Okja (4 Stars)

"Never mistranslate. Translations are sacred".

This is a South Korean film, with some of the dialogue in English. It's distributed exclusively by Netflix, so if you weren't lucky enough to see it on the big screen during its original release, it's too late now. Some Netflix films are released on Blu-ray, but not "Okja".

The Mirando corporation has created genetically modified giant pigs in order to solve world hunger and make a profit. They know that the public is opposed to genetically modified food, so they claim that the pigs are offsprings of a rare type of pig found in the wild. To win popularity for their pigs a lengthy promotional campaign is staged. 26 piglets are sent to farmers around the world, and after 10 years the most beautiful pigs will be selected for breeding.

The film is centred around Okja, a female pig raised by an old farmer in the mountains of Korea. He doesn't have to do much, because the pig has been adopted by his granddaughter Mija. For her Okja is more than a farmyard animal, she's a pet, even a friend.

After 10 years Okja is collected to be taken back to America. This is devastating for Mija. She attempts to prevent this happening, and she has unexpected allies. The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) attacks the transport convoy and attempts to steal Okja.

A lot of people don't like CGI in films, but this is an example of CGI making the film what it is. The giant pig has been perfectly crafted by the film's special effects engineers, and it looks so sweet and lovable. Okja is the real star of the film, and Okja's co-star is Ahn Seo-hyun, who was 13 when the film was made. The big names in the film, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano, only appear in minor roles.

It's worth pointing out that Jake Gyllenhaal plays a very untypical role for him, as the obnoxious television host Dr. Johnny Wilcox. We can't help but hate him whenever he appears on the screen.

Success Rate:  - 23.8

Word of the Day: BANK

Every day the day ticket for the West Midlands transport buses has a four letter word on its day tickets. This is to help the driver recognise at a glance if it's today's ticket when you get on the bus.

The word of the day on September 30th is BANK.

As you can see, the word even stands out on my ticket which was smudged by getting wet on a rainy day.

Ifrit Aeon is a YouTube blogger who talks about different topics while wearing a bikini or other skimpy clothing. Here are a few photos of her doing yoga on the beach near her home.

If you like these photos, please click here to subscribe to her channel.

To see more of her, click here to visit her Patreon channel.

Don't Let Go (4 Stars)

Jack and Garrett Radcliff are two very different brothers. Jack is a policeman. Garret is a drug addict. Garret's daughter Ashley dislikes her father, so she has a strong relationship with her Uncle Jack, She rings him every day to tell him what's going on in her life, sometimes asking for advice, sometimes just chatting. Jack is unmarried and doesn't have any children of his own, so Ashley is a substitute daughter for him.

One day Ashley is hysterical when she calls Jack at work. There are gunshots in the background, and then the call is cut off. Jack drives to Garrett's home and finds the family dead. The official verdict is that Garrett shot his wife, his daughter and finally himself while he was high on cocaine, but Jack finds clues that someone else was responsible.

Ten days later Jack receives a phone call from Ashley. She's somehow calling from the past. She says it's August 25th, four days before she was killed. Jack doesn't want to scare her by telling her what will happen, but he gives her instructions which will help her avoid being killed. Everything she does differently has an immediate effect on Jack's present day life, sometimes dramatically. For instance, Jack is killed while investigating the murder case, but then Ashley's life is saved two weeks previously, so Jack returns to life.

But it's only a partial change. Ashley was killed a week later, so Jack has to help her to avoid her second death.

I'm well aware that this review is more detailed than what I usually write about new films, but I don't consider that I've given away spoilers. A lot more happens in the film. I decided to write in more detail than usual in order to show what sort of film it is. It doesn't actually involve time travel, but the cross-time communication creates similar dilemmas. It doesn't involve parallel universes, such as the ones created by time travel in Marvel Comics. It's a single timeline which can be changed, the same as in "See You Yesterday".

Some of the things in the film were difficult for me to understand while I watched the film. I thought that there were possibly mistakes. When I sat thinking about the film at home, before beginning to write this review, I realised that everything is logical within the parameters of the film's philosophy of time. This is a better film than "See You Yesterday", and I already look forward to watching it again.

See You Yesterday (3½ Stars)

This is a Netflix original film made by first-time director Stefon Bristol. Two nerdy teenagers from the Bronx have invented a time machine that they want to present at a Science Expo. At first they can only travel back one day, but as they improve the machine in the course of the film they can travel back up to two weeks. Their trips to the past only last 10 minutes. After this they're sucked back to the present by a quantum flux.

16-year-old CJ, full name Christine Josephine Walker, is obviously the biggest genius of the two. Her best friend Sebastian Thomas helps her out, but he's more aware of the philosophical aspects of not creating any time paradoxes. He warns her not to change anything while they're in the past. CJ doesn't listen to him and plays pranks while in the past, like throwing a drink at her ex-boyfriend.

