Cinema is Dope » People: Pascal Laugier

Martyrs Wins 2009 Melies d’Or for Best European Fantastic Film

blake — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:55:21 +0000

NOTE: Higher res version can be downloaded/viewed here in Quicktime format

For fans of Martyrs and Pascal here is video I took of him winning the 2009 Melies d’Or for Best European Fantastic Film at 42 Sitges Film Festival. I’m glad to be able to post this online for the fans of his and the film that didn’t get to be there.

It came full circle for me at the 42 Sitges Film Festival in getting to see filmmaker Pascal Laugier win and accept the 2009 Melies d’Or for Best European Fantastic Film (www.melies.org) for Martyrs (previous CID movie wallpaper). The film bowed first at the legendary Midnight Madness screening in Toronto and then played as the closing night film at Fantastic Fest here in Austin in 2008. Getting the film in Austin was by no means an easy task and may people went to great lengths, Tim League especially, in getting it here. Seeing it on the big screen here in Austin was a brutal and great experience all wrapped up in one. To see the film we fought to get here come full circle and win the prestigious Melies award at the grand Sitges Film Festival was unbelievable. These awards seem to revolve at where they get announced at every year and just for me to be at the spot after all these years of missing them where they were and for it to be the year Martyrs won… just felt for circle for me. Not to mention a wild night of partying with him and the Melies crew into the wee hours of the morning and getting to chat about the Austin reaction to his film and its post-free screening! Pascal Laugier’s next film gets rolling into production next year with a probable earliest bow looking to be in Fall 2011 (this can of course change). His next film is a thriller.

Sitges Film Festival 2009:
::: Official Site
::: Sitges Official Facebook Fan Page
::: Variety on Sitges ‘09
::: ‘Visage’, by Tsai Ming-liang, opens the Noves Visions category
::: Malcolm McDowell to receive the Grand Honorary Award at the opening, which will moved up to October 1st
::: [REC]2 to open Sitges 09
::: Alien is the inspiration for Sitges 09
::: The latest and most eagerly awaited genre films at Official Fantàstic Section
::: Animation, international variants of horror and 3D film
::: Sitges 09 will be recalling certain flashes from the 80’s

Martyrs (2008) – New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day – Morjana Alaoui & Mylene Jampanoi

blake — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:59:50 +0000

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

So a little while ago this film debuted at TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness…

Frederic Ambroisine has an exclusive and very insightful mini-documentary on Martyrs with English subtitles (available here). For any fans of the film or those dying to see it, definitely check this piece out.

I only get upset at popcorn torture horror films that exist for a quick loud noise scare, gore with no context or emotion, to which I’m not a fan of and this movie is certainly nowhere near being a part of. I must really say that Martyrs is NOT a torture porn film and it’s NOT just another mindless horror film, simply put it’s one of the best movies ever made. For 90 plus minutes it’s the most spell bounding and transformative horror film I’ve ever seen. I felt like Heaven and Hell brushed my eyes and danced with my soul as I watched it. Like the film Ikiru it hit me deep inside in ways that aren’t easy to describe in passing, which is saying a lot for any horror film. It really will take 5 years for this film to sink in and really figure its place in the cinema history, but I can’t think of a more divisive and conversation generating film this decade than this one. We really need to get past all the over hype of so many proclaiming it the most extreme film ever made to realize that it’s not the most extreme ever made and shouldn’t be the way anyone walks in expecting it to be. It’s an unrelenting film with some strong violence and very dark themes, but it becomes much more than that in ways you wouldn’t expect a horror film to. There are some deep routed and centuries old philosophical unanswered questions in the mix here that get passionately discussed in very soul searching fashion. Those simply looking at the film like its exploitation may just avoid this layer of it all together and jump on the fact film can never be art and only made as commercial entertainment, which is always the true artists quandary to create beautiful works that are introspection’s on their view of life, love and existence, but as beautiful works of art and no regards for commerce or commercial considerations. It’s a dark dark film but I love where it takes me and challenges me. Just when you think French cinema cannot offer any new depths and heights in horror, this film raises that bar to a place that may never be equaled or sadly ever fully appreciated.

