fantasia 2022

wp-1659623103422

Fantasia XXVI Review: For a Dose of Thrills, Make an Appointment with DR LAMB!

Scrolling through a list of available films to review for a film festival can be overwhelming. One should not judge a book by its cover, but sometimes a reviewer has to follow their gut and request films whose posters and titles catch their attention. I can’t explain exactly what drew me to Dr. Lamb at first, but once I read the brief description saying that it was about a serial killer in Hong Kong, I knew I wanted to watch it. Dr. Lamb was written by Kam-Fai Law and directed by Billy Hin-Shing and Danny Lee. It was originally released in 1992 but has been restored and re-released. Let me tell you right now: this is not your typical serial killer movie. For one, there are some humorous parts to it even despite the gore. Dr. Lamb has a balanced ratio of giggles and gags throughout this 90 minutes film. […]

More

wp-1659490240074

Fantasia XXVI Review: Short Films Short on Time but Not on Entertainment

One of the aspects of covering film festivals that I look forward to most is covering the short films that are shown. This year’s selection of shorts at the Fantasia International Film Festival did not disappoint. My friend and I now have new favorite directors to watch for and we have obscure lines we can quote from these shorts for a laugh. You should try to view these as well: Meat Friend Meat Friend made its Canadian premiere on July 15th. Written by Stephan Johanson and Izzy Lee (Lee also directed), this short is horror and comedy and fantasy and just a meaty good time. A young girl microwaves raw hamburger meat which causes it to become alive. It just isn’t any sentient being though, this Meat Friend has the spirit of an ex-con who loves to teach young Billie lessons he has learned from his life of crime. This […]

More

wp-1657828290439

Fantasia XXVI Review: THE KILLER, Jang Hyuk Steers A Cold-Blooded, Action-Packed Thrillride!

Originally published August 2: After their success with The Swordsman, agreeably, it would only make sense that the respective star and director of that film would join forces for another venture. Thus, we have Choi Jae-hoon’s latest, The Killer, a ubiquitous production that has since gone on to see South Korean actor Jang Hyuk on a major stateside promotional tour for the film this summer. Invariably, the film does play on some familiar action movie tropes and even lends a jocular nod to a particular 2010 action thriller that fans of South Korean action would immediately recognize. It certainly doesn’t waste any time inviting a brief moment of our hero, Yi-gang (Jang), laying waste to a small group of hooligans in an action sequence that plays out in full way later into the film. Evidently, this all stems from the film’s key premise, which sees our protagonist eventually leading a […]

More

wp-1659278665699

Fantasia XXVI Review: Takashi Koizumi’s THE PASS: LAST DAYS OF THE SAMURAI, An Exquisite Snapshot Of Tumultuous Japanese History

The late Ryotaro Shiba remains one of the most celebrated authors of his time, with his work standing front and center for many a film adaptation. Such is the case for his 1968 novel, Touge, adapted and directed for the big screen by Takashi Koizumi, who plies his trade once more – following a career that includes having worked as assistant director for the legendary Akira Kurosawa on films like Ran (1985) and Kagemusha (1980) – now with his sixth narrative feature, The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai, under his belt. After 260 years of peace, Western colonial influence has shaken the atmosphere of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate, compelling the 15th shogun, Yoshinobu (Higashide Masahiro) to restore imperial rule to help realign and unify Japan in 1867 – a decision that only proved to be problematic than expected with two pro-imperial influencers out of Satsuma province insisting that […]

More

wp-1658512772633

Fantasia XXVI Review: CULT HERO, Unapologetic Genre Camp That Goes All-In

Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett) is a TV sensation. He’s known for his Clint Eastwood-style approach as a career “Cult Buster”, freeing people from captivity and pulling the veil off of false prophets, and doing so all in his first season as a television star. For all intents and purposes, he’s become a hit, and unfortunately, his success gets short-lived when his latest undercover operation results in the gruesome deaths of an entire cult and its leader. Fallen from grace and reduced to hustling for subpar gigs while living desolate in his trailer, it’s not until one evening when Dale gets a desperate phone call though his hotline that he finds a chance for redemption. Kallie (Liv Collins), a beleagured realtor struggling at her competitive job in addition to her troubled marriage, decides to induct her husband, Brad (Justin Bott) into Hope Acres, a getaway ranch for healing led by Master […]