Then the film turns dark. (Some would say it turns political). CJ's older brother Calvin is shot by a policeman. The local community go onto the streets making Black Lives Matter protests. CJ is more practical. She wants to visit the past to save her brother. Sebastian tries to discourage her, but when he can't change her mind he insists on going with her. 10 minutes isn't enough to save Calvin. So they go back again. And again. Each time trip becomes more complicated, because they meet and interfere with other instances of themselves. Each time trip creates bigger problems.

This is a fascinating film that deals with the ethics and practicalities of time travel from a new standpoint. I might have rated it higher, if not for the film's feeling. It has the style of a comedy, even though it's very serious. We're waiting for the laughs to come, but they don't. It's difficult for me to say what should have been done better. It could have been made a clear-cut comedy, like "Back to the Future", or totally serious.

Nevertheless, it's a very good film from a new director, and I'm sure he'll gain experience as he continues. The skills of the unknown actors Eden Duncan-Smith and Dante Crichlow are refreshing. I hope we'll see a lot of them in the future.

Wine: Eberbach-Schäfer Spätburgunder

The Spätburgunder ("Late Burgundy") wine is a type of wine that I don't often drink. It's closely related to the Pinot Noir grown in other countries, and it has a very light taste which is untypical for Württemberg wines.

The wine has a fine scent with aromas of currant, raspberries, cherries, some cloves, roasted almonds and violets. Nice fruit on the palate, clear sweetness, very velvety, charming and playful.

As I said, I have a lack of experience with this wine, but I suspect that it would be best enjoyed with a hearty meal, not by itself. I need to experiment.

It's dryer than the Pinot Noir from other countries, but that might not be immediately apparent due to its light taste.

I'm spending some time in England for the next few weeks, so I shan't be writing any more about wine until I return.

League of Gods (1 Star)

Please remind me to stay away from Chinese fantasy films. They go wild from the first minute, and I don't mean that in a positive way. This film begins with fights between mystical beings and demons, and it took me half an hour to figure out who they were. The CGI is extravagantly overused, on the level of a good computer game, but totally unrealistic in the context of a film. Talking plants, men with eyeballs in their forehead, fighting babies, the film has it all... and I wish it had a lot less.

Worst of all, the film ends on a cliff-hanger, as a battle is about to begin. Will there be a sequel? "League of Gods" was made in 2016, and there is still no mention of a sequel being made. Maybe a sequel was planned, but it was cancelled due to the justifiably poor performance at the box office. This is a film that I wish I had never watched.

Success Rate:  - 0.9

Wine: Eberbach-Schäfer Schwarzriesling

The Schwarzriesling ("Black Riesling") is probably the most popular wine in Württemberg. It's offered in all restaurants, and in the better restaurants in various versions. As far as I'm concerned, it's a hit-or-miss wine. I've tasted very good Schwarzriesling wines, and I've tasted Schwarzriesling wines that are simply too dry. The Eberbach-Schäfer Schwarzriesling tastes excellent.

As you know, red wines should be drunk at room temperature. I don't know of any other grape for which this applies more than Schwarzriesling. The slightest drop in temperature ruins the taste.

The wine has a very beautiful scent with aromas of cherries, raspberries, currants, a hint of almonds and cloves, roses and rose hips. On the palate, dense fruit, delicate spiciness, nice residual sweetness, charming and with a nice after-taste.

This is a wine I'll definitely be buying again.

Dark Crimes (3 Stars)

I'm a big fan of Jim Carrey. I love all of his films, especially his serious roles. That makes it all the more difficult to say that I'm disappointed with this film. I'm not disappointed with Jim Carrey. His acting is up to his usual high standards. I'm disappointed with the film itself, especially the sado-masochist scenes.

That's how the film begins. During the opening credits we see naked women being bound and tortured. I can't begin to say how distasteful that is to me. If the film hadn't starred Jim Carrey, I might have turned it off right there, within the first few minutes. But I carried on. And the violence against women continued. It's all consensual, but to me that's no excuse. As we find out, the violence happens in an exclusive club called The Cage. The members are men only, and they're allowed to mistreat the female members of staff however they wish. The women are paid to come to the club. Is that consensual or not? It's only semi-consensual. They walk into the club of their own free will. But they've been forced to make these steps by poverty. If they had enough money to feed themselves and their children they would never have gone to The Cage.

The sado-masochism even continues outside of the club. While Jim Carrey is having sex with a woman, she asks him to slap her face, which he does. Really, Jim? That's disgusting. No man should hit a woman, not even if she asks for it. He could have protested and asked for this scene to be removed from the film. That's what I would have done. Actors have a responsibility to give the right message in their films.

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Wine: Eberbach-Schäfer Riesling

Yesterday one of my regular readers wrote me a message asking me why I'm writing about wine. My answer was simply "Why not?" My blog is about me, my life and my interests. My main interest is films, so that's what I write about most, but I also like drinking wine.

I realise that I'm no expert when it comes to wines. I read the descriptions of the experts, and I just shake my head, because I'm not able to follow what they write. In the case of this wine they write:

The wine has a very beautiful scent of peach, apple, grapefruit, lemons, grass, and floral notes. Racy on the palate, lots of fruit, aromatic, fine spicy, mineral, finesse, delicate carbon dioxide and a very long after-taste.

