This is the first edition of the This Weekend's Film Festival. Hopefully, this will become a weekly feature of the site. But who knows what will get in the way. Each week will have a new theme. The only criteria for the fest's lineup are that I've already reviewed the film and that it's at least available on DVD. For the most part the films will be three star flicks, but a there may be an occasion to embrace less than positively reviewed films. I hope to bring attention to films I like and hope this is a fun way to encourage people to check them out and even better… have a fun thing to do on a weekend or two.
This week I'm building the lineup around PAN'S LABYRINTH, which just arrived on DVD. I felt it was the best film I saw from 2006. So the Friday evening film is Guillermo del Toro's fairy tale for adults. Fantasy films are on the rise lately thanks to the LORD OF THE RINGS series. Del Toro took many risks with this dark story that takes deep emotional issues and presents them on a grandly magical scale. The layered story works on more than one level. Visually arresting, the film will leave its images imprinted on your mind forever. For more on the film, read my original review.
One of the things that makes PAN'S so gripping is the danger of placing children in peril. So the Saturday double feature is two great examples of children in peril and how that helps build tension. Firstly, POLTERGEIST scared the hell out of me when I first saw it as a kid and it still spooks me today. The innocent Carol Anne put in danger is a perfect way of instantly creating tension. JoBeth Williams brings the film together by selling her motherly desire to protect her child. By creating a believable family, it gives the film a great foundation for the viewer to identify with when the supernatural elements start. Like PAN'S the film is fearless in allowing the children to get into real danger. This works on so many shared experiences that we instantly relate. TV static was never the same after this film. Read more about the film in my original review.
The second feature on the Saturday bill succeeds for many of the same reasons that make POLTERGEIST so good. Gabriele Salvatores’ I’M NOT SCARED puts children at the center of a dangerous predicament that involves kidnapping and murder. Likewise, the family in this film is filled with honest details. However, unlike the supportive family in POLTERGEIST, 5th grader Michele has a father whose actions put his child into danger. This film doesn't have a supernatural element, but it has a mystery that is infused in both PAN'S and POLTERGEIST. I’M NOT SCARED and PAN'S not only have language in common, but their tone is very akin. This is one of the best "child in peril" films I've ever seen. Learn more about this overlooked gem in my original review.
The first film of the Sunday double feature is DEVIL'S BACKBONE. Del Toro began his look at fascist Spain in this ghost story that puts a young boy in a haunted orphanage. Many of the same themes that he tackled in PAN'S are addressed in DEVIL'S. Remote locations, time period, child protagonists put into real peril, an observant eye for childhood dilemmas. DEVIL'S is not just a good film, but allows us to watch the evolution of a director. He is an auteur who finds new ways to deal with the same themes. In seeing this film, we can better understand what he was trying to accomplish in PAN'S. To find out more about the film, check out my original review.
The closing film of the festival is another fairy tale for adults — LEGEND. While the film isn't as successful as PAN'S, it's still a grand rendition of a fairy tale on a much more modest budget. The sets and character design are first rate. For a better story, I recommend the director's cut of the film. It better captures the tale that director Ridley Scott set out to tell. LEGEND also features an early performance from legendary couch jumper Tom Cruise. However, Tim Curry really steals the show as the Lord of Darkness, one of the greatest looking villains in film history. After you watch the film, read my thoughts on the differences between the original film and the director's cut.
Well there you go, the five films that you need to rent or record before the weekend. If you want to see if any of these films on TV in your area, visit Zap2It.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
