TEMPTATION OF ST TONY (THE) (Veikko Ounpuu/Estonia-Finl<strong>and</strong>-Sweden)A Veikko Ounpuu filmScreenplay: Veikko OunpuuCast: Taavi Eelmaa, Ravshana Kurkova, Tiina Tauraite, Sten Ljunggren, Denis Lavant, Hendrik Toompere jr, Katarina Lauk, HarriKorvits, Taavi Teplenkov, Marika Barabanstsikova, Rain Tolk, Liis Lepik, Valeri Fjodorov, Evald Aavik, Tarmo Mitt, Raivo E. TammRunning time: 110 min.Tony is completely stuck in a mid-life existential crisis since his father died. Hewatches the world around him <strong>and</strong> notices a slight smell of the apocalypse. Hisfellow men seem to be bored stiff <strong>and</strong> pass the time by organizing nihilistic orgiesor by metaphysically giving the same importance to questions like “Give me somesalt” <strong>and</strong> “Who am I?” So Tony takes stock of the values that govern his life <strong>and</strong>tries to find a satisfying answer in seven chapters, which just happens to be thesame number as the Deadly Sins or the circles in Dante’s Inferno. From religiousdecay over the illusion of love to the erosion of social intercourse, Tony will slowlybut surely reach the conclusion that life is useless.Tony will have to face some veryunpleasant answers in order to survive. Who am I ? A loser. Where am I ? In deepshit. Where am I going ? Straight against the wall, Tony. Straight against the wall…This poetic requiem – the Estonian c<strong>and</strong>idate at this year’s Oscars – confirmsVeikko Ounpuu’s talent, director of the award winning Autumn Ball. Inspired byDante’s Divine Comedy <strong>and</strong> Hieronymus Bosch’s The Temptation of St Anthony, “St Tony” also salutes themovies of Roy Andersson, with its dry sense of humour, sweats Kafkaesque absurdity from each frame, <strong>and</strong>takes its metaphysical surrealism straight from Tarkovsky <strong>and</strong> Bunuel. The Temptation of St. Tony is heavybut very enjoyable stuff without a shred of indigestible pretentiousness.TETSUO : THE BULLET MAN (Shinya Tsukamoto/Japan)A Shinya Tsukamoto filmScreenplay: Shinya Tsukamoto & Hisakatsu KurokiCast: Eric Bossick, Akiko Monou, Yuko Nakamura, Stephen Sarrazin, Tiger Charlie Gerhardt, Prakhar Jain, Shinya Tsukamoto, MichaelDuncan, Alan Koji, Sou Fujita, Markus Wambsganss, Hajime Izuki, Dwayne Lawler, Aldo La Riviere, Yutaka Mishima, GettoRunning time: 71 min.Office worker Anthony, son of an American father <strong>and</strong> a Japanese mother,lives in Tokyo with his wife Yuriko <strong>and</strong> their little son Tom. Since Anthony’smother died of cancer, his scientist father has been overly fearful for theirhealth <strong>and</strong> rigidly subjects Anthony <strong>and</strong> Tom to monthly physicals. Walkinghome, Tom is killed in a hit <strong>and</strong> run before Anthony’s eyes. Losing their boypushes Yuriko over the edge <strong>and</strong> triggers violent emotions in Anthony, whosebody begins to transform. Little by little, his cells turn to iron. When the driverwho killed Tom reappears <strong>and</strong> Anthony learns the truth about his father’s pastexperiments on human guinea pigs <strong>and</strong> about his mother’s death, Anthonymutates into a mass of metal – a human weapon fuelled by an uncontrollablerage.The BIFFF was the first festival in the world to screen Tetsuo (1989); whichhas since become the cult gem we all know. So it would have been awkwardto end this twenty-year adventure without <strong>show</strong>ing the last episode of Tsukamoto’s trilogy. And our chaphasn’t lost an ounce of his talent: edgy editing, mystical inserts, sexualisation of the mechanical –reminiscent in some ways of Cronenberg’s Crash (or is it the opposite?) –, industrial themes for the score(thanks to Chu Ishikawa) <strong>and</strong> Trent “Nine Inch Nails” Reznor for the soundtrack.38
YELLOWBRICKROAD (Jesse Holl<strong>and</strong> & Andy Mitton/USA)A Jesse Holl<strong>and</strong> & Andy Mitton filmScreenplay: Jesse Holl<strong>and</strong> & Andy MittonCast: Cassidy Freeman, Anessa Ramsey, Laura Heisler, Clark Freeman, Lee Wilkof, Alex Draper, Michael Laurino, Tara Giordano, SamElmoreRunning time: 98 min.In 1940, a strange thing happened to the entire population ofFriar, New Hampshire. One day, for an unknown reason, theyall ab<strong>and</strong>oned their homes <strong>and</strong> walked up an ancient trail.They were never seen alive again. For over 70 years, their fatehas been a mystery. Now a team of researchers <strong>and</strong> filmmakers,along with a guide <strong>and</strong> a psychologist, decide tofollow the path to find out what happened once <strong>and</strong> for all.Yellowbrickroad tells the story of this expedition. A trek into thewilderness filled with danger, adventure, shifting loyalties <strong>and</strong>paranormal activity.This impressive new indie horror flick is a well-shot, multidimensionalhorror story. Debut directors Andy Mitton <strong>and</strong> Jesse Holl<strong>and</strong> have combined their love for horrormovies with character-driven stories. The movie was digitally shot on location in the isolated wilderness ofthe Northern New Hampshire woods. This authentic location definitely pays off, making the film very pure<strong>and</strong> realistic. Yellowbrickroad was also filmed in sequential order, allowing tension to build up frame by frame<strong>and</strong> bringing out the increasingly difficult physical <strong>and</strong> emotional journey of the characters.39