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The Philadelphia Film Festival ended a couple of weeks ago, and as it turned out, about 4 of the 8 screenings I attended were worthwhile.

The highlights included Haute Tension (as reviewed in my previous post), a French slasher gross-out; Time of the Wolf, Austrian auteur Michael Haneke’s latest chilling diatribe on the human condition; Robot Boy, a Tim Burton-esque fairy tale short; and Harvie Krumpet, the newest in Aussie genius Adam Elliot’s animated series of deadpan comic tragedies.

The lowlights included The Toolbox Murders, another flavorless heap out of Tobe Hooper’s crap factory; and The Last Horror Movie, a self-satisfied bore of a British mockumentary.

I’m likely biased for having been a part of it, but I thought the Best of the 48 Hour Film Project was by far the most solid collection of shorts I saw at the fest. A slapstick romance by the name of Hove Lurts deservedly walked away with about 1/3 of the awards, including Best Film. Otherwise, our film won Best Editing, and we befriended the nice folks of Citizen Wumpus Productions at the after-party.

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The 13th Philadelphia Film Festival began on Thursday and I’ve managed to fit 8 screenings into my schedule this year, including The Best of the 48 Hour Film Project, for which our film Lunch Break has been chosen!

My first film of the fest was last night’s Danger After Dark opener Haute Tension (High Tension).

Ostensibly filling a time-honored serial slasher mold, Haute Tension opens in familiar territory: College roommates Marie (Cécile De France) and Alex… See more →

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The Philadelphia Film Festival ended a couple of weeks ago, and as it turned out, about 4 of the 8 screenings I attended were worthwhile.

The highlights included Haute Tension (as reviewed in my previous post), a French slasher gross-out; Time of the Wolf, Austrian auteur Michael Haneke’s latest chilling diatribe on the human condition; Robot Boy, a Tim Burton-esque fairy tale short; and Harvie Krumpet, the newest in Aussie genius Adam Elliot’s animated series… See more →

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