I Hate Traveling...

Ok, maybe the title's a bit of a stretch. I love to travel and venture through different portals of culture, but my return journey from Germany to Italy was just downright miserable.

Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.

I missed my first flight, which forced me to take a indirect flight to London. But it was to a smaller airport, which required me to transverse to the other side of the city, via underground, to Gatwick airport.

From there I boarded a flight to Rome. After landing, I took the underground to the Roma Termini, and boarded the last train from Rome to Florence.

It took 3 countries, 3 undergrounds, 3 airplanes, 2 shuttle buses, and freakin' train to get home. Is there any vehicle I didn't use?!?!

I started my journey at about 8am and collapsed onto my bed at a ridiculous 2am.

Plus, I ended up being sick for the next days, but I think that had more to do with feeling the repercussions of the German weather. It was practically Antarctica in Neuschwanstein!

Traveling's fun, only when it goes your way.

Italia!

I'm going to try and get this blog up to date. If I continue elaborating on past events, I'm going to be endlessly writing in the past. I need to get it to the present. So what I'm going to do is summarize the important events that have basically led to the current time-frame.

On September 2nd, My Mom, Dad, and I left Birmingham for London very early in order to catch the afternoon flight to Rome.

I left an AMAZINGLY creative farewell message to Dora Road:

We made it to London relatively early and boarded the British Airways flight to Rome right on time.

Here are a few caps I grabbed with my iPhone during the flight:

After we landed we took a shuttle from the Leonardo Da Vinci airport to the Roma Termini. From there, we boarded an evening train to our final destination, Florence.

We got into Florence very late that night...

Since my Mom and Dad were returning to England on Monday, we spent the whole weekend doing many eventful things in Florence.

Here are some of the highlights:

I showed my Mom and Dad around the school where I'm going to be studying for semester:

Here's my Mom, as a very excited student:

We took a couple more just outside the school on the ancient streets:

We also explored the Gallerie dell' Accademia, one of the finest galleries in all of Italy. It houses the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo. Although photos were strictly forbidden in the gallery, I was able to use my handy iPhone to grab this incredible shot:

Who really is the Goliath?

We had a very authentic Italian dinner outside the famed Palazzo Vecchio:

My Dad opted for the shrimp pizzeria:

 

I went with a classic Italian Spaghetti dish:

While my Mom decided on the salad and mozzarella pizzeria:

We also visited the timeless Basilica del' Duomo:

And here are some other outstanding photos, as we took in the Florentine city:

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, but like all good things it came to an end. My parents traveled to Rome for a couple days after leaving Florence and flew back to England on Monday, this past week.

I've officially been living in Florence for a little over a week now and already find it to be life changing experience. It really is a lot to take in.

Very anxious, yet excited to what this semester brings. I hope you'll accompany me.

(Deep breath) Here it goes!

FrightFest 2010 - Day FIVE

So after four days of non-stop utter madness, the final day had arrived. My Mom and I headed for the festival after packing up in the hotel. My Dad was going to check us out and then pick up the car for the evening journey back to Birmingham.

I arrived at the cinema about 25 minutes early, hoping to grab a ticket for AMER before they were sold out. As I approached the front desk and inquired about the ticket availability, I was told that they were sold out again!

I asked her if anything would be possible, to which she responded, no.

Damn, my hopes were shattered.....I was unable to see the film I'd been looking forward to since the announcement of its inclusion in the festival.

Really bummed out by the response, I glanced at the digital screen above the front desk to see that AMER still had "limited seating available." My senses perked up...

I drifted to the left side of the ticket desk, where more in tune employees seemed to be conversing. I asked what the situation currently was with AMER. I was informed that they had another employee inside the discovery screen who was going to count up the all the unoccupied seats, IF ANY, from no show ticket holders.

Holding my breath, I turned around and noticed two other like minded individuals hoping for some seats to be available.

But, if push came to shove and there was only one seat available, the seat WOULD BE MINE!

Muahahaahaha!!

Sorry, back to the story...

At 11:05, five minutes past the beginning of the screening, an employee gingerly strolled over to the desk. All our breaths were held. She began gossiping to her employees about all things irrelevant.

Unable to take such punishment, I interrupted their life-changing conversation and inquired about the availability of the screening.

She held up four tickets! WICKED!

We were quickly escorted into the small, but packed discovery screen. Our seats were located in back row. No problem, just getting a seat in the screening was godsend.

After we were seated, curator Alan Jones arrived with directors Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet to introduce the film.

