Fantastic Fest has come to a close and with this, what I thought was my final review contribution to the event now comes in the form of a look at one of the most peculiar indie horror films ever made. It’s bizzare as shit and out of this world, and just as unique as you could expect or hope for from any director in your pursuit of film consumption: Visitors: Complete Edition.
Sri Asih was screened and reviewed for Fantastic Fest. The film releases on DVD in the U.S. from Shout! Factory on December 5.
Director Rainer Sarnet’s Estonian kung fu comedy, The Invisible Fight, is currently enjoying reactions out of Fantastic Fest this week following its previous main competition premiere at Locarno last month. The film is currently set to screen at the next edition of Sitges in October, as well as Latvia for the tenth Riga International Film Festival.
Kung fu cinema hit one of the worst stalemates it possibly could in 1973 with the death of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, leaving the fate of the industry in the hands of creators and producers desperate to appease markets and somehow magically bring the dead back to life. Thus, Bruceploitation was born, giving rise to a raft of newcomers all operating under a moniker that would bolster capital in some form or fashion as artificially contrived screen essences of the late film legend. And, it worked. Aplenty.
The eighteenth edition of Fantastic Fest is still underway and I’m only doing a few more films among those left at my disposal if possible. In the meantime, the jury went to work this year and has elected its winners for its various categories. Have a read, and click here for my review coverage up to now!
Life is still as hard as ever for an assassin trying to make it in today’s economy with a decent part-time job. Such was the case in 2021’s Baby Assassins for endearing killer roomies Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) as the two stood toe-to-toe with heavily-armed yakuza gangsters with daily responsibilties to fulfill in between. Two years later, the oddball duo is still “killing it” while trying to get the hang of adulting in writer/director Yugo Sakamoto’s latest sequel, Baby Assassins: 2 Babies.
Spain has been an interesting location to see action titles emerge from in the last decade or so. Like most countries it’s not typically known for the kinds of productions that get talked about on platforms like this one, so when something like Kike Narcea’s latest Iberian coming-out party, I’ll Crush Y’all! makes an entrance, it’s totally reasonable if heads turn in response.
Filmmaker Jamie Childs’ recent TV credits on Disney+ series “Willow” and Netflix’s “The Sandman” should be an ample warm-up for those who’ve seen his work, and are keen on what the first-time feature director now offers with his latest debut, Jackdaw. At ninety-six minutes, the film packs in a steadily-paced and cerebral crime thriller that runs the gamut for a story set during the course of one night, trekking England’s Northern rust belt amid a heist gone awry.
“There are many martial artists in the world. Only one in every hundred master their art. Those are the ‘One-Percenters.’”
XYZ Films released the clip above exclusively to Variety on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s Fantastic Fest premiere of Francis Galluppi’s debut movie, The Last Stop In Yuma County. The clip above is a perfect summation of what to expect from the film’s suspenseful tone amid its propulsive and seething development leading up to the big finale. The ending is certainly a stunner, but it’s worth a recap for a better analysis in this review, starting with close-up shots of a devastating wreck mid-credits as the film eases into its dated, desert-set Southwestern atmosphere.
Actor and action star Tak Sakaguchi is returning to Texas next week to host stunt action and self-defense seminar at Tukong Martial Arts in Austin on September 22. In addition, the seminar will coincide with the promotion of the actor’s latest feat, One-Percenter, which will have its next premiere on Saturday, September 23 at this year’s edition of Fantastic Fest.
I’ve been away from the internet for a while but I haven’t forgotten the excitement of getting to cover Fantastic Fest for a second year in a row. It’ll be virtual, as always, since I can’t make the trip, and as such, I’m still obliged to share in the indulgences of what’s to come, and for that, I now offer you a slew of titles to help raise the curtain ahead of the festival’s start date on September 21…
After a bevy of shorts and music videos to get started, Francis Galluppi is finally ready to make headway beginning with his feature debut, The Last Stop In Yuma County. The first poster is currently making the rounds as the film looks toward its upcoming premiere at the 18th edition of Fantastic Fest this month.
Fantastic Fest kicks off in a matter of weeks on September 21. In the meantime, the organization announced on Wednesday its newest addition to their feature line-up this year with Kill, the new Hindi action thriller from writer and director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat.
You must be logged in to post a comment.