We here at Bloody Disgusting have been covering the FanTasia Film Festival for the better half of the last decade, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to witness it first hand. While I spent a heavy portion of the year covering Sundance, SXSW, TIFF, TRIBECA and Screamfest, FanTasia always seems to get lost in the shuffle because of the San Diego Comic Con and the sheer independence of it all.

FanTasia is something quote special, an event worth attending if the opportunity ever presents itself. The festival delivers 3 straight weeks of non-stop horror, sci-fi and martial arts films, while also keeping ticket prices at a shockingly low $8 (most festivals are topping $20 these days).

Being an avid horror fan, this festival would be a dream to any genre fan as they deliver the best of the past year’s fests all in one place. Where else can you see Tucker & Dale vs Evil, The Violent Kind, REC 2, The Last Exorcism, A Serbian Film, Black Death and even Birdemic?! FanTasia, that’s where.

Below are my mini-reviews for all of the films I’ve had the pleasure to see.

Donnie Yen returns at Ip Man as he hopes to begin anew with a Kung Fu school in Hong Kong. Master Hung (Sammo Hung) stands in his way, forcing Ip Man to prove himself. The first 30 minutes feature an intense battle between Ip Man, his pupils, and the rest of the town. The result is an epic battle at the 30-minute mark where Ip Man must remain on a tabletop until an incense stick burns out, still kicking the shit out of every master in town. The film takes an interesting turn as it literally becomes Rocky IV. It’s not an homage, it’s not similar, it is a direct rip-off of Rocky IV.

Ip Man and Master Hung become the best of friends (like Rocky and Apollo Creed), and must align themselves to defeat an evil British/English boxer named Twister (who can best be described as a Ivan Drago clone). When Twister insults the Chinese (like when Drago insults America), Master Hung fights him to defend the honor of his country. When Ip Man fails to throw in the towel, Twister KILLS Hung with a series of blows (Rocky IV anyone?). Against his will, Ip Man must defend both Master Hung and the country’s honor.

While the film is a rip-off, seeing kung fu vs boxing was really cool (reminded me of playing Street Fighter). The action scenes were incredible and the film was extraordinarily violent. And if you’re gonna rip-off a fighting movie, why not have it be one of the best of all time?

4/5 Skulls

“Phobia 2 features five short films that compile what I believe is the second best horror anthology in the past ten years (Trick `r Treat is still better), thus proving that anthologies can still deliver the goods (the best part is that they’re only 20 minutes each, so if one sucks, it’ll be over before you fall asleep).” Read the full review here.

4/5 Skulls

“Noussias could have literally edited out all of Billy Zane’s scenes, and all of the flashbacks, and delivered a way above par zombie feature. The scope is massive, the kills are brutal and bloody, and most of all, it’s entertaining. Great DVD rental.” Read the full review here.

3/5 Skulls

“If you want shocking, Porno Gang does in fact deliver, but unfortunately it becomes proven that Mladen Djordjevic doesn’t quite have the full set of balls he proclaims to carry. For that, check out A Serbian Film.” Read the full review here.

3/5 Skulls

“Art and horror collide in Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber, a clever and uniquely interesting “f*ck you” to Hollywood…It’s a triumph of filmmaking that earns the right to be a pretentious prick.” Read the full review here.

4/5 Skulls

“I’ll keep it vague so you can enjoy the bits of brain matter that’ll splash across your screen, I Spit is a splatter slasher that asks nothing more than a few minutes of your attentiveness (attention span can be checked at the door). As far as remakes go, at least this one is straight-up entertaining.” Read the full review here.

3.5/5 Skulls

I’ve never been a huge Herschell Gordon Lewis fan, but I respect the man as truly being “The Godfather of Gore.” Director Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Frankenhooker, Bad Biology) & Jimmy Maslon team on this new documentary that tells the story of the birth of the gore film, but puts the audience to sleep while doing so.

