her şeyin alçaltılması, yeryüzüne indirilmesi, ete kemiğe büründürülmesidir . Resmi/yüksek kültür, belden yukarısını, ruhsal ve yüce olanı, ciddiyeti ön plana sürerken, Orta Çağ Avrupası’nda, alt sınıflar buna belden aşağısıyla, bedensel ve alçak olanla, gayri-ciddiyetle karşılık vermişlerdir. Kendilerine dayatılmaya çalışılan, daha çok Kilise çıkışlı ideolojiye, bilhassa Karnaval zamanlarında, resmi kültüre ait öğeleri, Hristiyanlık ritüellerini vb tersyüz ederek direnmişlerdir. Bakhtin’in belirttiğine göre, Orta Çağ Avrupa’sının halk kültüründe, Kitab-ı Mukaddes’te yer alan hemen her ayetin belden aşağısıyla ilişkilendirilen bir parodisi de bulunmaktadır. Rabelais de, 16. yüzyılda kaleme aldığı eserlerinde, örneğin Pantagruel ve Gargantua’da, Orta Çağ karnavallarına has bu ters yüz etmeyi; pazar yerinin, halkın dilini, ruhtan ziyade bedeni/belden aşağısını kullanarak hümanist edebiyatın en yetkin ürünlerinden bazılarına imza atmıştır.<br /><br />Bakhtin, grotesk kavramını, pagan kültürüyle özdeşleştirmektedir. Grotesk imgeler bir tamamlanmışlıktan ziyade bir oluşa işaret ederler. Orta Çağ karnavalları, Hristiyanlık öncesi pagan ritüellerinin bir devamı niteliğindedir. Döngüsel zaman kutlanır, doğa ölür ve yeniden doğar. Grotesk imge de içinde doğumu, cinselliği, bedensel faaliyetleri, ölümü aynı anda taşıyan türden bir imgedir. Bakhtin, grotesk imgeye örnek olarak, aynı anda hem ölmek üzere olan hem de hamile olan yaşlı kadın heykellerini gösterir. Grotesk imgeler, sınırları çizilmiş, tamamlanmış varlıklardan farklıdırlar, klasik estetiğin bakış açısından çirkin, canavarsı, iğrençtirler, fakat Bakhtin’e göre, oluşa, yeniden doğuşa, tamamlanmamışlığa işaret etmeleri, onlara iyileştirici, gelişmeye açık bir özellik kazandırmaktadır. Grotesk, yüksek olanı, sabitlenmiş olanı kahkahayla baş aşağı çevirir, ters yüz eder ve onun yerine sabitlenmemişliği, metamorfozu koyar. Bakhtin’e göre, Rabelais’nin eserlerinden sonra, edebiyatta grotesk gerçekçilik ve karnaval öğesi, Orta Çağ halk kültürüyle olan bağlarını yitirmiştir. Kollektif ve iyileştirici kahkahanın yerini, bireysel, izole, sarkastik bir kahkaha almıştır.<br /><br />Tüm bunların The Killbillies ile olan ilgisini kurmaya çalışırsak, Liquid Monkeys ekibinin grotesk ve belden aşağı imgelere fazlasıyla yer verdiklerini görürüz. Vücut atıkları, seks, travestilik ve hermafroditlik filmde yer alan grotesk imgelerden sadece birkaçıdır. Filmin içindeki öğeler, bütünüyle, yüksek kültürü tehdit eden, yüceltilen her şeyi ters yüz eden türdendir. Yüksek kültürün hijyen takıntısıyla, bedeninin ürettiği atıklarla kurduğu reddetmeye dayalı ilişkiyle, çizdiği bedensel sınırların dışına çıkan, normal” kabul etmediği her şeye, karşı duyduğu korkuyla dalga geçilir. Travesti ve Hermafrodit mükemmel iki grotesk imgedir. Ne tam olarak sınırları çizilmiş bir kadın ne de sınırları tam olarak çizilmiş bir erkektirler. Bedenleri sürekli olarak bir oluş halindedir. Raymond’ın yaptığı anal doğum da bedenle ilgili bilinen sınırların ortadan kaldırılmasıyla ilgilidir. Film, Hristiyanlığa karşı da, yukarıda bahsettiğimiz, bel altına indirgemeye yönelik türden bir ilişki kuruyor gibidir. Annelerini yemiş olan domuzu keserek oğullarına yediren Baba McCoy, “Çok güzel bir ziyafetti, neredeyse İncil’deki gibi” der, kan var, et var… tıpkı okulda öğrettikleri İncil gibi” diyerek devam eder.<br /><br />Öte yandan, The Killbillies’in, Bakhtin’in sözünü ettiği iyileştirici mizahtan ziyade, sarkastik bir mizah yaptığını da belirtmek gerekir. The Killbillies normlara karşı bir direniş içinde olabilir ama Rabelais’deki gibi “regenerative”, hümanist bir tarafı yoktur. Sıradanlık dizgesini kıran, postmodern bir kolajdır sadece.