“Dainipponjin” (or for those who don’t speak Japanese, “The Great Japanese) caught my attention early on when the TIFF schedule was first announced for several reasons:
1) Having lived in Japan, I love all things Japanese, especially if they are quirky and weird
2) the film was being called “the most bizarre film” of this festival, and possibly ever
3) a “mockumentary” directed by and starring Matsumoto, a Japanese sensation. Seriously, he’s everywhere. Ask your Japanese friends.
4) if none of that was enough to peak anyone’s interest, I’ll direct your attention to this video entitled, “Who is Matsumoto?” If anything, it is worth your time to watch and be enlightened.
Matsumoto is “Dainipponjin.” Or he is when he is called upon to protect Japan from the monstrous “Baddies.” A little bit mockumentary, a little bit monster flick, “Dainipponjin” is one of the funiest films I have ever seen, and one of the highlights of the fest for me. When he’s not saving the country, Daisato is a mocked and reviled 6th generation superhero. He lives in a small house with none of the grandeur past Dainipponjin’s had- servants, parades, you name it. He’s divorced, a bit overweight, with a daughter who barely knows him. He doesn’t seem to have any friends aside from his agent. When called to action, Daisato runs to the nearest electric transformation station, gets zapped with electrical current to become several storeys tall to fight off the numerous Baddies attacking Japan.
The film really defies explanation. It is meant to be experienced. It all seems too weird to describe in words…and it is weird. But it’s also incredibly funny, and being “lost in translation” helps here. It’s a big send up of Japanese anime, action heroes, and the country itself.
The screening was packed- one of the busiest Midnight Madness screenings I attended. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of the film, whether they understood the language or followed along with subtitles.
When this film is relased on DVD, do yourself a favour and rent it. It has a broad and wide-ranging appeal- from the gross out humour of “Borat” to mockumentary fans of “Best in Show.” Laugh with it or laugh at it, it doesn’t matter. It all translates to a turly bizarre and enjoyable experience.
Showing posts with label Midnight Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Midnight Madness. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Devil's Chair
My second foray into Midnight Madness was with “The Devil’s Chair”- a first-time feature from British director Adam Mason. And from the description alone, I knew I was in for a bloody ride.
For a night of fun, Nick West (Andrew Howard) and his girlfriend decide to explore an abandoned mental asylum in the English countryside, do some drugs and have a good time. When his girlfriend sits in the old electric chair- because that is ALWAYS such a good idea- she is brutally killed and her body disappears. Told in flashbacks, we find that Nick is now locked up in a psychiatric facility, traumatized by the events of the night and the electric chair.
When a doctor and his young colleagues decide that the best therapy for Nick is to take him to the scene of the crime and let him wrestle his own demons out in the open. Again, like camping out in a mental asylum with a committed man could ever be a good idea. Mayhem ensues, and not to ruin a somewhat clever film (although it’s never really that good, or that scary, or that smart) the entire thing gets flipped on it’s head after buckets of blood, demons, and other strange occurrences have been witnessed.
The audience seemed to love the film, clapping and cheering along, but at Midnight Madness screenings, you get us weird, and twisted individuals looking for a good time.
There aren’t many true scares- this is definitely a gory B-movie. I will say that the only part that really creeped me out is that one of the female characters is named Rachel, just like me! And when a psycho demon killer covered in blood is running down a hallway screaming your name in a sadistic scratchy voice, you’d be unnerved too.
In a great top 10 recap of the film, check out my friend Shane’s posting on the official Midnight Madness blog and see pictures from the film and Q&A.
For a night of fun, Nick West (Andrew Howard) and his girlfriend decide to explore an abandoned mental asylum in the English countryside, do some drugs and have a good time. When his girlfriend sits in the old electric chair- because that is ALWAYS such a good idea- she is brutally killed and her body disappears. Told in flashbacks, we find that Nick is now locked up in a psychiatric facility, traumatized by the events of the night and the electric chair.
When a doctor and his young colleagues decide that the best therapy for Nick is to take him to the scene of the crime and let him wrestle his own demons out in the open. Again, like camping out in a mental asylum with a committed man could ever be a good idea. Mayhem ensues, and not to ruin a somewhat clever film (although it’s never really that good, or that scary, or that smart) the entire thing gets flipped on it’s head after buckets of blood, demons, and other strange occurrences have been witnessed.
