“Big Ass Spider!” by Mike Mendez
The movie is so ridiculous its title needed exclaiming. “Big Ass Spider!” is every bad SyFy channel movie wrapped into one and given a sense of humor and self-awareness that only serve to amplify the madness onscreen. A giant alien spider (created by the government and their shady, melodramatic “scientist”) attacks L.A., and it’s up to a plucky exterminator and his constantly quipping, horribly stereotyped Mexican security-guard sidekick to stop it. Or more accurately, blow it up.
“Milo” by Jacob Vaughan
Probably my favorite film from SXSW, “Milo” combines elements of creature feature horror, buddy comedy and Freudian psychoanalysis in the heart-warming, gut-wrenching tale of a man with a (adorable) demon baby living in his ass. Like a grown up take on “Gremlins,” or a gorier version of “Lilo and Stitch,” “Milo” both isn’t afraid to point out how insane its premise is, and manages to succeed in spite of it.
“Spring Breakers” by Harmony Korine
I’m going to be honest: Going in, I was expecting this movie to be much higher on the list than it wound up based purely on production stills of James Franco rocking cornrows and grillz. However, once inside I found that while Franco’s character may look goofy, the writing and performance were shockingly serious, much like the film itself, which starts with the innocent seeming fun of spring break and slowly descends into the darker recesses of the human psyche in a tense, brooding piece of cinema.
“The Scenic Route” by the Goetz Brothers
Despite a fairly serious premise (two friends get stranded in the desert while on a road trip and their relationship goes through rapid, brutal evolution), “The Scenic Route” never gets too dark for its own good thanks to “Balls of Fury” star Dan Fogler’s constant comic relief, as his surprising great chemistry with co-star Josh Duhamel is the driving force behind a very moving, intensely personal film.
“Museum Hours” by Jem Cohen
While “Big Ass Spider!” found strength in it’s self-awareness, “Museum Hours” struggles by taking itself too seriously. While the concepts it works with are brilliant, and the visuals stunning (any art film set in a museum is going to have plenty to work with), it gets too wrapped up in what it’s doing at times, coming off as intentionally obtuse and frustratingly paced at times. However, strongly human, touching writing and performances make it a challenging but ultimately rewarding movie going experience.
