Here, I'm saddled with the impenetrable task of reviewing FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT. This film gets stranger and stranger as it progresses, and offers no plot or explanation for its depicted oddities. Formatted like a month of Japanese television compressed into 150 minutes, the film jumps between multiple distinct locales and distinct but intersecting groups of characters. Loosely rejoined at a school, these characters interface with aliens, perform musical sequences on organic instruments (imagine the evolved amphibians of EXISTENZ crossbred with the talking monsters of NAKED LUNCH), and dream of fully synchronized dance sequences with animated monsters, laser light amazons and floating heads.

In all, SF Indie Fest titled it "Strangest in Fest' for a good reason. It's worth the price of admission just to be exposed to the uncompromised, if David Cronenberg obsessed, inner-workings of the minds of its makers. And it's three makers who are responsible for this psychotropic experience. The sense of disjunction commonly associated with multiple filmmakers is present but is not overly noticeable. This is probably due to the stupefaction that the film wields the way most melodramas use swelling violin music.  It might be hilarious if viewed under the influence. It did remind me a bit of HEAVY METAL.

While the film seems resolute about its refusal to compromise (or be particularly intelligible) it also offers occasional interconnected narratives that, while never following a "beginning, middle, end" structure, still join in charming moments that give the viewer a tiny bit of insight into the fabric of the film's world. The film moves from a vaguely political, brother comedy/variety act, to an untitled outer space, to a residential house occupied by two lovers, to a vacation spot enjoyed by three storytelling "Vixens", to the home of "Unpopular with Women Brothers" (the youngest of which is not only Caucasian but seems to sport a bit of an accent), to a brother duo of animators, to a myriad of animated worlds, to at least 20 other places. It's incredible to think the film packs so much into a time slot that would otherwise seem eternal. Though the film isn't particularly self-aware, it is segmented with chapter style title breaks and the lack of a consistent narrative does deprive the viewer of any sense of absorption into the film.

Katsuhito Ishii, director of SHARKSKIN MAN AND PEACH HIP GIRL and PARTY 7, co-wrote and co-directed this film, with Shin'ichirô Miki and Hajime Ishimine. Miki is known in Japan for "nonsense jokes", having directed a series of Fanta Commercials and SMAP SHORT FILMS. Some of which can be found online, if you read Japanese. The film is also littered with Japanese film glitterati. Ryo Kase (BRIGHT FUTURE, ANTENNA, TASTE OF TEA) plays with Tadanobu Asano (ICHI THE KILLER, GOHATTO, ZATOICHI) and Kazue Fukiishi (ONE MISSED CALL and SAMURAI RESSURRECTION) all of whom must be stretching themselves somewhat for their performances here, as their encounters in FUNKY FORESTS: THE FIRST CONTACT are not encoutners you'll see them deal with elsewhere.