Tag: outrage

Second Wave of FANTASTIC FEST 2012 Films Announced

The second wave of genre films slotted to play this year’s Fantastic Fest has been unleashed upon the masses. Among the the are two of the year’s most anticipated films, LOOPER and SINISTER. Continue reading for the films announced and a brief plot synopsis of each… but, do so at your own risk! (The inconceivable awesomeness of Fantastic Fest may be too much for some to handle. Those unaccustomed to this level of awesomeness should refrain from indulging in such films without first consulting your physician to verify you are in fact an adult with adventurous taste and not still just a sniveling, winy brat.)

THE ABCs OF DEATH (2012)
US Premiere with multiple directors in person
Director – Various, 110 minutes
Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. Co-produced by Drafthouse Films, and finally ready to be unleashed—see what happens when you give more than two dozen of the most brilliant filmmakers from around the world free reign to indulge their creative impulses and black humor. From A to Z, it’s got something for every genre fan and is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

THE AMERICAN SCREAM (2012)
World Premiere with director Michael Paul Stephenson and stars Manny Souza and Victor Bariteau in person
Director – Michael Paul Stephenson, 81 minutes
In a small Massachusetts community, three Halloween-obsessed households transform into neighbor-terrifying supernatural wonderlands in this surprisingly touching documentary from the director of BEST WORST MOVIE.

COLD BLOODED (2012)
Regional Premiere with director Jason LaPeyre in person
Director – Jason LaPeyre, 86 minutes
Things quickly spiral out of control when a policewoman must protect her recently comatose suspect from a violent crime boss who has cornered them in an isolated hospital wing.

COLD STEEL (2011)
Texas Premiere
Director – David Wu, 107 minutes
After 17 years spent directing television series in North America, director David Wu (a longtime collaborator of John Woo) returns to his native China to deliver the heart-pounding World War II epic COLD STEEL.

DOOMSDAY BOOK (2012)
Austin Premiere
Director – KIM Jee-woon and YIM Pil-sung, 113 minutes
Innovative Korean genre directors Kim Ji-Woon (A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, A BITTERSWEET LIFE, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, I SAW THE DEVIL) and Yim Pil-Sung (HANSEL & GRETEL) turn their imaginations to apocalyptic sci-fi with this three-part omnibus film which outlines three possible ways in which the world goes kaput.

GRACELAND (2012)
Texas Premiere with director Ron Morales and producers Theo Brooks and Joshua Sobel in person
Director – Ron Morales, 84 minutes
When a driver for a powerful congressman picks up his and his boss’s daughter from school, he’s annoyed to find himself being pulled over. But this alleged cop, far from an officer of the law, sets in motion a downward spiral of kidnapping, murder, deceit and deep depravity.

HENGE + THE BIG GUN (2012)
US Premiere
Director – Hajime OHATA, 106 minutes
A double shot from Japanese up-and-comer Hajime Ohata. Blending elements of Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Shinya Tsukamoto with just the right amount of kaiju monster battles, Ohata is quickly building a reputation as one of Japan’s brightest new talents.

HERE COMES THE DEVIL (2012)
US Premiere with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano in person
Director – Adrian Garcia Bogliano, 97 minutes
Fantastic Fest veteran Adrian Garcia  Bogliano (COLD SWEAT, PENUMBRA) returns with his latest supernatural horror.  When two children who went missing while exploring a cave are found, it quickly becomes apparent something evil has come home with them.

HOLY MOTORS (2012)
North American Premiere
Director – Leos Carax, 116 minutes
While following a day in the life of Mr. Oscar as he attends several appointments, things quickly unravel and spiral out of control, abandoning all sense of logic or sanity.  Fans of Carax’s ‘Mierde’ segment of Fantastic Fest 2008 hit TOKYO! will be right back at home.

LOOPER (2012)
Special Screening with director Rian Johnson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in person
Director – Rian Johnson, 118 minutes
In the futuristic action thriller LOOPER, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market.  When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe – is waiting to mop up.  Joe is getting rich and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self for assassination. The film, starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt, is written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Ram Bergman and James D. Stern.