After a short but very humbled intro, the screening for AMER commenced...

The word AMER means bitter, reflecting taste, one of the five senses. The film is supposed to be experienced using your five senses. Under such rules, the story unfolds in a way that requires you to be fully engaged, using all your senses to decipher the film. The film follows a young girl, from her adolescents all the way to adulthood. Her surreal encounters and horrific experiences are what end up forming the crux of the premise.

The attention for detail in AMER is incredible. Sounds are used acutely to amplify certain anecdotes, while visual colors implant subtle themes. Scenes aren't explained by endless conversations, but through the dynamic usage of lighting, camera movement, and intricate sound editing.

The style of filmmaking used in AMER is revolutionary. No film has chosen to use senses to tell its story, and AMER does so with so much style, flare, and conviction. If you're going to make film built solely on visual and audible senses, your eye and ear as a filmmaker has to be utterly in tune. Luckily, Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet master the visual and sound scape flawlessly.

What also makes AMER a resounding success is the fact that the film is laced in horror surroundings. Horror by definition is a visceral experience, so AMER's intention in bringing the visual and audible tone to maximum fits perfectly with the genre.

AMER is beautifully shot, mysteriously intriguing, and definitely one that breathes new life into the genre. 9/10.

So glad I got a chance to see this in 35mm on the big screen.

After the film, the two filmmakers returned for a very enjoyable Q&A. Helene Cattet spoke about how she knew nothing about Giallo's prior, and it was Bruno Forzani who introduced her into the genre.

They also recalled the reaction of Italian director Enzo Castellari after he saw the film. They said he came down after the credits, hugged them, and said "Although I don't understand it all, I love it!"

Before the Q&A finished, they said they had a special announcement for us.

They were going to reveal the title of their next horror film. It would be, THE STRANGE COLORS OF YOUR BODY'S TEARS. Great title for a Giallo, if you ask me.

They also said the film would lean more towards the investigative and mystery aspect of the Giallo genre this time, as AMER only related to the Giallo through tone, style, and musical cue.

After the screening, I met up with my Mom in the lobby, who had opted to see a documentary on the VIDEO NASTY era in the main screen instead. She thoroughly enjoyed it and ended up getting really nice hardcover book on the era after the presentation. One of the authors of the book was in attendance, so she was also able to get it signed!

At 1:15, the world premiere of the British zombie film, THE DEAD commenced. The entire cast and crew were in attendance.

 


THE DEAD flips the zombie concept on its heel. It takes place in the dusty and sweltering lands of Africa, as two soldiers, an American and a native must fight in order to survive and escape the infestation of the dust ridden zombies.

The film is shot with an incredible epic focus. Sweeping shots capture tattered zombies, crawling through the sweltering deserts in cinematic grandeur. The use of practical FX work brilliantly to maintain the horrific nature of the film, while the actors (excluding the lead) do an authentic job of portraying pressured soldiers surrounded by the madness of such horrors.

THE DEAD stands out from many of the zombies features released over the last five years for one sole reason, it's setting. The environment and feel of the film hasn't been done before, and because of this, THE DEAD comes off fresh and thoroughly memorable. 8/10.

After the showing, the directors, who are actually brothers, took the stage, along with the cast to discuss various aspects of the film and take some audience questions.

In the lobby they had some very cool posters for THE DEAD hung up. Oddly enough, a few attendees were actually taking the posters down for themselves.

I asked one of the employees if it was OK if I took one. Hey, I didn't want to get jumped.

She didn't seem to care, so I grabbed one.

I was able to take it to various cast&crew members and have it signed!

Here were the two leads as they posed for the media wall:

I was also able meet with the directors:

I inquired whether they preferred Romero or Fulci. Any self-respecting zombie fan has an answer to such a question. They responded with Romero (boo!). But they also stated "not recently" with the work he's produced (very true!).

Many took a lunch break after THE DEAD, but not us. A new and very quiet Korean film was next on the main screen. It was titled BEDEVILLED, and nobody had really heard much about it prior to the screening. As of this writing, it hasn't even been released on DVD yet.

BEDEVILLED is about two girls, Hae-won and Bok-nam, whom live on a small island inhabited by an array strict of villagers. Hae-won decides to move to the mainland in search for a better life, while Bok-nam chooses to stay on the island, remaining true to culture and tradition. Fast forward years later, Hae-won, now a lady, returns to the island to visit her past friend. She finds Bok-nam now being abused by a drunken and violent husband, raped by numerous male inhabitants, and scoffed and degraded by elderly folk.

