{"id":3625,"date":"2011-09-19T14:41:49","date_gmt":"2011-09-19T14:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2011\/09\/19\/fantastic-fest-preview-day-5-2\/"},"modified":"2011-09-19T14:41:49","modified_gmt":"2011-09-19T14:41:49","slug":"fantastic-fest-preview-day-5-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2011\/09\/19\/fantastic-fest-preview-day-5-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantastic Fest preview Day 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fantastic Fest<\/a>, the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world, starts here in Austin in just 3 days. <\/p>\n

As a lead up, I\u2019m previewing the movies that I\u2019m planning on attending and blogging about over the course of the week long festival. <\/p>\n

\nMonday, September 26th<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

JUAN OF THE DEAD<\/span><\/a>
\nAlejandro Brugu\u00e9s 2011 | AMD Next Wave, Comedy, Feature, Guest in attendance, Horror | 100 min.<\/p>\n

50 years after the Cuban Revolution, a new one is about to begin. That revolution is zombies; filthy flesh-eating zombies. The Cubans face a large enough challenge dealing with a zombie infestation (allegedly started by U.S.-backed radical groups), but their procrastinating hero Juan (Alexis D\u00edaz de Villegas) has to overcome his lazy lifestyle to save the world.<\/p>\n

At first, Juan doesn\u2019t pay the growing chaos in Havana any mind. When the rampant \u201csocial order disturbances\u201d escalate and start to affect his routine, however, he realizes that the perpetrators are not in fact \u201cdissidents\u201d but rather are bonefide walking dead. Sensing an opportunity for a fast buck, he bands together a ragtag militia and commercializes a zombie cleaning service, \u201cJuan of the Dead,\u201d to rid households of unwanted, undead loved ones.<\/p>\n

In the same vein as, well, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, JUAN OF THE DEAD clearly pays homage to George Romero\u2019s original undead masterpieces. The film sets itself apart by taking the story of the zombie infestation in a different direction and like SHAUN, JUAN\u2019s kills are often hilarious, unique, fresh, and definitely blood-drenched. That\u2019s no small feat for a plotline as well-trod as the zombie apocalypse.<\/p>\n

The most compelling aspect of Juan of the Dead is the complete infusion of Cuban attitude, politics, humor, music and even cocktails into the film. First time writer\/director Alejandro Brugu\u00e9s delivers a progressive cultural essay encompassing not only the cultural revolution but also the current state of affairs in Cuba, all within the confines of a zombie comedy. Kudos to both Brugu\u00e9s as well as Raul Catro\u2019s new regime for launching Cuba\u2019s very first horror film. We hope this is the start of a long tradition! (Chase Whale)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

THE SQUAD<\/span><\/a>
\nJaime Osorio 2010 | Action, AMD Next Wave, Feature, Guest in attendance, Horror | 107 min.<\/p>\n

screens with\u2026
COST OF LIVING <\/span><\/a>| BenDavid Grabinski 2011<\/p>\n

In the foggy mountains of Colombia, nine soldiers trudge through muddy terrain in search of an outpost that they believe has been invaded by guerrillas. As they approach their target, one of them is brutally injured, forcing them to prematurely enter the base instead of waiting for backup. Once inside, they\u2019re greeted a pile of dead bodies and a series of ritualistic markings meant to ward off the devil. After discovering a lone, traumatized survivor and a cryptic event log, the men wait, sifting through their own differences with each other. Trapped, confused and cut off from the outside world, they begin to feel the strain of isolation closing in around them. They\u2019ll grasp at anything to resolve what happened there\u2026and what is going to happen to them. <\/p>\n

First time director Jaime Osorio Marquez is already a master of storytelling. From the first frames of the film, the characters are in turmoil, engaging in terse, heated snippets of interaction that allow the exposition of their emotional baggage to come out in slow enough drips to keep the audience guessing. Utilizing carefully chosen, confining medium shots, Marquez and his cinematographer Alejandro Moreno build the most suffocating atmosphere since DAS BOOT, one where even the vastest openings are filled with the thick fog of the cloud cover. For most of the movie, neither the characters nor the viewer can see more than a yard in front of their faces, reinforcing the sense of impending doom and keeping you on the edge of your seat. <\/p>\n

Featuring a stellar ensemble cast and a searing, pervasive score that builds uneasiness in the pit of your stomach from the first note, THE SQUAD reminds us that, under the right circumstances, the most real of demons are on the inside. (Michael Lerman)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI<\/span><\/a>
\nYoshihiro Nakamura 2010 | Drama, Fantasy, Feature, Romance | 109 min.<\/p>\n

Director Yoshihiro Nakamura blew Fantastic fest audiences away in 2009 with his \u201cpunk rock saves the world\u201d movie FISH STORY and then, last year, he returned with the ultimate conspiracy thriller, GOLDEN SLUMBER. Now he takes a radical turn and brings us\u2026.a family film? You may already be turning the page, but wait! Because if you know anything about Nakamura you know that his family film is going to be stranger and more immediate than any other flick you\u2019ve seen in a while. And that\u2019s the case with A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI, the tale of a boy, a samurai, time travel, pastries, chef vs. yakuza battles, absent fathers, and single mothers. <\/p>\n

Yusa is a single mom, desperately doing her best to get her young son, Tomoya, off to school, remember his books, hold down a boring job that pays the rent, and provides microwaved dinners ready for him when he comes home. The last thing she needs in her life is a time traveling samurai, but that\u2019s exactly what she gets when Kajima (played by popular TV idol, Ryo Nishikido) winds up stranded in her apartment complex after being inexplicably plucked by random forces from the Edo Period. <\/p>\n

Not knowing what to do, she invites him to stay but soon, frustrated by his inability to cope with modern day Tokyo, she starts to use him as a babysitter and then as a cook and housekeeper, even though he\u2019s still terrified of the ringing phone. But while doing this, Kajima realizes that he doesn\u2019t like hacking people up in duels over honor and respect. He likes making pastries and wants to turn pro. <\/p>\n

Based on a popular manga by Gen Araki, A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI is the perfect male weepie. Ultimately, however, it\u2019s a movie about time travel. And isn\u2019t growing up, after all, a kind of one way time travel? (New York Asian Film Festival) <\/p>\n

Japanese films at Fantastic Fest 2011 are presented by WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT<\/p>\n

\nPreview Day 4<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Preview Day 6<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Fantastic Fest preview Day 5<\/a> was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world, starts here in Austin in just 3 days. As a lead up, I\u2019m previewing … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n