The ABCs of Death

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

The perfect film to close MonsterFest. 26 short horror films, each based on a word with a different letter of the alphabet, all starting and ending with a red frame. A very impressive list of directors and writers from all over the world and the variety of styles and subgenera is great. Some are terrifying, some are hilarious, some are animated, some are abstract and the ratio of ones I like greatly outnumbered the ones I didn't.

One of my favourite ideas was not having the title of the short until the end of each segment, so you also end up trying to guess what the word is they based the short on. A genuinely enjoyable mixed bag of horror and I love that I got to see it on the big screen with a crowd but will definitely be picking this one up when it gets a home video release later in the year.

American Mary

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Kate

Another MonsterFest title, been great so far, I hope they do it again next year. This title had good word of mouth, I missed it the first time it screened last year but was lucky enough to catch it on the big screen tonight.

Body Modification huh? A subject I was not particularly familiar with before. And a great topic for this kind of horror/drama. The film had a fantastic premise and I was enthralled throughout the first half. The story never quite knows where to go though and seems to finish just before we get to a climax or resolution, which was very disappointing because up until then it had been an intriguing and well acted and shot drama with some very twisted imagery.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever the Soska twins do next, hopefully something as well made but that feels more complete.

Cloud Atlas

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jess, Jim, Cicely, Belinda, Tyler, Kate, Robert, Tara, Aaron, Kelly, Clint

Write Up.

Seeing the film with a large group of people showed just how divisive it really was. Some good discussions after. And some wildly different reactions. Soylent Green is people indeed...

Muirhouse

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Another MonsterFest title, the Indie Australian horror that looks like our answer to Paranormal Activity.  After a terribly ineffective start that doesn't add to the films credibility at all and a a character that feels comically out of place educating us on the ghost hunting profession we finally get to the famed Monte Cristo house. From there we spend the film following ghost hunter Muirhouse wandering around in the dark listening out for spooky noises and waiting for jump scares that never come. And much like the Paranormal Activity films, the film just ends. Didn't do much for me.

I Give It a Year

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

A middling romantic comedy with what feels like a really terrible message. If things aren't working out just give up and move on to something else. The ol partner swapping ending it telegraphed from the start, hell even in the trailer you can figure out what needs to happen. There are a few funny bits in the middle but overall this didn't do much for me. Still it could have been a lot worse I suppose. Meh.

Side Effects

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

The prolific Steven Soderbergh has another film out already, seemingly out of nowhere. And if things are to be believed, his last theatrical feature before his self-imposed retirement. This saddens me.

Scott Z. Burns has written another pretty typical thriller cloaked in veil of very intelligent sounding dialogue and fast moving scenes. It's quite a cold and clinical film but there are still some thrills to be had.

The cast are all on top of things and Soderbergh films is beautifully. I just wished it were a little more empathetic. The thrilling twists and turns ended up making me feel a little more cheated than rewarded but the film went for the more flashy entertaining route than the dramatic. 

I did enjoy the film though, but if this is to be Soderbergh's last, I wish it was a bit more of a high note.

Cloud Atlas

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Mum

Here's my non-write up. The first time I saw it had had just stepped off a plane from Perth to New York and gone straight to Time Square to watch movies and this was a priority. As delirious as I was I still loved it and rated it pretty highly on my 2012 list. Now it's finally hit our shores and I have the chance to watch it again and do a proper write up while I'm less sleep deprived and overstimulated.

This is all the movies. It's a cinematic playground. I think even if you don't like all of the film there's something enjoyable in here for everyone. It's certainly ambitious and I love the big risks they took. While some definitely work better than others, overall the film totally works for me. It feels like a symphony that plays out in sections that rise and fall with action, drama, suspense and humor across all the stories. The structure is intricate but on a large scale ends up feeling pretty natural and while you're aware that the film is long it never drags or looses its drive.

The pairing of directors and material makes for some great visuals and the score is just beautiful and vital to the stories being told. The tone varies greatly from story to story but they all feel of a piece. I loved watching this again and picking up certain extra connections that I missed the first time through. I particularly loved Tom Tykwer's segments with the ever engaging Ben Whishaw as a composer and another with Halle Berry in a 70's conspiracy thriller. And being the sucker for sci-fi that I am, the Wachowski's Neo-Seoul segment was a lot of fun too.

It's a very divisive film and the cause for much discussion, much more than I have time to write about at present but do seek it out and see what you make of it.