TheHorseman Tagged Articles at Cinematical

After a long flight on my part and a far longer drive for both of us, Scott Weinberg and I have finally arrived in Montréal for the FanTasia International Film Festival (their thirteenth, our first). The genre-heavy festival lasts for nearly three weeks; alas, we've but one to spare, so without much further ado, here's a look at what I've seen already and what I hope to see before Scott tips his own hand with a title or two to recommend.

Of the features playing, I can highly recommend Michael Paul Stephenson's Troll 2 doc, Best Worst Movie; the Aussie revenge thriller, The Horseman (not to be confused with the barely-seen Dennis Quaid vehicle, Horsemen); and Paul Solet's beautifully bloody baby horror, Grace. Those looking for something a bit stranger might end up being a bit more fond of Black and The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle than I was, though I also seemed more easily pleased by the Nazi zombies of Dead Snow than most, so I guess it all balances out. My enthusiasm for the ultra-kitschy likes of Alien Trespass and Lesbian Vampire Killers, not to mention the admittedly boundary-pushing Deadgirl, is all a bit less than what's already been mentioned, so let's just leave those at that.

Read the rest at HorrorSquad!

In some opposite-ish corner of the world right now (from me anyway), the New Zealand International Film Festival kicks off today for the rest of the month, before making further provincial rounds through next November. (Damn, now that's a film festival!) It makes all the more sense that people might want to plan ahead for the highlights, and what better way to do that than to bequeath some awards for the films right from the get-go?

Incredibly Strange programmer Ant Timpson (who's perfectly normal himself, I swear it; that's the name of their specifically oddball selections) has rightfully singled out SXSW '09 alums like Best Worst Movie, Drag Me to Hell, Grace, The Horseman and Winnebago Man for particular accolades (i.e. "Best Film to Show Filmmakers That Low-Budget Doesn't Mean Twenty-Somethings Sitting in Cafes Talking About Their Boring Relationships"), not to mention a couple of other picks.

Timpson sums up his mentality thusly: "I already know these films are very special. I don't need a jury to tell me what I already know. I'm giving these films awards in advance because 99% of the public don't care what films win awards AFTER they've screened, they want to know BEFORE they screen..." Believe me you, the man has a point. The real question is, how will such thinking play in the States?

In the intense Australian drama The Horseman, Peter Marshall stars as a man devastated by the news of his daughter's death. His grief turns to unbridled anger when he learns that she was raped by several men before overdosing on drugs, and he sets out to kill those responsible. Media 8 Entertainment has acquired worldwide sales rights, according to Inside Film, and will be showing the film to buyers at the Cannes Market this week.

As I wrote when the film played at SXSW: "It doesn't feel accurate to describe The Horseman as a 'thriller' because there's nothing in it that provides typical action movie thrills ... It's a movie to be endured rather than enjoyed, which doesn't mean the film lacks artistry or restraint. Writer/director Steven Kastrissios creates a pulverizing experience, yet for all the blood, broken bones, and brutality, The Horseman holds back at key moments." Kastrissios told Inside Film that the SXSW screening generated considerable interest among "film executives from all over the world."

Media 8 Entertainment designed a new poster, which includes a quote from our own Scott Weinberg (even if it is for another site). But how do you sell a violent revenge drama? For comparison's sake, you can see two of the original rough poster concepts developed by the filmmakers above -- the full set of 18 can be viewed at the official site -- alongside the new poster (at the far left). Which one sells it best?

I returned home from Austin yesterday and am still suffering from SXSW Separation Anxiety. Shawn Levy of The Oregonian sums it up well: "Frankly, music people are nuts compared to the film people (who are nuts compared to the interactive people). And as Austin seems genuinely nuts itself, the whole thing works out nicely."

SXSW kept rolling along, even without me and Shawn. While downtown streets were filled with crowds and music, the film venues had somewhat lighter attendance, making it easier for out of town visitors and local residents to catch up with repeat screenings of buzz titles like Alexander the Last, Goodbye Solo, My Suicide, Made in China, and Humpday.

Tonight, an attendee exulted over getting into the Playboy party and seeing Jane's Addiction, while a film critic observed "people in pirate gear blasting 'Kickstart My Heart' in front of [the] Austin Hilton," and another writer "accidentally had another five-movie day." And you wonder why some of us are addicted to Twitter?

Cinematical Coverage. Eugene Novikov called The Slammin' Salmon, the latest project from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, "90 minutes of truly inspired comic mayhem." Speaking of mayhem, this critic felt Australian revenge flick The Horseman was brutally effective: "It's a testicle for a vagina instead of an eye for an eye."

Eric D. Snider says that Craig Johnson's True Adolescents is "an acerbic but realistic coming-of-age story ... the tone gradually shifting from hipster-funny to hipster-introspective." Mark Duplass and Melissa Leo star. Jette Kernion liked Tommy Pallotta's documentary American Prince even more than American Boy, the 1978 Martin Scorsese doc that featured the same subject, Steven Prince, "probably because I preferred watching the older Prince over the younger one."

You can check out all of our SXSW 2009 coverage right here.

Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but there's nothing quite like meting out instant vengeance with a blowtorch and a pair of pliers. In the world according to Steven Kastrissios' The Horseman, it's a testicle for a vagina instead of an eye for an eye.

Christian Forteski (Peter Marshall) is devastated when he learns that his daughter has died, but he completely falls apart when he's informed that she overdosed on drugs. His grief turns to unbridled anger when he receives a videotape in the mail, showing several men having sex with the glassy-eyed, sad-looking young woman, and he sets off to kill the bastards.

It doesn't feel accurate to describe The Horseman as a "thriller" because there's nothing in it that provides typical action movie thrills: no car chases, no wisecracks to relieve the tension, no triumphant moments of celebration. It's a movie to be endured rather than enjoyed, which doesn't mean the film lacks artistry or restraint. Writer/director Steven Kastrissios creates a pulverizing experience, yet for all the blood, broken bones, and brutality, The Horseman holds back at key moments, allowing the mind to fill in the blanks of (most of) the money shots.

Make no mistake, however: the pit of my stomach was pleading for release from the very first sequence.