Exclusive! 2010 Boston Underground Film Festival: Early Picks

The 12th annual Boston Underground Film Festival isn’t set to start until March 25 — and will run until April 1 — but they’ve leaked a couple of early picks to the Underground Film Journal. Even with just this little tease to start whetting New England underground film fans’ appetites, it looks like the venerable fest is in for another real doozy of a year.
The festival kicks off in high riotous fashion with the Opening Night feature Love Exposure (Ai no mukidashi), a four-hour Japanese whirlwind of sinful transgression by Sion Sono about a good Christian schoolboy who’s obsessed with taking pictures of girls’ panties — while they’re wearing them. Eventually, he meets the love of his young life, who doesn’t much like being his object of obsession.
Then, after the Love Exposure screening on March 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA — where the entire fest will be taking place — head on over to the after-party at T.T. The Bear’s Place with a live performance by HUMANWINE and more fun and surprises.
Watch some of Love Exposure‘s panty-clicking wonder in the film’s trailer:
As for the rest of the fest there will be several documentaries about American fringe cinema and video games. The docs include:
- American Grindhouse, dir. Elijah Drenner, will teach you more about the grand tradition and history of exploitation cinema than you thought possible. Featuring interviews with master filmmakers Joe Dante, Larry Cohen, John Landis, Herschell Gordon Lewis, William Lustig, Ted V. Mikels, Fred Olen Ray, Lewis Teague and more. Whew! (Read the underground movie review) (Watch American Grindhouse streaming online)
- Playing Columbine, dir. Danny Ledonne, which examines the controversy over the video game Super Columbine Massacre RPG! Was SCMR in poor taste or was it a piece of art that provided a relevant cultural commentary? You decide!
- It Came From Kuchar, dir. Jennifer M. Kroot, introduces a whole new generation to the wild and wooly cinematic worlds of the greatest twin underground filmmakers in history: George and Mike Kuchar. (Read the underground movie review) (Watch It Came From Kuchar streaming online)
Then, for narrative films, BUFF will be screening these shocking tales:
- Stuck!, dir. Steve Balderson, is a sweet ode to classic ’50s women in prison films starring hellcats such as Karen Black, Mink Stole, Susan Traylor, Jane Wiedlin, Pleasant Gehman, Starina Johnson, and Stacy Cunningham.
- Someone’s Knocking at the Door, dir. Chad Ferrin, features a group of sex-crazed, drug-addled medical students who are terrorized by a husband-and-wife team of serial killers.
- Friends (With Benefits), dir. Gorman Bechard, includes exactly what the title promises. But can true friendship really stand up after sex enters the picture?
Lastly, in the “classic” cinema department, BUFF will screen the psycho ’80s horror flick Pieces directed by Juan Piquer Simon, which featured the classic tagline “You Don’t Have to go to Texas for a Chainsaw Massacre!”
Remember, this is just a taste — a juicy, delicious taste — of what’s in store when the Boston Underground Film Festival runs on March 25 to April 1. The full schedule will be released on March 1, which will be up live on the Underground Film Journal as soon as I can get my sweaty little mitts on it.
Underground Film Feedback (2 comments)
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I wish I could make it to see American Grindhouse.
I hope it shows in LA, it look amazing!
I agree. If I ever hear about an L.A. screening, I’ll post it up in the Underground Film Journal Screening section.