Württemberg is known for its red wines, but there are some very good white wines. The most common is the Riesling grape, but it's unlike the Riesling produced in other countries. It has a dryer taste, varying from medium dry to very dry. Some of the Württemberg Riesling wines are highly acidic, but not the Eberbach-Schäfer Riesling. It has a well-rounded taste that improves with the second glass. This is a white wine that I can return to.

There's a dryer version that's only available on order. I'll try it sometime later this year.

Wine: Eberbach-Schäfer Samtrot

I mentioned in yesterday's post about wine that I bought a bottle of Eberach-Schäfer's Samtrot. The Samtrot grapes aren't my favourite, because they're sweeter than the other Württemberg red wines. However, I wasn't prepared for what hit me. The wine is so tasty and velvety that I was overwhelmed. This is the best Samtrot wine that I've tasted.

Most red wines are best drunk at room temperature, but I find this wine unfolds its flavour best if slightly cooled.

What do the experts say?

The wine has a beautiful fruity scent with aromas of raspberry, currants, cherries, carnations, rose hips and roses. Juicy on the palate, velvety, dense sweetish fruit, noticeable residual sweetness, charming and with a nice after-taste.

I'll write about the Eberbach-Schäfer wines as I drink them. Eight bottles to start with, maybe others later.

Oldboy (4 Stars)

People who bought a season ticket to see every film in this year's Fantasy Film Festival received four gifts:

1. A t-shirt with the 2019 Fantasy Film Festival logo. It looks pretty cool.

2. A cloth carrier bag. It's not very practical. It's too small, and the straps are too long.

3. An energy drink, 28 Black Orange-Ginger. It tastes better than most energy drinks.

4. A special edition Blu-ray steelbook of "Oldboy". That's super-cool. I already owned the film on DVD, but I'm glad about the upgrade.

The story is an enthralling mystery. A Korean man called Oh Dae-su is locked up in solitary confinement for 15 years, though with relative luxury. Food and drink is delivered every day, and his room is periodically cleaned at night while he's asleep. In 2003 he's released without warning. He wakes up on the rooftop of a high building. He can't go back to his old life because he was framed for the murder of his wife while he was imprisoned. He saw it on the television news.

A stranger gives him a mobile phone and a wallet containing a large amount of money. Someone rings him and taunts him. He says that Oh Dae-su has five days to discover the reason for his imprisonment. If he fails, he'll be killed.

Oh Dae-su realises that he was safe in the prison, but now his life is in danger.

Overall this is an excellent film, but I think that it falls apart at the end. Oh Dae-su overreacts after his final meeting with the man who imprisoned him. Maybe it was his insanity after living alone for so long. That's the only way I can excuse it.

Success Rate:  + 3.0

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Wine: Eberbach-Schäfer Trollinger

When I left Germany in 1997, the thing I missed most was the wine. I had never drunk much wine before moving to Germany, but when I moved to Stuttgart I developed a love for the Württemberg wines. The logo on almost all bottles was "Kenner trinken Württemberger" (engl. "Connoisseurs drink Württemberg wine"). I agreed with this statement whole-heartedly.

After I left Germany, I found that Württemberg wines aren't exported. There are two reasons given for this. You can choose who you want to believe. Some say it's because there's no company that is able to gather the bottles from the small vineyards and export the wine in bulk. Others say that non-Germans have no appreciation of good wine, so it's best to keep the good wine in Germany and export the rubbish.

I've spoken to people in England who claim to be experts in wine. They say German wine is awful. I see their point. The German wine available in England really is awful. They don't know the good German wines, and the Germans claim they wouldn't like them even if they were available. They may be right.

When I returned to Germany in 2016, I found that my local supermarket sold a small selection of good wines. I wrote about them in this post. Since then this has changed. The supermarket closed, so I had to go further to buy wine. I bought mostly Besigheimer Felsengarten wines. They're one of the cheaper wines, but very good.

A few weeks ago I discovered that my local greengrocer's sells wine, all from the Eberbach-Schäfer vineyard. This is a relatively small vineyard, active since 1660, that keeps its costs low by direct distribution. The wine is delivered by van directly from the vineyard to shops and private customers, so it can't be found in larger supermarkets. The shop stocks eight different wines, but there are others that are available if ordered. I immediately bought two bottles: a Trollinger, because it's usually my favourite red wine, and a Samtrot, because it's my least favourite red wine.

I was surprised to find that the Trollinger is very mild, milder than other Trollinger wines that I know. It's pleasant, but I need to drink it side by side with another Trollinger for comparison. My final judgement is outstanding. There's a dryer version of the wine available. Maybe that's more typical to the Trollinger wines that I'm used to.

If you read the descriptions by wine experts, all sorts of fancy words are used. Describing this wine, an expert says:

The wine has a very beautiful scent with aromas of raspberries, cranberries, cherries, spices, undergrowth, herbs and floral accents. Juicy, delicately fruity on the palate, nutmeg, silky, medium-bodied, beautiful structure, fresh style, tasty, enormous charm and a long after-taste.

