Fantastic Fest Capsule Reviews
Satanic Hispanics - This anthology brings together five Latin filmmakers – Mike Mendez, Demian Rugna, Eduardo Sánchez, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Alejandro Brugues – for a wild ride. The framing device centers on a mysterious man called “the Traveler” (effectively played by Napoleon Dynamite's Efren Ramirez), the only survivor of a massacre. He's interrogated by two cops (Greg Grunberg and Sonya Eddy), telling them a series of stories about demons, the undead, and more gruesome stuff. The tone of each section is different, with some going for full-on bloody horror and others taking a more light-hearted approach. As with all anthologies, different segments work better than others, and each individual viewer will have their most-favorites and least-favorites. For me, Guerrero's creepy "Nahuales," about a gory tribal ritual, and Sánchez's "El Vampiro," about an aging vampire's complication-laden efforts to get home before daylight, are the standouts. In every case, though, you can feel the filmmakers taking chances and incorporating their culture into the stories. It's great to see these Latin filmmakers come together, and the grand finale is pretty spectacular in its carnage.
All Jacked Up and Full of Worms - I'm all in favor of movies that take wild swings and aren't afraid to divide people. Alex Phillips' film ticks both those boxes. It intentionally lacks conventional structure, plot, and characterization. Instead, it's like a dream – or maybe a nightmare – that you simply experience. Roscoe (Phillip Andre Botello) is the maintenance man at a very seedy Chicago motel populated by a strange assortment of individuals. He comes into possession of hallucinogenic worms, which he proceeds to take with Benny (Trevor Dawkins), a lonely weirdo who is trying to turn a baby sex doll into a real infant. What happens next? Who can say? All I know is that it involves sex, puking, a little bit of blood, and a whole lot of worms. All Jacked Up and Full of Worms is a work of transgressive cinema, designed to push the viewer's buttons, make them uncomfortable, and perhaps let out a dark chuckle every so often. Some people will adore it. Others will loathe it. Everyone who sees it will talk about it. Phillips takes us on a deranged journey that's got striking visuals and a ton of insanity. I'm not sure I 100% understand this film, but I'm definitely glad I saw it.
