by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

My first Fantastic Fest has come to an end. It went by fast but it was a packed week with too many interesting films to name. The virtual selection was limited but there were plenty of great genre films to engage with. The overall virtual experience was also well run and easy to access for the most part. If you are interested in attending the fest, I highly suggest it, although I hope to go in person someday and see all the incredible events, community, and other opportunities that come along with it .

I am happy to announce that everything I saw was at the very least technically interesting. Most things I loved and the ones that did not end up sticking the landing for me still had a lot of value and will foster interesting conversations within the genre community. So here are my thoughts on a few of the movies I got the chance to see. 

All Jacked Up and Full of Worms (dir. by Alex Phillips, 2022)

This was a head trip, in the best way. It is a movie about love, getting high on worms, and outcasts. After seeing Betsey Brown’s memorable performance in The Scary of Sixty First last year, it was a delight to see her in this movie and ultimately set the tone for the strange journey I would go on. This is a strange drug induced odyssey. I do not believe that everyone is going to like this film, especially considering how loose the plot often feels, but I found something very charming and funny about this disturbing film. It has powerful nightmarish imagery that I still find hard to shake. If you are looking for something that is pretty out there I suggest putting some time aside for All Jacked Up and Full of Worms. Although it might be best to watch this with your own worms (or other medicinal remedies of your choice). 

Satanic Hispanics (dir. Eduardo Sánchez, Mike Mendez, Alejandro Brugués, Demián Rugna, Gigi Saúl Guerrero, 2022)

This film was a great way for me to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a horror anthology twist. Horror favorites like Mike Mendez (The Convent), Demián Rugna (Terrified), Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock), and Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project) offer their lens on Hispanic horror. They take a variety of routes with their stories that vary in tone but often pull upon folklore, microaggressions, religion, and stereotypes that make this an entertaining yet eye opening watch. I have not seen Efren Ramirez in much since Napoleon Dynamite and he gives a great performance in his story. Jonah Ray also offered a hilarious performance in his supernatural short. These various perspectives come together in a way that is hilarious, scary, and inclusive. 

The Third Saturday in October (dir. Jay Burleson, 2022)

I am glad that I watched this, mainly because I think what this film is trying to do is so interesting. The Third Saturday in October tries to emulate the slashers we grew up on from the 80s. It gives us a scary supernatural killer, a handful of loose partiers to offer up to the ensuing slaughter, and a cute and quirky final girl. This does succeed in its look and even the tone of many of these slashers. Unfortunately it also succeeds in how boring some of these knock off slashers often are. I was very impressed with the diverse cast, and how that related to a powerful moment that speaks to racism in a unique way. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film is that there is also a sequel, entitled The Third Saturday in October Part V. So the idea that this series is playing up the “long lost slasher” shtick with this much detail shows a love for the genre that is palpable throughout the film. I look forward to seeing what Part V has in store. 

Razzennest (dir. Johannes Grenzfurthner, 2022)

Razzennest is another experimental feature from the festival. This is another movie that might not be for everyone, but as someone who just started learning video editing and the art of splicing audio with different visuals, this was a delight. The movie is structured like a commentary track recording with a critic in the studio with the creative team behind Razzennest. While it starts with the mesmerizing visuals of the film paired with commentary from a group of contentious commentators it quickly devolves into an odd horror feature. The movie picks up on fascinating pieces of European history, conflicting generations of filmmakers, and a great audio feature from director Joe Dante. Seeing something this unique is the reason I love attending festivals like Fantastic. 

Shin Ultraman (dir. Shinji Higuchi, 2022)

This was the crown jewel of my festival experience. All of the Godzilla and Toho properties are household favorites for me. I loved Shin Godzilla and its satirical take on kaiju films and contemporary politics. Shin Ultraman is similar in many of the same ways but also manages to stand out as its own unique feature. The fact that these films are not linked by a continuum (something this writer is frankly sick of) makes this one of my favorite cinematic universes. The Shin films manage to utilize modern technology and effects to make the film feel like it is very much in line with the look and feel of the originals. It is an impressive feat and is something that fans of these films will appreciate. This has a great story, fun effects, and characters that I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. 

So that wraps my Fantastic Fest coverage for this year. Be sure to check out the full list of features on their website. And be on the lookout for these movies as they become available.