Hold onto your butts, Fantasia International Film Festival is back!

To give you an idea of why Fantasia International Film Festival is my favorite redheaded stepchild of a festival, here are a few films from my youth that still haunt/entertain the crap out of me. 1. Poltergeist: the film my father thought a 2-year-old should watch. 2. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: because a sci-fi musical with Tim Curry in drag should be shown in every Kindergarten class on the planet I inhabit. 3. Princess Bride: one of the most quotable and inconceivable films, I mean that with the utmost respect and if you say otherwise I will fight you (with a sword). 4. Pulp Fiction: a film whose dialogue is filled with sermon, innumerable expletives, drug overdose, and bloody violence for days was just the beginning of a long career of effed up magic. Love it or hate it, it was original. So, for me, Fantasia encompasses all that is weird, wonderful, wacky, wtf, and any other “w” descriptor I’m missing out on in this precise moment.

Fantasia is in its 23rd year and with every passing fest, the films you’re talking about all year play here. This festival gives genre fans something to look forward to and never disappoints. Last year, CAM, The Night Eats The World, Mega Time Squad, and Relaxer just to name a few, all rocked my socks. This year, I’m jonesing to catch a list of films that have already been buzzing for months. There are too many to share in just one post, so here are ten (ish) features I’m fired up for.


Bliss– Joe Begos brings us a blood-soaked trip. Handheld 16mm, punk rock, and vampires? Sign me up for this visceral ride. Check out the trailer in all its glory.


Ready or Not– is this a weird twist on The Most Dangerous Game meets You’re Next? All I know is that I don’t know, and I cannot wait for the mayhem to begin.


Little Monsters– who would have thought that Lupita Nyong’o would be a repeat horror heroine? And Josh Gad, beloved voice of Olaf alongside her? As a former teacher, I’m all in.


AstronautRichard Dreyfuss plays a grandfather trying to fulfill his dream of going into space. With his family as only one if his obstacles, Dreyfuss a genre legend in his own right, is sure to dazzle once more.


1BR– this is already on the Sold Out Screening list. Need I say more about a finding an apartment and the horrors that inevitably surround that experience. My guess is that this goes above and beyond the normal hassle.


Black Magic for White BoysOnur Tukel (we once described one another as “delicious and super natural” in an interview for Applesauce) is sheer perfection for Fantasia. His IDGAF attitude in his writing and directing style are ripe for genre fans. This looks absolutely… well, magical.


The LodgeVeronika Franz and Severin Fiala follow up the haunting Goodnight Mommy with their first English-language horror film. Starring a heavy-hitting cast including Richard Armitage, Alicia Silverstone, Riley Keough, and Jaeden Lieberher, trying to figure out a new family dynamic amidst a trip to a secluded lodge… On Christmas… In a blizzard. Sounds like nothing could possibly go wrong here.


Tone-Deaf– Politics has spiraled into horror in real-life since the orange garbage person cheated his way into the White House. Seems apropos for a MAGA white man and millennial to duke it out over a living situation.


Paradise Hills– With hints of A Handmaid’s Tale, this pink saturated nightmare has another phenomenal big-name cast including Mila Jovovich, Emma Roberts, and Awkwafina, to name a few. Young women being groomed in any fashion doesn’t lend itself for happy tidings.


Culture Shock– Part of Hulu’s Into the Dark horror anthology series (under the Blumhouse production name), this take on America’s “Dreamers” is killing it already. Not to mention it stars cult icon Barbara Crampton who in real-life is clearly some magical sorceress because she never ages.


And finally, every year, I personally look forward to the Born of Woman program. This year there will be 9 short films from around the globe. This year Fantasia is showcasing films from Australia, Netherlands, USA, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Fantasia’s annual showcase of intimate, auteur genre visions returns with nine extraordinary works from an array of international talents who will leave you gobsmacked and amazed.


The number of women represented behind the camera is growing exponentially. And everyone benefits from that.

