As if Pinocchio wasn't weird and scary enough, it's about to get the stop-motion overhall by none other that Late Film-officiated honourable duo, Guillermo del Toro and Gris Grimly. Del Toro is, of course, the Mexican director behind my supernatural fave, The Devil's Backbone, and Gris Grimly is a resident here for Cannibal Flesh Riot! (you can see the trailer for this stop-motion-embalmed short here.)

Well, amongst other big news for the Hellboy 2: The Golden Army DVD/Blu-ray launch party, news is this gruesome twosome are to unite for "trying to get a full stop-motion version of Gris Grimly’s Pinocchio off the ground, with the Jim Henson Company." Praise be and Amen to that superb news and lets hope these two great talents pull together to make this a reality. Certainly some of the more exciting film news of late and always a pleasure to see a bit of originality in proceedings. We ate Late Film will most certainly be watching this space...

When a sniper guns down 14 pedestrians at random on the streets of New York City, cop with a troubled personal life, Peter Nicholas, is up for the job of reasoning with him. Though he doesn’t manage to talk him down from his killing spot atop the water tower, he does elicit a reason from him before he throws himself to his death. As Nicholas investigates further killings across the city it becomes apparent that something connects them all; the killer’s dying confessions reveal that “God told me to.” As the investigation takes shape, the common ground for each killer is having met an elusive long-haired stranger shortly before their crimes, but who is this ubiquitous being and what will Detective Nicholas’s connection to them be? Find out in Larry Cohen’s genre-busting cult classic.

New York City in the 70’s had a tendency to be portrayed in the movies and the seemingly endless cop shows of the same era as the perfect site of public paranoia; a sprawling concrete metropolis breeding suspicion and uncertainty where anything could be possible, and usually was, egged on by the media to fuel the almost palpable air of unrest that floated around the dirty streets. Writer/director Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To is certainly no exception and exploits this feeling well with his bizarre mix of the strange and the serious in this detective/mystery/horror/sci-fi hybrid that is as compelling as it is peculiar.

God Told Me To, despite being a mixed bag generically, belongs for the most part, particularly tonally, to the detective/mystery genres. With the opening scenes of a nauseatingly claustrophobic New York, our troubled detective has to act fast when a sniper opens fire, causing hysteria in the streets below. Reminiscent of the earlier Dirty Harry, God Told Me To uses the detective figure as an urban hero, combating one of the city’s most feared attackers; the sniper. This kind of crime perfectly utilises the self-perpetuating urban fear; a crime which preys on the city but which the city conversely and simultaneously conceals in safety. And if you are thinking there’s nothing too strange or unusual about this, well then you’d be right, but it is as the investigation gets underway that we gain the bizarre turn that has earned Cohen (Q The Winged Serpent and It’s Alive!) his rightful cult status.

Indeed, it’s only as the story develops that the bizarre horror/sci-fi elements begin to enter the arena. As we learn more about the tangled personal life of our hero, of his devout Catholicism, the parallel mystery similarly unravels. But don’t be fooled by Cohen’s crazy generic mix for it masks some grave undertones. There are some serious and still very relevant ideas about religion at play here, which helps to make this film timeless. Cohen presents some surprisingly open ideas about religion which won’t be to everyone’s taste; “You got all the blessing’s who needs religion?!” points to a false and almost greedy human search in desperation for a higher power which, as Cohen rather aptly presents, won’t necessarily be a good one.

Whilst there is some bloodshed in this film it is more a horror of ideas with some creepy and genuinely unpleasant and difficult scenes made only the more so as it is so plausible. As we discover that religion has a hand in the city hiding something more deadly, invested with the power of destruction more precise than a sniper, it is truly chilling. It is an idea even more relevant now than when Cohen wrote it; that the more modernised society becomes the more we search for some lost meaning and the more we open ourselves up to religion, fanaticism and the need to feel the presence of a deity to restore the human purpose (it is no accident that the sniper opens fire above the icon of modern American consumerism that is Bloomingdales). But fear not, if this all sounds a little heavy you can still relax and enjoy the bizarre story, direction and generic mix that make it peculiarly entertaining as this, after all, is what makes this a Cohen Classic; a strange film with intelligent undertones, and who can say fairer than that?

Part warning for modern society, part bizarre generic mix, but all-round Cult Classic.

The year is 1963 and in the rural Kang Won province of Korea a dashing new teacher sets hearts a-flutter and a love triangle in motion in Lee Young-jae’s gentle love story.

