The Revelation Perth International Film Festival launches this week on Thursday 5thJuly and as usual, there is an array of amazing films to sink your teeth into and wrap your mind around. There is also a slew of curated events presented for your consideration: EXPERIMENTAL SHOWCASES 1 & 2; Soda_Jerk’s TERROR NULLIUS; the silent movie and live music of Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Piccitto in their project CROSSROADS; THE NEXT GEN WEBFEST; the shorts and webisodes of GET YOUR SHORTS ON; the Hal Ashby spotlight; REV|VR–the Greg Ferris virtual reality works at Backlot Perth and Semiconductor’s BRILLIANT NOISE/BLACK RAIN moving image works at the Fremantle Arts Centre. These are but some of the unusual, cutting-edge and alternative presentations of sound and light on offer.
Here at the secret AccessReel HQ somewhere in the northern coastal suburbs of Perth, when we’re not making bok-choy smoothies or challenging each other to games of holo-jenga, Team AccessReel have been chatting about the features and documentaries we’re going to catch up with at REV.
Below are our picks of the pics.
ALISON has her eye on GHOST STORIES. The blurb explains further “Ghost Stories pays homage to production company Amicus’s portmanteau horror films of the sixties (Dr Terror’s House of Horrors, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood and Vault of Horror), as paranormal investigator Professor Goodman investigates a trio of real supernatural sightings and the surviving witnesses recount their nightmarish tales.” The cast includes notables such as Martin Freeman, Derren Brown and Paul Whitehouse.–
LEITH is somewhere between treading the boards and Middle Earth with his choice, the documentary MCKELLEN: PLAYING THE PART. Or as the blurb would say: “One of Britain’s greatest actors, and one might say one of the greatest raconteurs you’ll have the pleasure of encountering, Sir Ian McKellen has forged a career across the big and small screens and in front and behind the camera.”
AccessReel Supremo DARRAN is choosing the Russell Mulcahy 1984 Australian classic horror RAZORBACK. “Beth is a journalist on the hunt for a story about animal treatment in the deep, dark outback but a terrible accident puts paid to her career as a giant boar is on the loose terrorising all and sundry.”
PHIL’s choice is the 2018 documentary STUDIO 54 to erase the memory of 54 the 1998 Neve Campbell, Ryan Phillippe drama. As the doco blurb says: “it tells the story of the glamorous, legendary Manhattan night club. A place where stars and street mixed, an era where anything was possible, and the seventies reached a zenith of disco, dancing, decadence and perhaps an inevitable decline. There is some great archival footage and interviews with many of the key players, Studio 54 offers a glimpse into a time and place where anything and everything seemed possible.”
SIAN is ready for opening night with THE BREAKER UPPERERS. Sian: I love a bit of healthy Aussie vs Kiwi banter, and the fact that such teasing is featured in the Revelation Fest program description of this flick wins me over. But it not just the marketing that has me interested in this one, it’s also the investment of the creative team. Jackie Van Beek and Madeleine Sami both write, direct and star in this film, making it a very personal project. In addition, I hope to get some helpful tips: I’ve never been particularly good at breaking up with people… apparently this movie shows you how to get it done! Sounds both fun and educational!
MONIKA is all set to catch YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE. Monika: When an unfinished version of a film receives a seven-minute standing ovation, in addition to winning the best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, then you know this is a movie worth watching. Award-winning director and writer, Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk about Kevin), takes on Jonathan Ames’ popular novel, You Were Never Really Here.
Joaquin Phoenix is cast as Joe, a deeply traumatised veteran who is haunted by his childhood and previous work at the FBI. His new job involves tracking down missing girls for a living and using brutal approach to succeed. Things start to unravel as he is asked to find and rescue the daughter of a senator.
Judging by the response from other critics and movie lovers, You Were Never Really Here, will keep audience members on the edge of their seat with its dark and intense story, some even calling it “exquisite” in its brutality and suffering. Phoenix’s portrayal of the lead character has not gone unnoticed as he is widely receiving praise for performance.
You Were Never Really Here will be one of the most popular screenings at this year’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival so make sure to grab your tickets quickly. Check the website and the program for further details.