While the doc starts off quite strong, it quickly becomes a self-important, creepy jerk-off session. The first half is quite informative as it takes us through the history of Lewis’ films starting with their innocent, non-sexual pornos that served as experience for “real filmmaking” that soon followed. While the old men behind Blood Feast and Two Thousand Maniacs are interesting, funny and engaging, the editing and direction of the doc falls completely flat. First and foremost is the decision to keep outtakes IN the actual feature (we see Lewis ask how much longer the interview will be as he needs to change his dinner reservations). Then there are the bizarre camera shots mixed in (I really don’t need to see up an old man’s hairy nose). Towards the end of the doc we’re treated to an unorthodox and snooze educing recreation of the opening of Two Thousand Maniacs. I don’t care what the locations look like today, and really don’t care to see Lewis reenact the scenes. Yawn. The biggest criminal act the film makes is forgetting to reference what other movies were inspired by legendary filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis. WHY is he so important? WHY were his movies so important? WHAT happened because of it?!

A doc is there to inform, and I learned little to nothing about the myth, the legend Herschell Gordon Lewis. Fail.

1/5 Skulls

“We Are What We Are is this year’s Let the Right One In, a film that all horror fans will fall in deeply love with. It’s horror that’s dark and darker. There is no ying to the yang, and that’s why this cannibal tale is more gut wrenching than nearly anything to ever hit the big screen.” Read the full review here.

4.5/5 Skulls

Forget Life and Death of a Porno Gang, the true Serbian horror is Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film, another transgressive experience that actually goes into daring, dark places that will have you taking multiple showers after.

The story tells of an ex-porn star who is offered a sh*t ton of money to star in one last feature. The plot is kept under wraps, but he soon learns that his primal desires are stronger than his moral conscious. You’ve probably already heard about the two “shocking sequences” (read Tim Anderson’s review from SXSW) that are so dark, and so twisted that it might be hard for some of you to shake (I must be desensitized as I wasn’t bothered by the imagery – it’s just a movie people). From the sound of it, many reviewers/theatergoers are too distraught by these moments that it’s impossible for them to even gage the rest of film, but if you can lock those skeletons in the closet what you’ll find it stupendous filmmaking.

Spasojevic creates such a bold, well-crafted protagonist in Milos (the ex-porn star) who falls down the rabbit hole, so to speak. Spasojevic evokes the spirit of “Alice in Wonderland” and visually delivers what I expected from a Tim Burton rendition. The imagery is haunting and the cinematography is nothing short of stunning. Every frame, and every second is engaging as we fall further into the underworld with Milos. Shockers aside, this is one of the most competent and compelling pieces of work I’ve sat through this year.

This filmmaking comes from a dark place, and never ceases fire. Get your battle armor on because Spasojevic is going to hit you with everything he’s got. A Serbian Film doesn’t hold back.

4.5/5 Skulls

As most of you know, Bloody Disgusting has been pushing this little indie for over a year now. It’s something our little movie group discovered and have been making jokes about on Twitter for what seems like an eternity. Thanks to Severin Films, audiences across the country are getting the chance to see this Birds-inspired disaster the way it was meant to: in a theater with 300 laughing horror geeks.

The style and execution of Birdemic almost looks as if it was done intentionally – although I assure you it’s dead serious. James’ technical errors and bizarre camera work are done so often that it comes off as style, like something you’d see on a Tim & Eric sketch.

The self-proclaimed “master of the romantic thriller” spends nearly the first hour developing a relationship between a highly successful salesman (“one million dollars, yes!”) who drives an echo-friendly Mustang and a model (Whitney Moore) who just lands her dream job as a Victoria Secret model. After hitting it off, eagles and vultures attack (why it’s called “Birdemic” is beyond me) driving the duo to go on the run (meanwhile, they still have a picnic at the beach).

While most of the actors seem to take their roles seriously, it becomes increasingly obvious that Moore becomes self-aware and starts laughing her way through scenes (yet somehow remaining the sole good actor in the movie). Audio pops, drops out of sync, and the birds look like they were created on a 10-year-old’s computer from 1993.

The remarkable aspect of Birdemic: Shock & Terror is that it’s audience energizing, it’s the best time you’ll ever have in a movie theater. Watch it by yourself at your own risk; this was one that was meant to be enjoyed by the masses. You’ll definitely find the “Shock” (in how insane it is), but the only “Terror” is realizing that you may never get to see it in a theater again. Words cannot do this masterpiece of bad filmmaking justice…go see it STAT!

5/5 Skulls

Red White & Blue is slow-burn thriller from Simon Rumley that’s sure to leave you with your jaw on the ground.

Carried by powerful performances by Noah Taylor and Amanda Fuller, Rumley asks audiences to be patient while he builds up to the grand finale that wholly delivers. It’s harsh, brutal, and incredibly violent; it will keep you talking for hours after.

