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| Fright Nights - Horrorant International Film Festival 7 |
After two years
of having to put Horrorant on hold due to the Covid-19 crisis, Greece’s
prestigious international film festival returned, for 11 days, in several
cities, with 62 films, among them 25 feature films – all of them Greek
premieres – and with several guests that provided the audience with Q&A
sessions. Here’s the report.
Horrorant found its home at the ΕΛΙΖΕ theater.
The festival was
kick-started as usual, with the screening of the previous edition’s winner of
the ‘Best Feature’ Award, namely Pledge
(2018) and the Opening Ceremony feature, which was Post Portem (2020).
A good surprise
the festival had in store was a special screening of a group of collected
animated shorts including Coin
(2019), Deeply Deep (2020), Gholu (2019), Knock Knock (2019), Las Putas
Pastillas (2021), Mirror (2019),
and Re-Animal (2021).
The audience experienced 11 nights of horror
Competition
Horror:
Several
interesting new horror films competed in this category, including The Last Thing Mary Saw (2021), Apps (2021), The Sadness (2021), Llanto
Maldito (2021), Hambre (2021), Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019), and the
ones reviewed bellow.
The Devil’s Tail (2021)
The mysterious
patient Mr. Moore who had 80% of his body terribly burned, is going through a
hellish hospitalization that includes strong medicine and restraining, until
one day he disappears from his room with his bed intact. Several years later, a
stereotypical nurse manager tells tales that are somehow connected with this
tragic and uncanny event.
Although the
anthology horror picture is a difficult thing to tackle with any success,
especially in recent years (the British films from Amicus and the like in the
1970s are now considered classics, but they are the exception), an array of
newcomers did just that with this co-production between Argentina and New
Zealand. Most of the stories are functioning well enough to guarantee for a
good viewing material, combining horror and humor, and they would all work well
on their own, had they been offered as short subjects individually. It is not
the anthology horror film that will take the independent film world by storm,
but it is a very good addition to the much-maligned subgenre.
The 100 Candles Game (2020)
Four friends
that look very ‘alternative’ – in conjunction with this modern horror trend
which has the fans taking of over the filmmaking side of things – gather in a
house and set-up a 100 candles game in which they each have to tell a scary
story. This is another anthology horror co-production between Argentina and New
Zealand, and its segments not only work, but are scary as hell, which is all
you really need from such fare. It comes highly recommended.
Urubu (2019)
Tomas (Carlos
Urrutia) a photographer, travels deep in the Amazonian forest to get the
perfect picture of a rare bird, dragging with him his dysfunctional family that
consists of his attractive wife Eva (Clarice Alves) and their daughter Andrea
(Jullie D’Arrigo). The marriage will be tested as tensions arise in the first
half of the film, but their problems will get much worse in the climactic
second half.
Directed by
Alejandro Ibanez (his feature length theatrical debut, as he had previously
helmed only shorts and TV-movies) this is – as per the promotional material – a
tribute to the cinematic legacy of his father Narciso Ibanez Serrador, and to
be more precise, to the landmark film Who
Can Kill a Child? (1976), although this is more prevalent in the second
half, while the first half is mostly reminiscent of the Italian erotic
thrillers from the 1970s.
This is cinema
with guts, the like of which we unfortunately don’t see much of – or any –
these days, and it is a pity that it won’t have the impact it should, as
international genre cinema does not have the place that 1970s exploitation film
had in the global landscape of theaters and home video. However, this doesn’t
take anything away from the absolute thrill that it is to experience this
masterpiece, and you should absolutely go out of your way to see it, as hands
down it is my favorite piece that was screened during this year’s program.
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Al Tercer Dia (2021) poster
Al Tercer Dia (2021)
A mother is
looking for her son, but things gets worse when she becomes the prisoner of a
religious maniac, in this Argentinean genre-bending outing from director Daniel
de la Vega. Think of a cross between ‘torture porn’ and a creature feature, but
with its biggest inspiration being the classic Don’t Look Now (1973), and you might get a vague idea of what this
feature is like, but I recommend seeing it for yourselves to full comprehend
its originality.