MY AMITYVILLE HORROR (2012)
US Premiere
Director – Eric Walter, 88 minutes
You’ve seen the movie, now hear the story of the Amityville haunting from someone who lived it. Regardless of the source, it’s clear there was darkness in that Long Island house.

NEW KIDS NITRO (2012)
US Premiere with cast Huub Smit, Wesley van Gaalen, Steffen Haars and Flip Van der Kuil
Director – Steffen Haars & Flip van der Kuil, 78 minutes
In 2011, NEW KIDS TURBO rocked Fantastic Fest audiences with its potent brand of Dutch gross-out humor. Now, Fantastic Fest is proud to present the highly anticipated—and very offensive—sequel: NEW KIDS NITRO.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED (2012)
Regional Premiere
Director – Enrique Urbizu, 104 minutes
A dirty cop who tries to cover up a crime stumbles upon a massive criminal conspiracy.  NO REST FOR THE WICKED swept the Spanish Goya awards this year with an electrifying performance by lead actor Jose Coronado.

OUTRAGE BEYOND (2012)
US Premiere
Director – Takeshi Kitano, 112 minutes
As Japanese police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West.  What started as internal strife in director Takeshi Kitano’s OUTRAGE, has now become a nationwide war in his latest film OUTRAGE BEYOND.

SINISTER (2012)
Special Screening with director Scott Derrickson, producer Jason Blum and writer C. Robert Cargill in person
Director – Scott Derrickson, 110 minutes
SINISTER is a frightening new thriller about a true crime novelist who discovers a box of mysterious, disturbing home movies that plunge his family into a nightmarish experience of supernatural horror.

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING (2012)
World Premiere with Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins in person
Director – John Hyams, 93 minutes
Surviving Unisols Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott battle anarchy to build a new order ruled by Unisols without government oversight. To accomplish this, they weed out the weak and constantly test their strongest warriors in brutal, life-and-death combat.

VANISHING WAVES (2012)
US Premiere
Director – Kristina Buozyte, 124 minutes
A scientist with a neurological research team volunteers to experiment with a new technology which will allow him to access the thoughts of a coma victim.

WARPED FOREST, THE (2011)
US Premiere
Director – Shunichiro Miki, 81 minutes
Shunichiro Miki delivers a shot of utter madness. Penis guns! Nipple monsters! A giant girl running a very small shop! This quasi-sequel to THE FUNKY FOREST more than lives up to the weird factor of its predecessor.

Fantastic Fest – Austin, Texas – September 20-27, 2012!

Look for more film and event programming announcements for Fantastic Fest in the weeks ahead. For the latest developments, tickets and badges visit the Fantastic Fest official site and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

OUTRAGE – The Review

In many ways, Takeshi Kitano is perhaps as close to a one man machine as you will find in the filmmaking business. As is generally the case with most of his films, Kitano wrote, edited directed and starred in his latest film to hit the United States called OUTRAGE (2010). Once again, Kitano delves into a story centered on the Yakuza life. As is often, but not always the case, OUTRAGE contains more than a fair share of violence bordering on gratuitous, but relevant given Kitano’s ideology of showing the Yakuza in the extreme light and ironic nature that he often does with his storytelling.

Kitano, credited under the fitting pseudonym of “Beat” Takeshi, plays Otomo, an experienced Yakuza enforcer with an implied history as a boxer. The boss of the head family, known as Mr. Chairman, orders his lieutenant to crack down on the drug trafficking being perpetrated by a lesser branch of the Yakuza gone rogue. The complications quickly arise when Mr. Chairman reveals himself as a ruthless, backstabbing boss that has strayed from the old ways and code of the Yakuza. As they say, the “shit flows downhill” and Otomo ends up being at the bottom where he discovers his years of loyalty have meant nothing.

For the first third to half of OUTRAGE, the plot feels somewhat slow and messy, twisted and fragmented, but be patient and follow along as best you can, as it all comes together in the end. In some respects, this is a typical revenge story, but told in a very atypical fashion. Kitano’s chopping editing and fragmenting of the story serves to accentuate the manufactured chaos being designed by Mr. Chairman, paying off with a multi-faceted string of plot twists in the end.

