Fantasia Fest 2020 – Working Towards the Weekend : Sonic Cinema

Fantasia Fest 2020 – Working Towards the Weekend

Posted by Brian Skutle Posted on Aug - 29 - 2020 0 Comment

Before I continue with my Fantasia Fest coverage proper, I wanted to offer a few thoughts on the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman Friday night. He brought history to life for a generation of Black people- he was Black Panther, he was Jackie Robinson, he was James Brown, and he was Thurgood Marshall. He embodied the leaders a generation of Black people looked up to as “Stormin’ Norman” in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” and the hope that springs eternal for Browns fans as Vontae Mack in the silly football comedy, “Draft Day.” He was well on his way to being one of the greatest actors of his generation- he was already one of the most important. Him being the first of the resurrected Avengers to arrive to the final battle in “Avengers: Endgame” is one of the reasons that scene has the impact it does- his sudden loss from a four-year battle with colon cancer will make it resonate even more now. Rest in Power, King. Enjoy peace on the ancestral plane.

It was fortuitous that we got access to press screeners for Fantasia Fest as early as we did, as this week has seen me preparing to go back to my full-time job for the first time in five months. Thankfully, I had many of this week’s most interesting films- and the ones I was most interested in- already watched and ready for the reviews to be published. That included many of the interviews I wanted to run, although I did get a couple more throughout the week. (With the exception of a couple which will be included in my wrap-up podcast about the festival, all of my interviews will be embedded with my review of the respective film.) With all that said, let’s get on with it, shall we?

Monday, August 24
This day had an assortment of riches for festival goers, and I’m not just talking about the self-deprecating panel from screenwriter Simon Barrett, which you can watch below. There were four fascinating films, all from different genres, which spoke to something profound about the human experience. First up was a video game adaptation, “Detention”, which also looks at the guilt that can build up when you feel responsible for enabling oppression, all within the parameters of a haunting ghost story. Next was an excellent documentary about the redemption of David Arquette, whose career hit the skids after his controversial “winning” of the heavyweight wrestling championship at the height of his popularity; in “You Cannot Kill David Arquette”, he goes through the physical and emotional rigors of trying to become a professional wrestler, and his story is one of the most inspiring of the year. On the darker side of the spectrum, director Cody Calahan weaves a narrative that utilizes words and stories as weapons in the enclosed thriller, “The Oak Room”. Wrapping up the evening was the final film by director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi called “Labyrinth of Cinema”, which looks at the power of cinema to inspire, to educate, and to make us feel one with humanity, and lives that are not our own; at three hours, it is a massive undertaking, but it is one worth watching.

Tuesday, August 25
I didn’t see quite as many of the features from today as I did on Monday, but there was still some great things to take in. First up was an interesting panel on how folk horror can be used to tell stories of resistance, which you can watch below. After that, we have our first short film block- it was a Science-Fiction block, and overall it was strong in quality and diversity, with the best it had to offer (“Your Last Day on Earth” and “Fall Out”) taking different approaches to the idea of life and death, and what lengths people will go to survive. (Also noteworthy were more comedic efforts in “Toto”, “Doppelbanger” and “Swipe Up, Vivian!”.) The feature I watched from today was one of my very favorites from the fest, though. It was Macoto Tezuka’s adaptation of his father’s manga, “Tezuka’s Barbara”, and it’s a strange piece of pulp noir about an author whose life is turned upside down when he encounters a transfixing woman on the streets. This is a film about inspiration and obsession, and how sometimes, fate can challenge you with temptation. I know this one was a bit divisive, but I fell into it immediately.

Wednesday, August 26
This was a big day personally, as it had a special panel I was waiting for, as well as the best film I’ve seen from this year’s lineup. The panel looks at the art and commerce of film score restorations and special releases, a subject near and dear to my heart, and the diverse minds the festival brought together to discuss it were great to listen to. Cinematically, there were two films this evening that explored trauma, and the ways it can be influenced by strong personalities. The Indian horror drama, “Kriya”, found a DJ facing his past when he goes home with a woman from the club, only to discover he plays an important part in a family ritual after a loved one’s death. But Amelia Moses’s terrific “Bleed With Me” is on another level from just about everything else at the festival. Rowan (Lee Marshall) goes on a trip with Emily (Lauren Beatty) and her boyfriend, but as the days go on, the dynamic between the introverted, troubled Rowan and the more open Emily hints at maybe something more sinister at work. This is another film about characters dealing with trauma, and how those vulnerabilities open each one up to being co-dependent on the other in a way that only adds pain to themselves. It was great getting to talk to Moses and her stars about this film, and it’s another example of a female filmmaker this year using genre to address psychological struggles women find themselves dealing with that male filmmakers cannot really connect us with as powerfully.

Thursday, August 27
During the week, I was invited to watch one of Thursday’s offerings, John Hyams’s “Alone”, about a widower driving alone to a new home, only to find herself harassed by a fellow driver. What starts out as a sharp modern take on “Duel” degenerates into a formulaic “woman in trouble” movie, but that first part of the movie is worth watching. Also playing on Thursday was one of my first watches of the festival, the French romantic fantasy, “A Midnight in Paris”. It’s essentially a more dramatic riff on “Splash,” but there’s genuine loveliness in this film, and a wonderful sense of imagination.

Friday, August 28
Our first, official day, being re-opened was what pre-occupied my Friday, but I did get one nasty little thriller watched before going back to work that screened yesterday. It is Bryan Bertino’s family horror film, “The Dark and the Wicked”. It’ll be released more widely in November, and it’s well worth checking out, as a brother and sister go home to help with their father, and find some sinister goings on afoot.

My last blog on Fantasia Fest will cover Saturday-Wednesday, and there are some pretty great things to cover. Some of the most interesting films, and interviews, I’ve experienced in the past few weeks will be available, all leading up to my podcast where I wrap everything up. I hope you enjoy!

2020 Fantasia International Film Festival: The Reviews
“Smiley Death Face”
“You Cannot Kill David Arquette”
“Crazy Samurai Musashi”
“A Mermaid in Paris”
“Diabla”
“Labyrinth of Cinema”
“Monster Seafood Wars”
“Sleep”
“The Oak Room”
“Hail to the Deadites”
“Sanzaru”
“For the Sake of Vicious” (Review on 9/2)
“Morgana”
“PVT Chat”
“Fried Barry”
“The Columnist”
“Tezuka’s Barbara”
“Clapboard Jungle”
“Special Actors”
“Undergods”
“Don’t Text Back!”
“Bleed With Me”
“Minor Premise”
“Detention”
“Feels Good Man”
“Kriya”
“Fugitive Dreams”
“The Paper Tigers”
“Climate of the Hunter”
“Cosmic Candy”
“The Prophet and the Space Aliens”
“Alone”
“The Dark and the Wicked”
“Savage State”
“#Shakespeareshitstorm”
“The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw”
“Class Action Park”