The second day is usually when the festival gets into full gear, as the Theater Hall is filled with cheerful Friday night crowds eager to experience all sorts of thrills garnered from the remote corners of the world. And while I wouldn't have been caught dead attending the premiere of Deadball, a sequel to the uninspired Battlefield Baseball (Fantasia 2009), I was delighted to attend the sold-out Quebec premiere of Joe Cornish's Attack the Block, which was paired with another first-class crowd-pleaser, Sable & Batalion's first short film: The Legend of Beaver Dam. For me, that is when Fantasia truly kicked off, with a pair of exciting, very high-quality genre gems, the likes of which were lovingly picked from the tree like ripe fruits.
Those unfamiliar with Sable & Batalion will want to keep an eye out for their future films. Best known for their musical play J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera, this pair of Montrealers is also well versed in the art of genre film-making, as displayed by the smarts they use to reflect on the slasher film. You see, Legend of Beaver Dam is more than its generic title. It is actually a musical slasher in which the killer's viewpoint is brilliantly depicted using the power of song. Relying on some terrific singing voices from their diminutive protagonist and metal-inclined creature, their tale is one of humiliation and retribution in the purest tradition of the genre. But it is one to reflect so relevantly on its nature as to earn a rightful place in the annals of noteworthy postmodern horror.
The main course (Attack the Block), while not as surprising, is crafted to perfection. And it is one that finds renewed relevance today, as British cities are experiencing the upheaval of the disenfranchised and disorganized. Because while the narrative backdrop involves an intergalactic turf war, the topic itself is very earthly. Starting with a mundane robbery perpetrated by hooded thugs on a lone woman, the film quickly establishes the proliferation of wanton criminality in the crowded British ghettos. But contrary to ass-faced Prime Minister David Cameron, it doesn't systematically condemn the kids' actions, trying instead to understand, by giving them the sufficient latitude to express themselves as something other than stereotypes. Thus, the film chronicles their adventure and in doing so, thwarts many of the misconceptions one may entertain about criminalized youths. But while the film is an interesting milieu study, it is also an exhilarating, fluid action/horror piece that boasts a surprising flair for composition and monster design. The result is a very potent genre piece, at once exciting, visually stunning and political. This is exactly the kind of fodder one will wish to see at Fantasia.
As for Ironclad, it contained enough vitamins to make for an invigorating starter. It's just a shame that Chop wasn't sweet enough a desert to top that wonderful evening.
FILMS SEEN
Ironclad
A conventional, by-the-numbers historical epic highlighted not so much by the great production values or Paul Giamatti's flat performance as King John, but by the zany, ultra-gory battle scenes, which work as a loving tribute to the heroes' zeal in trying to reclaim their kingdom from an unfit monarch. Recommended for fans of historical epics who won't simply settle for looking at the scenery.
THUMBS UP
Attack the Block
A rare gem: a superbly directed, exhilarating horror film set in Orwellian British projects, with all the colorful dialogue and political undertones it implies. The monster design is impeccable and so are the young actors carrying the plot.
ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS UP
Chop
Amateurish torture porn entry throws a couple of good ideas around, but fails for lack of a definite identity. Read full review here.
THUMBS DOWN
