Do you like scary movies? Daylight scandi-horror, an Alligator B-movie, an update to a scary stories kid’s classic, and, OK,  some non-horror picks – the bumper July-August 2019 edition of the Amsterdam Film Show is here.

Local filmmaker, Kiko Morah, joined us for the first time on the AFS, to recommend some recent movie releases and look forward to some of the movies hitting Amsterdam this July and August. Kiko specialises in horror suspense, and you can watch some of his short films here: vimeo.com/kikomorah

We originally broadcast this edition of the AFS as a live radio show on 24 July, with some new soundtrack tracks mixed in but there’s also a podcast version without any the soundtrack picks (copyright, you know).

Podcast:

Listen to “AFS July-August 2019 | Do you like scary movies? with Kiko Morah” on Spreaker.

Live version (including soundtrack picks)

Show notes:

KIKO’S REVIEWS OF JUNE RELEASES STILL SCREENING AT AMSTERDAM CINEMAS

Booksmart | “Excellent and will be come a comedy classic.”

Yesterday | “Better than expected but nothing too special.”

NEW CINEMA RELEASES

Here’s our highlights from the film releases in Amsterdam this month.

FROM 4 JULY
Spider-Man: Far from Home | 12A | 2h 9min | Director: Jon Watts | Writers: Chris McKenna, Stan Lee (based on the Marvel comic book by) + | Stars: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal | “Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.” IMDB

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Di qiu zui hou de ye wan) | CHINA | Director: Gan Bi | Writer: Gan Bi | Stars: Wei Tang, Jue Huang, Sylvia Chang | “A man went back to Guizhou, found the tracks of a mysterious woman. He recalls the summer he spent with her twenty years ago.” IMDB | @CathyCentral “To me this looks a bit like David Lynch’s Blue Velvet but other critics are seeing a likeness to Terence Mallick. It’s luckily screening with English subs at Eyefilmmuseum & Lab111 but only the former is screening the 3D version, which is a major part of the 2nd half.

FROM 11 JULY

Stuber | COMEDY | Director: Michael Dowse | Writer: Tripper Clancy
Stars: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Mira Sorvino | “A detective recruits his Uber driver into an unexpected night of adventure.” IMDB

Crawl | ACTION HORROR | Director: Alexandre Aja | Writers: Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen | Stars: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper | “A young woman, while attempting to save her father during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.” IMDB

FROM 18 JULY

The Lion King | LIVE ACTION REMAKE | OV/NL | Director: Jon Favreau | Writers: Jeff Nathanson (screenplay by), Brenda Chapman & more
Stars: Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen | “After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.” IMDB. Great soundtrack and we’re sure it will do well, but not really necessary.

FROM 25 JULY

Midsommar | HORROR | Director: Ari Aster | Writer: Ari Aster | Stars: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren | “A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural hometown’s fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.” IMDB

The Dead Don’t Die | HORROR-COMEDY | Director: Jim Jarmusch | Writer: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tom Waits | “The peaceful town of Centerville finds itself battling a zombie horde as the dead start rising from their graves.” IMDB

FROM 8 AUGUST

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark | HORROR | 16 | Director: André Øvredal (known for Troll Hunter and The Autopsy of Jane Doe) | Writers: Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1980s childresn book series by Alvin Schwartz | Stars: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush | “A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives.” IMDB

Diego Maradona | DOC | Dir: Asif Kapadia (also did Amy) | PICK | “Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the career of celebrated football player Diego Armando Maradona, who played for S.S.C. Napoli in the 1980s.” IMDB | Great reviews!

FROM 15 AUGUST

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | 18 | 2h 41min | Director: Quentin Tarantino | Writer: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie | “A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.” IMDB

FROM 22 AUGUST

Good Boys | 15 | 1h 29min | Comedy | Director: Gene Stupnitsky | Writers: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky | Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, Will Forte | ”Three sixth grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.” IMDB

FILM FESTIVALS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS

15-24 Aug
World Cinema Amsterdam @ Rialto, De Balie and outdoor screens

As well as a great international programme of films with English subtitles screening at the Rialto, there are several free outdoor screenings around the city. For example, on Friday 9 August on Marie Heinekenplein, the Cuban film, El viaje extraordinario de Celeste García, is screening (DIRECTOR: ARTURO INFANTE | CUBA | 2018 | 92 mins). “The strange neighbour of the retired Cuban teacher Celeste appears to be an ‘alien’ and invites Celeste to visit her home planet Gryok.” The films start as soon as the sun sets, around 21h30 but the bar/terrace opens earlier for you to get into the vibe.

@CathyCentral: “What else looks interesting on their programme this year? From the 9 competition entries, I love the look of Öndög. With gorgeous cinematography, there’s no point playing you the trailer on the radio/podcast as it’s all in the visuals and the quiet storytelling. Not going anywhere exciting for summer holidays? Take a trip to the deserted plains of Mongolia instead.

Öndög | DRAMA | Director: Quan’an Wang | Writer: Quan’an Wang | “A murder case in the Mongolian steppe. A herder is asked to guard the crime scene – a woman who resolutely scares off both wolves and her neighbor. She has her own plans for the future.” IMDB. 

14-24 Aug
Pluk de Nacht outdoor film festival @ Stenen Hoofd

Just to the west of Amsterdam Centraal Station, this free open air film festival has a laid back bohemian feel, with its use of shipping containers, deck chairs and lots of quirky details. Featuring only movies that have not been screened in the Netherlands before, this film festival provides an alternative to the main stream cinema choices.

What looks interesting on their programme this year? Well it’s not yet finalised for Amsterdam, but if it’s similar the Utrecht one, then I’d look out for Happy New Year, Colin Burstead | Dir: Ben Wheatley | a UK comedy drama from the maker of Sightseers and more.