Fantasia

It was a crazy fun weekend in Montreal for Fantasia with SilentQ, Silas, and Amanda; I’ve never seen so many movies. It’s a tough call, but I think the best movie was Absentia, a creeping spooky horror of a film about a woman who’s husband has gone missing; it’s well acted, the sound is powerfully effective, it’s an incredibly well put together film. I kept thinking about it for days after, waking up at 4:00am and not being able to sleep because I couldn’t stop imagining some of the unpleasantries. Granted I am a complete pussy when it comes to horror films, but I’m telling you this one is special - its not gory or shocking or overt, it’s a slow burn of unease and disquiet. If you get a chance to watch it you really must, it is a triumph. The producer said they made it for like $100,000 which is a miniscule budget for such a sharp production. One hundred thousand dollars will buy you high-end Porsche, which you see all the time on the streets of Boston; it’s crazy to think that for the price of a nice car you actually can create something great – a lasting work that affects and inspires people on an emotional level, a film that can creep people out all over the world.

Some of the other good ones were 13 Assassins – a really good historical samurai showdown, Some Guy Who Kills People – a small-town serial killer flick that is funny and ultimately heartwarming (I’m not kidding), and The FP – a magnificent crazed genius work that, more than any movie I saw this weekend, I really must own whenever it’s released on disc.