The Edinburgh Film Festival has opened its doors once again and revealed the list of movies that are on show this year between the 17th and 28th of August at various venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The BBC are carrying the story today:
“There are works from over 37 countries, in a wide variety of styles, genres and scales – everything from blockbusters to arthouse movies and all points between.”
There’s definitely a huge selection of movies on the go, and quite frankly I have no idea how I can get them all crammed in! However, as a taster of what’s going to be on, here’s the list of movies that I’m wanting to see after my first search through the catalogue. Quotes from the EIFF site blurbs:
Antibodies (Antikörper) [Germany, 2004] – EIFF Info
Not since Hannibal Lecter faced off against poor Clarice has a battle of wits been somesmerising – or so potentially lethal. ‘Evil is a virus,’ says the poster. ‘Evil is contagious.’ Watching this, you believe it.
Batalla en el cielo (Battle in Heaven) [Mexico, France, Germany & Belgium, 2005] – EIFF Info
Though acclaimed at its premiere in Cannes, Reygadas’ second feature went away empty-handed, both its subject-matter (the kidnapper of a child seeks absolution after his captive’s death) and treatment (complete with interludes of explicit, if lyrical sexuality) proving altogether too strong for the jury…it’s a difficult yet rewarding work, one which establishes its maker as one of the true visionaries of contemporary cinema.
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist [USA, 2004] – EIFF Info – Trailer
…not destined for a UK release, this is a once-only opportunity, not to be missed.
Gaudzi (Dumplings) [Hong Kong, 2005] – EIFF Info
Originally made as one section of a three-part horror omnibus (alongside contributions by Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike), Chan has expanded his nightmarish vision to feature length, and the result is a richer, more complex and, yes, even nastier film.
Land of the Dead [USA, 2005] – EIFF Info – Trailer
Described by one US critic as ‘a satisfyingly splattery feast of guts and ideas’ – this is a genre classic.
Hooligans (Green Street) [UK, 2005] – EIFF Info – Trailer
A hard-bitten (in every sense) tale of football hooliganism, starring Elijah Wood. The Shire was never like this…Viciously tough, yet surprisingly humane, it kicks ass (or arse, if you prefer) in every sense. And remember, it’s ‘football’, not soccer…
Gunner Palace [USA & Germany, 2004] – EIFF Info – Trailer
‘Gunner Palace’ is the name given to one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces in central Baghdad, now occupied by the American military…There’s an air of madness to the proceedings, and the comments of these boy-soldiers veer between the insightful and the frightening. Shot in colour-saturated high-definition, and powered by a hiphop soundtrack (mostly supplied by Marines MC’s), this is an unforgettable experience.
Mongkok Hakye (One Nite in Mongkok) [Hong Kong, 2004] – EIFF Info
Set amid the teeming streets and dingy tenements of Hong Kong’s most populous (and notorious) district, Derek Yee’s award-winning drama is gritty, beautifully shot, and packed with stunning set-pieces… the finest Asian crime thriller since Infernal Affairs.
P [UK & Thailand, 2005] – EIFF Info – Trailer
…Dau, a young orphan girl, is instructed in the ways of white magic by her grandmother. Later, when the old woman falls sick, Dau journeys to Bangkok to buy medicine; before long, she’s working in a go-go bar, and her subsequent fall from grace is both swift and terrible. For a time, her magic protects her – but her powers grow increasingly darker and more violent, as something inside her gains control.
Serenity [USA, 2005] – EIFF Info – Trailer
A continuation of his brilliant if short-lived TV series Firefly, Whedon’s SF epic reunites his original cast and takes only a few minutes to welcome new viewers to the Fireflyuniverse…Hold on tight!
Snuff-Movie [UK & Romania, 2005] – EIFF Info
Writer-director Rose has constructed a dizzyingly intricate storyline, all multiple levels of narrative, double and triple-bluffs, right up to a stunning final revelation. Complete with very un-PC levels of gore, nudity and, yes, sheer hysterical terror, the result recalls the exploitation classics of the 1970s. One for true horror aficionados.
Sugar [USA & Ireland, 2005] – EIFF Info
It begins with a woman crawling from a tiny refrigerator in a cramped, filthy NY apartment, to discover a corpse that may just be her own – and just gets weirder and more unsettling from there.
The Aristocrats [USA, 2004] – EIFF Info – Trailer
The world’s dirtiest joke, told (and discussed) by the world’s most famous comedians. Not for the faint-hearted…Robin Williams, Drew Carey, Eddie Izzard, Billy Connolly, Eric Idle, and Chris Rock, to name just a few
The Dark [UK, 2005] – EIFF Info
Adele (Maria Bello) and her young daughter visit the child’s estranged father (Sean Bean) on the Welsh coast. But relations between mother and child are strained – and before long the kid goes missing, presumed drowned. So who’s the other girl who appears in her place? Is it really the daughter of the former landowner, the mystic who engineered the mass suicide of his brethren?…Another dark vision from the director of cult fave Ginger Snaps.
Voices of Iraq [USA & Iraq, 2004] – EIFF Info
150 digital-video cameras were given to Iraqi citizens to record whatever they wished: this film is the result…. a triumph of editing – pulses with life, from candid scenes in the home, to parties packed with young people, to harrowing first-person accounts of torture and displacement…
Check out the trailers for P, Dominion (I hadn’t seen this one before) and Hooligans…ouch!
I’m keen to see all of these, P, Mongkok Hakye, Antikörper, Dominion are ones I just can’t afford to miss. As usual you’ll get all the updates and reviews as fast as I can write them!
