Filmstalker: Edinburgh International Film Festival: Day Three

Day Three was the busiest day so far for me, four films, and fighting the flu I was really concerned I'd struggle to make it through. However I did, perhaps to the detriment of my health.

Anyway the day was a real mix, it started quite well with The Runaways, became really good with Jackboots on Whitehall, then dipped with Cherry Tree Lane and picked back up a little with Superhero Me.

Hitting the 9am screening for The Runaways I was really surprised just how busy the screening was, almost full as it turned out. Come showtime the screen remained blank and some fifteen minutes waiting the film hadn't even kicked off yet. Turned out that the projectionist hadn't turned up yet and the digital screening needed someone special to show it.

Late, but we got the film started and it turned out to be rather good. Yes Kristen Stewart is pretty good and looks to be trying to shed her Twilight image, and succeeding quite well, after all she's doing a lot of smoking, a slightly nude scene, drug taking (in the film) and generally being bad(ish). Interestingly though all this is treated rather lightly, for she will want to take her fans with her.

You'd also think that she was the lead and focus of the film, she's actually not you know.

Next up was Jackboots on Whitehall which started off having to really pull me to it. I was enjoying it and sniggering away but it didn't really grab me until a little later on into it and it's one of those films I'd like to see again to see how well it holds up. What I can say is that by the second half I was laughing rather than sniggering, and at one point tears were coming out both eyes.

The idea of an action man animated film is bizarre, but then place it in a Britain which is about to be overrun by the Nazi's after the British forces couldn't escape Dunkirk and where Scot Land is still blocked off behind Hadrians Wall, just takes it to another level. It's great fun though and a whole heap of laughs for so many reasons. Really well scripted too.

I think that was the highlight of the day, and so Cherry Tree Lane had a lot to live up to and started struggling from the opening shot. The ominous door shot with the music behind it didn't really scare me that much, I mean it's a door, and then it tried to be a British Funny Games, a film we've seen before and doesn't work here. With an ending that had some giggles from the audience and then a silence with some people going "what?", didn't bode well for the film.

That film also saw me change venue from the Cineworld to the Cameo with some lunch grabbed on the way and once again joined by Woodo79 aka Stuart from Cinema Blend who left in disgust after that film heading off to choose something decent in the Videoteque.

Me, I stayed at the Cameo for Superhero Me, something I was desperately hoping would turn out well. It didn't do too badly, although it is a film of two parts really. There's a documentary about real life people being superheroes and there's a documentary about a guy trying to become a real life superhero. There's a lot of jovial fun in it and it could do with being treated a little more seriously to get the most out of it, but all in all it's enjoyable and interesting.

So a pretty good day all in all, three films were good with one being superb.

Provisional Reviews for Day Three:
The Runaways:
Jackboots on Whitehall: and a Filmstalker Recommends
Cherry Tree Lane:
Superhero Me: