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Leeds International Film Festival · 2008

Leeds International Film Festival 2008

Fanomenon

Horror, science fiction, Far Eastern anime and fantasy, and cult unclassifiables. Films in this section will compete for the Silver Melies Award. There will also be two horror marathons - Day Of The Dead and Night Of The Dead, plus a mystery movie, cunningly referred to as Surprise Of The Dead.

Programme

26 films · 9 reviews

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20th Century Man (20-seiki shônen)

Live action manga adaption, sees a group of friends try to thwart a cult.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2008; Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi; Writer: Yasushi Fukuda, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa, Yûsuke Watanabe, Naoki Urasawa; Stars: Toshiaki Karasawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Takako Tokiwa, Arata, Bengal, Yoriko Douguchi, Kenichi Endo, Fumiya Fujii, Takashi Fujii, Toshikazu Fukawa)

Akumu Tantei

A group of suicidal people are brutally slain, but are they connected through their dreams?

(Country: Japan; Year: 2006; Director: Shinya Tsukamoto; Writer: Shinya Tsukamoto; Stars: Ryuhei Matsuda, Hitomi, Masanobu Ando, Ren Osugi, Yoshio Harada, Shinya Tsukamoto)

The Burrowers

Review preview for The Burrowers

In an industry becoming increasingly dominated by computerised effects, it’s heartening to see the practical work on display looks so good.

Jonathan Melton · 3.5 out of 5
When a town's prime lass is kidnapped in the Old West, a posse get together to bring her back. Easier said than done when the kidnappers are underground monsters.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: JT Petty; Writer: JT Petty; Stars: Doug Hutchison, Clancy Brown, William Mapother, Sean Patrick Thomas, Karl Geary, Jocelin Donahue, Laura Leighton, Stan Burd, David Busse, Trip Davis)

Full review

Dachimawa Lee

Under Japanese imperialism,the Korean national treasure Golden Buddha is stolen and legendary Korean spy Lee is assigned to recover the fabled statue, revealing the dark plot.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: Ryoo Seung-wan; Stars: Bo-ra Hwang, Hyo-jin Kong, Su-jeong Lim, Won-hie Lim, Si-hyeon Park, Seung-beom Ryu)

Dance Of The Dead

Nerds must save prom night from zombie attack.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Gregg Bishop; Writer: Joe Ballarini; Stars: Jared Kusnitz, Greyson Chadwick, Chandler Darby, Carissa Capobianco, Randy McDowell, Michael V. Mammoliti, Mark Lynch, Justin Welborn, Mark Oliver, Blair Redford)

Deadgirl (Dead Girl)

Review preview for Deadgirl

A sombre film that never shows more than it needs to, and never allows its more outrageous or shocking moments to descend into sadistic spectacle or farce.

Anton Bitel · 4 out of 5
After two teenagers find a dead girl in the basement of a disused mental asylum, the boundary between right and wrong becomes sickeningly blurred.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Marcel Sarmiento, Gadi Harel; Writer: Trent Haaga; Stars: Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan, Michael Bowen, Candice Accola, Andrew DiPalma, Eric Podnar, Nolan Gerard Funk, Christina Blevins, Kelle Cantwell, Shushig DerStepanian)

Full review

Detroit Metal City

The programme says: "Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Death Note’s L) is a small-town farm boy who dreams of being a Japanese pop sensation and instead finds enforced stardom as death metal knight Sir Johannes Krauser II. How can he capture back his dream and his love from the claws of his fornicating devil persona?"

(Country: Japan; Year: 2008; Director: Toshio Lee; Writer: Kiminori Wakasugi, Mika Omori; Stars: Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Ryûji Akiyama, Rosa Kato, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Ryo Kato, Minami, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Masami Nagasawa, Yôsuke Ôchi)

The Disappeared

Review preview for The Disappeared

Elevated by an outstanding central performance from Harry Treadaway.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
A youth released from a mental hospital tries to get back to normal but is haunted by the voice of his younger brother, who disappeared.

