Camino

A photojournalist chases the next assignment in the Columbian jungle, but when she sees something she shouldn't, she's forced to run for her life.

I'd heard that this film had generally bad reviews, but I don't see why.  The story is strong, as is the acting by stunt-woman nee star Zoë Bell and director nee adversary Nacho Vigalondo.  The film is shot very dark, mostly at night in the jungle, but was effective at conveying the closed in world around Bell's character.  I enjoyed it.

Camino

2015, 104 minutes, directed by Josh C. Walker

Columbia, subtitled, outdoors, survival

Darling

The writer/director of this film tried to weave a creepy story of demonic worship and insanity, but his only tools were unnecessarily-loud dissonance and split second cuts to people screaming.  I liked his choice of black & white and to set the film in the '60s, but all I left with was a headache.

2015, 78 minutes, directed by Mickey Keating

horror, descent into madness

Assassination Classroom

A supersonic alien octopus destroys the moon, invades earth, and threatens to destroy the planet next year if he's not stopped first.  But, he's virtually invincible, so to make the fight fair he agrees to become teacher to a group of reject Japanese middle school kids, training them in math, science, and the art of assassination, so that one of them might be able to kill him in time to save the planet.

The style is very reminiscent of Battle League Horumo, what with the cartoonish big smiley head monster integrated into the school environment.  It's silly, and it doesn't really make logical sense, but it's really enjoyable fun.  Look for a sequel next year.

Assassination Classroom

2015, 110 minutes, directed by Eiichiro Hasumi

Japan, subtitled, alien, children, action, comedy

Sensoria

This ghost story is best described as a classic haunting, with poltergeist effects and ghost-behind-you inserts for mild shock value.  But it's a good story, well shot and acted, and worthy of a late-night screening with your spouse.

Sensoria

2015, 82 minutes, directed by Christian Hallman

Sweden, subtitled, ghost, shockfest

What We Become

I believe this Danish film has to be the source material for the first season of Fear the Walking Dead.

What We Become

2015, 85 minutes, directed by Bo Mikkelsen

zombie, apocalypse, survival, horror, Denmark, subtitled

The Man Who Saved the World

I try to stay away from the Alamo's repertoire screenings.  There usually of low production quality and, like Dangerous Men, terrible.  This offering from 1980s Turkey, though, was billed as the Turkish Star Wars, and I thought it would be worth a chance.  Hilariously enough, it was.  The film is bad, very bad.  The film is like Star Wars because every single space scene is literally stolen directly from Star Wars, usually as a small out-of-place clip aired repeatedly with bad cuts.  Set in the far future, the film tells the story of two Turkish heroes fighting the evil Wizard, hell bent on destroying the world - again, apparently, since if I followed the plot it's been destroyed repeatedly yet survives both unharmed and blown into pieces.  The Wizard needs to analyze a human brain to know how to defeat Earth and thus lures the heroes to his planet, which turns out to be a large chuck of Egypt that was apparent blown off Earth in a past explosion.  It's populated by literally everything, from robots to stuffed monsters to mummies to stock footage of Star Wars aliens.  Also, there's a population of humans, which the Wizard must not have noticed even though he fights them in his arena.  The locals befriend the heroes and tell them about the Wizard, helping them train to prepare for the repeated and unintentionally hilarious combat.  Obviously it goes well; the death of one hero drives the other forward, who eventually wins by literally splitting the wizard in half with the most amazing karate chop ever.  Then he randomly flies home in the Millenium Falcon.  The end.  If that sounds good, grab some popcorn and a few friends and enjoy this terrible masterpiece.

The Man Who Saves the World

1982, 91 minutes, directed by Çetin İnanç

space, adventure, action, robots, aliens, undead, Turkey, subtitled

The Martian

It's gravity, but with science.  And humor.  It was a smarter, more intelligent film, but I don't know that office politics will play well with general audiences.

The Martian

2015, 120 minutes, directed by Ridley Scott

space, adventure, sci fi, survival