More

Demigod- The Legend Begins

Fantasia XXVI Review: DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS, Fantastic Wuxia Entertainment For A Different Medium

Chinese opera a la glove puppetry (a.k.a. “budaixi”) is nothing new if you’ve been exposed to this kind of entertainment in the last forty years or so. I’m a Westerner, so obviously when I caught wind of Thunderbolt Fantasy over on Crunchyroll, I was amazed at what I saw, which provides what little background knowledge I have to collect on the art, to which I now get to add Chris Huang Wen-Chang’s latest endevaor, Demigod: The Legend Begins. The film is a family effort out of Huang’s Pili International Multimedia and Puppetmotion Entertainment label with Huang Liang Hsun producing, as well as serving as screenwriter alongside He Yuan Yu, and featuring the work of late legendary puppeteer, Vincent Huang. For this, fans are invited to the story of Su-Huan Jen, who, upon embarking on a climb up one of the five mountains of Wulin, accidently interfering in a battle between […]

More

The-Fight-Machine_7657-1

Fantasia XXVI Review: Life Hits Hard, But Can THE FIGHT MACHINE Hit Harder?…

Published July 26: Take a look at almost any film about boxing or sportfighting, and in almost every instance, you’ll find an underlying theme pertinent to the film’s character development through questions of “Why?” – “Why fight?”, “Why keep going?”, “Why hurt yourself?”. The best thing viewers can take away from this point on is how this aspect of the film gets broken down, further putting the pieces to the puzzle together to help answer the necessary questions, something that speaks inherently to a film like Sweet Karma and Spare Parts helmer Andrew Thomas Hunt‘s newest action drama, The Fight Machine. Hunt adapts a screenplay based on a novel written with co-screenwriter Craig Davison, which taps deep into the innerself as we explore the arcs of two protagonists living on opposite sides of the Niagra River – Paul (Greg Hovanessian), the rich and privileged son of wealthy Canadian winery owner […]

More

wp-1657905819800

Fantasia XXVI Review: A Look At Wong Jing’s 1982 Action Adventure, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG

Undoubtedly, one of the most well-received aspects of being an avid Arrow Video collector nowadays means being exposured to rounds of cult classic titles long-adorned by certain niches. Specifically, we’re talking those of the Hong Kong cinema kind and folks especially fond of Arrow’s Shawscope 2K restorations of late, including and not limited to Wong Jing’s third directorial outing in his career with Ti Lung starrer, Mercenaries From Hong Kong. Ti Lung plays Lok Li, a hired killer working in Hong Kong already wanted for murdering the son of a crimeboss. Before he can escape to Thailand until the heat blows over, Lok gets enveloped into even more trouble at the behest of Ho Ying (Candice Yu), a wealthy tycoon’s daughter who claims she is being blackmailed by the assassin who allegedly murdered her father and stole a highly confidential audiotape. Assembling a team of six to retrieve the tape […]

More

The-Fight-Machine_7657

THE FIGHT MACHINE: Don’t Miss The Trailer For The Latest Bareknuckle Brawler From Andrew T. Hunt

Raven Banner is on deck at Fantasia to screen its package at this year’s 26th in-person edition, including and not limited to company co-founder and Spare Parts helmer Andrew T. Hunt’s new action drama, The Fight Machine. Based on the novel “The Fighter” by acclaimed author Craig Davidson (Jacques Audiard’s Rust & Bone), Hunt co-penned the pic with Davidson for a cast led by rising stars Greg Hovanessian and Dempsey Bryk. In The Fight Machine, Paul Harris leads a sheltered existence. The son of a winery owner, his suits and cars are paid for, his career in the family business assured. He is insulated from the rough realities of life—until a vicious barroom beating sets him down a new path. Rob Tully also feels that his life is on a set course. A born boxer with natural talent, Rob trains with his father, Reuben, and his uncle Tommy, both of […]

