23rd September 2011.

After a fantastic day out in Malmo where we visited the city’s newest landmark, the ‘twisting torso’ skyscraper, and the central gardens it was back to the Kino cinema in Lund to see Yoshimasa Ishibashi’s MILOCRORZE: A LOVE STORY. This Japanese oddity intertwines three separate stories all geared around the search for one’s dream girl. In the ‘Teletubbies’ inspired opener a little boy with orange hair falls in love with a wandering soul, this then transforms into a dancing agony uncle offering advice to the lonely on how to find true love, one tip involves “twisting her nipples”, and the final story concerns a broken-hearted samurai looking for a girl kidnapped and forced into prostitution. With its anime style narrative, Tim Burton-esque colours and all manner of stylish visuals, it’s certainly a sight for sore eyes. But any film desperately declaring how hip and cool it is soon become neither really fast.

MILOCORZE, a hit in Fantasia this year, was my final movie in the international competition selection. Today our jury must decide over lunch what film we want to win the coveted top prize. I had obviously seen last night’s main attraction THE WOMAN at FrightFest. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest hits here as a packed audience was visibly shocked by it before Lucky McKee’s Q&A. Lucky had also come armed with a short video of star Pollyanna McIntosh talking about her role that went down a storm too.

Later at the festival party I caught up with SENNENTUNTSCHI director Michael Steiner who was just as crazy as I remember him! He will not be attending FantasticFest in Austin because he has to deliver the final draft of his new screenplay by next Friday. Those in the FrightFest audience will recall it’s the comedy horror MISS SWITZERLAND MASSACRE. Michael told me that he wants to turn the concept into a franchise – MISS SPAIN/ICELAND/ARGENTINA MASSACRE, you get the idea – then finish with an alien invasion version titled, you guessed it MISS UNIVERSE MASSACRE. Michael is just such a funny guy and I hope the Melies Award Jury look kindly on SENENTUNTSCHI because we’d love to have him back at FrightFest sometime in the future with a new genre movie. 

Also chatted with director Jim Mickle whose STAKE LAND is in our competition strand. “Why didn’t you choose the film for FrightFest Glasgow?”, he asked. But after me running through the distribution politics attached to his great film, I think he understood. Jim’s a nice guy, and I’m sure he’ll be a FrightFest guest in the near future. And now because I can, I’m off to the hotel sauna for some serious relaxation before the jury meeting. Which will be anointed Best Movie out of 22 MEI, BELLFLOWER, BUNRAKU, MILCRORZE, STAKE LAND, THE EDGE, THE GLASS MAN and THE WOMAN? Place your bets.

Until the next time.