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[Sundance Review] ‘Kuso’ Is a Quintessential Gross-Out Midnight Movie!

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Un Chien Andalou. Meshes in the Afternoon. Eraserhead. The Holy Mountain. Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Throughout cinema history, there have been films that are so bizarre and unique that audiences cannot ignore them, no matter how unpleasant they are. It is a thrill, then, to announce that the next film in this lineage has arrived. Steven Ellison, better known to the public as the incredible musician Flying Lotus, has given the millennium a movie guaranteed to melt minds: Kuso.

Coming off the success of several shorts, one of which was a Midnight Shorts selection at last year’s festival, Ellison combines four stories into a patchwork tale of post-earthquake Los Angeles. In this world, reality and logic have been thrown into the sewers. The screen is blasted with images of bodily excrement (from multiple orifices), diseased flesh, aberrant behavior and monstrous creations – done both practically and through fascinating animation. The stories are impossible to describe coherently, featuring the worst interdimensional roommates of all time, a bizarre abortion clinic, an underground dweller saving her ‘baby’ from a monster, and an outcast who finds solace in a pod-anus-creature. Does that make sense? It shouldn’t. This is a midnight film, and sense is thrown out the window.

[Related] Keep up with all of our 2017 Sundance Film Festival coverage

Ellison’s self-proclaimed influences, ranging from Takashi Miike to Shin’ya Tsukamoto to David Lynch, are all geniuses of the midnight movie genre – and the film bears their stamp proudly. But Kuso is its own monster. Its mixture of VHS-quality news footage, absolutely wacko animation and rather beautiful music is unclassifiable. There are moments of shameless trash – if you don’t like poop jokes, this isn’t the film for you – placed alongside moments of surprising intimacy, and awe-inspiring visual choreography. Some images might have obvious influences, but none are directly lifted from another film, and some have never been seen before. The film’s blatant disregard of narrative, cohesion or ‘good taste’ will absolutely shun many audience members, but these things also make it the perfect midnight movie. It’s destined for cult status.

Don’t get me wrong – there were moments when I felt my gorge rising and had to look away. But that doesn’t mean the film is entirely unpleasant. Not only is the music fantastic, but Ellison’s perverse sense of humor makes some scenes wildly entertaining (the title is an Asian term referring to camp and parody); and as mentioned above, there are scenes of weird tenderness. The range of comedy, experimentalism and pure gross-out horror make the film feel like patchwork, which it is – each short was shot separately. That is also part of the film’s diabolical charm. It’s meant to be viewed late at night, perhaps influenced by external substances; though the film serves as a psychedelic in itself.

It also must be noted that Ellison’s cast is so colorful – a deliberate choice, because weird cinema is often very white-washed. As Ellison said himself during the Q&A, these types of films need to feature different faces and different voices. The Oscars aren’t the only institution that needs diversification, and Ellison has taken a large step toward bringing voices of color into genre cinema.

A paeon to bad taste and utter visual insanity, Kuso is a special thing that we don’t see often enough, especially in an artistic climate where risks are not typically taken. It may struggle to find its audience, but judging by the packed Egyptian Theater, the audience is certainly out there. I will certainly be watching for future screenings – this is the type of film that, in spite of your better judgement, you must watch again…. and again. Hopefully this marks the beginning of a long filmmaking career for Steven Ellison – if the films continue to be as entertaining as this one, we’re in for some seriously unsavory treats.

Keep up with Ben @smuckyfilms and at smuckyproductions.wordpress.com

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“Bite Size Short: Her House of Horrors” Announce Short Grant Program!

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Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.

The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:

“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.

“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.

“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.

“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”

Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.

WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.

To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.

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