Fantasia: The Theatre Bizarre

Directed by Richard Stanley ("The Mother of the Toads"); Douglas Buck ("The Accident") ; Buddy Giovinazzo ("I Love You") ; Tom Savini ("Wet Dreams"); Karim Hussain ("Vision Stains"); David Gregory ("Sweets"); Jeremy Kasten
Writers: Scarlett Amaris, Douglas Buck, John Esposito, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Emiliano Ranzani, Richard Stanley
Cast: Kaniehiito Horn, Catriona MacColl, Andre Hennicke, Tom Savini, Udo Kier, Lena Leine
Producers: Carl Draft, David Gregory, Fabrice Lambot, Jean-Pierre Putters, Daryl Tucker

The Theatre Bizarre is a huge collaboration film; each director was given an identical budget and complete freedom to create a short film with no rules. The result is simply magical. Six different films were presented: "The Accident" by Buck, "I Love You" by Giovinazzo, "Sweets" by Gregory, "Vision Stains" by Hussain, "Wet Dreams" by Savini, and "The Mother of Toads" by Stanley.

"The Accident" is the sweetest of the six, concentrating on the confusing idea of death and why people die. "I Love You" deals with a very bad romance, which is fuelled by psychosexual nature. "Sweets" was my favorite of the six. The film emphasizes comedic horror and the nasty habits that humans have adapted: habits like food and unnatural social groups. "Vision Stains" concentrates on a disturbed writer and what she is willing to do to get the stories that no one would ever see if it weren’t for her. "Wet Dreams" is probably the most fucked up film; it's focused on a miserable housewife and her revenge towards her cheating husband. "The Mother of Toads" was the tale of a man who becomes sexually involved with a - well, you guessed it - huge toad.

At the screening, all of the directors were present and their producers; the crowd was excited for the world premier (as they should have been). The films were gruesome and witty; they were well filmed, and the people who made them, made them with intense care. I highly recommend this film because of the content. It is so rare that a director gets complete and absolute freedom to create whatever he or she wants, and that really turns all six films of The Theatre Bizarre into hidden gems. It grabs hold of you and does not let go.

4 out of 5 Stars

-Andrea Boulet