DJing for the festival was such a blast. Here are some of my top picks, if anyone still cares...
The Descent
Highly disturbing and gripping the whole way through. It's also refreshing to see a movie about smart, tough chicks battling it out. My only complaint would be that some of the ladies felt a little too much like stock characters (Juno, anyone?). However, the emotional resonance of the main character's psychological trauma paralleled with the notion of being trapped in a cave makes this horror movie stand out among the other junk.
A Bittersweet Life
Ah, one of the most debated movies at Fantasia (see Angelica's good summation of the film on CJLO's forum under "Favourites"). While I'm mildly annoyed by the Romantic pursuit of the idealized female plotline, the lead skillfully plays emotional depth and silent frustration -- making questionable motives and slight melodrama more palatable. After all is said and done, remains one of my favourite festival films this year.
DJ XL5's Zappin' Party Cavaclade
Not only the best collection of shorts I've ever seen, but the best movie-going experience I've had at Fantasia. It was a buffet of good-times -- you never knew what was coming up, and in the whole two-hour screening, there was just one lackluster short. Not bad. Highlights: the conflated movie trailers such as "Brokeback to the Future" and "Toy Story Requiem," the tampered-with horror trailers made to look like heart-felt films ("Shining," "Cabin Fever"), and much much more...
Edmond
Turning a play into a screenplay has never been an easy feat. You can either take major creative license and hope for the best (ie: Titus) or remain faithful to the script and completely flop (ie: Proof). Edmond manages to remain identifiable "drama," which in my opinion, works in its favour. It feels like a play, and if you're familiar with the genre, viewing Edmond won't be such an uncomfortable experience. Still, its style, birthed from "in-your-face" playwriting that was especially popular around the time of its inception, coupled with its retaliation against political correctness, may not be for everyone. If, however, you enjoy being psychologically stabbed every once in a while, then Edmond may be right up your alley...
Bon Cop/Bad Cop
The highlight of this experience was the fact that I saw the film's Canadian Premiere liquored up from the Fantasia cocktail with the awesome peeps from CJLO. Oh, and Patrick Huard was there in the flesh!!! :P All and all, a hilarious way to end the festival.
Posts
