Sci-Fi London film festival is here again. Here’s my report so far.
Paprika Japan 90mins Homepage (trailer)
Another stunning anime from Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue) about a device that enables people to share in dreams. In the wrong hands the “DC-MINI” is used as a weapon to destroy the psyche and also appears to be breaking the boundaries between reality and the dreamworld. A psychologist on the development team of the dream link-up device has an alter ego called Paprika who serves to help and heal the dreamers. She becomes the only weapon the team have, to recover both the device and protect the dreamers from unraveling.
Beautiful to look at, and some incredibly imaginative dream sequences bursting with unhinged toys and robots marching in a of parade of the insane. Unfortunately the heroine’s appearance is punctuated by a horribly cheesy Japanese pop tune that you’ll hear if you watch the trailer. Her teenage, sassy and upbeat character is a little annoying as the quintessential, desirable Japanese female, but feminism aside the story is so rich in visual detail you can forgive it’s slightly naff and cliched characters.
Not as cool or thoughtful as Ghost in the Shell, but worth it for the dream sequences.
Proxima Spain 116mins Homepage
A sci-fi fanboy finds himself faced with the possibility of truly traveling to other worlds, and an alien woman appears to have taken a shine to him.
Sadly I slept through the best part of this film so a review would be a bit far fetched. From the bits I saw, it had it’s moments of smart, dry comedy and the lead protagonist Tony was believable. Would have been better suited as a short, or at least edited to a snappier pace and half as long.
Taxidermia Hungary 91mins Homepage
This film is amazing. It has blacker than black humour and portrays most major human taboos with fervent abandon, and a wry but cooly distanced eye. I’m not kidding about the taboos either; mutilation, bestiality, pedophilia are all touched upon, and bodily fluids, particularly the (violent) movements in and out of the body, appear to be a favourite of new director Gyorgy Palfi.
Three generations of men are shown in snapshots, from the frustrated soldier with voyeuristic passions, to the fiercely competitive and proud champion speed eater, finally to the lonely taxidermist on an unusual mission.
Shot on 35mm (our print was particularly dusty and scratched) this film is made for the big screen. The detail in the characters’ scarred and imperfect faces, the torrid fumblings of the soldier by candle light, the penultimate scene in the taxidermist’s basement: these things need to be experienced in the most vivid and visceral way. Brilliant sound too, as rich and startling as the visuals, and some great original music by Amon Tobin
Also included were some fantastic cinematic asides including a spinning montage showing the history of a wooden bath and it’s various occupants and the soldiers fantasy that literally springs forth from a pop-up book of Han Christian Anderson’s The Little Match girl.
A masterpiece of the grotesque and obscene but also touched with moments of compassion and humour at some of the absurdity of life. You may be disgusted but you won’t be bored.
Recon 2022 Homepage
Sci-Fi London favourite Canadian Christian Veil returns with the sequel to last years Recon 2020.
A harmless Sci-Fi romp based on the military-style-squad-of-personalities-that-get-killed-off-one-by-one premise, this movie isn’t bad, but isn’t exactly good either. A script that spends too much time making knowing nods to other genre films, when it should have been establishing plot and character. Action sequences were too chaotic and close up (where were the explanatory long shots or wides?) to really know who was shooting at whom and from where. Oh, and some totally pointless tits ’n’ arse were included which took the tone down to Sun style tabloid. In it’s favour however, some of the effects were pretty good (3d spaceships, explosions) and it had good intentions of being a fun, disposable, alien arse kicking movie. The acting varied from awful to 6th form school play, a worry of mine which was compounded by the fact that when asked “How do you get the best out of your actors?” the director replied “Hrm, well I don’t really, I’m more technical, I just find actors that can memorise the script and let them get on with it”.
However, there is something there in the films, and perhaps Veil is just honing his skills for a real crowd pleaser. Part 3 is promised next year.