Each year takes place in Munich (and other cities in Germany) the Fantasy Film Festival (FFF), a long week of showing horror, thriller and science fiction movies:
This year the Festival takes place from September 08th to 19th, and I will give you here some recommendations of what you can go and see.
On the festival website one can find the complete list of films with their trailers, the timetable for Munich (MFFF2014) and the whole festival magazine ( ! 11 Mb ! ):
This year the movies will be shown mainly in the CINEMA theater (Nymphenburger Str. 31, numbered seats) and only for a few of them in the GABRIEL Kino (Dachauer Str. 16, free seating). For that reason the Festival has been extended to last 11 days.
Usually all movies are shown in original version without subtitles when the language is English ("Eng OV") and with English subtitles otherwise ("OMeU"). Sometimes subtitles are in German ("OMdU"). This is indicated in the timetable.
Tickets pre-sale starts on September 1st at 17:00, it is important to get good seats.
Many movies were already presented at the NIFFF2014 and we have seen a few. We provide the rating we gave it for information but you can also follow the link for the full review:
My recommendations follow, in chronological order. In red the ones I will go see for sure, in green the other interesting ones but to which I cannot go, will decide on the spot or have already seen. Note that I often refer to the French magazine Mad Movies which is my main source of information about those movies, mainly thanks to their articles about Cannes Directors' Fortnight and Gerardmer's Fantastic Film Festival. Indeed whenever possible I try to provide advice based on such articles, or my knowledge of the director, rather than simply the trailer.
Tickets pre-sale starts on September 1st at 17:00, it is important to get good seats.
Many movies were already presented at the NIFFF2014 and we have seen a few. We provide the rating we gave it for information but you can also follow the link for the full review:
- Open Windows (09/09 17:15): 7/10
- What we do in the shadows (13/09 21:45): 9/10
- Under the Skin (16/09 13:00 and 17/09 19:15): 6/10
My recommendations follow, in chronological order. In red the ones I will go see for sure, in green the other interesting ones but to which I cannot go, will decide on the spot or have already seen. Note that I often refer to the French magazine Mad Movies which is my main source of information about those movies, mainly thanks to their articles about Cannes Directors' Fortnight and Gerardmer's Fantastic Film Festival. Indeed whenever possible I try to provide advice based on such articles, or my knowledge of the director, rather than simply the trailer.
- The Rover (08/09 20:00 and 13/09 13:00 Gabriel): An Australian Post-Apocalyptic movie with Guy Pearce (Memento) and Robert Pattinson (Twilight, Cosmopolis) who both seem to play at their best. It was presented in the official selection at the Cannes Festival, but I am not overly attracted by it. I may go anyway because it is the MFFF opening.
- Wer (08/09 22:45): A werewolf story short in a realistic way (documentary-style), but the producers of Insidious. Good be a good scare.
- The House at the End of Time (09/09 13:00): I have never seen a movie from Venezuela before... but it is shown early in the day.
- Open Windows (09/09 17:15): I have already seen it at the NIFFF but I can recommend it.
- Coherence (09/09 19:30): A small SF story shot in Los Angeles with a Canon 5D. Could be original.
- Wrong Cops (09/09 21:45): from what I read, the latest movie by the DJ Quentin Dupieux (Rubber) seem to follow the recipe of his previous ones (beautiful framing but very slow story and jokes extended beyond the limit of their acceptable duration) without bringing anything new. Probably to avoid, except if you really like his style.
- Let Us Prey (09/09 23:45): A pretty gore horror movie with Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones). I will decide on the spot if I am tempted by that genre.
- Cold in July (10/09 19:30): a thriller about a robbery that turned bad. A mix of genres that is touching according to Mad Movies. Worth the try.
- Honeymoon (10/09 21:45): With Rose Leslie (Ygritte in Game of Thrones), it was already presented at the NIFFF14. Mad Movies doesn't say any good about it.
- The Brotherhood of Tears (10/09 23:45): The french thriller of the selection. The trailer doesn't look overly attractive, but I may decide to go on the spot.
- The Canal (11/09 13:00): Also already shown at the NIFFF14, the haunted house horror story seemed good, but it is shown too early in the day.
- Time Lapse (11/09 15:00): I am attracted to watch it because I like timelapse photography, and the story looks OK, but it is shown early in the day.
- Suburban Gothic (11/09 19:30): this looks like a not-funny horrific comedy about a guy coming back to live with his parents. To avoid.
- Housebound (11/09 21:30): Won the H.R. Giger «Narcisse» award of best movie at the NIFFF2014, and my girlfriend who has seen it told me it was good and funny. Must see.
- We gotta get out of this Place (11/09 23:45): A robbery and kidnapping story that could be boring.
- Man on High Heels (12/09 16:45): I usually try to avoid the Asian movie longer than 2 hours.
- The Babadook (12/09 19:15): It won almost everything at the Gerardmer FFF and I read good things about it. Must see.
- Extraterrestrial (12/09 21:15): A simple B-movie with jump-scares but gook-looking and well-done from what I heard. Also with Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers, The Machinist). Must see.
- Nurse 3D (12/09 23:45): An erotic thriller about a nurse facing her psycho colleague, shot in a serious way. I am not very tempted. We'll see...
- The Custody (13/09 15:00): The trailer looks super cheap. To avoid.