Those are his words, not mine. I just know what I like. I can't detect any of the fruits mentioned above. Maybe my taste buds aren't developed enough. Who cares? I enjoy the wine, and that's all that matters.

Extra Ordinary (5 Stars)

This is the 48th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

After the chaos and confusion of "It Comes", this Irish comedy was welcome to lighten the mood. I'm not certain it deserves a five star rating, but it was the right film at the right time, and I greatly enjoyed it. It has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so others must like it as well.

Rose is a driving instructor in an idyllic little Irish town. She used to perform exorcisms, but she gave it up after her father died in a failed ritual. A man called Martin Martin (sic) is being haunted by his dead wife, who sends him messages burnt on toast and throws things at him when he looks at other women. Rose is reluctant to help him, but when she sees his daughter floating in the air she changes her mind. She thinks it's part of the haunting, but Martin Martin's daughter is being targeted by spells from an Australian pop star who wants to make a deal with the demon Asteroth to become more popular.

You see? That's easy enough to understand.

Before the film started I made a spectacle of myself by dancing in the middle of the cinema during the advert for the new 28 Black energy drink. I imitated the dance moves, but without the head spinning. It was the second time today. The first time (before "It Comes") people laughed. I thought they would join in the second time, but they just clapped in time with the music. If I'm going to dance next year, I need to start earlier in the festival.

It Comes (4 Stars)

This is the 47th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Can someone please tell me what this film is about? After the film I offered to buy a bottle of wine for anyone who could explain it to me, but there were no takers. A few of us stood together and tried to figure it out together, but we couldn't agree.

For the first hour of the film it seems like a simple supernatural horror story. A family is being haunted by a powerful force called the Bogiwan that's targeting their daughter. One of their friends has a girlfriend called Matoko who's an exorcist. She's not a very good exorcist, and the exorcism fails.

Then it gets weird. Things are confused by talk of not just one, but many supernatural beings. There are aborted babies, and there are people who've been killed by the Bogiwan and still don't know they're dead. There are three different exorcists who seem to be working against one another, killing those who get in their way.

Despite the confusion, this is an enjoyable film. When I can finally watch it on Blu-ray I'll be able to pause it at the difficult sections to figure out what's happening.

Some Time Later (4 Stars)

This is the 46th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

It's the year 9177. There's only one city left on Earth, housed in a single high rise building. Business is strictly organised in order to support the free market. There are exactly three of each business, which can compete against each other. For instance, there are three barbers, three grocery stores, three butchers and three churches. Yes, churches are a business as well. Those who work within the building have access to one another's shops. Those who are unemployed live in the forest in wooden huts, eating the scraps they can find.

The status quo is disturbed when a man from the forest visits the building to sell lemonade. He's not allowed to sell lemonade, because he's violating the free market laws. He doesn't have a shop in the building, and if he did he would have a monopoly on lemonade, which is illegal. There's danger of a rebellion, because the castle's inhabitants want to buy his lemonade. The king has a solution. One of the barbers has murdered a rival who had more customers than him. The king says that the lemonade salesman should be charged with the murder. There are witnesses who saw the barber committing the murder, but the king is always right.

This is a political satire, but don't get weighed down with the politics. From beginning to end the film is full of Monty-Python-ish humour. The comedy is more important than any political message.

Bliss (2 Stars)

This is the 44th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

What a mess!

Dezzy is an artist struggling to finish a painting that she needs to sell to pay her bills. Because of delays the sale is cancelled, and she's in danger of being evicted from her apartment. To console herself she visits a dealer to purchase a potent cocaine derivative called Diablo. Over the next few days she has frequent blackouts, during which she continues to paint.

Late in the film Dezzy turns into a vampire. It's too late. By then I'd already given up any interest I had in the film. Normally I like vampires, because vampires are sexy, but not in "Bliss". There's more blood and gore than in any film I've seen at the festival this year. It's an ugly film with ugly vampires.

Shadow (5 Stars)

This is the 43rd film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is the film that I was most anxious to see. I expected it to be the best film of the festival. I'm not disappointed. It's up to the standard of his previous masterpieces.

The kingdom of Pei has lost the city Jingzhou to the kingdom of Yang. The king is afraid to go to war, but his commander Ziyu has challenged the king of Yang to a duel without his knowledge. We find out that Ziyu has been replaced by Jing, a man who looks identical. The real Ziyu is hiding in a cave. Out of the public sight, he's planning a war to reconquer Jingzhou, after which he will stage a rebellion and become the new king. And what about Jing? The duel with Yang's king is just meant as a distraction, and Ziyu expects Jing to die.

This is a majestic historical drama from Zhang Yimou. It has two significant differences to his previous films. First, there's a lot more blood than usual. Secondly, the colours aren't bright and colourful, which is Zhang Yimou's usual trademark. The cinematography is drab and subdued, and it's raining throughout the film.

Is it the best film of the festival? Almost. I prefer "Vivarium".