The only thing that is keeping Bok-nam from committing suicide is her young daughter. With the help of the returned Hae-won, all Bok-nam wants is to escape the island with her daughter. But with her psychotic husband on her trail and a host of villagers refusing to allow her to leave, Bok-nam must fight in order to escape the nightmare she has been living all her life.

BEDEVILLED is a typical South Korean film. Unapologetically candid, very blunt, but thoroughly engrossing. What makes BEDEVILLED stick is the fact that it's a drama, through and through. There's no actual horror in the film. The horror only bleeds through with the violent acts of the characters. There are no encounters with monsters or supernatural elements.

I think BEDEVILLED is a prime example of counter programming. The film is so different than anything being shown at the festival that its taste is so memorable. I didn't expect it to develop characters or involve in ways only refined dramas do. But by surprising me in such a way, I was pleasantly satisfied.

Although BEDEVILLED is a slow burner, it is without question the sleeper hit of the festival. Those that went out for a sandwich over watching this film will find that they missed out on something truly special. 9/10.

With the festival slowly coming to its inevitable closure, with only two films left, attendees anxiously took their seats for RED, WHITE AND BLUE.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE takes place in Austin, Texas. If follows the path of three separate characters, a prostitute, a war veteran, and a young but ignorant alcoholic. As they live their lives they soon cross paths, which slowly spiral towards hate, violence, and ultimately murder.

The characters in RED, WHITE AND BLUE are particularly strong. Each character is very well defined and incredibly realistically. The unknown actors playing the roles brilliantly take on their characters perfectly to the point where it almost feels like a documentary. One of the standouts of the film is the dialogue. It is authentically in tune and full of life. The slurs, mannerisms, and overall conversations portray the lower class exceptionally well.

Unfortunately, the film fails in a few key areas. The direction comes off very dry, void of any real sense of enthusiasm or energy. The screenplay also does a poor job in justifying the actions of numerous characters in the final half, forcing the viewer to question and ultimately lose interest in the events taking place.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE starts off incredibly well, full of complex and troubled characters, but ends up wasting them on a second half that doesn't do them justice. RED, WHITE BLUE had potential, sadly it's never utilized. 7/10.

After the screening, the cast and crew participated in a Q&A with the audience. With a question in hand, I stepped up and inquired why exactly is the film called RED, WHITE AND BLUE. I mean it's never fully explained in the film.

Director Simon Rumley explained that each color represented a specific protagonist in the film, with certain characteristics of the characters attributing to the reason for the color.

I understood his reasoning after his explanation, but feel that the film did a very inadequate job in explaining such thoughts. Oh well...

After a very lively break, which included a trip to you guessed it, Starbucks, the final film of the night was set to close the festival, THE LAST EXORCISM.

As I returned to the cinema, I noticed quite a few of bodyguards surveying the area. They were wobbling, I mean marching in their usual over-the-top bossy flare, full of orders and arrogance.

The gist was that they were there for the forthcoming appearance Eli Roth was set to make.

I really don't get it. I mean Eli Roth is just a young director, nothing more. I remember meeting him at Comic-Con a few years ago. A friendly and enthusiastic individual, but not a major celebrity.

OK, he may have worked with Brad Pitt, but he's not Brad Pitt. I guess rubbing shoulders with the A-List of Hollywood tinkers with your persona.

They cleared the lobby as the cast and crew of THE LAST EXORCISM arrived.

While they spoke to the media wall in the lobby, I grabbed a very fast photo with my Mom while waiting for the screening:
















After about a 30 minute delay, the cast and crew entered the auditorium for the screening.

The auditorium was sold-out by the way, not a single empty seat. The film wasn't going to be released till Friday in England so many were attendance.

Eli Roth took the stage to state that this was his first time at FrightFest and claimed he was very excited to be here. Just to let you know, he only produced the film. Yet with the hype surrounding both the film and the festival, you'd think otherwise.

After a few other comments, we finally were screened the final film of the festival, THE LAST EXORCISM.

 

THE LAST EXORCISM centers on preacher Cotton Marcus, who is slowly losing his faith. With no ambition or motivation to continue his spiritual work, Marcus sets to uncover the hoax he believes is exorcisms. After receiving a distressed letter from a grieving father, claiming his daughter to be possessed, preacher Marcus sets off with a documentary crew to cure the girl of her falsified disillusions. What he gets though, is much more terrifying and real than he bargained for.