- Jamie Marks is Dead (13/09 17:00): I trust my Mad Movies magazine when they write that I shouldn't watch this movie about a gay love story beyond the grave, except to see a "teenage clone of Harry Potter in his underwear" !
- Among the Living (13/09 19:15 and 19/09 13:00): Although the two directors are former writers at Mad Movies, I didn't really like their first movie À l'intérieur, and am not eager to watch more.
- What we do in the Shadows (13/09 21:45): Already seen at the NIFFF14 and very highly recommended for 1.5 hours of laughter.
- Wolfcop (13/09 23:45 and 18/09 13:00): I missed it at the NIFFF14 but from what I read, everything is in the title. Could be fun, but don't expect a revolution.
- The Mule (14/09 13:00 Gabriel): A guy who ingested drugs must hold it for several days. A dry comedy about stupid events, with Hugo Weaving (Matrix, The Lord of the Rings). Not to confuse with the 2012 movie with Sharon Stone (a.k.a. Border Run).
- Get shorty (14/09 15:00): a compilation of short movies is always nice, but I do not reserve anything during those week-end days in case the weather is nice and I have other plans.
- Out of the Dark (14/09 17:15): An Americano-Columbian production about a haunted house. This reminds me of the excellent The Hidden Face, the latest movie I have seen from Colombia.
- 13 Sins (14/09 19:15): The concept is interesting but similar to the one of Cheap Thrills and also a little Open Windows: what would a man be ready to do for money? Directed by Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism), it could be interesting if not fully original.
- Go Goa Gone (14/09 21:30): An Indian comedy that may not be funny at all for Western audiences. I will avoid.
- Starred Up (14/09 23:45): An ultra-realistic prison movie. For those who like the genre and can afford to sleep late.
- iNumber Number (15/09 13:00): Presented at the NIFFF14, this movie from South Africa could have been interesting if it were not shown so early in the day.
- It Follows (15/09 19:30): A thriller with teenagers would normally not interest me, but this one won the price of the critic at the NIFFF14 and I read some good about it, so I shouldn't miss it.
- The November Man (15/09 21:45): The big American action / thriller / spy movie of the selection, with Pierce Brosnan (ex-James Bond) and Olga Kurylenko (ex Bond-girl). It doesn't really fit in a festival where you go to discover something that may never be released in theaters. Probably easy to watch, but I will save my time for something else.
- Dark House (15/09 23:45): The trailer doesn't look good, and the ratings on IMDb are poor. But then I learned it was directed by Victor Salva from which I loved Jeepers Creepers 1 & 2, which are also not very well rated (although better). Dilemma... I may try to watch his most recent movie Rosewood Lane before the festival, and will decide on the spot.
- Under the Skin (16/09 13:00 and 17/09 19:15): Seen at the NIFFF2014. Unexpected performance by Scarlett Johansson for a very special movie.
- Metalhead (16/09 19:15): This Icelandic movie deals with a young troubled girl, and looks more like a Drama than anything else. Not really my type, but could be good.
- The Strange Color of your Body's Tears (16/09 21:30): I cannot miss the new movie by the French duo Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani from which I loved the Giallo revival Amer since I have seen it at the Espoo Fantasy Film Festival in 2010 (I will watch again the Blu-ray before the Festival). It is a very special kind of movie, designed to delight your senses and not only the sight.
- All Cheerleaders Die (16/09 23:45): Lucky McKee likes to shoot women (May, The Woman). It seems to be again the case in this comedy. The trailer doesn't promise many laughs, so if it were not for the director I wouldn't have though about it. I will decide on the spot.
- Faults (17/09 13:00): A cheap but funny, original and not formatted movie, according to Mad Movies. If I have to skip one afternoon of work that would be for that movie.
- The Fall of the House of Usher (17/09 21:30): A rare piece of French cinema History from 1928, with the soundtrack played live by a DJ, reminding me of the good experience I had when watching Häxan (1922) at the SFFF2011. What is there not to like?
- Stage Fright (17/09 23:45): A slasher that doesn't look original.
- White Bird in a Blizzard (18/09 19:30): This drama about a disappeared mother was shown at the NIFFF. I could be tempted to watch it for the lovely Eva Green (300, Rise of an Empire) or more importantly because it is directed by Gregg Araki from which I enjoyed a lot Kaboom!.
- Blue Ruin (18/09 21:30 Gabriel): This supposedly suspenseful thriller doesn't really attract me.
- Starry Eyes (18/09 23:30 Gabriel): A young actress discovering the Hollywood world. I read some good things about it. I will go see by myself.
- These Final Hours (19/09 17:00): A good pre-apocalyptic movie that focuses on people's reaction, supposedly better (and in a different style) than This is the End or Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. But I will not book any movies on that day because of pre-Oktoberfest preparations.
- Beneath (19/09 19:30): A claustrophobic movie about miners trapped underground, loosely inspired by the true story of the 33 Chilean miners from the 2010 Copiapo mining accident. The only full-length feature by Ben Ketai, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, was not bad. Of course the story remonds of the excellent The Descent by Neil Marshall.
- Life after Beth (19/09 21:30): A comedy about the love story between a young man (Deen de Haan seen in Metallica - Through the Never and who still looks like a young Leonardo di Caprio) and his recently deceased girlfriend. Could be a nice closure for the festival.
As promised, I plan to see fewer movies this year but at least nine for sure, i.e. about one per week day of the Festival. As usual I will post my reviews less than a day after the projection.
No comments:
Post a Comment