Ex (2021)
Entrapped in a
virtual world where sharing everything is more important than living anything
in real life, this is about a group of teenagers that get in supernatural
trouble once a ‘memory’ picture is shared on social media.
By combining
elements from modern ghost story films and hip subjects such as the dangers of
social media, this is doomed to be dated not long from now, but if seen today –
like we did at Horrorant – it is quite an enjoyable experience and quite scary
at times. Directed by Evgeniy Puzyrevskiy, this is a Russian production,
probably the last one that managed to get internationally screened before the
widespread cancel.
Christos Mouroukis presents Troma's award
#Shakespeare’s Shitstorm (2020)
And speaking of
Russia, Troma let us know via one of its several introductory videos that it
stands with Ukraine (yes, our beloved Toxic Avenger can stop tanks!). Other
videos included Lloyd Kaufman’s greeting to Horrorant (needless to say, we are
proud for this), as well as the Troma’s now-classic short Radiation March.
The movie itself
as you might have guessed is another take on the works of Shakespeare – this
time it is The Tempest, but Troma had
also notably adapted Romeo and Juliet
to Tromeo & Juliet – albeit one
with a New Jersey spin on it. What’s this spin? The corrupted ‘Big Pharma’
industry is putting lives in danger, essentially allowing dope to destroy our
kids in exchange for big profit. What’s more, a family beef and a new drug
called The Tempest that just hit the streets generate a shitstorm! It is up to
the social justice warriors and soft activists to save the day.
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#Shakespeare's Shitstorm
With Lloyd
Kaufman at the helm, as well as in several roles, this will have the New York
legend going out with a bang if he decides for it to be his swan song. It is an
absolute chaos, of seemingly endless scenes of people partying with drugs,
vomit, blood, piss, semen, and excrement, but Troma as always is keen to offer
well-masqueraded social commentary as well. This time the target is the
‘politically correct’ obsession, the capitalist threat, the Big Pharma, the
media, the white house, the social justice warriors, and everyone that would
stand on Toxie’s way and beyond! This is a masterpiece that is firing on all
cylinders, and I consider it to be one of the most important works of art of
recent years.
La Forma Del Bosque (2021)
This
co-production between Argentina and Uruguay was directed by Gonzalo Mellid, is
your typical ‘cabin in the woods’ story in which two siblings and their weird
grandfather have to face a paranormal entity. Although no masterpiece by any
stretch of the word, it is an enjoyable effort that at its mere 87 minutes of
running time, it never outstays its welcome.
Offseason (2021)
Upon receiving a
letter, a young woman (Jocelin Donahue) arrives at a small seaside town where
she gets entrapped in a horrible nightmare. Directed by Mickey Keating, this
Shudder Original may not be very original, but it is thrilling, tense, and most
importantly scary. It is not the horror film that will change the history of
the genre, but it is outstandingly eerie, coming highly recommended.
The Red Book Ritual (2022)
Another
co-production between New Zealand and Argentina that opts for the anthology
format, this time revolving around the titular game that is about to unleash an
evil witch. Not a game changer, but a very welcome addition to the subgenre,
this is enjoyable enough and at a mere 83 minutes long it never outstays its
welcome.
Konstantinos Chatzipapas and Filip Jan Rymsza
Mosquito State (2020)
Wall Street wolf
and computer engineer Richard Boca is working on a ‘model’ that keeps on
resembling the operational methods of mosquitoes, essentially driving him
deeper and deeper into madness, as well as the nightmares of body horror.
Although too original to be pigeonholed to any genre, this resembles a distant
cousin of an orphan David Cronenberg film, but its constant social commentary
elevates it to something really outstanding. Directed by Filip Jan Rymsza, this
is one of most unique U.S. films I’ve seen in many years.
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Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019)
Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019)
Set in a
Columbian mountain (where this Columbian production was shot on location), this
tells the story of a local priest who introduces to his community a young boy
as their savior, but it looks like he brings doom and despair with him.
