2024 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – Friday, April 5th

Coda’s ongoing coverage of the 2024 Phoenix Film Festival & International Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival. I'll be using these posts to recap the films I've experienced as part of these festivals.

 

 

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

KIM’S VIDEO – Directed by David Redmon & Ashley Sabin

 

 This turned out to be the perfect film for a cinephile to start a festival with. The love and obsession for this artform can be felt dripping from this film’s every pore. To be clear however, we cinephiles are not necessarily the most difficult to manipulate. Just fill your documentary with easily recognizable clips from our favorite auteurs, then start blurring the lines between movies and real life. I didn’t even need popcorn.

Then, as real life turn to imitate art in a surprise turn in the third act, it seems less fantastical and more like the inevitable narrative twist that’s been set up from the opening credits.

At time, this film gave me strong Banksy (EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP) vibes. But I can’t say that it had the substance that it thinks it does but I don’t really fault it for that. It was candy, but my favorite flavor.

 KIM’S VIDEO plays again on Tuesday, April 9^th at 12:10 PM

 

 

EVERYTHING FUN YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO IN ALEDO, ILLINOIS – Directed by Bethany Berg

 

 After almost thirty years, childhood BFFs reunite in their hometown of Aledo, Illinois. After discovering an unfinished bucket list they wrote as kids, they begin the adventure of checking off the wildest dreams of their youth.

This was a very sweet film with a well written script that felt extremely connected to the story’s setting. It’s filled with genuine laughs and a healthy dose of heartstring pulls. It was a crowd pleaser in my screening, and I’d actually probably revisit this in the future.

I would also add that this film features a soundtrack of original songs by country musician, Suzy Bogguss, whose acting is also featured prominently. It’s incredibly rare for a film of this size budget to have original music that’s this good.   

 EVERYTHING FUN YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO IN ALEDO, ILLINOIS plays again on Saturday, April 6^th at 11:45 AM & on Wednesday, April 10^th at 2:30 PM

 

 

BLIND COP 2 – Directed by Alec Bonk

 

 A disgraced blind police office must purge his city of the criminal element that killed his partner, or we’re all doomed.

This film is EXACTLY what you’re expecting. Just imagine that Stallone’s COBRA is blind and fighting a city full of Batman villains. The difference here is that BLIND COP 2 obviously knows just how silly it is. This is what the performances are at times playing at and other times playing with. The main character’s name is in fact, Blind Cop.

There are plenty of moments of over-the-top gory practical effects that I very much appreciated here. I can see myself revisiting this one at home, maybe with pizza and wings and a few people that have no idea what they’re in for.

 BLIND COP 2 plays again on Saturday, April 6^th at 9:20 PM

 

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