The Divide Written by Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean Directed by Xavier Gens USA, 2011 At one point late in Xavier Gens’s interminable The Divide, one character informs another that there remains one way out of the predicament facing the pitiless survivors holed up in a dank basement at the end of the world, but …
You Are Here Written by Daniel Cockburn Directed by Daniel Cockburn Canada, 2010 Equal parts video essay, fragmented “thought experiment,” and social satire, Daniel Cockburn’s You Are Here is one of the most audacious English Canadian features to come down the pike in years. (Admittedly, that’s not a terribly prestigious body of films.) Imbued with …
Visit the official Fantasia Film Fest website Well we are officially through the first week of the Fantasia Film Festival, so I figured we should do a quick look back at all the articles and reviews we have posted so far. In seven days our crew has managed to post over twenty reviews, ten articles …
Hello Ghost aka Hellowoo Goseuteu (2010) South Korea Written and Directed by Young-Tak Kim Fantasia imdb South Korea has a difficulty with suicides. On one hand they have one of, if not the highest rates of suicides in the developed world. At around 30 suicides per 100,000 people per year, only Lithuania is as bad. …
A Lonely Place to Die Written by Will Gilbey and Julian Gilbey Directed by Julian Gilbey UK, 2011 A rare thriller that actually contains thrills, UK export A Lonely Place to Die comes up with a formula so ingenious it’s a wonder we haven’t already seen it a million times before: high-octane cliff-scaling meets cat-and-mouse …
Stake Land Written by Jim Mickle and Nick Damici Directed by Jim Mickle USA, 2010 A recent 60 Minutes report puts forth a startling figure: thanks to the high unemployment rate, soon 25% of all children in the United States will be living under the poverty line, many of them resorting to temporary shelter to …
Retreat Directed by Carl Tibbetts Written by Janice Hallett & Carl Tibbetts UK, 2011 Retreat might not be a perfect film, but it is a well-constructed and closely observed claustrophobic thriller that continually teases its audience to uncover the truth behind all the madness. Both psychologically frightening and maddening to the senses, Retreat is a …
Ninja Kids!!! aka Nintama Rantarô Written by Yoshio Urasawa, based on the manga Rakudai Ninja Rantaro by Soubee Amako Directed by Takashi Miike Japan, 2011 This year the Fantasia Film Festival have been running screenings they call “My First Fantasia” to encourage the next generation of obsessed film geeks. The screening of Ninja Kids!!! was …
Anyone who follows my Twitter feed would have noticed that I posted a tweet stating that one of the secret/last minute additions to the Fantasia Film Festival would be Ti West’s latest horror flick The Innkeepers. You see every year I pretty much guess what all the “secret” screenings will be. Two years ago I …
Red State Written by Kevin Smith Directed by Kevin Smith USA, 2011 Red State may feature a certain wit familiar to Kevin Smith’s most ardent fans, but it’s minimized in favour of a social consciousness and the deafening sound of rifles as he tackles extreme religious fanaticism. The film begins on familiar ground, channeling a …
Every year the Fantasia Film Festival reserves several spots in their schedule for popular films that sell out and demand an additional screening for fans who didn’t have a chance to see the films. Sometimes TBA’s are reserved either for a secret screening that Fantasia didn’t want you to know about such as Tarantino’s Inglourious …
Attack the Block Written by Joe Cornish Directed by Joe Cornish UK, 2011 2011 has not been a banner year for the Hollywood blockbuster. Bloated sequels and limp comic-book adaptations have made a trip to the multiplex a dismal choose-your-own-adventure of mediocrity. What makes Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block so fresh and lively in comparison …
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Directed by Jalmari Helander Written by Petri Jokiranta & Sami Parkkinen Finland | Norway | France | Sweden – 2010 Every once in a while, a filmmaker will get the idea to explore the seedier side of the holiday season. Bob Clark’s Black Christmas, from 1973, might have been the …
Kill Me Please Written by Olias Barco, Virgile Bramly and Stéphane Malandrin Directed by Olias Barco France / Belgium, 2010 Other than abortion, no issue provokes as much passionate debate as euthanasia. Of all possible liberties, the “right to die,” as a base concept, stokes personal insecurities and misgivings in a way that can be …
Trollhunter Directed by Andre Øvredal Written by André Øvredal and Håvard S. Johansen 2011, Norway The 1980 Italian exploitation film Cannibal Holocaust, directed by Ruggero Deodato, broke traditional cinematic conventions while creating major controversy following its release. Although camcorders, cell phones, and the like hadn’t been invented yet, the main character, an aspiring documentary filmmaker, …
Klovn (Clown: The Movie) Written by Mikkel Nørgaard, Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam Directed by Mikkel Nørgaard Denmark, 2010 For many, child-rearing is a terrifying prospect. The idea that some other being manifests themselves and usurps one’s position as the most important being in one’s own life can be troubling, particularly if one’s self-actualization is …
People keeping asking me for recommendations for movies screening at the Fantasia film festival. Simon already posted a list of ten safe bets. Kyle posted a list of four wild cards, four must see films that could be disappointing but still worth watching for various reasons. Here is a list of screenings that I highly …
There are a lot of reasons to see Burke and Hare. The most obvious: This British black comedy film, loosely based on the Burke and Hare murders, is directed by John Landis, the acclaimed director of American Werewolf In London. Strangely most people think of Landis as a horror director, but he’s really a director …
#4 – The Robot Directed by S. Shankar A while back we shared this video with our readers. It is pretty silly, but also pretty incredible. The footage comes from a 2010 Indian science-fiction film called Enthiran (The Robot). It’s safe to say that fans of spectacular action sequences similar to what you see in …
Everyone who’s been to the Fantasia Film Festival here in Montreal knows two things: one, it’s awesome; two, there are an insane, perhaps even impossible, number of features to choose from. Inevitably, some movies will live up to or even exceed the hype, while others fizzle out upon actual viewing. Every year I make a …
So than this happened. Somehow this email was redirected to my junk mail, but thank God I checked the folder because this is great news. TLACult.com is giving away a trip to my favorite film festival in the world and the world’s largest genre fest: The Fantasia International Film Festival, held here in Montreal! Check …
SOLIDARITY WITH JAPAN FUNDRAISER A Japanese Films Marathon to Help the Japanese Disaster Victims Saturday March 26th from 4pm at Concordia University Hall Theatre My favourite film festival here in Montreal is teaming up with Concordia University to screen some great Japanese films in order to raise money for Japanese disaster victims. It all happens …
Alliance VivaFilm is joining forces with the Fantasia Film Festival to give Hobo With A Shotgun the spectacular CDN launch it deserves, and thanks to them we are giving away 10 double passes. – On March 21st, Montreal will play host to the Canadian premiere of Jason Eisener’s epic feature debut Hobo With a Shotgun, …