Directed by Juan Diego Escobar Alzate, this indie production has become a film
festival sensation around the globe, thanks to its awkward stance on female
sexuality and the overall peculiar shooting style. It is a masterpiece, it is
original (the screenplay in particular is odd and genious), and it deserves to
be seen by a wider audience.
Competition
Panorama:
Several new
independent features competed in this category, including Nikolina (2020), Dark Cloud
(2022), Glasshouse (2021), and the
ones reviewed bellow.
Emboscada (2020)
Bodies are lost and
found, appear and disappear, under mysterious circumstances in this Mexican
thriller from director Rene Herrera. Peculiar in terms of storytelling and
awkward in terms of execution, this is difficult to get but it is an enjoyable
journey. I only wish it had downplayed the gangster element and went for a more
full-on horror approach, but it is still quite strong as it is.
Slumber Party Massacre (2021)
Trish Devereaux
[Schelaine Bennett from Monster Hunter
(2020)] the sole survivor of a serial killer’s 1993 rampage (as seen in the
same-titled 1982 film and re-enacted masterfully here in a pre-credits
sequence) lets her teenage daughter Dana [Hannah Gonera from Spell (2020)] in present day Los Angeles
to go on a field trip with her girlfriends, but unbeknownst she goes to the
exact same location to face the same serial killer [Rob Van Vuuren from Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)] who
is alive and killing according to a famous true crime podcast. Will the lot
kill him or be killed?
Director
Danishka Esterhazy [I Was Lorena Bobbitt
(2020)] perfectly captures the tone of the franchise (which it wasn’t that
easy, considering that the original series ran from 1982 to 1990, and the
second rendition from 2003 to 2011) and does so with plenty of affection for
its spirit. Essentially a feminist slasher (like the original), it somehow goes
a step further to objectify the male figure and create a free-for-all
homoerotic fantasy. However, this being the fan service that it is (it pays its
respects by including several ‘Easter eggs’ not only from the original film,
but also its sequels), only super fans will ‘get it’ and the rest will be
dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity of it all.
Muerto Con Gloria (2021)
The titular young
woman is working in a bookstore and has no real personal life with sex being
absolutely absent from her life. That is until one night she is visited by an
invisible ghost with the most and has passionate intercourse with her.
Directed by
Mauro Sarser and Marcela Matta, this is mainly a comedy with only the ghost
aspects giving it some elements of horror, but light as it is – especially in
comparison with the context of Horrorant – it is enjoyable, it works, and
surprisingly never gets tiring even at almost 2 hours long. It was a nice break
from the constant horror we were experiencing for eleven days.
Vivian Papageorgiou receives Hansel's award
Greek Shorts:
Horrorant always
showcases Greek horror short films, and this year we had the pleasure of
watching That Night (2020), Stay Safe (2020), Love (2022), Wicca Book
(2020), as well as the ones reviewed bellow.
Hansel (2020)
Written and
directed by Vivian Papageorgiou (her second short subject to be screened at
Horrorant Film Festival) this is about a young boy facing a mysterious man that
comes from the nearby forest. Seemingly inspired by the works of Tim Burton;
this excellent dark fairytale benefits from stunning production design.
Michelle Coverley receives The Wick's award
International
Shorts:
Horrorant always
showcases international horror short films, and this year we had the pleasure
of watching Noite Macabra (2020), T’Es Morte Helene (2020), La Penumbra (2021), Hopes (2019), Casa
(2020), Nuisible(s) (2020), Guardian Angel (2019), Mama (2021), El Bosque Del Silencio (2019), Aamama
(2020), Horrorscope (2019), Part Forever (2021), Stalker (2019), as well as the ones
reviewed bellow.
Lili (2019)
The titular
actress is auditioning for a role, until the man behind the camera becomes a
creep and harasses her. But she just won’t take it. Directed by Yfke van
Berckelaer, this excellent one-shot (we need more of these) is a perfect
#metoo-inspired addition to the revenge horrors cannon.
