Review: Forbidden Worlds 2024

Review: Forbidden Worlds 2024

Posted on: 21 May 2024

Forbidden Worlds is a festival with a raison d'etre as idiosyncratic as the films it screens: a (pre-2022) unused IMAX cinema hiding in Bristol Aquarium, retrofitted and jury-rigged with the utmost expertise to create an experience that’s almost (but not quite) IMAX size.

 

Once you know that, the rest of the details of the festival feel entirely logical – it’s run by beloved, hold-out video shop 20th Century Flicks, it screens a mix of genre cinema (nostalgic favourites and esoteric gems both) – and it’s also brilliant.

 

I attended Forbidden Worlds for the full weekend – from Thursday to Sunday. With five films each day (save for the Thursday, which has two), it’s a jam-packed schedule. Almost too jam-packed. At times, the relentless pace of screenings could be exhausting, sometimes with no more than 20 minutes or so between them. Of course, you’re free to give one or two films a miss, but the team make that an unattractive prospect – by scheduling an absolutely stellar selection of films.

The entrance epitomises the paradox of Forbidden Worlds – set up in a back space of the Aquarium, it consists of a few tables, and some snack and drink stands. A quick note on the snacks and drinks: the snacks do seem to be wildly overpriced, even by cinema standards, and somehow the popcorn achieves what no other popcorn before has – being bad enough to make me want to stop eating it. That said, there are drinks on offer from Espensen Spirits and New Bristol Brewery (including a limited edition festival beer), both of which are reasonably priced for top-quality, local drinks.

 

The introductions to the films are once again paradoxical – both introduced in-person by the passionate festival team with informal, often funny, and always informative talks, and yet also by video introductions with cast and crew including Joe Dante, Renny Harlin and Samuel L Jackson. It’s a festival of huge scale and prestige – and at the same time feels like a community-focused labour of love.

Films this year were organised into three main ‘strands’ – Killer Queens (a celebration of strong female protagonists in genre films), Inner Worlds & Outer Spaces (arguably just sci-fi), and a celebration of “Forbidden Worlds Legend”, director Peter Hyams. On top of that, there was also “From the Video Shop Archives” – which was more of an anything-goes excuse to screen fan favourite Speed and cult gem The Devil’s Sword.

 

Every film I saw was a delight – from gleeful shlock like Indonesian sword-and-sorcery film The Devil’s Sword, to genuinely great films like Kathryn Bigalow’s Blue Steel, and unhinged cult classics like the Soviet absurdist sci-fi Kin Dza-Dza! - the latter of which is a truly rare treat to find projected on a big screen.

That’s the thing about Forbidden Worlds – there’s something defiantly populist about it. Where every other IMAX in the country naturally runs the biggest, newest, approved Hollywood films, Forbidden Worlds’ beautifully-bodged setup enables them to screen Japanese exploitation films, forgotten sci-fi gems and (as of this year) original short films, all at the same scale. “It comes from our 'little video shop’ ethos” said festival director Timon Singh, when I caught him inbetween films. “We want to show the films that you would have rented on VHS, but ironically, now you’re watching them on a massive 18x15m IMAX screen.”

 

All the films are wrapped in a shell of semi-ironic 80s style, from the genuinely atmospheric and brilliant festival ident at the start of screenings, to the clips from Cape Fear and the like used for humorous ‘turn off your phone and respect fellow cinemagoers’ warnings, and the thumping synth behind the “Now for our feature presentation” screen. They’re all little touches that go a long way to making the whole thing feel more like an event and an experience – and fostering the kind of communal, passionate fan atmosphere that seemed to pervade each screening.

The last thing to address is this year’s inaugural short film strand; showcasing twelve short films over the Saturday & Sunday, there was a commendable mix of films, from post-apocalyptic action, to VHS-tinged sci-fi bawdy comedy. That said, with such a small selection of shorts, and a seemingly-prestigious judging panel, there were some questionable selections: including a film so shockingly poor I won’t name it out of politeness – and one that appeared to just be about the first 1/10 of a film that ends suddenly.

 

That said, there were also some truly stunning labours of love – including eventual ‘Best Short’ winner Lost in the Sky; a six-year project made entirely with practical effects, including multiple stunning shots of swirling nebulae in space. Filmmakers were also a healthy mix of both local and far-flung - with director Jay Marks of A Walk in the Park travelling from New York for the festival. "This was the first acceptance we got, and it turned out to be such a blessing." said Marks, when we caught up with him. "The city is so cool, there's this IMAX theatre at this aquarium - it truly is amazing to be here." The shorts showcase was a commendable experiment that seemed, broadly, to be a success – and it’s one I’d love to see the festival continue and expand on in future.

 

Forbidden Worlds is definitely a stand-out amongst film festivals. Once next year rolls around, grab yourself a ticket. You may want to bring your own snacks (and a neck brace) but otherwise, sit down and strap in for a truly special retro rocket-ride into cinema paradise.

For more on Forbidden Worlds, and to get tickets (when it rolls back around) head over to their website.

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Patrick Bate

Patrick is a filmmaker with so much Bristol in his blood the white blood cells are graffiti'd. Educated at the Northern Film School in Leeds, he’s returned home to be a Videographer and Reviewer for 365Bristol and BARBI. When he’s not messing about with cameras, he enjoys playing guitar, spending far too much time on tabletop RPGs, and being an awful snob about cider. Have a look at his work here, or get in touch at patrickb@365bristol.com.