Lars' Wednesday at Fantastic Fest

Wednesday I saw two Fantastic Fest films in between urgently running around getting actual work done.

The first was UNCLE'S PARADISE, which I watched again with my girlfriend. It's such a small film that I don't want to build it up too much but I find it highly rewarding. If you love surrealism but find most surreal films cold and inhospitable, you may like this film. And you may not. Be advised that it's a pink film, so if 8 minute-long sex scenes make you uncomfortable, don't see it.

Then VELVET HUSTLER. I already knew this was one of my favorite movies ever but seeing it on the big screen with an appreciative crowd clinched it. Tetsuya Watari provides the ultimate blueprint of how to be Mr. Cool-guy down to your socks. He's so cool that he even uses his last breath on earth to whistle his jaunty theme song. He's so cool that he NAPS! He's so cool that his dancing is indistinguishable from sleepwalking. He's so cool that when every cop and gangster in Kobe is looking for him he wears a bright white 3-piece suit with matching shoes. Lead actress Ruriko Asaoka is a freak of beauty. She weighs like 85 pounds and she has a huge head with eyes the size of golf balls but pop her up on screen and she's a dream girl. It was Nippontastic!

It's been a great festival. I've met a lot of great new friends and great old ones too. Hope everyone has had as much fun as I have.