“Beat” Takeshi is always a joy to watch play a badass. His common tendency is to wash emotion and expression fro his character’s face, resulting in an oddly serene but serious persona that could, in an instant, snap and do some serious damage to the person confronting him. As a filmmaker, Kitano is extraordinarily adept at visualizing his stories through the camera. Composition of frame is one of the key elements that continually draw me to Kitano’s films, meticulously constructing frames of beauty out of the simplest setting, like the art of Zen gardening with shrubs and stones.

One of the most fascinating examples of Kitano’s eye for the camera in OUTRAGE is a shot taken from a high angle over a long stretch of two-lane road. This stretch of road follows the coastline and travels into the distance, disappearing into the top edge of the frame, playing on the horizon perspective, while the angle itself offers a tremendous visual dynamic to an otherwise drab setting. This shot follows one of the most brutal, albeit creative, Yakuza kill scenes, and lingers for a moment.

OUTRAGE is not amongst the best of Kitano’s undertakings, but is certainly worth seeing. One may think his continued source of inspiration in the Yakuza would get dry and overused, but surprisingly, it does not. One element that adds to my enjoyment of OUTRAGE is the uncharacteristically electronic score from Keiichi Suzuki, giving the film a fresh edge. In the end, OUTRAGE is a superficially complex tale of criminal bosses in a power struggle with each other, riddled with deception and hair-trigger violence, but levels out to reveal itself as an ironic twist of fate with a melancholy ending.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

OUTRAGE opens today in St. Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre.

Tribeca Review: ‘Outrage’

outrage

I am a huge fan of Kirby Dick’s previous film, This Film Is Not Yet Rated. If you have not seen it, it is an awesome documentary that reveals the MPAA for the BS ratings system they really are. It was a well-made documentary but a lot of my love for it probably comes from my love of movies and hatred of the MPAA. Going in to Outrage, I was not sure what to expect but I had heard great things and was looking forward to it. After seeing it, I can safely say this†¦

Outrage is nothing more than liberal drivel that eschews facts and falsifies information in order to get confused Christians to feel sympathy for godless homosexuals.  

Just kidding. Outrage is actually a great documentary with an important message that is told in a fascinating and entertaining way. Unfortunately there are people who will say that first comment for real and this film even shows some of that shocking spin still put out by close-minded individuals. If you haven’t guessed, I will openly admit that I am for gay marriage. However, I would like to point out that this film is not just a documentary put together to change people’s minds who are against it. In fact, at several points it is said that the point of outing, and the point of this film, is not to influence voting but to expose hypocrites who are in the closet.

This film is similar to ‘This Film†¦’ in that it has an element of a witch-hunt to it. However, rather than burning gays at the stake, the goal is to simply show us the hypocrites voting in office. Throughout the film, several gay politicians are exposed, including a few with girlfriends, wives and families. While not openly gay, the evidence to prove it is astonishing and the reason they are being outed is because they vote against gay rights. They are not being shown  because  they are gay but rather because of this voting record. They vote against gay marriage, against AIDS support, against gay adoption and against nearly every other bill that may help gays. They do this and keep the straight facade so that they continue to hold the respect and support they need to remain in office.

The film is made in a different style than This Film Is Not Yet Rated. Kirby Dick stays off camera and instead this film is told mostly through interviews. It also has a more serious tone but there are still some very funny moments on camera. While not the groundbreaking film that some have made it out to be, it is still an important film with an important message. Regardless of your views on homosexuality, you should see it.

