by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief

This year marks the thirty-third Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF) which kicks off October 17 until October 27, 2024. Screenings will take place at various Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) venues across the city which include: Film Society Center, Film Society Bourse and Film Society East.

Even though PFF will mark my third major festival of the season, there are still plenty of 2024 flick offerings that have not graced by eyeballs. ICYMI much of my September was spent in the darkness of the cinema via the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and Fanastic Fest. Given my extensive travels, I have viewed a lot of motion pictures in the past month which means I have a lot of great tips to offer in terms of what to watch. With PFF tickets going on sale Friday for PFS members and Monday for the general public, let’s dive in to picks… shall we?

Centerpieces

The Last Showgirl
Written by Kate Gersten
Directed by Gia Coppola
Watched at TIFF

Pamela Anderson stars as a legendary showgirl who learns that the show she has been part of for several decades will be shuttering. Anderson gives a tremendous and moving performance as a dreamer that never knew the meaning of the word quit. Her costars Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Billie Lourde serve up equally standout portrayals. In fact, I will be as bold to say that this is the film that Curtis should have won her Oscar for as she gives an incredible depiction as a lost soul in Vegas. The cinematography is just as much a star as it gives a cinéma vérité style that made me feel like a fly on the wall observing these people's stories. With a swift eighty-five minute runtime, this motion picture packs a lot of punch.

The Last Showgirl was recently acquired by Roadside Attractions and is set for a release later this year.

Anora
Written and Directed by Sean Baker
Watched at TIFF

Looking for a wild ride? Make sure you add Anora to your watchlist. Mikey Madison plays the titular role, a sex worker from Brooklyn that finds herself in the crosshairs of a Cinderella story when she hastily marries one of her customers. Unfortunately, her fairy tale comes to an abrupt end when the in-laws and wayward cohorts unexpectedly drop in for a visit.

I adored Sean Baker’s 2017 flick The Florida Project but sadly was disappointed with his most recent venture, Red Rocket (2021). With Anora, I am wholeheartedly back on the Baker bandwagon. I was not prepared for the adventure this film would take me on and find, even after seeing it in early September, I am still processing it.

Anora is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 18, compliments of Neon.

Spotlights

Memoir of a Snail
Written and Directed by Adam Elliot
Watched at Fantastic Fest

Memoir of a Snail should not be seen without having tissues at the ready. In 1970s Australia, Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook) lives a bittersweet life marked by death. When her mother dies giving birth to her and her twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee), they find themselves raised by their paraplegic-alcoholic father Percy (Dominique Pinon). Sadly, soon thereafter Percy passes on and the siblings find themselves separated into different foster homes. This ultimately results in several tragic years for the duo. Grace inevitably finds comfort in hoarding and a slime ball smoothie while Gilbert faces the eradication of his entire personality due to living with a gaggle of religious fanatics. This movie may have hurt my heart, but it is so beautifully made that I am willing to forgive it. I absolutely loved all the little details that went into this picture and Grace’s persona revolving around snails, guinea pigs, and romance novels might quite possibly be goals.

Memoir of a Snail is set to be released in select theaters on October 25 and a wider release in November, compliments of IFC Films.

Focus on India

Superboys of Malegaon
Written by Varun Grover and Reema Kagti
Directed by Reema Kagti
Watched at TIFF

I love movies about making movies and Suberboys of Malegaon is a charming look at a rag tag film crew from a small town in India that decide to make original parodies of famed Bollywood movies. In time, they find that filmmaking not only helps them escape the hardships of their lives, but is extremely rewarding. The ability to depict people that look like themselves becomes more meaningful than the actual films they are spoofing. There is also a sense of camaraderie that grows in the village with each new film premiere.

It was hard not to crack a smile while watching this motion picture. Experiencing the sheer joy these residents have creating their flicks is such an absolute delight. I loved learning that the film was inspired by a 2008 documentary, Supermen of Malegaon, and that much of what was shown in the film was based on actual events. If you are looking for a pick me up, Superboys of Malegaon is the perfect answer.

Superboys of Malegaon is set to be released in select theaters in January 2025 and stream on Prime after the theatrical run.

