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GBV Previews: Another Hole in the Head Film Festival Recommendations
Wednesday, December 04, 2024
San Francisco’s Another Hole in the Head Film Festival is renowned for featuring unique cinematic offerings that range from the mind-blowing to the thought-provoking to the absurd, and beyond. This year’s edition runs December 1–25, at theaters and also On Demand via Eventive and live on Zoom for those who cannot attend the live screenings. For more information, visit https://www.ahith.com/
Following are some recommendations that Mike and Joseph have after early screening opportunities. Descriptions from Another Hole in the Head Film Festival’s website are in italics, followed by our verdicts on the movies.
They Call Her Death (U.S., 2024)
On the wild frontier of the American prairie, Molly Pray is on a bloody crusade against the criminal forces that have wronged her. She shows no mercy, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake on a mission that ultimately strikes at the heart of the American identity and the notion of manifest destiny. But for Molly Pray — who has the embodied specter of death on her side — this isn’t political. This is personal.
SHOT ENTIRELY ON 16MM FILM — UTILIZING EQUIPMENT FROM THE 1960’s FOR AN AUTHENTIC RETRO AESTHETIC AND FILMMAKING EXPERIENCE!
Joseph’s verdict: I had a blast with this throwback western/horror film, which had me smiling when my jaw hadn’t dropped to the floor, which happened often and suddenly! Writer/director Austin Snell’s indie force of nature instantly took me back to the heyday of regional films that screened at drive-in theaters.
Mike’s verdict: Snell’s compelling story of a widow seeking justice is a well crafted and blood-soaked throwback to the days of grindhouse and drive-in pictures. This horror-tinged western hides its low-budget well with skilled camera-work and interesting imagery. Sheri Rippel is excellent as the widow Molly Pray, bringing gravitas to her role that makes it easy to root for the violent anti-hero.
Itch! (U.S., 2024)
In this gripping survival tale, a horrific outbreak called the ITCH! transforms its victims into self-destructive shells. Jay, a widower grappling with grief, takes refuge in a seemingly safe department store with his estranged young daughter, Olivia. However, their sanctuary quickly becomes a nightmarish trap, revealing that danger lurks among them. As paranoia rises and the infection closes in, they must battle the outbreak and the darkness within themselves. With life-and-death decisions to make, they confront their fractured bond in a harrowing climax that challenges the true meaning of protection and love.
Joseph’s verdict: Bari Kang writes, directs, and stars in ITCH!, which boasts the feeling of 1970s/1980s lower budget horrors set and filmed in New York City (such as Alice, Sweet Alice and Basket Case). Kang performs his roles in front of and behind the camera admirably. He also balances the family drama, horror, and paranoia impressively, delivering a unique take on (spoiler redacted, because we don’t do those here!) fare calculated to make your skin crawl.
Mike’s verdict: ITCH! starts off full bore before pulling back and getting things set up as we see a father trying to deal with his daughter and the untimely passing of his wife and her mother. What seems like it might be a siege type of movie abruptly flips the script at the start of the second act and things take an unexpected turn for the father, daughter, and a handful of folks trapped in a NY city store.
Writer/director/star Kang does an admirable job at giving the film a 70’s aesthetic with some screen noise and camera shots evocative of films from that era, all of which adds to a successful and edge-of-the seat affair.
Abductee (U.S., 2024)
Abductee is a chilling "found footage" film set in the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. Terrifying in a way that few other horror films are, Abductee explores the bizarre and misunderstood world of alien abduction. Through a first person account, we come to know the fear and mental anguish that befalls a man as he attempts to unravel the mystery of what happens to him when he is alone in the middle of the night. Drew hasn't been sleeping very well. On numerous occasions he awakes suddenly, completely unable to move, a victim of a common, but terrifying disorder called Sleep Paralysis. After suffering from this condition for many years, Drew finally decides to take matters into his own hands and capture his nighttime episodes on video, in order to find out exactly what he is experiencing while he is frozen in his bed.
Joseph’s verdict: William Hopp’s feature film debut at the helm is impressive. He delivers a stirring, often chilling vision of the nightmarish situations that befall Drew Freeman (Dusty Sorg) and his sister Laurie (Virginia Newcomb) when Drew attempts to capture evidence that he is regularly being abducted by extraterrestrials. This blend of psychological thriller and science-fiction horror is driven by fine writing (from Hopp, Richard Meeker, and Ruth Palileo) including believable dialogue, and richly written characters brought to cinematic life thanks to the engaging performances of Sorg and Newcomb.
Mike’s verdict: Abductee successfully merges a traditional filming style with found-footage elements to create an engrossing film detailing a man’s abductions by aliens and his sister’s attempts at helping him prove his claims or discover a more palpable explanation for what has been plaguing him since his teenage years.
Sorg and Newcomb are great in their roles as brother and sister, expressing love for one another one moment while switching gears on a dime to attitudes that border on all-out anger. While certainly a film about extraterrestrials, there are also a lot of allegories laid out that paint a picture of mental instability and the toll it can take on families — a message that we’re thankfully seeing more of in recent years.
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