THE LAST EXORCISM gets a lot of things right. The unique filmmaking approach to the possession genre suits the film well. In the first act, we take Marcus' ideals and philosophy on board wholeheartedly. His personality is very friendly and likable. So when the horror and madness of it all begins to manifest in the second half, just like Marcus, we are also thrust into shock and bewilderment.

Though, the ending of the film is very tough to digest for numerous reasons. Not necessarily because it’s overly-violent or graphic, but because it changes the entire philosophy and intention of the film. Some may be annoyed to the point where they end up hating entire film for this. I wasn’t too bothered with it, though it certainly did come out of left field.

THE LAST EXORCISM is very distinctive possession film solely because it doesn’t try to copy previous entries. While not flawless, it gets a lot of things right, and that’s got to count for something. 8/10.

After the film, we were treated with a lively Q&A with the cast and crew. They gave their opinions on the ending, working conditions, and also commented on how happy they were with film's financial success in the States.

Before the Q&A finished, lead actor Patrick Fabian, who played Cotton Marcus, was asked to repeat a humorous sermon from the film (concerning banana bread) to the live audience.

With a full crowd in attendance, Patrick Fabian obliged. Here’s the clip below:

The Last Exorcism Clip

Fun way to end the screening.

After the screening, it was announced that a signing session with the cast and crew would take place in the auditorium. A line formed very quickly, reaching far into the deep bowels of the cinema.

The limit was one item per person, but a brave individual in front of us tried for two items. The bodyguard got the extra page he had gotten signed and just crumbled it up. It was totally overboard. I mean all the fan wanted was just his autograph book signed, nothing more. For the brutish bodyguard to react in such hostile way was just wrong. This is what happens when you give someone just a small amount of power. Not even at Comic-Con does anything this extreme occur.

The fan left the cinema quite worked up, for good reason, shouting numerous slurs that I don’t think would be too appropriate for this blog.

After five days of horror, Q&A's, signings, goodies, and an endless supply of Starbucks, the festival officially had come to a close.

My Mom and I bid FrightFest 2010 adieu.

Here's a shot I grabbed of my Mom and Dad as we left the EMPIRE CINEMA:

Best of FrightFest 2010: AMER or THE LOVED ONES

Worst of FrightFest 2010: 13 HRS. or DAMNED BY DAWN 

We ended up getting back to Birmingham at a very late 2:30am. After 26 films, my brain had officially melted, and once more, the only thing on my mind was:

FrightFest 2010 - Day FOUR

The first film of the day started promptly at 11am. Running just a little late, My Mom and rushed to the cinema. Luckily, we made it just in time.

The first feature being screened in the main screen was a new French Zombie film titled, THE PACK.

THE PACK relates to an ancient buried group of diggers who only rise from the dead when a splash of blood seeps into their burial ground. A lonely traveler, hiking through the forests, stumbles upon the sacred ground and must fight for her life in order to survive the grueling terror of THE PACK.

Anyone who has kept up with contemporary horror over the last few years knows that the most innovative and pulsating slices of horror celluloid having been coming from France. The intensity and ferocity this new French horror generation has provided has been utterly dazzling. With such pulsating works such as, INSIDE, FRONTIERES, HIGH TENSION, and MARTYRS, France has been able to paint a brutal form of horror, dipped in breakneck pacing and relentless barbarism.

Following such momentum, THE PACK had to keep the torchlight running...Lucky, it did.

THE PACK is a tight zombie feature that that is hard-hitting, nail-biting, and very thrilling. Without using superficial CGI, the carefully crafted practical FX effects come off beautifully gory. Evoking the foreboding sense of dread found in classics such as THE EVIL DEAD, the burial ground itself is fantastically atmospheric, laced with foggy dews, crawling maggots, and decaying hands reaching from their dirt ridden tombs. THE PACK doesn't try to explore ideas far too big for its budget, so the intention of the film is set around a tight scenario, which is perfectly suited. THE PACK may not be as relentless as INSIDE or HIGH TENSION or as philosophically deep as MARTYRS, but it is one of the best zombie films I've seen in sometime. 8/10.

A fun little diversion that made its way onto the schedule this year was a special Horror Quiz and SHORT FILM SHOWCASE. The quiz basically consisted of a variety of trivia questions, identify the soundtrack, and match image to film questions. The top five or so winners of the quiz would receive a whole host of horror goodies. Although I swore I did AMAZING in the quiz, it seemed the QUIZ was rigged. They ended giving the top prizes to some nameless, unworthy foes.