OUTrage will be released by Magnolia Pictures on May 8th

4.25 out of 5 Sad Statues

Jerry Cavallaro – www.AreYouStuckLikeChuck.com

  

Tribeca 2009: Day 3 Recap

tribecaimage

Day 3 started with me waiting 25 minutes at my bus stop since the bus I wanted to take must have come early and the second bus came late. I skipped the DirectTV Press Center (ie, my free Snapple) and ran straight to the theater. I made the screening with 2 minutes to spare before the most controversial film of the festival played. I am of course talking about OUTrage, Kirby Dick’s documentary about closeted gay politicians. I had heard good things and I loved Dick’s This Film Is Not Yet Rated so I had high hopes for Outrage. Luckily, it delivers. It is a fantastic documentary that is both informative and very entertaining. No matter what your position is on gay marriage, you need to see this movie.

outrage

After the film I headed back to the Press Center and Free Snapple. I worked on questions for my Hysterical Psycho interview later in the day and questions for another interview in case things worked out. It was nearly time for my next screening and I was getting hungry so I headed back towards the theater just as they were setting up for some party at the press lounge. Movies come first for me so I skipped the free booze (I don’t drink anyway, no really, oh don’t look down at me) and I headed over to see Don Mckay. I grabbed a bite to eat at Subway but then I went to the theater. And yes, when I walked in and told the girl “Don McKay† she asked me if that was my name or the movie. I settled in to my seat and saw a movie I did not really expect. I thought it was a mature dramady in the same vein as Sideways since I heard people compare Thomas Haden Church’s performance in this to his role in Sideways. Instead I was treated to a Pitch Black Comedy that I am still not sure how to react to. I did enjoy it and I would recommend it. There was some subtle humor that I did not find very funny but the other critics did seem to enjoy it. I did laugh really hard at a few things though and I never knew where the story was going. I wasn’t sure where I was going after the film either.

don-mckay

I may have had an interview scheduled but I wasn’t sure. There was also a movie that I wanted to see but cancelled for the interview that wasn’t definite. Earlier in the week I had set something up for around 3-ish at what I assumed was the Press Center. Then I was told the person I was interviewing wasn’t available but some cast might be available. I emailed back that I would interview the cast but didn’t get a response. So I waited in the Press Center but never received a call. I worked on a few more questions for my Hysterical Psycho interview and eventually headed out to it. I of course grabbed a free Snapple first.

I decided to walk the 30-something blocks to Dan Fogler’s studio for the interview, which proves that I am an idiot. I obviously learned nothing from last night’s walk to the SVA theater for the Hysterical Psycho premiere. And today was hot, really hot. Anyway, the studio was awesome. Nothing too amazing but the kind f place I could imagine owning/working in myself in a few years. I settled in for my interview with Dan Fogler and some of the cast from the film. Actually, it was pretty much the whole male cast of the film. And when I say interview, I mean I occasionally asked a question or made a statement amongst nonstop rantings and ravings of these madmen. It was so much fun and I can’t wait to show you guys the footage. When I received the signal that it was time for me to wrap up, I asked one final questions which prompted another barrage of stories and jokes. I had absolutely no control of the interview and I loved it. Unfortunately about half my questions were left unanswered, mainly questions for Dan not pertaining to Hysterical Psycho. Hopefully, we will get a chance to interview him sometime soon for those.

hysterical-pycho-interview

After my interview, I thought I’d ask to stick around for a little. In my experience, most reporters/journalists/bloggers hate having to sit through other people’s interviews. At Comic Con, all I heard while waiting was other people complaining about having to wait. Depending on the interview, I almost never mind and actually enjoy it. So I decided to hang around for a bit. I am so glad I did. In between interviews I got to talk with so many great people like Randy Baruh, Nicky D. and Ariel Shafir who are three of the very talented cast members from the film. I also loved hearing more about the film and the making of it. The interview that is going up on MakingOf.com is great and will be especially interesting for filmmakers. And the interview for IFC will be amazingly entertaining when cut together. They let me shoot some behind the scenes for it but I won’t post anything until a little after they do. Towards the end I even ran into Weston who has contributed to our site in the past. It was really an awesome experience and I want to thank everyone at Stage 13 for talking with me and letting me hang around. (I hope I didn’t come off as annoying or stalkeresque or anything like that)

Overall, this was another great day at Tribeca. I don’t have any interviews lined up for tomorrow but I am looking forward to all 3 movies I have on my schedule. If all goes as planned, I should get home early enough to catch up on all my reviews and maybe even my HW.

  Jerry Cavallaro – www.AreYouStuckLikeChuck.com