(Country: UK; Year: 2008; Director: Johnny Kevorkian; Writer: Johnny Kevorkian, Neil Murphy; Stars: Harry Treadaway, Greg Wise, Alex Jennings, Finlay Robertson, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ros Leeming, Bronson Webb, Georgia Groome, Lewis Lemperuer Palmer, Jefferson Hall, Tyler Anthony) , Official site , Trailer

Full review

Fantastic Parasuicides (Fantastic Ja-sal-so-dong)

Three off-beat stories exploring farce in the face of death.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2007; Director: Chang-ho Cho, Sung-ho Kim, Soo-young Park; Writer: Chang-ho Cho, Sung-ho Kim, Soo-young Park; Stars: In-Hyeong Gang, Yeo-reum Han, Hae-hwa Jeong, Jae-Jin Jung, Ga-Yeon Kim, Jeong-gook Kim, Kyeong-rae Kim, Nam-jin Kim, Soo-nam Kim, Yong-jin Kim)

From Inside

Animation tells the story of a pregnant woman struggling across an apocalyptic landscape on a train with other survivors.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: John Bergin; Stars: Corryn Cummins)

Gachi Boy - Wrestling With A Memory (Gachi bôi)

The festival say: "Star student Igarashi joins a failing college pro-wrestling club, determined to become king of the ring but frustrated by his tragic condition of forgetting anything he’s learned at the end of each day."

(Country: Japan; Year: 2008; Director: Norihiro Koizumi; Writer: Ryuta Hourai, Seishi Nishida; Stars: Ryuta Sato, Saeko, Osamu Mukai, Riisa Naka, Daisuke Miyagawa, Shigeru Izumiya, Daijiro Kawaoka, Seishi Nishida)

Girl Sparks

Coming of age is tough for a fantasy obssessed schoolgirl with a cross-dressing dad.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2007; Director: Yûya Ishii)

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom)

Review preview for The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Despite its lengthy duration, this film gallops along.

Anton Bitel · 4 out of 5
Manchurian homage to Sergio Leone sees unlikely protagonists vie over a treasure map.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: Kim Ji-Woon; Writer: Kim Ji-Woon, Kim Min-Suk; Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Pan-joo, Ryu Seung-soo, Ryu Chang-sook, Deligeer, Yoon Jae-moon, Sohn Byung-ho, Kim Gwang-il, Ma Dong-suk, Lee Chung-ah) , Official site , Trailer

Full review

Here's Johnny

Documentary about comic book artist John Hicklenton.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Kat Mansoor, A Lavis, W Hood; Stars: John Wagner) , Official site

Left Bank (Linkeroever)

Review preview for Left Bank

The filmmakers keep you wondering about the characters and their motives throughout.

Keith Hennessey Brown · 4 out of 5
Atmospheric horror film in the vein of Rosemary's Baby, with a descent into obsession and madness with the previous occupants of her boyfriend's flat.

(Country: Belgium; Year: 2008; Director: Pieter Van Hees; Writer: Christophe Dirickx, Dimitri Karakatsanis, Pieter Van Hees; Stars: Eline Kuppens, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sien Eggers, Marilou Mermans, Frank Vercruyssen, Robbie Cleiren) , Official site

Full review

L: Change the World

Death Note spin-off sees detective L battle to thwart terrorists.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2008; Director: Hideo Nakata; Writer: Tsugumi Ôba, Takeshi Obata, Kiyomi Fujii, Hirotoshi Kobayashi; Stars: Shunji Fujimura, Mayuko Fukuda, Sei Hiraizumi, Renji Ishibashi, Yuta Kanai, Youki Kudoh, Bokuzo Masana, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Kiyotaka Nanbara, Megumi Sato)

Mind Game

Tricky to work out what this is about but described by Leeds programmers as "what happens when the creative forces of hugely talented anime artists are unleashed inside your head".

(Country: Japan; Year: 2004; Director: Masaaki Yuasa; Writer: Robin Nishi, Robin Nishi, Masaaki Yuasa; Stars: Koji Imada, Sayaka Maeda, Takashi Fujii, Seiko Takuma, Tomomitsu Yamaguchi, Toshio Sakata, Joji Shimaki, Rintarou Nishi, Kenichi Chujou)

Martyrs

Review preview for Martyrs

A movie you won’t be able to shake off any time soon.

Lee Griffiths · 4 out of 5
After being abducted and abused when she was younger, a young girl seeks revenge on those she believes to be responsible. Plus read our .