After the quiz, we were treated to a SHORT FILM SHOWCASE, consisting of mini features from all over the world. While some lacked innovation and creativity, a whole host of them were quite spectacular. Many had such great energy and unique storylines that they put some of the main features being shown at the festival to shame (I'm looking at you 13 HRS).

One of the standout pieces from the showcase was a Spanish/Portuguese production titled PAPA WRESTLING. The film is far too short to discuss the storyline but I will say it deals a father who takes it upon himself to rid the bullies that have been plaguing his son. It is utterly ridiculous, madly over-the-top, and horrifically funny.

During the SHORT FILM SHOWCASE, I stepped out to take a quick break and found the dual directors of AMER, the forthcoming Giallo being screened at FrightFest, hanging around in the lobby. Excited to see them, I rushed over to where they were sitting and began asking them all sorts things Giallo.

I asked what their inspirations were. They enthusiastically responded with classic Argento and Fulci pictures like TENEBRE and DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING. They also stated some signature Sergio Martino and Umberto Lenzi picks, including A STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH and 7 BLOOD STAINED ORCHIDS, along with many other Italian titles my brain couldn't translate fast enough.

I asked whether they had found distribution in the United States yet, and they responded with a definite, yes. I also inquired whether they had any plans for making another horror film, to which they said their next film is going to be another Giallo-esque thriller! I asked if I could take a photo with them, with Helene Cattet whispering 'you haven't seen the film yet so you may not like it and may not want to take a picture with us!' I reassured her that I was sure I would love it.

Just before the photo, Bruno Forzani commented on how cool the shirt I had on was. What do you think?

I agree with him. :)

Their film was set to screen twice, one tonight, and one tomorrow morning. When I inquired about the availability of the upcoming evening show at the front desk, I was informed that they were all sold out! I'd have to try again tomorrow. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be lucky enough to see one of my most anticipated films of the entire festival (fingers crossed). We'll see...

After the SHORT FILM SHOWCASE, I stumbled into the two filmmakers behind PAPA WRESTLING in the lobby.

Here's a random shot I got of the lobby (they're on the left side, with the duffle bag):

We ended up discussing filmmaking for a good while. It was fascinating to hear their opinion on film production and their current development as filmmakers.

That's one of the cooler things about FrightFest, it allows like minded individuals to get together and converse, first hand, about aspects in filmmaking you can’t get anywhere else. I ended up exchanging Facebook contacts with them and now have since connected with them through the beauties of technology. Who says you don't make friends at FrightFest?

After the showcase, we presented with another foreign horror presentation, this time from Mexico. WE ARE WHAT WE ARE.

This is a film I'd heard about for some time. It had been making the festival circuit throughout the year, being billed as a very intimate portrayal of a poverty stricken family of cannibals living in the heart of Mexico. With their father dying in the opening moments of the film, provider of their cannibalistic needs, the family must nominate an heir to take responsibility and provide for the family. The two brothers, reaching adulthood must face this task under such strenuous circumstances, while their younger sister and grieving mother look towards them as providers.

It's shocking to see such an illicit affair as cannibalism be taken so realistically and oddly understandable. The family is trying to feed a fix, not necessarily bathe in nihilistic tendency. It's not about being killers but trying to survive under such horrific desires. They have moral codes that defy the stereotypes normally found in cannibalistic horror films. For instance, the mother refuses to touch the flesh of prostitutes, claiming them to be unclean and filthy. Scenarios like these are set up that make WE ARE WHAT WE ARE more than just a superficial horror film. It deals with the urge, not the gore and chooses towards developing real characters, a hard route, over drawing one dimensional characters, the easy path. The film is quite slow and drawn out with some spots dragging a bit, but your never fully disconnected.

Essentially, WE ARE WHAT WE ARE is a family drama sprinkled with horrific flashes, a unique, oddly intriguing, but ultimately satisfying concoction. 8/10.

After a short break, we all returned for the 6:30 European premiere of DAMNED BY DAWN.

DAMNED BY DAWN deals with a revengeful banshee set loose on the foggy green fields of Australia (I didn't know Australia had such things!).

