Enjoy horror for the holidays
After a sugary diet of holidayfare, the annual Another Hole in the Head film festival arrives in its 17th iteration to cleanse the palate of all that sweetness.
The film series, which is affiliated with SF IndieFest, is an absolute delight for lovers of scrappy films representing such genres as sci-fi, horror and fantasy. It offers shorts and features, many of which have deep Bay Area connections. The virtual fest runs through Dec. 27.
For a full program and to purchase tickets and passes, go to ahith.com.
Here are a few not to miss. • “Murder Bury Win”: After its successful world premiere a few months back at Silicon Valley’s Cinejoy festival, director/writer/ editor Michael Lovan’s sly thriller on killer board- game shenanigans makes a welcome return to the fest circuit. Shot in Berkeley and El Cerrito, “Murder Bury Win” is an inventive comic horror homage, with essential but not extraneous gore that’s bolstered by smart writing and vigorous performances, notably from Mikelen Walker, a true star. He plays Chris, one of three inventors of a new board game called, you guessed it, Murder Bury Win. But the trio, which includes Adam (Erich Lane) and Barrett (Henry Alexander Kelly), can’t raise the funding needed to publish their game. That is until an encounter with a mysterious bankroller (Craig Cackowski) holed up in a cabin in the woods makes an offer that they might just want to refuse. You won’t want to miss this one.
• “Precarious”: Otherworldly, with an “Outer Limits” retro style, Weston Terray’s hallucinogenic fantasy/thriller was filmed in Emeryville and centers on a man (Andrey Pfening) recuperating from getting struck with an arrow near Grizzly Peak and Claremont. From there, “Precarious” catapults into ’60s-era strangeness and even includes a bizarre tree-fort confrontation. Terray masters a surreal vibe throughout.
• “The Lost”: This entry in the “Strictly Local” program is Oakland filmmaker Vincent Cortez’ take a zombie- chained-inthe basement narrative. It’s not only terrifying but also emotional and relevant. A virus is to blame and, in the process, two brave sisters band together. Told
via flashback, Cortez’s visceral short delivers a revelation that makes the ending even more powerful. It’s a standout in an impressive lineup of shorts. Hopefully, Cortez’s short catches the eye of Hollywood. It’s just that good. Another short in the “Strictly Local” program
well worth your time and simply great fun is “The Trouble With Cats.”
• “An Unquiet Grave”: Fresh off a world premiere at the Nightstream festival, Terence Krey’s poignant portrait of out- of- control grief is unforgettable.
If you are a fan of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary,” this haunting film and about widower (Jacob A. Ware) and his late wife’s sister (Christine Nyland) revisiting
the scene of a tragic event is a must-see.
• “Beasts Clawing at Straws”: An unclaimed bag of money leads to wicked antics by an assortment of seemingly random, often unsavory characters willing to do whatever it takes to grab the loot.
Shocking and fun, Kim Yong-hoon’s twisted South Korean noir should delight fans of “The Grifters” slip by.