The audience seemed to love the film, clapping and cheering along, but at Midnight Madness screenings, you get us weird, and twisted individuals looking for a good time.
There aren’t many true scares- this is definitely a gory B-movie. I will say that the only part that really creeped me out is that one of the female characters is named Rachel, just like me! And when a psycho demon killer covered in blood is running down a hallway screaming your name in a sadistic scratchy voice, you’d be unnerved too.
In a great top 10 recap of the film, check out my friend Shane’s posting on the official Midnight Madness blog and see pictures from the film and Q&A.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Stuck
I have so many films to see, I have to cram them in at midnight as well!
My first foray into the Midnight Madness programme was with Stuart Gordon’s “Stuck.”
Based on the real-life story from a few years back that you might recall, hospice care worker Brandi (Mena Suvari) hits a down on his luck, newly evicted and out-of-work Tom (Stephen Rea) with her car. To her horror (and his) he becomes lodged in the windshield of the car. Panicked and high on drugs, she drives home and parks her car in the garage overnight, leaving her unfortunate victim stuck. Afriad of the consequences, she takes matters into her own hands, enlisting her boyfriend to help her get rid of this poor man in the windshield, who refuses to die.
A horrifying tale because of the graphic true nature of the crime, “Stuck” straddles B-movie elements of an original concept. I’m surprised this hasn’t been brought to the big screen before. Anyone who is familiar with Stuart Gordon’s horror films knows immeadiately that you’re in for a mix of sex, blood, and laughs (check out “Dagon” for a hilariously good time). Mena Suvari seems to have been out of the spotlight after her turn in “American Beauty” and “Stuck” is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of cinema, but she screams her lungs out as the scared girl you both hate and empathize with. Stephen Rea, the only veteran actor in the film does a painfully good job as the man in the windshield. Sure, the film is meant to be both laughed at and for you to laugh along with as proven by the racous reaction for the crowd. Not a good film, but not really meant to be either, “Stuck” is a fun way to spend 90 minutes.
During the Q&A, the cast and director made comparisons between the true story and their filmed version. Aside from the film’s ending, it is pretty much true to the story, including the fact that the real Brandi was a health care worker. The cast made the most of their desolate shooting schedule in New Brunswick in the Fall, of which the stark atomosphere added to the film.
Be prepared for lots of blood and some horrifying scenes that will make you cringe, but it’s hard to look away.
My first foray into the Midnight Madness programme was with Stuart Gordon’s “Stuck.”
Based on the real-life story from a few years back that you might recall, hospice care worker Brandi (Mena Suvari) hits a down on his luck, newly evicted and out-of-work Tom (Stephen Rea) with her car. To her horror (and his) he becomes lodged in the windshield of the car. Panicked and high on drugs, she drives home and parks her car in the garage overnight, leaving her unfortunate victim stuck. Afriad of the consequences, she takes matters into her own hands, enlisting her boyfriend to help her get rid of this poor man in the windshield, who refuses to die.
A horrifying tale because of the graphic true nature of the crime, “Stuck” straddles B-movie elements of an original concept. I’m surprised this hasn’t been brought to the big screen before. Anyone who is familiar with Stuart Gordon’s horror films knows immeadiately that you’re in for a mix of sex, blood, and laughs (check out “Dagon” for a hilariously good time). Mena Suvari seems to have been out of the spotlight after her turn in “American Beauty” and “Stuck” is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of cinema, but she screams her lungs out as the scared girl you both hate and empathize with. Stephen Rea, the only veteran actor in the film does a painfully good job as the man in the windshield. Sure, the film is meant to be both laughed at and for you to laugh along with as proven by the racous reaction for the crowd. Not a good film, but not really meant to be either, “Stuck” is a fun way to spend 90 minutes.
During the Q&A, the cast and director made comparisons between the true story and their filmed version. Aside from the film’s ending, it is pretty much true to the story, including the fact that the real Brandi was a health care worker. The cast made the most of their desolate shooting schedule in New Brunswick in the Fall, of which the stark atomosphere added to the film.
Be prepared for lots of blood and some horrifying scenes that will make you cringe, but it’s hard to look away.
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