The hype prior was that it was very much shot in the vein of THE EVIL DEAD, filled with over-the-top gory gags, dark humor, and visceral energy. Unfortunately the film is nothing like that. It's nowhere as inventive, atmospheric, or splattery as Rami's masterpiece. Plus, there's no Bruce Campbell = deduction 1 point. DAMNED BY DAWN holds an original premise but does absolutely nothing with it. The characters are forgettable; the atmosphere is nowhere to be seen, and all we ending up getting is an endless, whaling banshee. But I haven't told you the most annoying thing in the film, the ridiculous banshee scream. It is loud, annoying, overused, and ends up giving the deafest person a headache. DAMNED BY DAWN should just be damned, plain and simple. 5/10, wait, with the Bruce Campbell deduction, 4/10.

The original film set to be shown at 9:00 was the VERY controversial A SERBIAN FILM.

The film was asked to be sent to the BBFC for review prior to the screening. Unfortunately the film came back with over 3 minutes of cuts needing to be made. With this in mind, the organizers at FrightFest decided that it would be best not to screen a truncated version of film which many say has to be properly seen to be believed. Supposedly, the film deals with some very mature and nihilistic themes that have philosophically stemmed since the Serbian war. Dark, depraved, and downright nasty, A SERBIAN FILM is labeled as a grueling descent into the mind of a conflicted filmmaker working to create film that portrays the depravities of filth and cruelty through the human condition.

This one will definitely have to be experienced at a later date...

Since A SERBIAN FILM was unable to be screened, FrightFest organized a special secret replacement film. They were many whispers throughout the weekend as to what the film would be. They were only two clues given, it would an icon film and that it would also be a Spanish film. Many of the attendees suspected it would be MACHETE. I, myself also suspected this to be the replacement film, it made sense.

But after Alan Jones officially laid down the situation regarding A SERBIAN FILM, he finished off by revealing the secret film to be BURIED. It's directed by a Spanish filmmaker and is produced by ICON productions. That's how the two clues figured in.

BURIED has a very original premise. Ryan Reynolds stars as a trapped victim, for unknown reasons, in a coffin buried six feet underground. He has a few items at his disposal: a lighter, knife, and cell phone. Utilizing all his wits, he must work to escape his buried tomb. But with oxygen slowly evaporating, claustrophobia prevailing, and insanity creeping in, this might turn out to be his final resting place.

With a 95 min. runtime, BURIED is shockingly not boring at all. It is a tense, terrifying, and very well paced thriller. The film could have easily succumbed to repetition and boredom, but a refined script along with great direction and a thoroughly likable lead work towards making BURIED a terrifying scenario that's realistically presented. It throws the viewer right into the cramped, isolated, cold environment for the entire duration. We feel the claustrophobic nature and tight, closed spaces. What makes the film much more disturbing is the what-if scenario. The viewer's mind is constantly running, thinking what they would do if they were pitted in such horrendous circumstance. This accelerates the immersive factor greatly. As the momentum of the film builds, the climax turns out to be brilliantly intense and utterly engrossing. When it boiled down to it, BURIED turned out to be a fine replacement film. 8/10.

The midnight film of the day (which actually began at 11:30pm), brought us back to the country that gave us Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, and that weird CROCODILE DUNDEE movie.

THE LOVED ONES takes place over the course of a prom night. Brent Mitchell is popular and slick looking student who is well prepared and set for the upcoming prom. Mia, an unpopular and very ordinary girl, shyly asks Brent to go to the prom with her. He declines, stating that he already has a date. Broken and torn by the response, Mia, along with her deranged father, take it upon themselves to kidnap Brent and hold their own twisted, psychotic prom.

Wacky, funny, and deranged are the words that not only sum up the characters but also the film. THE LOVED ONES works on so many levels.

One of the standouts of the film is Mia. She is relatable, funny, yet undeniably crazy and psychotic. This makes for such engrossing experience that has you flinching as she commits heinous acts on Brent and laughing as she takes in the twisted pseudo prom experience so seriously. It also builds towards a third act that turns out to be surprisingly dramatic, compelling, and quite cinematic.

It's very hard to define THE LOVED ONES. It's not a straight horror film nor is it a straight comedic piece. What it is though, is a twisted take on the perfect date story that sprinkles elements of horror, comedy, drama to brew a film that is almost impossible not to like. 9/10.

The two leads of THE LOVED ONES flew in to attend the UK premiere and participated in a Q&A afterwards. They noted films like MISERY as some of their favorite horror features. As they were heading out, I was able to quickly meet Xavier Samuel, the lead of the film:

Although the first three days of the festival provided a mixed bag of films, Sunday proved to be an outstanding selection. This of course is pretending the screening of DAMNED BY DAWN never happened.

Here's hoping the momentum continues into the final day...