Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

All the news and discussion for Frightfest Glasgow on 24th -25th February 2017
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Alex J
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Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

The Warrior's Gate
Not really sure why this was selected for Frightfest, more of a family film, albeit some of the content may be a little too strong for say 8 year olds. Nevertheless an entertaining enough film with plenty of action, with a bit of heart and charm to it too. 6.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

It Stains The Sand Red
Slightly reminiscent of Monolith but with a zombie twist. Once or twice the film threatened to get a bit too slow, but fortunately there was enough content to maintain interest. The central relationship was also very well played. A worthy addition to the oversaturated zombie subgenre. 7.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

The Transfiguration
Spoiler:
Probably the best vampire film since Let The Right One In.
Thought this was engrossing and compelling with the two young leads superb. Loved the ending too. 9 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Shin Godzilla
Not really watched Godzilla films previously, but I quite enjoyed this one even if it was probably overly long by about half an hour, with maybe too much talking in comparison to the action. 7 / 10
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Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Happy Hunting
Not amazingly original, nor did it offer much new, but I enjoyed this nonetheless, with the old chase scenario effectively deployed, ticking along at a decent pace and with a few subtexts thrown in for good measure. 7 / 10
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Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Cage Dive
For a while this threatened to rival the modern shark attack masterpiece The Reef, but ultimately it fell short due to some dumb behaviour by the characters in the latter stages of the film and an underwhelming ending. The gore was in relatively short supply, but I liked the real shark footage though. 7 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Fashionista
Ended up being like a cross between
Spoiler:
Mulholland Drive and Eyes Wide Shut
as April's world unravels and she descends into dark, murky depths.
Spoiler:
I suspected that Essoe's character was going to be a former victim of Randall's who got away, was thought to be mad by the authorities and was then going to wreak a bloody revenge upon release, but Rumley eschewed this for a more subtle ending. I'm glad the use of two different actresses for the same role was explained as I'm not sure I would have worked that out afterwards as I certainly didn't during the film. It would also have been interesting to explore Randall's world more, although the ending did leave things open for a possible sequel.
8.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Bloodlands
A dark, occasionally brutal family feud shocker
Spoiler:
with supernatural elements, not entirely unlike a 1970s Argento
.
The plot was relatively simplistic, but well executed.
Spoiler:
Strangely, after numerous references that the main antagonist could be a witch, the director stated afterwards that she was a vampire, which I had wondered because "shtriga" is similar to the Romanian word for a vampire, but the distinction was not obvious in the movie.
7.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Detour
A neo-noir, road trip movie with plenty of twists and humour to keep entertainment levels high. One of those movies where the characters seem to keep spiralling ever deeper into bigger holes and director Chris Smith does a good job of tying it all together. Loved the moral ambiguity of the characters, as well as the killer twist at the end. 8.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Raw
Not quite sure why this has been hyped so much as being controversial and extreme, but I thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age tale. I thought the young lead was excellent. Personally I would have appreciated a few more shocking scenes
Spoiler:
perhaps an end one with the underused Laurent Lucas? Overall, more like Ginger Snaps meets American Mary than Cannibal Holocaust
8.5 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

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Hounds of Love
Another corker, this devastatingly brilliant examination of the dysfunctional relationship between the two main characters - as well as those they come into contact with - is both macabre and fascinating. I did wonder if there was any significance to the 1987 setting though? 9 / 10
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Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

The Night of the Virgin
Unfortunately by this stage of the night, on film 7, I was too tired and my legs were giving me too much grief from the inadequate leg-room to really get into this one. The positives include a spattering of humour and some interesting special effects, but some parts of the film dragged for me and it seemed overly long. Maybe one to try again in more comfortable circumstances. A provisional 6 / 10
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Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

My top 5:
1) The Transfiguration
2) Hounds of Love
3) Raw
4) Detour
5) Fashionista
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Alex J
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by Alex J »

Just to clarify on Bloodlands after a quick bit of research:
Spoiler:
A shtriga is from Albanian folklore and is actually a vampiric witch so that clears up both what the entity was and also confirms why the two terms of "vampire" and "witch" could be used interchangeably.
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
grindhouse83
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Re: Frightfest Glasgow 2017 Reviews

Post by grindhouse83 »

Of the 6 films I saw, I thoroughly enjoyed 5 of them. This is just a rough order, that possibly might change once I've fully digested what I saw.

6) Bloodlands - dull, underwritten characters, sickening slaughter scene

5) It Stains The Sands Red - a unique, witty & stylish take on zombie horror with an excellent nuanced leading performance from Brittany Allen, once again proving herself an innately likeable screen presence.
Director Colin Minihan has a strong vision & handles the comedy with aplomb. With a good script, small budget, a minimal crew, talent & ambition, he's crafted a fresh relevant film that deserves to do well. The fact they shot in a freezing cold desert, and had the actor playing the zombie willing to sleep in his make-up for three days in order to save time & money, is testament to the passion of all involved.

4) Detour - Once again Christopher Smith proves himself one of the best British genre directors working today in the highly stylised thriller Detour
Like his previous film Triangle, Detour plays with time & perception. The film is a fun ride & over all too soon. He's supported by a great cast of upcoming stars Tye Sheridan, Bel Powley & Emory Cohen.

3) Fashionista - Director Simon Rumley impressed with this dark intoxicating psychological horror.
Amanda Fuller is brilliant in the challenging lead role, bringing subtlety & depth. The cinematography is beautiful & the music spellbinding. British director Rumley is a unique visionary & has produced a strangely captivating film.

2) Hounds of Love - Australian Horror is in fine form & Hounds Of Love is yet another triumph. A psychological drama with depth & emotion, it's not always an easy film to enjoy. The subject matter is gruelling, and the film is certainly intense, but pleasingly shows a respectful restraint when it comes to the most harrowing moments; wisely cutting away, letting music & sound paint a picture. The period setting is perfectly captured, the music is brilliant & the performances raw.

1) Raw - French horror Raw turned out to be far more than its reputation promised.
Tales of audience members fainting & vomiting led me to think we were in for a harrowing film. But, Raw isn't the extreme horror of French classics Martyrs & Inside. Instead, it's an intimate coming of age tale, albeit one where the lead gains an appetite for human flesh. Sure, it's bloody & gory, but it's also damn funny with pitch perfect moments of dark comedy that had me shaking with laughter. A beautiful, captivating film.
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