Why don't you just die (5 Stars)

This is the 42nd film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

With the exception of some short flashbacks, the whole of this film takes place in the living room of a Moscow apartment. It's a spacious apartment, but the film still has a claustrophobic feeling.

Matvei goes to meet the parents of his girlfriend Olya. The father is a corrupt policeman. Only ten minutes into the film, violence breaks out. Everyone is trying to kill everyone else.

Is the story realistic? Not at all. Is the violence feasible? No. Is the film brilliant? Yes. It's the best Russian film I've ever seen.

I noticed a photo of Vladimir Putin hanging on the wall. Is that typical in Russia?

Angel Of Mine (3 Stars)

This is the 41st film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

It's my birthday today, so what better place to spend it than in the cinema? Some of the films are great, some are average, some are poor, but that's what you can expect from any film festival. I'm happy that I have the chance to go to the Fantasy Film Festival each year, because it gives me the chance to see films that I would otherwise never see.

"Angel Of Mine" is one of the average films. For the first half of the film I thought I would have to give it a lower rating, but it picked up towards the end.

Lizzie's baby daughter was killed in a fire in the maternity unit soon after her birth. She spent a year in a mental institution, and seven years later she's still struggling to cope. She sees a seven-year-old girl at a children's birthday party, and she becomes obsessed with her, peeping through the window and taking photos of her outside school.

This is a very creepy film. For most of the film I shuddered, asking myself when she would finally be arrested.

I've never liked Noomi Rapace as an actress, but in this film she puts on an excellent performance as a mentally unstable grieving mother.

Charlie Says (5 Stars)

This is the 40th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a story about the Manson Family, with the emphasis on the women who followed Charles Manson. The central character is Leslie Van Houten, who's portrayed as an innocent young girl drawn into something she doesn't fully understand.

Three years after the murder of Sharon Tate, a prison psychologist is giving therapeutic sessions for the prisoners referred to as the Manson Girls. In flashbacks we see the events that led up to 9th August 1969.

The film is fascinating throughout, including a brilliant performance by Matt Smith. When the film started I was envious of the commune lifestyle of the Manson Family on the Ranch (with a capital R). It seemed so idyllic, and my primary thought was "I wish I could have been there". Free love, free drugs, peace and happiness. George Spahn, the owner of the Ranch, was given daily hand jobs in exchange for free rent. Charles Manson was so charismatic, it was easy to see why women loved him and followed him without hesitation. As the film progresses, the dark side becomes apparent. Disappointed by his lack of success in the music business, Manson became abusive to the women in the Family, but they accepted it. "Being hit by the man you love is the same as making love to him". Finally the free love bubble bursts, and Manson orders his followers to go on a killing spree.

Was Charles Manson bad from the beginning? The film doesn't answer that question, but it shows that by 1969 he was utterly evil. It's amazing that he told his followers that they weren't allowed to read anything except for the Bible. Wouldn't the Bible itself be enough to tell them they were following a false teacher? He had such weird Bible interpretations. For instance, he said that the locusts in the Book of Revelation represent the Beatles (John, Paul, George and Ringo). The girls believed nonsense like that?

50 years later, Leslie Van Houten is still in prison. According to Wikipedia, "On January 30, 2019, during her 22nd parole hearing, Van Houten was recommended for parole for the third time. But in June 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom overruled the parole board's recommendation, claiming the 69-year-old Van Houten was still a danger to society and that she had potential for future violence". This is totally inhumane.

First Love (5 Stars)

This is the 39th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

I don't understand Quentin Tarantino. He says that he'll only make ten films, because directors get worse as they get older, and they'll only be remembered for their most recent bad films. That's utter nonsense! Look at Takashi Miike. This is his 103rd film, and he's still making excellent films. I'd say that he's improving with age, because I don't like the films that he made in the 1990's.

Leo is a young, successful boxer who's thrown into a world beyond his imagination. He rescues a prostitute who's running away from a policeman, not knowing what he's getting himself into. Two corrupt policeman have a plan to steal drugs from a Japanese gang. The prostitute, Monica, lives with the gang, so a policeman has hired her services all night in order to set her up as the thief. One of the gang members is unexpectedly in the house, and the other policeman shoots him. A Chinese gang is blamed for the attack.

This leads to an all-out war between Japanese gangs, Chinese gangs and the police, with Leo caught in the middle. He's fallen in love with Monica, and he'll do anything to protect her from harm.

The final scenes are the total insanity that we're used to from Takashi Miike. I'm glad he didn't stop after ten films.

Come to Daddy (3 Stars)

This is the 38th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

When Norval was five years old his father left home. There was no contact for 30 years. Suddenly a letter arrives in which his father invites him to his lakeside house. Things don't go well. The father badly insults his son.

That's all I'll say. The film has some surprises, and it escalates into an action-packed finale. It's not a bad film, and I'm sure many of my readers will like it, but it doesn't speak to me personally.

Something Else (3 Stars)

This is the 37th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

For me it's not just a matter of understanding a film's story. I also want to understand what the director's message to the audience is. Why does he tell a story one way and not another? "Something Else" has a very straight forward plot, but I have no idea what was going on in the director's head.