Seems interesting that recently I was just discussing the ending of Funny Games (the anti-film film aka the anti-genre film) and its overall subtext of where do movies existence stop. Where do films stop existing after their end credits? Can a movie in some form or way alter your reality or change something about you for better or worse and to a certain degree take on an existence with who you are. My personally, I think the best movies ever made find bridges into our hearts and soul that guide us like the same kind of fate that makes us to be a second late that in turns causes us to avoid a deadly car wreck. Martyrs works like the hands of fate, illuminating existence and transforming daily life perception. It makes one look at the sun and stars at night with new meaning. It’s a horror film for the ages that dares to be transformative and go for something more. There is blood and violence and unrelenting narrative that thrusts you deep inside a layer of hell cinema really hasn’t gone into like this before. What is it digging for and what are its underlying themes? To say anymore would simply spoil everything. This is a film to know as little about as possible before stepping in, while realizing at the same time if dark films or films with violent content aren’t your thing… then more than likely you should stick with something else. For those daring, already jaded or want a horror film to shake things up, then Martyrs is the only film you need to see this year. I wish I could say more and really discuss it further, but to ruin any part of this film would be absurd (as many online already have).

I should also note the The Bird with the Crystal Plumage shot in the film is hands down amazing. I’m sure not everyone will catch this moment, but for those that do its an amazing riff on something Argento did that expands it out in a very incredible way.

Film Festival Appearances:
::: FrightFest
::: Midnight Madness @ TIFF
::: Sitges – International Film Festival of Catalonia

Trailer
::: Full Trailer & Two Teasers – Twitch
::: Smaller
* Not safe for work or for those easily offended

Other Reviews
::: Review Alan Jones – Fangoria
::: Review David Fakrikian – DVDvision

Video
::: Discussion among several in Cannes after its market screening (including Karim Hussain) – ZONEBIS
::: More Cannes Reaction (Video) – FilmsActu
::: And More Reaction from Cannes (Video) – EXCESSIF TV

Other Interviews
::: Mylene Jampanoi Video Interview from Cannes
::: Video interview with Pascal Laugier – FilmsActu
::: Oh My Gore! Interview with Pascal Laugier

Music
::: 3 clips of the score

Image Source:
Official stills that were used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: Official Site
::: Mylene Jampanoi Official Site
::: IMDb Profile

Martyrs (2008) – New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day

blake — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:15 +0000

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Monday, August 4, 2008

Martyrs is the horror buzz film of 2008. Many are already hailing it as the horror film of the year, while others are proclaiming it horror film of the decade. Can you get any stronger hype than that? Probably not! It still is up in the air for when I’ll finally be able to see this horror film for the ages and I can’t wait… it cannot get here soon enough.

Martyrs will be screening at the upcoming FrightFest later this month, in September at Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival and in October at Sitges – International Film Festival of Catalonia.

Related Coverage:

Upcoming Festival Appearances:
::: FrightFest
::: Midnight Madness @ TIFF
::: Sitges – International Film Festival of Catalonia

Trailer
::: Full Trailer & Two Teasers – Twitch
::: Smaller
* Not safe for work or for those easily offended

Petition
::: Online Petition for it to be released in France uncut

Reviews
::: Review Alan Jones – Fangoria
::: Review David Fakrikian – DVDvision

Interviews
::: Mylene Jampanoi Video Interview from Cannes
::: Video interview with Pascal Laugier – FilmsActu
::: Oh My Gore! Interview with Pascal Laugier

Music
::: 3 clips of the score

Image Source:
Official stills that were used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: Official Site
::: IMDb Profile

Martyrs (2008) – Movie Wallpaper

blake — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:00:11 +0000

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The horror film of the year this very well seems to be. A horror film with a heart and soul and a exploding vision of fury, Martyrs, should easily unsettle the most jaded of cinephiles. The film seems very much 70’s influenced and according to its director, heavily indebted to Possession by Andrzej Zulawski and Tenebre by Dario Argento.

The wool picture in the 2nd image is very much a nod to Serpico according to its director Pascal Laugier.

Related Coverage:

Trailer
::: Smaller
* Not safe for work or for those easily offended

Petition
::: Online Petition for it to be released in France uncut

Reviews
::: Review Alan Jones – Fangoria
::: Review David Fakrikian – DVDvision

Interviews
::: Mylene Jampanoi Video Interview from Cannes
::: Video interview with Pascal Laugier – FilmsActu
::: Oh My Gore! Interview with Pascal Laugier

Music
::: 3 clips of the score

Image Source:
Official stills that were used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: Official Site
::: IMDb Profile