Lee Young-jae’s debut feature is a beautifully simplistic antidote to the Hollywood romance. Telling the sweet and unaffected tale of a first love, The Harmonium in My Memory is a subtly engaging rural drama with a delicately balanced affection at its core. Yun Hong-yeon (Jeon Do-yeon) is 17 and when good looking and kindly young teacher Mr.Kang (Lee Byeong-heon) comes to town he immediately captures her heart. Unfortunately for Hong-yeon, however, Mr.Kang is in turn rather taken with pretty fellow teacher Miss Yang (Lee Mi-yeon) and the attempts by each to woo the object of their affection make up this lovely, touching, and, above all else, completely uncontrived drama.
Where a Hollywood director would gleefully take the subject of a schoolgirl’s first crush and manipulate it, patronise, or unnecessarily sexualise it, Young-jae allows the universally familiar tale of first love speak for itself. The dual love story makes for some wonderful mirroring as Hong-yeon tries in vain to grasp her child-like crush and Mr.Kang and Miss Yang’s almost-love has a child-like innocence as if being regressed through Hong-yeon’s own troubled affections. With the rustic setting as imperative to the understated story as the wonderfully easy characterisation, this film is as beautiful visually as it is emotionally.
The basic existence and remote setting make for a delightfully uncomplicated and nostalgic backdrop as Harmonium proves to be as much about a way of life as it is a love story. The early 60’s makes for a well placed era as a setting, too, as the village has begun to be touched slightly by modern living, helped by Mr.Kang and his record collection, which aids the subtle musical theme (the original Korean title literally translates as The Organ in My Heart.) The fact that Young-jae hasn’t overloaded the film with themes and visual tricks makes the few stand out all the more, including the vignettes which again add a nice sense of nostalgia to it. The subtle charm of the film makes for some natural and gentle humour and the beautifully played performances and direction ensure the delicate emotional changes are as lightly perceptible as they were meant. The calm ease of the pace and the gentle nature of this film mean Harmonium won’t be to everyone’s taste, but for those who enjoy a delicate love story in a wonderfully rustic setting, this is a must-see.

A gently crafted, beautiful and sweet film, Harmonium in My Memory is completely devoid of the contrived whimsy of the Hollywood love story and as such is a refreshing joy to watch.

Also Known As:
Organ of My Heart (literal English title)
Nae maeumui punggeum (Original title in Korea)

Korean language trailer for The Truck , directed by Hyung-jin Kwon and starring Goo Jin and Hae-jin Yoo.

Chul-min is a simple truck driver whose usual cargo is liquor, vegetables and other necessities. When his daughter is diagnosed with congenital heart disease, he scrambles to borrow money from friends to pay for the operation. Unable to raise the necessary funds, he tries his luck at gambling. When he loses everything, the gang boss who runs the gambling house gives him an unusual job: to deliver some freshly stabbed corpses to a faraway province. On his nerve-racking journey carrying dead bodies in his truck, Chul-min turns to the radio for company only to hear about a serial killer on the loose. After spotting a car that has fallen into a ditch, he is flagged down by a policeman who is heading to the same province. When Chul-min unravels the real identity of his passenger, his nightmare really begins...

Oh my! There's film news and there's super-good film news, and this little tidbit certainly falls into the latter. Has anyone ever told you I love 3D movies (yeah, you, every time you see me)? Ok, I probably did tell ya before, but 3D movies are one of my most favouritest things for giving a bit of kiddified magic into the piss and shit world of adulthood. Well, a less well-known fact could be that I also really rather adore Brian Yuzna for having a hand in some of my fave horrors (Society, Re-Animator, The Dentist, Necronomicon, Dagon,) ergo, with all the remake/sequel news to boot, this unique piece really excites me.

This trio of goodness, the first of which will be giant sea scorpion-based Amphibious (!), is to be Indonesia-made in conjunction with distributor Queen Imperial Films. The second 3D feature output from this shingle will be Necronauts, a Terry Bisson-written journey into the realm of death which will be helmed by Lawnmower Man's Brett Leonard. Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil and an infamously short stint on Dr. Moreau) will helm the final instalment of this terrific tryptich, Cold Blooded, an island survival story featuring komodo dragons (!) Happily, all films will be shot in English sourcing local talent and will even more happily be low-budget. Yippee!   

www.fantasticfactory.com                                             

It's time for part 2 in the sometimes series that I like to call Lists here at late Film, with today's rather titularly self-explanatory list coming luke warm off the heels of Fi's Fave Films! - An Alternative List. Back when late night TV was great here in the UK, I would avidly watch short films from the random showings on Channel 4 (some, such as Alison De Vere's The Black Dog, were regulars) to less random collections on Shooting Gallery. For as long as I've loved film, I've loved short film, for there is something so powerful and emotive in these short few minutes. Yes indeed, I loves me a short film, and here is my pick of top 5 fave's...