Hank and Abby are a couple who have been happily married for ten years. One day Hank comes home from work and Abby has left. A short note just says that she needs some time alone. Hank is devastated. His life falls apart. Worse still, from that night onwards a hideous creature comes to his house every night, scratching the door to get in. Hank's friends think he's gone insane under the stress of losing Abby, but he insists that it's real.

Then Abby returns after six weeks. She just wanted to experience a large city after ten years of living in a small village. Abby invites their family and friends round to celebrate her return. The sceptical friends say that now Abby is back the monster will be gone. Hank isn't so sure.

So what's the film about? I don't know. If the director doesn't tell me, I'll never know.

The Furies (3½ Stars)

This is the 34th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Six young Australian women are kidnapped, and they wake up in boxes in a forest. They're being hunted by six masked men carrying various weapons. The men also fight among themselves. It slowly becomes obvious that it's a game in which the women each have a partner among the men. Each man wants only one of the women, his assigned partner, to survive, so he's trying to kill the other five women.

It's an enjoyable film, even though it doesn't have any intellectual depth.

Hotel Mumbai (5 Stars)

This is the 33rd film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

In the introduction to the film the festival host said that Dev Patel is the best actor in any of this year's festival films. I agree. He's one of the best actors alive today.

"Hotel Mumbai" is the true story of a terrorist attack in Mumbai in November 2008. A group of Pakistani Moslems went into the city with the intention of killing as many people as possible, out of revenge for losing their homes. Many Moslems are of the opinion that all India rightfully belongs to them. Hinduism and its followers are considered to be evil. The men carried out attacks in 12 crowded places in the city, firing their guns indiscriminately, and finally four of them entered the luxurious Taj Hotel. They attempted to kill all the guests and staff.

The story highlights the plight of a few hotel guests, and it centres on the young waiter Arjun, played by Dev Patel. The violence is emotionally cold, and it's shown with documentary realism that shocks the viewer. The four young men don't seem to have given their actions any thought. They've been brainwashed into thinking it's the right thing to do.

Kingdom (5 Stars)

This is the 32nd film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

"Kingdom" is an epic historical film that takes place in the Qin Dynasty, beginning in 255 BC. Two young boys, Shin and Hyou, grow up as slaves on a farm. They spend all their free time practising swordsmanship. Shin is the more skilled of the two, but when a representative of the government comes to the farm, only Hyou is summoned to serve the king. Only later does Shin find out the reason. Hyou looks identical to the king, so he's to take his place if there are ever problems.

The problems come. The king's brother wants to murder the king, so he unknowingly kills Hyou. Shin volunteers to help the king regain his throne. Battle after battle is needed to succeed.

It's a typical Chinese historical film, except for one small detail: it's a Japanese film! The dialogue is spoken in Japanese. I find it surprising that a Japanese studio would want to make a film about the early days of Chinese history. I'm curious whether the film has been received well in China. But those are just political questions. As far as the film's quality is concerned, it's outstanding.

The Girl on the Third Floor (4 Stars)

This is the 31st film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a simple but very well made film about a haunted house. Don had a history of crime while he lived in Chicago, so he's bought a house in a small village. He expects it to be easy to renovate the house, but strange things happen. Liquids ooze out of holes in the wall, and there are footsteps upstairs. Added to the problems is an attractive young neighbour who seduces him while he's supposed to be working.

Freaks (5 Stars)

This is the 29th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

The film is very well made. It starts with a mystery, so for the first 20 minutes, maybe longer, it's unclear what's happening. As the mystery unfolds the Wow effect sets in.

In the near future there are people with special abilities. In Marvel Comics they would be called super-heroes, in this film they're called freaks. After a series of incidents all freaks have been rounded up and sent to a prison facility. One man has evaded the authorities and is bringing up his nine-year-old daughter. There are others on the loose, and if they're found they're shot.

The different freaks have different abilities. One can fly, one can turn invisible, one can stop time. The little girl herself is the most powerful, and she slowly has to discover her abilities.

"Freaks" is so close to Marvel's X-Men, the comics more than the films, that it borders on plagiarism. That's forgivable. Any good idea is worth re-using.

Diner (5 Stars)

This is the 28th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Before the film began, the festival host said that it's full of pictures that we should try to enjoy without analysing the film. I refused to accept his advice. When someone says things like that, it sounds like an excuse for a film that doesn't make sense. I like to analyse films. It's the way I am.

Kanako is a woman who feels unloved and unwanted. Her job is carrying a board to advertise in the streets. What's that career called? While I was a student I did it for a few hours to earn some money, but as a full time job it's disastrous. She wants to get away from it all by having a holiday in Mexico. The holiday costs 300,000 Yen ($2,770), more than she has saved, so she looks on the Internet for a job that pays that amount in a day. She finds a job offering 300,000 Yen for a driver. Doesn't she suspect there might be a catch? She has to be the getaway driver for a gang robbing from another gang. The job goes wrong. Her employers are all killed, but Kanako's life is spared if she goes to work at a diner.