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dijital Kamera, Dijital Yeniden Üretim, Özgürlük</span><br /><br /> The Killbillies’in biçimi ve içeriğiyle ilgili tüm yorumlarımızı bir kenara bırakırsak, bu film, çekilmiş olmasıyla, başlı başına bir politik duruşu temsil etmektedir. Herhangi bir büyük film şirketinin desteğiyle değil, tamamen bir grup amatör sinemacının – “herhangi bir salağın film çekebileceğine” inanan bir grup insanın – kendi imkanlarıyla, kendi görmek istedikleri filmi çekebilme imkanı bulmuş olmaları açısından önemlidir.<br /><br /> Yıllar önce, müzik aletlerinin ucuzlamaya başlamasıyla, müzik icra etmek belirli bir elitin elinde olan bir pratik olmaktan çıkıp herkesin yapabileceği bir şey haline gelmişti. Genel olarak sadece “üç akor”dan oluştuğu için bir kısım müzik dinleyicisi tarafından küçümsenen Punk müzik, politik bir tavır olarak herkesin müzik yapabileceğini söylüyordu. Günümüzde ise dijital kamera sinema alanında benzer bir devrim yaratıyor. Duke Hendrix, Mike Thomason’la yaptıkları röportajda, punk grubu Ramones’un, herkese, bir şarkı yapmak için gereken tek şeyin bir gitar ve üç akor olduğunu gösterdiğini, kendilerininse gitar alacak paraları olmadığı için film yaptıklarını söylemektedir. Böylece Punk müzikle, kendi sinemalarının politik duruşu arasında bir paralellik kurmaktadır.<br /><br /> Alman kuramcı Walter Benjamin, 1936 tarihli “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” adlı makalesinde, fotoğraf ve bilhassa sinema sanatının, kitlelere ulaşma ve onları temsil etme kapasitesinin diğer sanatlara oranla daha yüksek olduğu fikrini öne sürmüştür. Fakat, bu kapasitenin, mevcut düzende mümkün olmadığının farkındadır. Sinemanın kapitalizm tarafından tekelci bir şekilde sömürülmesi, modern insanın, sinema perdesinde temsil edilmeye yönelik meşru talebine yolları tıkamaktadır . Benjamin’in öngörüsünün, dijital yeniden üretim çağında, yani günümüzde, gerçek olmaya bir adım daha yaklaşmış olduğu gözlemlenebilir. Artık eskisine oranla daha çok sayıda insan, evlerinde, kendi imkanlarıyla film çekebilmektedirler. Modern insan, kendi kendini temsil etmenin yolunu bulmuştur artık. Üstelik, internet sayesinde filminin tanıtımını ve dağıtımını yapmak oldukça kolaylaşmıştır.<br /><br /> The Killbillies’in, bu sinemasal devrim adına atılmış önemli bir adım olduğunu söyleyebiliriz. Duke Hendrix, konuşmamız esnasında, bana hiç film çekip çekmediğimi sormuştu. Çekmediğimi söyleyince, “mutlaka çekmelisin” dedi. Film ekibinin verdiklerini iddia ettikleri yegane mesaj da bu: “Çekmek istediğiniz gibi filmler çekin. Çünkü günün sonunda elinizde kalan tek şey o olacak. Seyirciyi memnun etmeye çalışmayın, kendinizi memnun edin. Siz mutlu olursanız filmi seven başkaları da olacaktır. Benim öğrendiğim şey şu oldu: ne yaparsanız yapın bir yerlerde onu seven birileri çıkacaktır. Dışarıda kocaman bir dünya var.”<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.ake.hacettepe.edu.tr/pg053.html">Dead Letters</a> Sayi 3'ten...</span>can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-69664734476233375942009-03-15T04:57:00.000-07:002009-03-31T05:25:24.162-07:00Le Sang D’un Poéte (Blood of a Poet) – Jean Cocteau (1930)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-6ST_YccYCGMOkRmL5wwcELHC_p2bu9yihEV73w1j2eNk7cfdFjIknq02JfVnGFnaN0t9KDdEvwFCLGkoY8AL400U1lk_rrqGpvwyTHw0xSVnvqkPfRWz8YxPix5o9Um5HNaS4wi32T2/s1600-h/blood+of+a+poet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-6ST_YccYCGMOkRmL5wwcELHC_p2bu9yihEV73w1j2eNk7cfdFjIknq02JfVnGFnaN0t9KDdEvwFCLGkoY8AL400U1lk_rrqGpvwyTHw0xSVnvqkPfRWz8YxPix5o9Um5HNaS4wi32T2/s320/blood+of+a+poet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313384100046619490" border="0" /></a>A surrealist movie from the French poet Jean Cocteau. It