1. The Tale Of The Rat That Wrote (Billy O'Brien, 1999)

Anyone who knows me will tell you I just simply adore rodents, so it's probably unsurprising, then, that my favorite short would feature a rat. Any rat owners out there will also tell you that rats are extremely loving, intelligent creatures and this 14-minute UK/Ireland short explores this. As the title suggests, this is one rather creative rat which can both draw and write and uses the unusual powers invested within it to help out its ratty friends. Black & white and largely silent, this tale of ratty retribution is gorgeous on the visual front as well as the story.

Available to view as an extra on the DVD of Billy O'Brien's feature-length film Isolation.

2. Forklift Driver Klaus ( Stefan Prehn and Jorg Wagner, 2000)

This German instructional video spoof is a glorious 9 minutes of comedy/horror caper. Featuring the hapless Klaus (Konstantin Graudus,) we get involved in his unfortunate shenanigans as he pays little attention to his safety rules on the first day of his new job. Needless to say, much comedy carnage ensues and all set to a lovely bit of muzak. An absolute must for short film fans into the comedy/horror genre.

Watch it here.

3. The French Doors (Steve Ayson, 2002)

This 13-minute New Zealand short was a late night on Channel 4 fave and among my dear collection on crappy, taped VHS. But, no matter, for this little flick is an absolute corker. Barnie Duncan plays an unnamed man doing a spot of home renovation and installs the titular doors. So far so nice and fine and sunny, but before long things take a turn for the darker in more ways than one. Genuinely a very neat and unnerving film.

Watch it here.

4. Talk (Lukas Moodysson, 1997)

I caught this 14-minute Swedish short as an extra on the Lukas Moodysson boxset after watching Show Me Love, and it was love at first sight. Birger (Sten Ljunggren) is out of work and out of company until a Hare Krishna recruitment girl calls at his door. This film appeals to me as, if I ever made a short, apart from a wish to make a creature feature or horror film, I would most likely make a study of loneliness, and that is in essence what Talk is. It's pretty harrowing stuff and rather devestatingly darker than you might expect, but all the more beautiful for it.

Available to view as an extra on the Lukas Moodysson boxset DVD with the superb Show Me Love and Together.

5. Pencil Face (Dandy Dwarves, 2008)

This cheeky little number just snuck in to my top 5 fave short films not 2 days ago for its rather deliciously dark and strange ways. Quite literally featuring a large pencil with a face, this is a stunningly surreal warning to be careful what you greedily wish for...

Watch it here.

2002 Short film detailing a dark DIY tale from New Zealand, written and directed by Steve Ayson.

German short film from 2000 by Stefan Prehn and Jorg Wagner spoofing instructional videos.

Rarely have I been so enamoured by a short film that it promptly asceneds to the lofty heights of My Favourite Shorts. But, such was the case with Dandy Dwarves' Pencil Face. So who are Dandy Dawrves and what is Pencil Face? The Double D's are "a multidisciplinary production company formed in 2006," or core group of various creative types, and Pencil Face is, well, Pencil Face. Literally featuring a large pencil with a face, this 3.22-minute short is so deliciously dark and surreal that it is a rare treat to be consumed with relish. But, you'd better see for yourselves...

Frieze Film 2008: Road Movie is a four-part film created by artists and film-makers that was produced on YouTube. An experiment in film-making, the final result was a film made in an entirely new way: the first multi-authored fractal film assembled by the artists and curator out of the sum of the submitted parts.

Inspired by Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 novel The Road, the project used the road as a leitmotif for a non-linear journey through the post-apocalyptic landscape.  
 

The final product debuted on Channel 4 on 13th October and is the rather apocalyptic "state of the world" vid set to Fuck Buttons' Ribs Out, which you can see at the top here. The short above - Memories Of Falling Ash - is a superbly neat little submission for the project by DeadShed Productions aka Nick Thomson. Dark in more ways than one, this interesting take on the road movie genre is lavishly atmospheric and promising work indeed.

Read more about this filmmaker and the film here.

Catch more about the Frieze Film 2008 project here.