The Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival gets underway on Thursday, and even though the annual event continues to grow exponentially in prestige, it remains the most underrated ticket in a multiplex of film festivals. Once it’s able to furnish helicopter rides -- or, better yet, a monorail -- from the Tivoli to Plaza Frontenac, it will take a back seat to nobody.
As in years past, the SLIFF staff, headed by film scholar and executive director Cliff Froehlich, reads between the lines of the predictable-genre textbook. In fact, they throw it away entirely. That leaves plenty of room for dark – even bleak - comedies, noir, character studies, overseas obscurities and a smattering of Missouri-connected – though not necessarily indigenous –cinema.
The first full day of screenings is Friday, the 13th and, conveniently, each of the two main venues will cater to a pretty distinct fan demographic. As befitting the calendar’s scariest date, the Tivoli will find itself possessed by a triumvirate of horror and suspense. The Halloween in November gets underway with a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia that’s more liberal than literal with the source material. It’s followed by the creepy, Missouri-lensed Albino Farm, which proves that pigmentation is not crucial for colorful horror. If you haven’t been scared to death by the time those two wrap up (even if you have, you could become a movie-watching zombie) you can traipse over to theater 3 to see Blackspot, arguably the most unsettling New Zealand-lensed suspense-horror film since Strange Behavior (written by Bill Condon who, interestingly, directed Dreamgirls). Meanwhile, over at Plaza Frontenac, it’s a mixed bag in terms of genre - but it’s also a grab-bag of can’t-go-wrong excellence. And because it will be Friday, the 13th at Frontenac, too – dates, after all, defy geography – those who prefer thrills and shudders of a more subtle kind should be certain not to miss Yella, a German thriller that’s decidedly more Hitchcock than horror. A few hours later, also at Frontenac, go see the genre-cutting Terribly Happy. It’s dark and from Denmark -- what more could you ask for? And don’t miss the crime-ridden Cat City on Saturday at the Tivoli. Actually, it’s OK to miss, because it’s playing again on Sunday. And on Sunday at Frontenac, the Spanish Gigante is a strange voyeuristic comedy worth spying on.
They don’t call it a festival for nothing; there are simply too many worthwhile films to get to – both in my blog post and the theaters. So, for now, grab a schedule booklet (also available online at cinemastlouis.org) and let it be your map to a great movie from anywhere in the world. And because I would rather not project too far into the future, I’ll be back next Wednesday to make some fresh recommendations for the final weekend.
Jordan Oakes is a local journalist who has written for publications such as St. Louis Magazine and the Christian Science Monitor. He has strong opinions that begin to atrophy if he doesn't exercise his right to express them. Tune in every Wednesday for another installment of Mediatribe - and if you missed last week's post, click here.
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