Three Corpse Circus – Second Annual Horror Film Festival

The second annual Three Corpse Circus shambled its way into the historic Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor last Friday night for another evening chock full of exceptional short horror films.

And I mean shambled quite literally. The event this year kicked off with a Zombie Walk. Yes, yes, I’ve spoken out against the zombie menace before and it certainly takes a lot for me to warm to the chilled flesh of the reanimated. But, really, there is something wonderfully theatrical about having a stream of undead patrons dragging themselves up the street and then into the movie house. Like a stamp of approval: horror movies that monsters like. Plus rotting remains got cheaper tickets. Think of it as a senior discount taken one step beyond. The Three Corpses also arranged another clever tie-in, this one with the American Red Cross – Dig the cool graphic they designed for this alliance. Donate a pint of blood, get cheaper tickets. Such pro-social team-ups can’t help but raise the reputation of horror fandom in the wider community.

The scope of the festival grew to be three full sets this year, three rings of the circus if you will. To cope with a presentation that long, attendees need to be prepared to step out for refreshment, smuggle in sustenance or push fleshly needs aside and revel in the sheer gluttony of film. An unrepentant glutton was I.

What rocked my world?

I am once again a little embarrassed for my county to note that most of the truly exceptional horror films originated outside of the US. We Yanks didn’t disappoint entirely though, and I think the “Backwater Gospel” stood at the top of the class for domestic product. This tale of fear and religious intolerance was told with crisp, presumably digital animation. Maybe not the most probing and insightful story but the design of the characters was tight and the sense of stylization was consistent. Well done.

The award for Most Deeply and Profoundly Disturbing (and well done) goes to “Lipstick,” directed by and starring Shannon Lark. I have oft found myself being labeled as a politically correct drone just because I want to see culture made by a wider variety of folks than is available currently. “Lipstick” is exactly the kind of deeply sick, deliciously twisted piece that a straight white guy would likely never come up with. No paraphrase could do it justice, I think. It’s a fresh and different kind of disturbing and frankly aren’t we getting a little bored with the same old kinds of revulsion? The Three Corpses got several of their offerings this year from the Viscera Film festival which celebrates largely female driven horror. These — well dare I call them “sick chick flicks?” — were quite inspiring because of the new vision they promise.

Another domestic shout out has to go to Daywalt Fear Factory, not primarily for any specific piece but for the generally high quality of their many entries. Daywalt Fear Factory had over a half dozen short films sprinkled throughout the festival. To be honest, some succeeded better than others but most of them had some spark of originality and accomplishment, from the makeup prosthetics of “The Many Doors of Albert Whale” to the presumably digital effects of “Bedfellows” to the narrative restraint of “Five Minutes Earlier.” Keep an eye out for Daywalt Fear Factory.

My flat out favorite of the festival was the British film”Don’t Lose Heart” and, like the Danish Opstandelsen last year, it made me set aside my seething hatred of zombie movies. The first thing I loved about it was the main character, an elderly woman who kept focused, kept motivated and well, never lost heart even as the post-apocalypse dragged on. Camera work was tight. Editing was especially good in the economical montage sequence that first showed the highlights of her day then suggested how those days stretch on and on. The sequence not only wasn’t repetitive, it effectively built tension. The filmmakers cleverly resolved the problem of “dialogue” in a one-person piece by having her listen over and over to a zombie preparedness loop played on a hand-cranked audio player. The only thing I can say against it was that it was a zombie picture. I just hate those things.

Runner-up, if I have the guts to admit it, I think was the French language film “Fantasy” by Izabel Grondin, a kinky tale of non-standard desires and practices. Pacing was great and the look was careful and precise. It successfully built a sense of extreme discomfort for the most part visually; the polite banter was nicely efficient (if the subtitles be trusted) but the images were what made the piece powerful.

Given enough time, I sure I’d have something to say about all the films. “Elsa L.” my date for the evening particularly liked “The Ghost and Us.” The situation and the script were quite well done with characters having an emotional depth not usually found in horror movies of any length. “Igor” my horror buddy lauded “Together” which was, I agree, another gem of the night, a beautiful euro-horror piece that didn’t explain too much. Even though I could go on and on, the take-away lesson has to be the same as last year: If you’re into Horror and you’re in Michigan, get to the Three Corpse Circus. Get there early and maybe tuck a snack in your pocket.