More

wp-1657913772227

GLORIOUS: Shudder Launches First Teaser Ahead Of Fantasia Premiere

Following its recent acquisition by AMC Networks’ premiere horror streamer, Shudder, the first official teaser is now online for new horror thriller, Glorious, starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) and Oscar-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). Directed by Rebekah McKendry (All The Creatures Were Stirring, Bring It On: Cheer or Die), the film is set to screen at SGWU Theatre Hall at 9:30pm prior to releasing on Shudder beginning August 18. Spiraling out after a bad breakup, Wes (Ryan Kwanten) ends up at a remote rest stop miles away from civilization. His situation worsens after he finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure (J.K. Simmons) speaking to him from an adjacent stall. As Wes tries to escape, he finds himself an unwilling player in a situation bigger and more terrible than he could possibly imagine… Ahead of its hotly anticipated world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, […]

More

wp-1658168527586

Fantasia XXVI Review: SPECIAL DELIVERY Arrives With Full-Throttle Fun

If there’s one particular kind of story that usually hits many of the right notes with Korean movie fans of late, it’s where the hero must rescue a child from certain dangerous, criminal elements. For this third film to date, writer/director Park Dae-min is handed the reigns for a story that clearly takes some cues from the likes of Edgar Wright, Simon West and Louis Leterrier and for this, we get Parasite and Man Of Will actress Park So-dam’s newest role in action thriller, Special Delivery. Our story centers on Jung Eun-ha, a North Korean defector who’s long been in the care of Baek (Kim Eui-sung). Together with Asif (Howard Han), they operate an elite delivery business for clients out of Baek’s junkyard and save for Eun-ha’s eagerness for a 50/50 split away from the usual 40% take she earns, not only is she good at what she does, but […]

More

wp-1657311805304

Fantasia XXVI Review: BABY ASSASSINS, Japanese Action Cinema All Grown-Up!

Originally published July 15, 2022: The last several years have seen a notable of proliferation of the newest J-wave of action cinema titles out of Japan. To this end, films like the HiGH&LOW franchise which remains on-going to this day, stars and figures like Shun Oguri, Tak Sakaguchi, Takumi Kitamura and Masanori Mimoto, and directors like Kensuke Sonomura have all been welcome assets amidst the emerging talents of late, and it’s not over yet with other filmmakers and performers bound to leave their mark in the coming weeks and months. This especially goes for director Hugo Sakamoto, who has been increasingly influential in his craft for at least six years to date, having since made waves stateside at Fantastic Fest last year with his most recent endeavor, Baby Assassins. The film is still trekking the festival circuit in North America, and in no short order looks to be a solid […]

More

wp-1657738792079

Fantasia XXVI Review: Lee Sang-Yong’s THE ROUNDUP Knocks ‘Em Out Once More In The Hit Action Crime Sequel

Watch any of actor Don Lee’s earlier films and you’ll know he wasn’t as sizeable as he has been in the last, say, maybe eight or ten years. Regardless of whether his beefy build was a planned effort or not, however, you have to give it to him for using it to his advantage and ultimately paving a way for an evolution in Korean cinema of late with a raft of hard-hitting roles as a big, hard-hitting character with enough screen charisma to match the likes of Schwarzenegger and current business partner Stallone to name a certain few, which now brings us to Lee Sang-yong’s The Outlaws follow-up, The Roundup. Enter Ma, the “Beast Cop” himself played once more by actor Don Lee in a story now set in 2008 where he and his unit’s captain, Jeon Il-man, are sent to extradite a criminal operating in Vietnam. The case eventually […]

More

wp-1657119650629

POLARIS: Get A Look At The Raw, Brutal New Survival Actioner Screening At Fantasia This Summer

Following her multiple award-winning feature debut with 2017’s The Sun at Midnight, writer/director K.C. Carthew is back and ready to make a big splash this summer at Fantasia Festival as the campaign continues for her sophomore feature, Polaris. The dystopian sci-fi survival action thriller stars 13-year old South Korean-born Canadian actress Viva Lee (Syfy’s Deadly Class), who was only eleven at the time of filming, and now makes her own feature debut appearance in a leading capacity. Set in 2144 against the harsh backdrop of a frozen wasteland, Sumi, a human child raised by Mama Polar Bear, narrowly escapes capture from a brutal Morad hunting party and sets out across the vast winter landscape. When Sumi stumbles across Frozen Girl, an unlikely friendship is forged and together they race ahead of the vindictive hunters towards the only guiding light Sumi knows, the Polaris star. Polaris marks an expansion of a […]