After Hours

The Rule of Jenny Pen
Written by James Ashcroft, Eli Kent and Own Marshall
Directed by James Ashcroft
Watched at Fantastic Fest

The still image alone sold me on The Rule of Jenny Pen. It is no secret that I will watch any motion picture that features a doll, mannequin, or puppet. After viewing this at Fantastic Fest, I am able to confirm that one of the descriptions I read comparing The Rule of Jenny Pen as having the same “perverse joy” as the 1962 picture, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis is emphatically true. This flick takes you on an absolutely terrifying journey of the horror that is aging.

When a former judge (Geoffrey Rush) suffers a stroke, he finds himself bed-ridden in an old folks home. While laid up, he must find a way to stop a fellow patient, Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), who utilizes a child’s puppet to abuse the residents in horrific and menacing ways. Witnessing two legends on the silver screen such as Rush and Lithgow is an absolute treat. These two take the story to a demented level that is truly something to behold. I found in watching that, much like a flip of a light switch, suddenly things went from somewhat normal to completely unhinged. Seeing this movie with an audience at Fantastic Fest was an absolute delight.

Dead Talents Society
Written by John Hsu and Kun-Lin Tasi
Directed by John Hsu
Watched at TIFF

You may recall that I included Dead Talents Society on my most anticipated watches for TIFF… well, I am happy to report that that it is worth a watch. A gaggle of ghosts pine to become the most spookiest, terrifying, and frightful lot in the underworld. In order to remain a spectral spirit, expired souls must regularly spook the living to ensure they secure a “haunter’s license”. This documentation keeps them from permanently expiring. For most, this is not a scary predicament. However, for the demure and meek, this is a one way ticket to their demise… for a second time. This supernatural dark comedy is a heck of a lot of fun and just the right amount of spooky silly.

The US release of Dead Talents Society is still to be determined.

From The Vaults

A Matter of Life and Death
Written and Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
4K Restoration

I was not expecting to see a Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (aka The Archers) in the line-up and well… I am not complaining. These guys were a pair of movie magicians.

Shot in glorious technicolor, A Matter of Life and Death is one of cinematic history’s great achievements. I absolutely adore this motion picture (Want to hear me ramble on more about it? Check out my podcast Cinematic Crypt episode 025, here.) and the idea of being able to witness it on the silver screen in the darkness of a cinema makes me want to just burst from excitement. I have never seen a Powell and Pressburger on the big screen, so I am very much looking forward to this presentation, especially given that it is a 4K restoration.

As for the film itself, it does not waste any time and thrusts the viewer right into the story in which character Peter Carter (David Niven) finds himself in a badly damaged plane without a parachute. A radio dispatcher, an American gal, named June (Kim Hunter) receives his distress call and initially believes it will be his last transmission. Fortunately for Peter, the afterlife conductor loses him in the fog which causes him to cheat death. Of course, it does not take long for the reaper to come calling. Each time I experience a film made by The Archers I am able to escape the present and visit a place of wonder. I am very much looking forward to this outing via PFF.

Wake In Fright
Written by Evan Jones, Kenneth Cook and Ted Kotcheff
Directed by Ted Kotcheff
4K Restoration
Watched at Fantastic Fest

This may be from the director that helmed the comedy Weekend at Bernie’s but don’t let that fool you, for Wake In Fright is no light entertainment.

I went into this picture completely stone cold, not knowing a single detail about it. The beauty of attending a film festival is that even if you don’t get into a film that was on your watchlist, there is always an alternative flick that you can go see. Well, that was the scenario that led me to viewing a 4K restoration of Wake in Fright, and what a maddening beauty it was.

After a series of bad decisions, schoolteacher John Grant (Gary Bond) finds himself stranded in a remote town of Australia. Due to being flat broke, he is forced to tag along with a bunch of locals that pressure him into a weekend of drunken debauchery and indecent behavior. This movie was an experience and then Donald Plesance shows up and the shit truly hits the fan. One thing is for sure, if I ever feel like drinking again, all I need to do is think of this flick and I’ll be right as rain. Viewers beware, this is quite a horrific scene involving kangaroos that may be cause for distress.

Find the entire PFF line-up here and stay tuned for additional coverage during the fest from your friendly MovieJawn staff.