It’s that time again for my sojourn to Fantastic Fest, the annual Alamo Drafthouse week long love letter to horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. This year’s festival runs from Sept 24-October 1, here in Austin at the South Lamar location.

As in year’s past, I begin my coverage with a multi-part/day preview.

Fantastic Fest Preview Day Four

The Deathless Devil

Channeling the spirit of early Hollywood serials and ingeniously combining it with the most outrageous elements of science fiction, THE DEATHLESS DEVIL is a love letter written in the language of Turkish exploitation.

Director Yilmaz Atadeniz’s brilliant magnum opus opens as scientist Professor Dogan discovers the new ‘tangayt’ metal, which allows him to remotely control all cars and technology. However, the news of his discovery soon gets him in the crosshairs of the mysterious Dr,. Satan who wants to rule the world with an iron fist. The only man who can stop the situation is Tekin, putting on his father’s Copperhead costume and taking up the mantle of fighting crime.

A superhero origin story, a science fiction epic and a jaw-dropping display of endless stunts, THE DEATHLESS DEVIL showcases the best of Turkish genre cinema of the period: productions full of heart, made on nothing, but which aim far above what anyone else would have dared.

Crazy robots, madcap car chases and a sidekick believing himself to be Sherlock Holmes are only the icing on the cake. The film blends the surreal with the excessive and creates a landscape which will feel both familiar and foreign to a genre audience. The performance of lead actor Kunt Tulgar is nothing short of wonderful as he throws himself into the role of Copperhead with gusto and fights his way through an ever-changing roster of brilliant henchman all the way to the mysterious Dr. Satan.

Both an entertaining ride and an important discovery, THE DEATHLESS DEVIL, like many of its counterparts, only exists in lower quality formats. This is the best version of the film available in the world..

So take a trip into the colorful past of Turkey’s cinematic history and wonder how anyone could’ve survived this long without meeting THE DEATHLESS DEVIL. (Evrim Ersoy)

Anomalisa

There will be very few films this year as singular as Kaufman’s newest, ANOMALISA, a collaboration with filmmaker Duke Johnson. On the surface, you quickly recognize Kaufman’s dark and lonely world. A Willy Loman type is unsatisfied in his life. He doesn’t connect with his wife or his son. His job — giving speeches designed to improve efficiency in customer service call centers — can’t fulfill what’s lacking in his existence, even if he’s somewhat of a celebrity in that field. However, his latest business trip to Cincinnati provides a glimmer of hope. A former love lives there and the chance at a reunion drives him through his mundane existence with the hope of connecting with another soul.

The already poignant narrative transcends to an ethereal state because of the bold decision to painstakingly shoot the entire film as stop-motion animation. We all love the nostalgia of that style, but this isn’t Ray Harryhausen’s Medusa. It’s so well done that you quickly forget you are watching — for lack a better word — “puppets.” When the camera lingers on a character or zooms into their eyes, you are lost in the emotion of the moment. After the film ends, you are affected on as deep a level as you were with ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND or SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK.

ANOMALISA was produced by Fantastic Fest veterans Snoot Entertainment (responsible for fest favorite YOU’RE NEXT and co-distributor with Drafthouse Films of CHEAP THRILLS) and Dan Harmon’s animation house Starburns Industries. The project was originally envisioned as a 40 minute short, but after a successful crowdfunding campaign, it was extended to a feature length experience. The end result is unforgettable, one of the undisputed highlights of this year’s Fantastic Fest. (James Shapiro)

Sensoria

Somewhere in Sweden, Caroline Menard prepares for a new life. The past has not been good to her, and she has lost almost everything she has ever cared for in the world. Moving into an old apartment, all she wants is a chance at a new life. However, strange and inexplicable things start to happen around her, threatening any sense of sanity left. And her weird neighbors appear to be holding back information from her. She begins to realize that there might be something ancient within the block, searching for her.

Beautifully shot and hauntingly scored, SENSORIA is a traditional ghost story with a twist. Filled with slow dread accentuated by excellent performances, the film builds a razor-sharp atmosphere that engages and intrigues throughout. Add to this a beautifully muted color palette that suggests a country permanently bathed in melancholia, and the end result is a haunting ride through loss and madness carrying wide influences all the way from M. R. James to Roman Polanski.

This is the debut effort from genre veteran Christian Hallman, who is not only the man behind the brilliant Lund International Fantastic Film Festival in Sweden, but is also a seasoned genre film producer. Clearly, his years of toiling behind the scenes has paid off as SENSORIA marks Hallman as a talent to watch, with a keen eye on sense of location and mood.

Both low-key and gentle, SENSORIA might not have the jump-scare tactics of recent ghost films… but it doesn’t need them. With assured set-pieces, a haunting atmosphere and a beautiful score by Frank Illfman (who composed the recent Fantastic Fest favorite BIG BAD WOLVES), SENSORIA more than earns it scares the old-fashioned way. It’s a haunting and wonderful trip into the ghostly heart of Sweden. (Evrim Ersoy)

The Devil’s Candy

A struggling painter (Ethan Embry) finds his dream home in rural Texas. Twice the size of their previous tiny flat, the house has enough room for his wife and daughter to spread out as well as a huge space he can use as a studio. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that the previous occupant of the house hasn’t entirely left. Taunted by satanic voices, Ray is on a collision course from which no one will remain unscathed.

In his THE LOVED ONES follow-up, director Sean Byrne cleverly deconstructs the haunted house movie; this is AMITYVILLE for an entirely new generation. Atmospheric, oppressive and damn scary, THE DEVIL’S CANDY combines classic thrills with a great heavy metal score to forge the sort of slam-bang genre ride we rarely get these days.

The cast is uniformly excellent, from the struggling family to the mysterious previous occupant; they are all people you deeply care about despite their flaws. Byrne’s mise-en-scene and use of color is second to none, and the deepening layers of contrast and the relationships between scenes heighten the tension and create genuine unease.

Whilst THE LOVED ONES was largely set within the confines of one home, Byrne here captures rural Texas with a keen eye. The isolation of the family is set against stark fields and abandoned roads. The weathered structures, the crumbling motels and the dusty town square give the impression of a place once teeming with life, but now eerily empty. Add to this a killer soundtrack and one of the best opening sequences of the year, and it’s easy to see why THE DEVIL’S CANDY will be one of the most talked about titles of the festival. (Evrim Ersoy)