Fantasia
Film Festival: Magic Magic Review by Oz
The previews for this film
kept showing Michael Cera in a dark and sinister role but after
viewing, it was the same old with him. Awkward, funny, if slightly
more vulgar and Spanish speaking then usual, still he's a saving
grace. The movie itself follows a vacationing American girl in South
America, reconnecting with her cousin Sarah (Emily Browning). Sarah
welcomes Alicia (Juno Temple) to her new life and friends, but she
quickly feels secluded and alone. After unfinished "school"
business (in actuality a visit to the hospital attending to an
abortion) keeps Sarah from joining her for the first few days in
their rustic, middle of the woods holiday home, things spiral
downwards mentally for Alicia. The atmospheric soundtrack's goal was
to keep you uneasy, but it just gave me a headache. The shocking
ending was really not what I was expecting but I still left
disappointed. Magic Magic's message maintained to be pretty muddled
and in the end, I personally just felt like Alicia's character was
very whiny and unsinkable. Still even with the brain-pain, it does
leave you with a feeling of discomfort, a feeling of being haunted
and unnerved.
Fantasia
Film Festival: Imaginaerum Review by Oz
It's a story about a man
on his death bed. Surrounded by "loved ones" his own mind
is reduced to that of his adolescent self and with the spectre of
death disguised as a happy go lucky snowman, the adventure begins.
Great visuals all around and the usage of power metal music as a
medium to communicate deceit and betrayal in the mind's eye is a
brilliant stroke for a movie, but still, it quickly leaves me
wanting. It's an interesting look at the old "your entire life
flashing before your eyes" but I feel like the message could
have been communicated in a lot less time. Overall Imaginaerum
is still an original piece of cinema but
nothing I would really watch twice.
Fantasia
Film Festival: Horror Stories Review by Oz
A South Korean horror
anthology featuring 4 short stories with the purpose of soothing a
maniac serial killer (Yoo Yeon-seok) into a much needed sleep. Ji-won
(Kim Ji-won) is the kidnapped high school student narrating these
tales of blood chilling malice. Survival instincts kicked up to 11,
she comes up with some pretty intense and gory fables, each
concluding in the most horrific manner possible. Lots of fun special
effects and ghastly demises, still it maintains its share of
regurgitated tropes.
Almost every installment has a dream sequence and other repetitive devices. And the formula
becomes predictable. My favourite has to be DON'T ANSWER THE DOOR; it
maintained a creepy vibe through out as the young brother and sister
duo are terrorized in their upstart apartment. My second preferred
anecdote is SECRET RECIPE because who doesn't love cannibalism? Set
on a Cindarella-esque backdrop, it displays how far the power of envy
and jealousy can go.
The main theme I noticed
in all the stories was the power of cruelty, especially one displayed
by men. It also maintains a subtle sense of humour through out.
HORROR STORIES is engaging and manages to stay varied segment to
segment, I look forward to more work from Jung Bum-Shik and co.
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