starts with a painter getting shocked to see one of his paintings start talking. When he erases the mouth in the painting with his hand, the mouth passes onto his hand and start talking from there. The movie continues with fifty more minutes of strange, meaningless (not in a bad sense) images from the subconscious. André Breton, in his “Manifesto of Surrealism” emphasizes the importance of subconscious in art and describes surrealism as: “I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality.” So applies Cocteau this notion in his film successfully. (Surrealism dwells in images rather than words.) Very much in the vein of <span style="font-style: italic;">An Andalusian Dog</span> by Luis Buñuel (co-written by Dali) this movie is full of that excitement, enthusiasm and the spirit of experimentation that you can only gather from the early examples of cinema. Some people might find it incomprehensible, but there is really nothing to understand. Just watch it and get high.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">From <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sonicsplendour">Sonic Splendour</a> #4</span>can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261170883628713677.post-28845642211042869862009-03-10T05:22:00.000-07:002009-03-31T05:24:39.157-07:00Undead – Spierig Brothers (2003)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIR6-QKHJe_nRgJmXHkSp6uIY4BFpb5GC2cDTsO2B6TAQ9zxG83igKQbRlhP-6V1WBv79XyaS_FqmDXHbvy0DAH_OSzNyYenVmOrQk2XWkjjQeWftXZ01vyZ0kYS3MycJZpcrO9aRgaXfa/s1600-h/undead.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIR6-QKHJe_nRgJmXHkSp6uIY4BFpb5GC2cDTsO2B6TAQ9zxG83igKQbRlhP-6V1WBv79XyaS_FqmDXHbvy0DAH_OSzNyYenVmOrQk2XWkjjQeWftXZ01vyZ0kYS3MycJZpcrO9aRgaXfa/s320/undead.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311535024014659154" border="0" /></a>Maybe you have read our interview with Duke Hendrix, maybe you haven’t. If you have, then you must have seen that we talked about Undead, another movie from Down Under (One Aussie commentor in IMDB says that he/she is ashamed that this movie was produced in Australia and begs people from other countries to believe that the people in the movie definitely do not represent Australians). Spierig brothers, with this movie, are carrying the torch once held by Sam Raimi and then Peter Jackson. With quite a low budget (of course not as low as that of The Killbillies) they were able to make a gory zombie movie... With aliens. The ever-peaceful fishing town, Berkeley is disturbed by a strange a meteor rain, due to which people start to turn into zombies. The local looney, Marion apparently knows something about these zombies, because he is well prepared, complete with a triple rifle he prepared for such occasions as zombie invasions (we later learn that, in the past he was attacked by some zombie fish and abducted by aliens). He tells other survivors that the aliens are trying to take over the planet, using zombies. The protagonists, the beauty pageant queen of the town, a couple (the wife is pregnant), all -irritating and all-cursing sheriff and his female deputy, along with Marion tries to escape and reveal the secret behind these events. The blue filter that Spierig brothers used creates a suitable atmosphere for the movie. The FX are nicely done and there are some pretty good action scenes, too. The film, not taking itself very seriously like the best examples of this genre, guarantees constant fun. Good party movie.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">From <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sonicsplendour">Sonic Splendour</a> # 4</span>can y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268502171560385391noreply@blogger.com0