68 Kill (2017) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2017]

A man living in an abusive relationship is put through the ringer and finds his inner strength to survive and move on following a wild and crazy night and day.

Based on the novel by Bryan Smith, written and directed by Trent Haaga, 68 Kill is an insane ride filled by crazy, lunatic characters.  The whole thing seems completely nuts and ludicrous but it works.  Somehow, Haaga took all the most ridiculous characters and situations and makes them work in a sort of white-trash opera.  Here all the characters do dumb things for dumb reasons and they almost all are assholes and lunatics, yet the film is crazy fun to watch and has a story that moves at a good, fast pace and leads to a satisfactory ending.  Haaga took all of the most unlikely elements to make one of those film that should not work yet does so beautifully.

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You Only Live Once (Sólo se vive una vez) (2017) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2017]

After witnessing a crime, a con man goes on the run and hides as an orthodox Jew, bringing his problems to an unsuspecting community.

Based on a story by Sergio Esquenazi, written by Esquenazi and Axel Kuschevatzky, and directed by Federico Cueva, You Only Live Once is one of those completely insane action comedy films that should not work but does.  The film is filled with a series of crazy ideas and turns into a partial comedy of error while also being a good thriller-ish comedy.  The story takes odd turn after odd turn until the very last frame to say the least.  Oddly enough, the entire insanity works, which shows good writing and talented directing.  Of course, a few jokes or attempts at jokes do fall flat and a few are offensive, but the film has so much going on that it’s easy to be entertained by it.

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The Short Films of Izzy Lee [Fantasia International Film Festival 2017]

Izzy Lee is a talented short filmmaker who some of us cannot wait to see a feature film from.  Her shorts have been many and has one of them, For a Good Time Call…, played Fantasia International Film Festival this year paired with the feature Dead Man Tells His Own Tale.  As her work should, more like needs to, be seen by all horror fans, here is a rundown of some of her recent shorts.

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King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen (2017) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2017]

“King Cohen” is the documentary on the life and work of filmmaker Larry Cohen, covering his entire career, from working on and directing television pilots, and blaxploitation, to horror, and studio blockbusters.

Writer/director Steve Mitchell interviews a slew of film industry people for this documentary, starting off with his subject’s early career and taking the viewer all the way until very recent work.  His interviews are varied, including the likes of Martin Scorsese, Fred Williamson, both the first and current Mrs. Cohen, etc.  The bulk of the film is spent with Mr. Cohen himself and some of his collaborators.

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