Monster Tree (2006)

"Shot near Niagara Falls, Monster Tree centres on a burl Phillips discovered in an ancient tree. By nature a blemish, caused by an organic reaction ,the burl's cheeky expression becomes the animated 'face' of the tree, demonstrating a natural humour, and our fascination with the bizarre. The Falls, long a tourist attraction that shows off the power of nature, also have an extended tradition as a draw to numerous daredevils, hucksters and those entertained by freak shows and haunted houses. Phillips' film reflects all these qualities, expressing our ongoing curiousity with the liminal ethos that resides where the rational and irrational meet. Despite our increasingly obsessive quest for ideal beauty and uniformity, the grotesque and the freakish will never fail to captivate." EW