Scriptum (2021)
Directed by
Marco Leonato, this horror short comes from Spain and it is about an author who
is suffering from a writer’s block much to his editor’s angst, until one day he
finds the inspiration he was searching for, but it may prove deadly. Clocking
at a massive 20 minutes long, this manages to never drag. It wears its Alfred
Hitchcock inspiration proudly on its sleeve and it benefits from ace
performances from the two female leads.
Tebori (2020)
Directed by
Silvana Zancolo, this highly erotic Italian horror short is about a hip couple
that gets entrapped in the dangers of social media when they get involved in a
dodgy auction. Scary, sexy, and above all enjoyable, this was a joy to watch.
Sonrisas (2020)
Directed by
Javier Chavanel, this horror short comes from Spain, and it is about a young
man who upon accepting his girlfriend’s invitation to meet her family he gets
introduced to some very strange people. Eerie and in the spirit of a Twilight Zone episode (if you could
imagine one with gore), this is well-made and enjoyable.
El Juego (2019)
This stunning
monster movie from Peru is effective, atmospheric, and scary. Directed by
Rogger Vergara, there is not too much plot to speak of, but surprisingly for a
short film the special effects are stunning (and mostly of the practical
variety, as we like them) and the mood is eerie.
Koreatown Ghost Story (2021)
Although
technically a U.S. production, this short – as revealed by its title – has a
full-on Korean flavor and it is a Faust-like
story about a woman that accepts a macabre deal in order to make her life’s
dreams come true.
Salpicon (2021)
Hailing from
Mexico, this 8 minutes short by director Marcos Munoz is about a zombie
breakout from the perspective of a man trapped in a public bathroom and
suffering from diarrhea.
No Podras Volver Nunca (2020)
Coming from the
renowned horror-producing country that is Spain and directed by Monica Mateo,
this is a very interesting short about an interracial couple that upon saying
goodbye during a totally conventional day, something will put them in a
horrifying reality. This is one of the most well-made and intense shorts I’ve
had the pleasure of watching at this year’s fest, and it’s a shame that I can’t
tell you more for fearing of getting into spoiler territory.
La Tueur Du Lac Maudit (2020)
This French
short from directors Laurent Ardoint and Stephane Duprat (the two of them also
star in it) is a fun meta-take parody of the slasher tropes and the film
festival circuit.
The Wick (2020)
Set in 19th
Century England this British short film tells the eerie story of a witch trial.
It is always hard to make a period piece in itself, let alone in the short film
form, but this one does this really well. Based on a real story and inspired by
the many similar cases through the ages, it provides us with stark realism,
resulting in eeriness. It is an important work that I would love to see in
feature length form.
No Apto Para Menores (2020)
This sweet and
humorous short from Spain was directed by Daniel Noblom and it tells a story
from two perspectives.
Closing Ceremony
feature:
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Meander (2020) poster
Meander (2020)
Following a
hitchhike with a mysterious man (Peter Franzen), Lisa (Gaia Weiss) wakes up in
a block of miniscule tunnels full of deadly booby-traps. Will she manage to get
out in one piece, or alive at all?
Writer/director
Mathieu Turi [Hostile (2017)] employs
the setting of Cube (1997) and the
ethics of Saw (2004), albeit in
sci-fi manner, and I only wish he had a larger budget to pull it off, as the
potentional was there and begging for it. It premiered at the online version of
the Sitges Film Festival.
The Awards:
K. Chatzipapas at the opening ceremony
Best Feature (International
Competition): Mosquito
State (Filip Jan Ryszma)
Best Feature (Panorama): Las Noches son de los Monstruos (Sebastian
Perillo)
Best Director: Filip Jan Ryszma (Mosquito State)
Best Screenplay: Piros Zankay, Gabor Hellebrandt &
Peter Bergendy (Post
Mortem)
Best Actor: Carlos Urrutia (Urubú)
Best Actress: Mariana Anghileri (Al Tercer Día)
Best Cinematography: Nicolas Caballero Arenas (Luz: The Flower of Evil)
Best Special Effects: The Sadness
Special Mention Lifetime Achievement
Award: Lloyd
Kaufman and Troma
Entertainment
Best International Short: The Wick
Best Greek Short: Hansel
Best Animated Short: Mirror
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