Fantasia Festival Review: Patrick
There is no standardised way to deal with grief, loss and trauma. We all deal with it in our own ways, but naturally could probably use some help along the way. Some people go off the rails, try and drown their sorrows in the bottom of a bottle or have a complete mental breakdown. Others …
Fantasia Festival Review: A Witness Out of the Blue
When a murder happens it’s always important for the police to have a witness. However, there’s not always one just hanging around. Whole films have been dedicated to the search for someone who can identify a killer or corroborate an alibi. I’m sure most detectives would love to find one with an uncheckered past and …
Fantasia Film Review: Fuku-chan of FukuFuku Flats
From the outside, it can seem like cinema and television in Japan are dominated by samurais, Manga adaptations, limp romantic comedies and period dramas. However, there’s a weird and often wonderful independent cinema industry lurking just out of sight. It has produced some great films like The Taste of Tea, Fish Story, Hula Girls and …
Film Review: Sheep Without a Shepherd
Corruption is rampant in many countries. Indeed, it’s rife in the Developing and Third Worlds where there aren’t necessarily the checks and balances we’ve become accustomed to in more ‘advanced’ societies. In totalitarian regimes there is almost no recourse to justice for the ordinary citizen. Even in many so-called democracies people in positions of power …
Fantasia Festival Review: The Mortuary Collection
If you want to make a good horror film then it’s important to choose a suitable backdrop. Cabins in woods and very old houses are particular favourites with genre filmmakers around the world. If you’re going to tell a story then you need an atmospheric and complimentary setting. Given the clientele, mortuaries have also proved …
Film Review: Random Acts of Violence
Violence is seemingly everywhere in the modern world, seeping into every aspect of our culture. In our books, comics, video games, films, TV and all over the internet. Turn on the news and you’re never too far away from it. The argument that violent movies, comics or computer games act as catalysts for barbarism has …
Fantasia Festival Review: Feels Good Man
Anyone who spends time on the internet, especially on social media or somewhere like 4Chan, will know what a meme is. If you would have told me 20 years ago that people around the world would go crazy for the simple combination of an image and catchphrase, I would have just laughed at you. However, …
Film Review: Ava
It’s certainly not easy growing up as a teenage girl in the modern world, regardless of where you live. You probably feel assailed from every side. If it’s not the media’s relentless obsession towards beauty and perfection or the toxic social media, it’s boys being utter twerps. At least growing up in a Western democracy …
Fantasia Festival Review: Clapboard Jungle
The internet is an unforgiving place at the best of times. For every person championing a new film there seems to be five others intent on pulling it down. Nowhere is more toxic than ‘#filmtwitter’, but it has to be said that some critics don’t exactly cover themselves in glory. It’s easy just to pick …
Fantasia Festival Review: Free Country
It has become commonplace today for American studios to remake successful films from around the world. As we’re sadly all too aware, it usually doesn’t end well. The list of appalling, dreadful, poor or simply pointless plastic Hollywood ‘re-imaginings’ is as long as your arm. However, there are relatively few European remakes. Christian Alvart’s new …