Featured image: Stephen Curry, Noni Hazelhurst and Claudia Karvan in June Again. (Courtesy of Route 504 PR.) Written and directed by JJ Winlove. Starring Noni Hazelhurst, Stephen Curry, Claudia Karvan. Runtime 1h 39 min. Released January 7, 2022 (in U.S. and Canada; originally released in Australia on May 6, 2021). June Again is about its … Continue reading Review: June Again (2022)
In this interview for "Off the Rails," a new comedy about recapturing youth set to a soundtrack that's almost exclusively Blondie, I speak to director Jules Williamson about working with Kelly Preston, casting the film, the Blondie soundtrack and more.
As I’ve enjoyed more and more documentaries over the past little while, the documentaries made for entertainment, or behind-the-scenes documentaries, are some of my favourites. That’s exactly the case with Surviving Supercon, from director and editor Steven Shea, which takes us on a behind-the-scenes look into the Florida Supercon. Founded by by husband-and-wife team Mike Broder and Sandy Martin, their event has grown to attract over 60,000 fans, and this documentary focuses on their 2018 Fort Lauderdale event.
Featured image: The alien bows on stage after Alien on Stage. (Courtesy of Alien on Stage.) Directed by Lucy Harvey, Danielle Kummer. Starring (as self) Jason Hill, Lydia Hayward, Jacqui Roe. Runtime 1h 26 min. Alien on Stage had its latest festival stop as part of the Nightstream Film Festival. Some spoilers follow. Alien on Stage … Continue reading Nightstream Review: Alien on Stage (2021)
Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest follows a group of friends who are united by their love of video games and the Bip Bip Bar. They’re also united by the loss of a friend named Thomas who committed suicide some years prior. At the centre of the friend group is our main character, Kim Cannon Arm.
A video game legend, Kim is known for playing the 1983 arcade game “Gyruss” for 49 straight hours on one coin. Obviously a very long time, but for further context, the average game of “Gyruss” lasts 3-4 minutes. Even crazier, Kim sets out to be the first person to play an arcade game for 100 hours straight.
Here's a review out of Fantasia for the anime film Pompo: The Cinéphile, which is a love letter to the joy of cinema and making films, filled with some great characters.
Back at last October’s first edition of the Nightstream Film Festival, I was able to watch the wild puppet horror film Frank & Zed, written and directed by Portland filmmaker Jesse Blanchard. I loved it a lot as a love letter to the horror genre and monster movies, and I loved seeing all the effort that went into a puppet film of nature, especially with the climactic Orgy of Blood.
I spoke with Jesse at that festival, but as our conversation came at the very end of the festival, we thought it best to hold the conversation for either its release (On Demand or what have you), or its next big festival stop. It’s now playing at the Fantasia Film Festival – available On Demand through Wednesday, August 25 – and I’m super excited to unveil our conversation.
Maxwell McCabe-Lokos’ Stanleyville is a unique film set up as a sweepstakes for five competitors to be put through a series of tasks. They’re invited by a blue backpacked mysterious recruiter (Julian Richings), who tells them their prize is, as it’s said repeatedly, “a Habanero Orange Compact Sports Utility Vehicle, at a wicked price.”
Our way into this competition is lonely office worker Maria (Susanne Wuest), who is enamored not by the vehicle, but to learn more about herself. “This is an opportunity to discover the true you that cowers inside the YOU you,” explains Richings’ Homunculus. Maria intrigues because of that, who seems content to be there, observing, as she’s not nearly as competitive as the others.
The 25th Fantasia Film Festival opened earlier tonight with Julien Knafo's zombie film "Brain Freeze," a fun film with laughs, great commentary and some truly unique visuals.
Featured Image: Tom Meeten as Paul Dood in Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break. (Courtesy of Fantasia.) Last year, I was lucky enough to be able to cover the Fantasia International Film Festival for my first festival as a member of the press. It was an exciting time; reviewing films and doing interviews for them. I’m … Continue reading Fantasia Film Festival: 14 Most Anticipated Films
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