The second day of the world’s largest genre film fest, brought with it a longer schedule and an increasingly varied choice of events to Austin, including some held off-campus, away from the festival’s bustling headquarters. It was filled with subtitles, man-children, intergalactic beings bent on the destruction of our planet, gallery exhibits, and one incredibly cool surprise that had everyone floored (at least, those that were lucky enough to make it in).
Der Bunker
[rating=8.00]
An film as difficult to classify as it is to describe, the plot concerns a young student who rents a small, cramped room so he can concentrate on his work. Though the family appears at first to be rather unusual, the father, played by David Scheller, is particularly impressive, it quickly becomes clear they have ulterior motives which grow increasingly sinister. Director Nikias Chryssos also weaves in a great deal of humor, and describing the “child,” Klaus, as equal parts Little Lord Fauntleroy and Simple Jack from Tropic Thunder, shows an artist willing to celebrate the diversity of his influence.
Much of that influence is seen film’s kitsch, symmetric imagery is bursting at the scenes with detail, it’s impossible to see this as some kind of dark-hearted ode to Wes Anderson, complete with the a slow-motion montage underscored with a fuzz-toned pop song. The film builds its sandbox early on and follows its own rules very closely. By deliberately portioning out its narrative little by little, it gives little to no backstory, which by the end defaults to the ever-popular “well, what do you think happened?” device – the difference here is that it’s hard to imagine it working otherwise.
The Act of Seeing Gallery Exhibit
Nicolas Winding Refn, best known as the director of 2011’s Drive, has been making the rounds at the festival circuits promoting a new book, The Act of Seeing, a collection of exploitation movie posters from the 50s through the 70s that he spent a considerable amount of time and money assembling. As part of Fantastic Fest, Mondo Gallery set up a small exhibition of some of the posters used, as well as had copies of the book available on hand.
Refn himself was on hand to sign autographs, as was the book’s author Alan Jones, who gives real insight into the movies themselves. The posters themselves, both adorning the walls of the tiny gallery and contained within the pages, are a testament to the truly artistic and brilliant compositions that were printed to help sell exploitation.
Crimson Peak
Probably Del Toro’s creative peak. Can’t say anything else until October 13th.
Assassination Classroom
[rating=8.00]
Ending the second night in a row with an offbeat Japanese mishmash of genres, Assassination Classroom details the plight of Class E, a group of student rejects who are given one important class, train to assassinate an intergalactic alien who’s set to destroy the Earth in March. The alien is also a giant yellow, tentacled happy face with a relatively encouraging demeanor. He’s also the class’s teacher.
Based on the anime of the same name, the live action adaptation actually manages to up the insanity (itself being no small feet), and the combination coming-of-age/action tale is surprisingly accessible, considering how I had to describe the premise in the preceding paragraph. Soon the lives of a troubled boy and a sentient robot show up to join the superbly over-the-top antics.
