Fantastic Fest 2023 Diaries: Day Five
Day 5 was the slow day I needed. There weren’t any early-morning press screenings I had a burning desire to see, and my one and only screening of the day wasn’t until late evening, so I seized the opportunity to get a healthy amount of sleep. I got moving around 8:30, got the coffee flowing, and took the dog out for our morning walk. After setting her up with some breakfast, I went about fixing my own. I ate and got caffeinated and puttered around while I waited for the Day 6 tickets to go online.
At 9:57, I was logged on to the Fantastic Fest website and ready to pounce on the tickets. I was gunning for the third secret screening first, since my luck hadn’t been great so far, and I also was going to see if I could get into Gareth Edwards latest, The Creator, which kind of looked like a generic humans vs AI sci-fi action flick and I was curious if my gut instincts about it were valid or not. When the tickets went live, I missed out on the secret screening — again — so I pivoted over to The Creator and secured a seat in one of its theaters. Then I looked at the 8pm time block to pick another screening in place of the secret screening I wanted. I notice Bertrand Mandico has another film, Conann, which I had glossed over when perusing the festival’s initial lineup, so I grab a ticket to that.
With tickets out of the way, I have the entire morning, afternoon, and early evening to work and get shit done. It’s not super exciting or sexy, but I knock out the Day 3 and Day 4 diaries and get those puppies published. I also get a review for Macon Blair’s Toxic Avenger done and dusted. I also manage to squeeze in a 4.5 mile run and another lengthy walk with the dog before it’s time to shower and get ready for my evening screening of The Last Stop In Yuma County. At around 7pm, I mosey on downtown to the theater, find a parking spot, and wait for seating to begin.
Now, I didn’t really know much about The Last Stop In Yuma County, but I saw it starred Jim Cummings and Richard Brake, and that was enough for me to want to check it out. I am so happy I did because it was absolutely amazing, and it jumped to the top of the “Best in Fest” contenders, alongside Strange Darling and Stopmotion.
The film is a simmering, sun-bleached western reimagined as a 70s neo-noir crime film and done in a Coen brother style that mixes whip-smart dialogue and humor with tension and violence. It’s a flawlessly executed debut that features an incredible ensemble cast and introduces a phenomenal new talent by the name of Francis Galluppi, who wrote, directed, and edited the film. He illustrates the same level of care and attention to the small details that the Coen’s exhibit in their neo-noirs, like Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, and No Country For Old Men. The latter has a definite influence on the film’s look, which is gorgeously lensed in the same way Roger Deakins does many of the Coen’s films. Gene Jones, one of the film’s supporting cast who also starred in No Country as the gas station proprietor, helps to emphasize that influence as well. Aside from the Coens, there’s also unmistakable notes of Alfred Hitchcock, Don Siegel, and Sam Peckinpah that are present in the Galluppi’s direction and approach. He also references (directly or indirectly) films like Psycho, Bonnie And Clyde, Badlands, Once Upon A Time In The West, and The Killing.
It’s a one-location film done right, a pulsing, palpably tense pressure-cooker thriller that slowly ratchets the tension and perpetually adds new players into the mix until all hell eventually breaks loose. Its taut grip is punctuated by sharp moments of comedy that give it some levity and a nice undulation of intensity and release. Galluppi does a great job juggling all the film’s characters, both on-screen and on the page, and he makes them all feel distinct; they all get something to do and some time to shine. He also finds ways to maximize the inherent strengths of his ensemble, particularly Richard Brake’s icy and imposing menace and Jim Cummings’ charisma and acrobatic ability to swivel between the dramatic and the comedic. It’s a tonal balancing act that hits every target it aims at, a film that never lets up, never loses steam, and keeps finding new ways to surprise and escalate, resulting in an explosive conclusion that smacks with delicious irony and fantastic fatalism.
After the film, Francis Galluppi, his costume designer, and several producers came to the front for a really fun Q&A. There were some hilarious stories about Jim Cummings and Richard Brake, but the wildest thing shared during its session was that one of the producers had actually sold his house to finance the film, a risky gamble that he said he’d gladly do again. Based off the end product and all the amazing talent its comprised of, it was a winning bet. Exiting the theater, I shake Francis’ hand, introduce myself, and tell him how incredible the film is. I didn’t want to linger long, but I’d love to chat with him some more if I see him around the fest.
After getting blown away by Yuma County, I head back home for the evening. Even though I only had one festival screening, the festivities didn’t have to necessarily stop for me. The fest’s online screening room has a myriad of its lineup available, one of which is There’s Something In The Barn. While I pop some corn on the stove, I reach out to Neil Ferron on Instagram about meeting for an interview tomorrow. He says some kind words about my review, and we arrange a time in the early afternoon, which is exciting because I’m stoked to discuss his short with him. With a heaping bowl of popcorn, I fire up the Apple TV and kick back for another screening in the comforts of home.
There’s Something In The Barn is another alternative Xmas horror flick to add into the annual holiday rotation, joining the likes of Rare Exports, Violent Night, and Krampus. It’s essentially a Norwegian cross between Christmas Vacation and Gremlins; although, it’s not nearly as good as any of the films mentioned. It is a historic first though: a holiday horror film that takes the barn elves from Norwegian folklore and tradition and puts them on the big screen. It’s a fish-out-of-water story about an American family that inherit a farmhouse in the idyllic countryside of Norway. As they struggle to assimilate into the culture and iron out the creases of their strained family dynamic, they also manage to annoy the hell out of their barn elves, which leads to some kooky holiday home invasion that pits the family against a gang of killer elves, and in the process the family grow closer together.
On paper, it sounds like a real winner, but its execution, cheesy tone and light-hearted spirit keep it from being something exceptional. The film has a Hallmark look, which is contrasted by its dark fantasy and eventual violence. It feels aimed at kids of a specific age (like 12-13), but it’s also a little too adult-oriented at times to firmly hit that demo. It’s not hard-boiled enough to play to the adults, but also a little too hard-edged for kids; a little too soft on the horror for adults, but also a bit too gruesome for children. It manages to be a pretty decent time, but it just doesn’t seem to know who it’s for. Instead of making something that fully connects, it makes a mixed bag of Christmas presents that will partially appease everyone in the room.
After I wrapped up There’s Something In The Barn, it was time to get some rest. It had been a productive day, and I hoped to keep the momentum rolling into tomorrow (which was another light day), and I figured 7-8 hours of sleep would be the key to the day’s potential success.
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What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!