By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Next Valentine’s Day, the 50 Shades of Grey sequel opens, a popular film and DVD that no one in public admits to enjoying. After seeing the trailer for The Handmaiden, which opens tomorrow in select theaters, I thought I was going to see the Asian version of 50 Shades of Grey. Instead, I was surprised to watch a gothic romance along the lines of Wuthering Heights and Dangerous Liaisons.

With English subtitles, this Korean film is divided into 3 parts. The handmaiden dominates part one. Sook-Hee is the handmaiden who goes to work for Lady Hideko, who owns a large mansion with a big library. Working with the scoundrel, Count Fujiwawa, the Handmaiden seeks to rob Lady Hideko.

Part 2 presents another side of the relationship between Lady Hideko and Count Fujiwawa. We learn about some of the kinky secrets from the library, which both disgusts and inspires the protagonists and antagonists. Part 3 wraps up the plot threads with either a beautiful climax or a kinky climax, depending on one’s point of view.

The Handmaiden is likely to be nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language motion picture. The cinematography and texture is full of detail, which enhance the story. There are many ugly moments in The Handmaiden, but there are many beautiful, aquarian scenes. It is a full artistic experience.

Being Halloween weekend, Dan Brown’s Inferno opens tomorrow, including a limited release at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery IMAX Theater. Set in Florence, Italy and featuring clues gleaned from Dante’s Inferno, director Ron Howard has admitted that he directed scenes in the mode of a horror movie.

Thanks to Hurricane Matthew, Spooky Empire was forced to close their annual October horror convention in Orlando on Oct. 8. In order to recoup their losses, founders Petey and Gina Mongelli have rescheduled the convention to Dec. 2nd weekend and are recruiting celebrities to return. Thus far, original headliners “Weird Al” Yankovic, Kane Hodder and Nature Boy Ric Flair have committed to return.

For the latest updates of Halloween events this weekend, check out www.FrightAsylum.com. While mostly a horror movie review show, creator Woody Meckes does like to “trip the light fantastic” with special episodes. This week’s Fright Asylum celebrates monsters, mayhem and comedy, full of tricks and treats. Happy Halloween!

Barry S. Anderson will be at Spooky Empire. Will you?

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Last Monday night at Bru’s Room, the Deerfield Beach Reunion Committee adjourned for 10 years, making plans for the 40-year class reunion in 2021.

Many of us felt we had arrived at a domestic crossroads; one individual is buying her first house, some were dealing with their children graduating high school and  some are dealing with being the guardian to aging parents.

Opening tomorrow in limited release, My Afternoons with Margueritte is a beautiful and poetic French film about many characters at their crossroads. Gérard Depardieu portrays Germain, the town handyman who feels short-changed by life. His true solace is spent on the park bench with Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus), a 92-year-old bibliophile. Beyond talking about life, liberty and romance, the couple take pleasure in naming pigeons.

Told with flashbacks, Ger-main recounts having a verbally abusive mother. Margueritte becomes Ger-main’s mentor. Conflict ensues and Germain must set things right. Since the drama is not forced and the acting is subtle, this film becomes a pleasant cinematic choice.

For those seeking, instead, experiences of horror and terror, Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Weekend of Horrors will commence the second weekend in October. (www.spookyempire.com). The guest list now includes Malcolm McDowell, horror author Clive Barker and Barry S. Anderson, renaissance artist. Like Bill Hinzman, Anderson holds perfect attendance with Spooky Empire.

A “monster kid” from upstate New York, Anderson came to South Florida during Spring Break, got a regular job in Miami Vice and stayed here. He later joined Tom Savini’s special effects and makeup team on the set of George Romero’s Day of the Dead (1985).

He said, “This was a dream come true for a ‘monster kid,’ who grew up during the 60s and 70s watching Chiller Theatre every Friday and Saturday night while eating Jiffy Pop Popcorn!”

Besides a 17-year stint with Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, Anderson has contributed to the motion picture industry in a variety of films, from Hairspray to his recent independent feature shot in Orlando, Astro Zombies M4 Invaders from Cyber Space, which features a cameo appearance from his wife of 22 years, Chickie, and 9-year-old son, Miles.

Recently, he showed Miles the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein movies.  At first fearful of the monster, Miles later told his father, “The monster wasn’t bad, he was just looking for a friend.”

Dave Montalbano & Michael Berryman

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Hurricane Irene damaged the box office. Don’t Wait Until Dark performed poorly, but this Guillermo Del Toro production has a second chance this weekend for much-deserved redemption. This great date movie is the summer’s best monster movie.

With no relation to the Lee Marvin classic from 1967, Point Blank is a French Film with English subtitles that needs no dialogue. This visual treat opens at a breakneck pace and never lets up, yet provides just enough character identification to merit audience empathy.

When a thief with mob connections ends up in the hospital, an unlucky male nurse is blackmailed by the mob bosses to free the thief. To make matters worse for the male nurse, his wife is suffering from a problem pregnancy when she is kidnapped by sinister forces. Point Blank draws the audience into a roller coaster world in which the bad guys are not so bad and the good guys are not as good as they appear. Not a moment of film is wasted up to the final frame.

As the summer blockbuster season slows down, the convention and festival season pick up. Six years ago, Petey Mongelli staged Screamfest in Coral Springs and Hurricane Wilma destroyed Broward County for two weeks. Screamfest, which began in 2002 originally, outgrew Broward and evolved into Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Horror Weekend, the biggest horror movie convention in Southern United States.

Staged in Orlando, this year’s Spooky Empire will be held Oct. 7-9 (www.spookyempire.com). Headliners include Malcolm McDowell, Lance Henriksen, Michael Berryman, and artist Barry Anderson and Night of the Living Dead’s Bill Hinzman continue their perfect attendance.

When asked about the migration to Orlando, Petey replied, “We outgrew Broward. The convention grew bigger and bigger, and the Wyndham Hotel on International Drive provided a suitable venue for the Creepy Car/Hearst Show and the Zombie Walk, which involves thousands of volunteers.” While Petey will continue his Spooky Empire in Orlando, next year he plans a 10-year retrospective in Broward County.

As Spooky Empire concludes, the 26th Annual Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival begins. Director Gregory von Hausch has been playing close to the vest, but this Labor Day weekend, he plans to reveal the listing of filmmakers, special guests and key dates for festival screenings, parties and events. (Fest runs Oct. 21-Nov. 11). For more information, visit www.fliff.com.