Without a strong finale, though, the movie lacks in some regards as it could have used a bit more subplot, or maybe a different approach to editing as it’s a lackluster hour before the big bang.

Even with some pacing issues, the strong performances and heavy last act make Red White & Blue one of the better genre films this year.

3.5/5 Skulls

Being a cult classic isn’t always a good thing, and that’s the category the Bucther Brothers’ Violent Kind falls into.

This messy mind-f*ck of a movie could ultimately gain notoriety as a cult film among genre fans as it’s so out-of-this-world bizarre and incoherent that it’s downright mind-blowing.

From horror pacing issues, to oddball dialogue choices, Violent Kind never gains the audience’s attention nor asks for them to even care. The characters are forgettable, unlikable and remarkably stupid (literally) that it’s nearly impossible to avoid looking at your watch. Yet, the movie strikes a nerve in its nonsense, somehow leaving a mark on the viewer. So bad it’s good? Hardly.

1/5 Skulls

Fan of the books? If not, open up your mind for a bizarre mish-mash of teen drama and video game antics as Edgar Wright’s live-action adaptation, starring Michael Cera in the title role, is a blissful and heartfelt portrait of the beloved book series.

Jammed-packed with laughs, action and incredible imagery, Scott Pilgrim is bound to find it’s place in history as one of the best teen movies ever assembled. While it might not be for the masses, the target audience is sure to see this multiple times, memorize lines and leave it on in the background of their dorm while they Facebook and Twitter (I wonder how long until this reference becomes outdated?).

Wright even finds a way to enhance the book series by editing out some of the bland portions (like portal jumping through doors) and elaborating on the tense/odd relationship between the two main characters. Engaging from second one until the very last frame, Scott Pilgrim is a teen masterpiece, a perfect romantic comedy that never disrespects it’s audience for the sake of Hollywood “mass appeal”.

The only question is: how long until this game becomes “outdated”?

5/5 Skulls

While not the most entertaining of slashers, Pang Ho-cheung’s Dream Home carries some exreme violence and amazing kill sequences.

The pic tells the story of a young woman, played by Josie Ho, who goes to extreme measures when she can no longer afford her dream home.

The FX work is what makes Dream Home a success. The screenplay is sound, but absolutely watered down to the bare minimum. It becomes a waiting game as it asks the audience to be patient and wait for the next “kill”.

The gore is over the top incredible and remarkably realistic looking. It’s the sole reason you’ll want to see this movie. While not on par with Inside, it’s definitely better than anything Rob Zombie did with his Halloween films.

3.5/5 Skulls

Primer is one of my all-time favorite indie films. It’s smart, savvy, and incredibly well made. Matt Osterman’s taps into the roots of Primer with Phasma Ex Machina, which follows two brothers who hand make a machine to bring their dead parents back from the grave — as ghosts.

Beyond the supernatural elements, Phasma is an engaging story about two brothers who struggle to get their life in check after both their parents died in a car crash — one of which blames himself for the situation. There are threats of his younger brother being taken away – all he has to do is get him to school on time – and yet, his obsession with this device is causing major distractions. He’s unwilling to let go, and completing effing up his relationship with his brother.

It’s a sad story of “too little, too late”, while also tapping into some really creepy horror elements.

The only major problem the film has (besides looking insanely cheap) is that it’s genre confused. There’s a major lack of focus and it’s impossible to know whether you should be scared, sad or complacent. Sans this problem, Phasma Ex Machina is a wonderfully tragic supernatural flick that’s both captivating and “smart”.

3.5/5 Skulls

We’ve been waiting quite a long time for Franck Richard’s “ghoul” film, and it’s definitely NOT worth the wait. An unfocused, garbled mess of scenes, lame characters and cliche scenarios that will guarantee a trip to the fast forward line.

The French gore-flick attempts to mix genres by taking heavy inspiration from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and adding a new level to it. The problem is, the characters are completely retarded and a (poor) reflection of numerous actors before. It’s tiring to watch.

By the time the “ghouls” finally attack, the audience will be in a sleep-induced coma – not to mention they’re completely wasted. It’s as if they’re thrown in there for a quick shock. Part of the actual movie? Nah.

The gore’s great, when onscreen. But again, it’s so second thought that it’s hard to think any real horror fan would have a good time watching this. Yeah, it’s well made, but who cares… entertain us!

1.5/5 Skulls