(Country: France, Canada; Year: 2008; Director: Pascal Laugier; Writer: Pascal Laugier; Stars: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin)

Full review See: Interview with Pascal Laugier about Martyrs , FrightFest postmortem

Mum And Dad (Mum & Dad)

Review preview for Mum And Dad

A savage deconstruction of Thatcherite beliefs in family.

Scott Macdonald · 3 out of 5
Brit horror, sees an airport worker face the perils of a close-knit family. In cinemas and on DVD this Boxing Day. Plus read our with Perry Benson.

(Country: UK; Year: 2008; Director: Steven Sheil; Writer: Steven Sheil; Stars: Perry Benson, Dido Miles, Olga Fedori, Ainsley Howard, Toby Alexander, Toby Cooper) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: Perry Benson interview about Mum & Dad and Somers Town

My Name Is Bruce

Review preview for My Name Is Bruce

Plays a lot like a neutered Troma movie – it lacks what makes Troma films appealing, namely the razor-sharp satirical touches and garage rock filmmaking ethos.

Daniel Hooper · 2 out of 5
Washed-up actor Bruce Campbell is forced to save the town of Gold Lick from ghost Guan-Di.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Bruce Campbell; Writer: Mark Verheiden; Stars: Bruce Campbell, Adam Boyd, Mike Estes, Janelle Farber, Kieran Henthorn, Dan Hicks, Jeff Hunter, Michael Kallio, Dani Kelly, Duncan Key)

Full review

Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!

Review preview for Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!

If you're a fan of B-movies - of nudity, gore, monsters, car chases, kung fu action and ultra-low-budget fun - then Not Quite Hollywood is a treat you can't afford to miss.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
Documentary charting a key moment in Aussie cinema.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2008; Director: Mark Hartley; Writer: Mark Hartley; Stars: Phillip Adams, Christine Amor, Glory Annen, Victoria Anoux, Ian Barry, Briony Behets, Steve Bisley, Jamie Blanks, Graeme Blundell, Russell Boyd)

Full review See: Australian Film Festival preview, plus Richard Brennan and Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan talk about film Down Under , Interview with Mark Hartley about Not Quite Hollywood

Pop Skull

Step into the disturbed mind of a frazzled drug-addict and his disquieting nightmares.

(Country: USA; Year: 2007; Director: Adam Wingard; Writer: E.L. Katz, Lane Hughes, Adam Wingard; Stars: Lane Hughes, Brandon Carroll, Maggie Henry, Hannah Hughes, Jeff Dylan Graham, L.C. Holt, E.L. Katz, Jennifer Price, Debbie Stefanov, Adam Wingard)

Sauna

Supernatural thriller about two warrior brothers trying to map out a country's new borders and cope with the guilt of battles past.

(Country: Finland; Year: 2008; Director: Antti-Jussi Annila; Writer: Iiro Küttner; Stars: Ville Virtanen, Tommi Eronen, Rain Tolk, Sonja Petäjäjärvi, Kati Outinen, Taisto Reimaluoto, Vilhelmiina Virkkunen, Ismo Kallio, Ivo Kubecka, Maija Nurmio)

Sword Of The Stranger (Sutorejia: Mukô hadan)

A youngster meets a samurai haunted by his past and together they take on the bad guys.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2007; Director: Masahiro Andô; Writer: Fumihiko Takayama; Stars: Yûki Chinen, Tomoya Nagase, Akio Ôtsuka, Naoto Takenaka, Kôichi Yamadera)

Tokyo Gore Police (Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu)

Body horror sees a cop try to track down the cause of a virus in a futuristic Tokyo that drives the infected to murder.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2008; Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura; Writer: Kengo Kaji, Sayako Nakoshi, Yoshihiro Nishimura; Stars: Itsuji Itao, Camille LaBry, Shôko Nakahara, Sayako Nakoshi, Eihi Shiina)

Welcome To The Quiet Room (Quiet room ni yôkoso)

Dramedy sees a woman recover from an overdose to find herself in the 'quiet room' of a women's clinic, with no memory of how she got there.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2007; Director: Suzuki Matsuo; Writer: Suzuki Matsuo, Suzuki Matsuo; Stars: Yuki Uchida, Kankurô Kudô, Yû Aoi, Ryô, Yûko Nakamura, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Shinobu Ootake, Hideaki Anno, Kami Hiraiwa, Mitsuru Hirata)