More

wp-1656859017829

Fantasia 2022: Five Must-See Titles To Watch At This Year’s 26th Edition

I think the one thing I’ve had difficulty with is picking which films to select for the curtain raiser I’m posting here ahead of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival installation. Nearly all the selections I would bet are easy picks, but I’m resigned to only a handful. Honorable mentions thusfar for me go to Sadako DX for anyone who’s anyone who’s been a fan of iconic Japanese horror in the last three decades, namely since the infamous literary character was first adapted for the screen in the 1990s. I’m also keen on Cult Hero, Jesse Thomas Cooke’s pulpy and spectacular-looking seventh feature which stars Ry Barrett (The Demolisher, The Hoard), and other tasty thrillers like Kim Dae-jin’s latest live-action series take on animated South Korean classic, The King Of Pigs, Choi Dong-hoon’s time-walloping fantasy actioner Alienoid which is set to be back-to-back with a second part coming later this […]

More

FB_IMG_1656343793879

FANTASIA XXVI: SADAKO DX, COUPEZ!, DETECTIVES VS. SLEUTHS And So, SO Much More In The Third Wave Of Titles For The Festival!

The 26th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is popping off in a matter of weeks and the final round of titles has arrived to round out the line-up. The package includes a tasty row of restored genre classics to bookend contemporary titles, many of which I’ll be picking out in a future curtain raiser in the not-too-distant future. The festival also rolled out its official poster for the 26th edition as the event will mark a long-awaited return to screening titles for in-person audiences since the Covid-19 pandemic crippled the world, and effectively, any in-person festival activities that were planned for that year and the year that followed. This is it, gang! Until further notice, read on and hit up the official website for more info! June 30, 2022 // Montreal, Quebec – The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 26th Anniversary in Montreal this summer, […]

More

wp-1654181906522

FANTASIA XXVI: SHIN ULTRAMAN, PSYCHOTIC WOMEN, ‘Cult’ Heroes And Many More In The Second Wave For The 2022 Edition!

Welp, it’s about that time now with the first wave out of the way and now the official second wave of titles to be hosted for the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival, inclusive of another round of diverse and unique films and some key spectacular thrillers. The announcement firstly hails Severin Films’s Kier-La Janisse for her contributions to film and literary work of more than two decades and then some, and a spotlight on queer cinema with the works of Rita Baghdadi, Eduardo Casanova, Tara Thorne and others. You also get KC Carthew’s Polaris which has a nice read; Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Ultraman gets included; Franklin Ritch’s World Premiere of internet vigilante thriller The Artifice Girl; Aya Ashina boxing drama starrer Red Shoes; Shinzo Katayama’s serial killer thriller Missing; Jesse Cooke Thomas’s hot new Cult Hero; Lenin M. Sivam’s small town dramatic thriller The Protector; South Korean gangbuster crime hit […]

More

wp-1651761021980

FANTASIA XXVI: First Wave – WHAT TO DO WITH THE DEAD KAIJU, GLORIOUS, BABY ASSASSINS, A Celebration Of JOHN WOO And More For The 26th In-Person Edition!

Posted MAY 5, 2022: It kind of feels like forever since we covered Fantasia. I guess that’s one residual effect of pandemic fever, and while I can only imagine the hype and excitement of those who will finally be able to return to the festival atmosphere in-person for screenings, workshops and more, I share the mood all the same albeit remotely as I can’t make the travel, and it’s a privilege to help share a voice as the festival has just announced its 26th edition with a first wave of titles topped by ceremonial tributes to cinematic legend and action cinema auteur, John Woo. Check out the first wave announcements below and hit up Fantasia‘s website for details, and stick around with a second wave set to land in June! FANTASIA’S 26th EDITION ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF PROGRAMMING, CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR JOHN WOO World Premieres of Rebekah McKendry’s GLORIOUS, […]

More