Give me blood!!!!

I know I promised myself to elaborate on how to best choose which films to see at the AIFF, but… I still haven’t had the time to properly check out the schedule! So, with nothing to do or better to write at four in the morning, I would like to defend myself and all of us who enjoy a good splatter movie. I know what most of you are thinking. They are immature, incoherent, stupid, extremely violent. And pointless. In fact, you are probably right. However, proper gore and splatter movies have a certain quality, they have certain characteristics that make them most likable to some us. They involve loads of blood, torn flesh, and faces full of pain or surprise at their (unexpected? Don’t think so!) death. They also involve a lot of technique. Uncompromisingly, let me say, that one of things I am looking for at a gore movie is the new never seen before and thoroughly funny way for some character to be killed (piano crashes onto him after surviving a floor full of broken glass, or has heart attack just before the manic killer stabs him, or screams herself to death, or something blunt and large cuts him in half, or his head is slit just enough so it hangs upside down, or crazy cats start slashing throats, or bear trap gets stuck in somebody’s mouth, or, or, or…).

You probably think that is sick. Might as well be, but at least it is not doing any serious harm. I cannot vouch for oriental youth watching this stuff from the age of 11, but I think that the European crowd watching this kind of movies is doing it for the same reason I am doing it for: fun. You see, I don’t expect much from these movies rather than ridiculous amounts of (intelligent?) violence; anything else, such underground characters, plot and subplots, good photography and a good morale (yes!) is an added bonus for me (and I guess for many more). I go there for a good laugh and possibly a few good scares. Oriental (HK, Japan, S. Korea) tradition in this genre guarantees the result to be above average, and….yes, gore-splatter movies relax me, just like some people relax with spaghetti westerns.

In fact, people watching these kind of movies, are the most peaceful, non-violent persons you can meet. It is a kind of release for them; a release from sucky pretentious movies trying but obviously failing to deliver movies, and a release from any socio-psychological burden they might be carrying, (you know, normal urban stress kind of stuff). Other people act violent, and other people see violent movies. You tell me which is best.

As you can see I am pretty shallow about films. I like being entertained, and b-movies and asian gore almost never fail to do exactly that, not to mention that many of them do have real artistic value (let’s not argue, please….). European and American goal-driven productions (aiming at delivering either something really good, or something high in artistic value) definitely produce amazing gems in all genres, but, especially during the AIFF, you go through a lot that can be mind boggling or difficult to grasp, and some even are complete flops or worse, terrible movies. That is why the scream and blood section will always be the one I will always visit during the AIFF.