I'm back for my third consecutive year, serving on the horror shorts jury for my first time, and just as raring to go as ever before (by which I mean I can count the number of hours of sleep I got last night on two fingers). Sometimes, you get Bill Murray attending a rave party in a cave; others, you get Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League either pummeling or getting pummeled by the likes of Uwe Boll. (This year, League is taking on Michelle Rodriguez in the boxing-centric Fantastic Debates. He will be missed.)
Anyway, before the geek-friendly festivities get underway, I thought it might behoove me to share my top five picks for flicks I hope to see there and report back on, whether here or elsewhere.
1. Let Me In (pictured) - Cloverfield director Matt Reeves has dared to remake Let the Right One In, one of the very best vampire movies in recent years, and from what I hear, he's actually done it justice in his quest to eradicate those pesky subtitles in the name of proper Amerriken consumption. Also: a score by Michael Giacchino? To quote Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I just went from six to midnight.
2. Rubber - It's a movie about a telekinetic tire named Robert that goes on a killing spree. Yes, really. With all due respect to the Enzian, I can't imagine this ever ending up on a screen in our neck of the woods. Call me crazy, but stuff like this is exactly why I go 1,000+ miles out of my way every September.
3. Sound of Noise - A group of rogue musicians infiltrate proper society with their unique brand of musical terrorism utilizing everyday instruments. You can watch the original short here and get a better idea of why I'm tickled by the prospect of a feature-length incarnation of the premise.
4. Julia's Eyes - If Guillermo del Toro has led me astray by throwing his name on as a producer, then I'm too lazy to look it up. (Splice was... Splice.) This supernatural mystery stars Belen Rueda (The Orphanage - see what I mean?) as a woman losing her sense of sight and gaining a killer on her tail. Reviews out of Toronto only seem to support my interest in this one, so there.
5. the Secret Screenings - These tend to be high-profile surprises, with years prior springing the likes of Apocalypto and There Will Be Blood on attendees extra-early. The rumored titles are part of the fun, even if nobody really wants to have the surprise spoiled for them. I could offer my guesses here, but then they'd have to kill me.