We started with a lovely and challenging art documentary, which had some wondering what it's doing in a horror/fantasy/sci-fi festival. WEAPONS OF LIGHT is a look at artist Philip Lawson. He's a painter, a poet, a sculptor. He's a gentle, thoughtful man who teaches art and art therapy at a institute for the mentally and physically challenged in Marin. And his latest project--Weapons Of Light - The Art of Peace--takes an iconic and challenging image and repurposes it. The AK-47 is surely the most iconic weapon of the last century. And Philip has reformed that symbol by casting translucent, colorful resin into that shape. Director Leila Namvar captures his art, his heart, his process, and his friends. There's such a gentleness behind everything in this movie, that it makes the image of the AK-47 all that more striking. It's a lovely and challenging movie, about a lovely and challenging image. And as for it belonging in a horror/fantasy/sci-fi festival...well, I can be convinced it belongs.
Afterwards, there was a very engaging Q&A session, and I'm not just saying that because I was a last-minute recruit to run it. Mostly it was because Leila and Philip could speak quite eloquently about their work, and because the movie draws out such interesting reactions. Oh yeah, also because there were pouring free wine before the film.
Then the open cocktail bar started up, and we all go ready for a 90s Sing-A-Long: Halloween Special. I got really drunk, tried to sing along, and mostly decided that 90s music doesn't do shit for me. But other people seemed to be having fun. And so did I, once I got drunk enough.
And then the late night show, THE GIANT PAPIER MACHE BOULDER IS ACTUALLY REALLY HEAVY. A cleverly silly comedy from New Zealand. Three friends go to a sci-fi convention, even though only one is really into it. While there they go to a screening of a cheesy B-movie "Space Warriors In Space" and as the opening credits roll, they see their names as the stars. Next thing you know, they're sucked into the cheesy B-movie world. No explanation given, and none needed, really. A world where spaceships fly around on strings, silver-painted hair dryers are guns, and robots are made out of cardboard. It was clearly made by people who are fans of sci-fi, and had a lot of fun with it. And the end result is actually pretty fun, and not--as I was afraid--a joke that would wear out too quickly. At least, the parts where I was conscious were fun. Did I mention the cocktail bar for the 90s sing-a-long was free?
Total Running Time: 248 minutes
My Total Minutes: 434,335
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