It's an exclusive diner that only serves food to assassins. They're bad tempered assassins, who have shot the last eight waitresses.

The film dazzles with the bright colours. The action is over-the-top, and the meals being served are just as exaggerated. This is the sort of film I like. The plot isn't difficult to analyse. Everything is easy to understand, as long as you suspend disbelief.

Dark Encounter (2 Stars)

This is the 27th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

"Dark Encounter" is a film that some people will love and others will hate. It all depends on what you expect from a film. The atmosphere, the acting and the musical score are all first rate. If that's what you want, you'll love it. But the story is so unintelligible that I sat in the cinema not knowing what was happening in front of me.

In 1982 a young girl disappears from her home while her parents are out shopping. There are strange lights in the sky, so some people suspect an alien abduction. 12 months later the family is sitting together to remember the girl, and the aliens return.

If it had just been a story about an alien abduction, I would have been happy. But twist after twist comes, and the whole story becomes too complicated to follow. The house itself flies through space, out of the solar system, out of the galaxy, to the outer edge of the universe. Time travel is involved, so the family can meet their former selves.

I expect a film to have a coherent plot. That doesn't mean I have to understand everything. Nobody fully understands "Lost Highway", but it's obvious that there's a logic to it. "Dark Encounter" is just confused.

Mope (4 Stars)

This is the 26th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Based on the brief description in the festival catalogue I didn't expect this film to be very good. I was mistaken. It's a true story set in the seedy world of pornography in Los Angeles in 2009-2010.

I've watched and reviewed pornographic films. They're films of high quality, with the biggest porn stars. This film shows a different side. Many men want to become porn stars because they think it's an easy way to make money. What man wouldn't want to be paid for having sex with beautiful women? However, it's a tough career to get into. A lot of men can't get good jobs because they're too ugly, their penis is too small, or they can't maintain an erection under pressure. In the porn industry they're called "mopes", which is the equivalent of extras in mainstream movies.

The film follows the story of Tom Dong (real name Herbert Wong) and Steve Driver (real name Stephen Clancy Hill). Tom was earning $100,000 a year in an IT job, but after doing web design for a pornographic company he quit his job to become a porn star. Steve always wanted to become a porn star, thinking his big penis would get him a job, but when he displayed himself he was told that it wasn't as big as he thought it was.

The entry level job for mopes is bukkake films. (If you don't know what that is, google it. Describing it would make me feel sick). It doesn't matter if men are fat and ugly, they just have to stand in a circle and perform with a beautiful woman. That's where Tom and Steve met, standing side by side with their penises in their hands. United by their failure in the porn industry, they became close friends.

Together they applied for a job at Ultima DVD. The manager said that he couldn't afford to pay them, but he would give them a bed and food. No problem, they said, everyone has to start somewhere. They said they would do anything, not knowing what was expected of them. They should have checked out the company's film catalogue first. Ultima DVD specialised in ballbusting videos, so the two men had to stand and be kicked in the testicles.

The two men were virtual slaves in the company, and had to do work outside of the films. Steve had to scrub the floor in between films. Tom was luckier; he was asked to do the web design and repair computers, but he didn't receive any pay.

Is it a surprise that Steve cracked up? He went on a rampage with a samurai sword before committing suicide.

The film is dark and gritty, showing the world of pornography at its worst.

The Professor and the Madman (4 Stars)

This is the 24th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

It could be argued that the film doesn't fit the festival's theme. It's not a fantasy, horror or science fiction film, it's a true story about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.

The linguist James Murray (Mel Gibson) approached Oxford University with the wish to create a complete dictionary of every word in the English language, based on its usage from the 14th to the 19th Century. The work was too much for one man, so he asked for volunteers from the whole of the British Empire to read books and submit quotes. The main contributor was Dr. William Minor (Sean Penn).

Dr. Minor was a former army surgeon who fled from America to England because he thought he was being pursued by an army deserter. He shot an innocent man, thinking he was the deserter. He was considered insane and interred in Broadmoor Mental Hospital. He was given relative luxury within the hospital, two adjoining cells and a large library.

The two men became friends as the work progressed.

For the first 30 minutes of the film I felt bored. Then I slowly warmed up as I finally began to understand what the film was about. Maybe I'm biased. What impressed me most was the way the two men had a passionate love for the English language, like me.

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (4½ Stars)

This is the 23rd film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

That's two very exciting Korean thrillers in two days.

A serial killer is committing murders in a large city. I presume it's Seoul. He drives his car into the back of another car, seemingly accidentally, and when the other person gets out to examine the damage he stabs him to death.

The killer makes a mistake when he rams the car of a gang boss. He's too tough to be killed, so the would-be killer flees. The boss wants to find and kill the assailant. The police want to arrest him and put him on trial. An eccentric but dedicated detective makes a deal with the boss: they'll work together, and whoever catches him first can keep him.

The film is fast paced, even more than "The Witness". The fights and the car chases are exhilarating. It's been announced that the film will be remade in Hollywood. That's sad. Why don't they just invest in high quality dubbing and release the original version in American cinemas?

