James Turner gives a quick roundup of Frightfest 2018…
Okay slasher/comedy film. Had the potential to be wonderfully bizarre but held back. Not a bad watch, but nothing special.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
A definite product of 80’s nostalgia. Clearly rips off the Stranger Things / It aesthetic. Nevertheless, it’s a very enjoyable film, even if it is hugely derivative.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Surprising, original horror/thriller. It’s a slow burn for sure, but it delves into some really dark places and is altogether a really solid film. I honestly didn’t expect it to be as good as it is. There aren’t too many horror movies like this one, and it’s nice to see a somewhat sympathetic antagonist in the genre.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Braid
In a short introduction to the film, Braid’s director described the film as being visual poetry. This is quite an apt description of the movie. It’s disjointed, ‘artsy’, and completely failed to draw my interest. Rather than use carefully chosen visual cues to tell a story, it throws the whole kitchen sink into the mix, as if more filmmaking techniques make for a better film. They don’t. It’s pretentious, meandering, and not nearly as clever as it thinks it is. There are some nice shots, and it’s not a dreadful bore, but that’s about it.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich
Nazi puppets kill people while those still alive spew out a torrent of semi-offensive jokes. If that’s your kind of thing, you’ll have a blast. It’s better produced than I imagined too, so I guess there’s that.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
The Most Assassinated Woman in the World
More of a film about horror than a horror film in and of itself, The Most Assassinated Woman in the World tells the story of the original scream-queen Paula Maxa. It feels more like a BBC period crime drama than it does a horror movie, but it’s still pretty good. It’s beautifully shot, and there’s a good deal of intrigue. Worth watching for the true story and the performances, just don’t expect to be scared.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Brutal, disturbing horror from the man who directed Martyrs. Certainly not an easy watch, but it was the first film of the festival that truly impressed me. Recommended for those who have a strong stomach.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Oh god, no.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Heretiks
I’m a big fan of religious horror movies, but this one didn’t cut it for me. None of the characters had any sort of motivation, and some of the acting was a bit dodgy. There was also far too much shaky-cam, obscuring the gore to the point at which I wondered why they had bothered with the blood in the first place. It had its moments, but I see no reason to watch it again.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. Abso-fucking-lutely ludicrous. One of the three best films of the festival, easily.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Though the name never stuck with me, the movie certainly did. Possibly the most plot heavy of all the films at Frightfest, and thus one of the best paced. A twisting, turning thrill ride. Thoroughly recommended.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Utterly brilliant. Action packed, funny, gory, and was the only film I saw where the audience applauded at several points during the screening. Goddamn its good.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Fright Fest
I walked out after 15 minutes, and according to the Twittersphere, everyone else followed suit shortly after. There’s not a lot else I can say.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★
The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Bigfoot
Nothing like you’d expect from the title. Not at all schlocky or action packed. It’s essentially a Sunday night movie about a grumpy old man that just so happens to have about five minutes of bigfoot it. Strange, and not very effective.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Just another run-of-the-mill slasher movie. Unspectacular in most ways and downright bad or laughable in others. Eugh.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★
Short but sweet Argentinian supernatural horror. Probably the scariest movie of the festival at least in terms of raw tension and uncanny visuals.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
The Field Guide to Evil
A collection of short films. The opening two are great, as is the last, but the four or five in the middle are forgettable or bad. Probably best to wait for the home release so you can pick and choose. Overall, a pretty average experience.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
The Dark
A boy meets monster story. Remember Warm Bodies? Kinda like that, but better, and more serious, and without that horrible teen-romance atmosphere. The foundations of the story are a little shaky – it seems to be a redemption story about someone whose life doesn’t need redeeming – but overall good. It’s a little slow, but there is enough in the camerawork and acting to keep you hooked.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
A very average film with a glossy coating and a great lead performance. It looks like a film that’s had a lot of money put into it, but the writing is just too melodramatic to make me care about it in any strong way. It’s well and truly okay.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Pretentious, pseudo-intellectual, yet worth 2200 words worth of analysis, according to me. Check out my piece here to know more. If you don’t have time for that, just know that I don’t think Climax is worth anyone’s time.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★
James Turner
