The future looks more purgatorial than paradisiacal in “Divinity,” Eddie Alcazar’s second feature as writer-director. Like the first, 2018’s “Perfect,” this is a cryptic sci-fi body horror allegory where undeniably arresting aesthetics are nonetheless more a symptom of shallow lookism-based values than the intended critique. Stephen Dorff plays a wealthy recluse peddling the titular mystery serum, which promises eternal youth — though, naturally, there may be drawbacks. This invention attracts attention not just from consumers, but from apparent space aliens who arrive to halt its disturbance of the natural order.
Those looking for midnight-movie eccentricity will find much to enjoy in the black-and-white film’s mix of the trippy, queasy and erotic. But as before, the effortfully quirky elements don’t really add up to a cogent whole, resulting in something a mite too reflective of its creator’s background in commercials and game design — a rarefied, stimulating surface without depth.
Those looking for midnight-movie eccentricity will find much to enjoy in the black-and-white film’s mix of the trippy, queasy and erotic. But as before, the effortfully quirky elements don’t really add up to a cogent whole, resulting in something a mite too reflective of its creator’s background in commercials and game design — a rarefied, stimulating surface without depth.
- 10/9/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
O Apóstolo isn't only the latest animated offering from Spain, but it reflects upon Spain's rich history in film animation. For some, the more recent “Planet 51” was considered a major landmark due to the budget size, overseas box office, and the huge technical advances it made in rapport to previous films in the genre, but the latest animated offering, which was set to have its world premiere at Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival but has since shifted plans, is a bigger, more detailed, stereoscopic 3D item that is poised to become a benchmark in the animation field. Directed by newcomer Fernando Cortizo, O Apóstolo is unlike previous films in the genre since it's one of the first animated films in Spain in which the target audience is for mature audiences. The story and the mood are closely inspired by the likes of Tim Burton's “The Corpse Bride”, though here,...
- 10/25/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
O Apóstolo isn't only the latest animated offering from Spain, but it reflects upon Spain's rich history in film animation. For some, the more recent “Planet 51” was considered a major landmark due to the budget size, overseas box office, and the huge technical advances it made in rapport to previous films in the genre, but the latest animated offering, which just received its world premiere at Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival is a bigger, more detailed, and a true gem in the field. Directed by newcomer Fernando Cortizo, O Apóstolo is unlike previous films in the genre since it's one of the first animated films in Spain in which the target audience is for mature audiences. The story and the mood are closely inspired by the likes of Tim Burton's “The Corpse Bride”, though here, we get the folklore, traditions and history of the north of Spain. The...
- 10/25/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
If getting sand in your crotch while watching awesome short films sounds like a good time, then you better head on out to the first ever Black Rock City Film Festival, which is taking place right now, Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, at the legendary Burning Man gathering in the Nevada desert. If you’re already at Burning Man, hopefully you get cell reception and can see this lineup so you know where the best place is to be every night.
This event is a joint endeavor for the Boston Underground Film Festival and San Francisco’s IndieFest, who have selected over two dozen short films to screen at their open air theater. There are no start times for when these films will screen, but I would assume it would be sometime after sundown. Plus, there will be cocktail parties before and after the screenings, as well as Opening Night and Closing Night bashes.
This event is a joint endeavor for the Boston Underground Film Festival and San Francisco’s IndieFest, who have selected over two dozen short films to screen at their open air theater. There are no start times for when these films will screen, but I would assume it would be sometime after sundown. Plus, there will be cocktail parties before and after the screenings, as well as Opening Night and Closing Night bashes.
- 8/30/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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