Red Letter Day (3 Stars)

This is the 22nd film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

The film's premise is infeasible, but the end result is effective, due to the fast action and the competent acting. In a suburban community letters are delivered to everyone, written on red paper and sealed in red envelopes. In each letter the name and photo of a person is contained, with the instruction to kill him before he kills you. That person has also received a letter with your name. Some people try to act reasonably, but paranoia sets in, and everyone is knocking on the door of his opponent.

I might have given the film a higher rating, but the violence is so explicit that it gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. I must be getting old.

3 From Hell (5 Stars)

This is the 20th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

When "The Witness" was shown there was a general consensus that it was a good film. It's different with "3 From Hell". I loved the film, but almost everyone I spoke to disagreed with me.

It's a sequel to "The Devil's Rejects", made in 2005. Usually I complain about delayed sequels, but in this case it succeeds, because it's been made by the same writer/director, Rob Zombie. It takes place 10 years after the events of "The Devil's Rejects". The three criminals have been in prison all this time. Otis Driftwood and Captain Spaulding have been sentenced to death. Baby Firefly has been sentenced to life imprisonment with the chance of parole after 10 years.

At the beginning, Captain Spaulding is executed. Otis is freed from prison by his brother, and together they free Baby.

The film runs wild with sex and violence. It's ugly, but the ugliness is fascinating. For me Baby Firefly is the film's main character. She's much more insane than Harley Quinn, a true killer.

The Witness (4½ Stars)

This is the 19th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a very exciting thriller, the best that South Korea has to offer. A married couple has moved into an apartment block. The husband comes home at 2 am after drinking with his friends. From his window he witnesses a man beating a woman to death with a hammer. The killer sees him, so he's too scared to speak to the police. That's a mistake. The killer doesn't want to take any chances, so he tries to kill the man and his family.

I spoke with other festival visitors, and everyone praised the film. It's a welcome contrast to the horror and sci-fi films that make up most of the festival.

All the Gods in the Sky (2 Stars)

This is the 18th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a very disturbing film. I feel tempted to describe the whole plot, just to explain what's so bad about it. But I shouldn't give spoilers, should I? I'll try to keep myself to what's essential.

When Simon and Estelle are children they play with their father's gun. Estelle shoots herself in the head, and she survives as an invalid, unable to speak or walk.

As adults, Simon has never married. He looks after his sister, feeding her and reading her stories. He doesn't even have time for friends. Simon has made radio contact with aliens, and he's waiting for them to come to Earth to beam him up with his sister. Other people think Simon is crazy. He's receiving medication for paranoia and other mental illnesses.

A nine-year-old orphan called Zoe comes into their life. She considers Estelle her friend and lies in bed with her to keep her company. Simon tries to get rid of her, but she hides in the house to spend time with Estelle while Simon is at work. Zoe can see ghosts, and she helps Simon to see ghosts as well. Or is he just becoming even crazier?

I have to stop there, even though there's much more I could write. Maybe you can see the problem already. There are too many conflicting themes mixed together. There are science fiction elements and supernatural elements. There is social criticism. There's murder.

It's not necessarily a bad film, but it's impossible for me to like it. I didn't talk to anyone after the film. I sat alone, thinking about it. I read a few reviews that I read online. One reviewer writes, "It's The Secret Garden on LSD, and it's obvious from the start that this is going to be a very bad trip indeed". I couldn't have put it better myself.

Harpoon (3 Stars)

This is the 17th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a minimalist low budget film with a claustrophobic atmosphere. Three young people go on a boat trip: Jonah, his best friend Richard, and Richard's girlfriend Sasha. Jonah has bought Richard a harpoon for his birthday, but every time someone uses the word "harpoon" Richard corrects him and says it's a spear gun. Is there a difference?

Tensions are high, because Richard has recently discovered that Sasha has had an affair with Jonah. Friends become enemies, and the closeness makes things only worse.

This is a fascinating film as a character study of people under stress. The voiceover narrative annoyed me at first, but I grew used to it. What I didn't like is that all three of the characters are unpleasant. I wanted to sympathise with one of them against the others, but they equally repulsed me.

The narrator tells us that according to Aristotle there are three sorts of friendships.

1. There are friendships of use, when people need each other. An example is work colleagues.

2. There are friendships of pleasure, when people enjoy one another's company.

3. There are friendships of respect, when people deeply admire one another. This is the most enduring form of friendship.

The narrator adds a fourth group, which is applicable to Jonah and Richard.

4. There are friendships of history, when people used to be close, but now they just go through the motions of liking one another out of habit.

I'll add a fifth group.

5. There are Facebook friends, which are people who care nothing for one another and argue every day.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2 Stars)

This is the 15th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a sequel to "47 Meters Down" in name only. Four teenage girls who live in Mexico go underwater swimming to visit a sunken Mayan city. They're attacked by sharks, and they get lost, swimming from room to room.

The film offers some thrills, but visually it's a flop. Most of the film takes place underwater – the picture above is an exception – so the picture is murky and unclear throughout.

If I want to watch giant sharks I'll stick to Christopher Ray's films.