I don’t use the word “hero” very often. However, the person on the A&O Film staff who decided to swap the last two films on the schedule is the greatest hero in American history.
Orginally, the last film was scheduled to be A Gnome Named Gnorm. That would have been a TERRIBLE choice. You want a really energetic last film to wake people up before sending them out in the wild to drive home. Traditionally, this would have been a classic Godzilla movie or something of the like. However, a lack of Fest continuity has basically left only two traditions left; they show Plan 9 from Outer Space every year (now tragically often the ONLY black and white film at the Fest–older sponsors, get your damn act together), and show The Wizard of Speed and Time short. Balancing out the program is something that ended at least a decade ago.
Still and all, now the last movie as Demons, and it might not be a giant monster movie, but it’s loud and dumb and energetic and did the last movie job. Modern Italian horror is never going to be my favorite–plus, when you get down to it, this is just another zombie movie–but I can’t knock this one as a Fest entry.
Seriously, though, next year they need to make sure 80% of the movies weren’t produced in either the 80s and 90s. There are a lot of decades to choose from, people!