Fantasia will run from this Thursday, July 11th until August 1st. To find out more information on all the films and if you’ll be in Montreal over the next three weeks, you can purchase tickets at www.fantasiafestival.com

Review: ‘The God Inside My Ear’ – One Trippy Ride

The God Inside My Ear

Release Date: August 2017

Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes

Reviewed By: Reel Reviews Over Brews

After experiencing a peculiar and sudden breakup with her boyfriend, Elizia discovers a world of conspiracies, strange voices and horrifying visions.

Holy ayahuasca trip, Batman! This is one trippy movie. Go into it with an open mind and you won’t be disappointed. This is certainly one of the better low budget films I’ve seen in a while. I believe the entire movie was completed in 13 days with only $8,000. Damn, that is impressive work! Linnea Gregg as Elizia did a wonderful job. Very impressed with her work. Although hard to follow at times, it had me going back and forth in my own head trying to figure out how it would end. It was certainly a bit of a jaw dropper, which is my favorite kind of movie so that helped make my decision on the higher rating easy. Can’t wait to see what Joe Badon produces next!

Reel ROB Rating: 5.75 out of 10 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!

Review: ‘On The Road, Somewhere’ Is An Enlightening Adventure

On The Road, Somewhere

Available May 23, 2017 on DVD

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

On The Road, Somewhere starts with 3 friends; Oliver (Arnold Martínez), Moises (Javier Grullón), and Hemingway (Victor Alfonso) planning a road trip around the Dominican Republic.

Oliver’s main objective of this trip is to say goodbye to his girlfriend before she leaves for New York. Hemingway is trying to get away from his family and become a writer, even though being a writer is frowned upon in their society. Lastly, we have Moises, who is the photographer of the group. He loves photography and is on a quest to capture the perfect picture before starting his career in engineering. This “tripod” encounters a lot of interesting people that help them grow along their adventure. The ones that we get to meet are a famous photographer, a lustful artist, and a hitchhiker from Haiti. On top of the interesting people that this group gets to meet, their constant car trouble causes them to keep changing their travel plans. This journey they’re on could be their last hurrah…

This movie did a great job portraying what a road trip with friends is like. We have been on a lot of road trips together and just like Oliver, Moises, and Hemingway, we also have plenty of teasing, talks about girls, and are constantly trying to stay out of trouble. There are always interesting people to meet and crazy situations that occur when you go on these adventures. On The Road, Somewhere portrayed that extremely well. They also did an excellent job capturing the beauty of the Dominican Republic. There are a few questions left unanswered at the end of the movie, but really, our biggest complaint would be that we were only able to be apart of the group’s journey for a little over an hour. Just when we feel we are getting to know the main characters, the movie is over. It’s very easy to see why this movie won “Best Feature Film” at the 2015 Miami International Film Festival. By the end of this trio’s enlightening adventure, they had us counting down the days until our next road trip… and it can’t come soon enough!

Reel ROB Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

 

Review: ‘Even Lambs Have Teeth’ Has A Pretty Good Bite

Even Lambs Have Teeth

Available Now: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, & VOD

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

Two best friends, Sloane (Kirsten Prout) and Katie (Tiera Skovbye), are trying to raise some extra cash for their shopping spree in New York by working at an eco-farm. While waiting for a bus to take them to the eco-farm, two brothers, Jed (Garrett Black) and Lucas (Jameson Parker) befriend the girls. The brothers offer to take Sloane and Katie to the farm, however, the girls instead are taken to the brother’s home where they are drugged. When they wake up they find themselves chained up in shipping containers and soon find out they are going to be used as sex slaves. Katie’s FBI uncle, Jason (Michael Karl Richards), gets a bad vibe about how the girls are making out and goes on the hunt to find them. Eventually the girls escape, but instead of running, they return to the crime scene to seek revenge… that’s when things get ugly!

First, we loved the title to this movie!! The first half of the movie felt like a straight forward horror flick. We quickly find that Sloane is more willing to toe the line of reckless, while Katie is more reserved and hesitant… at first. As the movie progressed it becomes apparent these girls would get their revenge and we became eager to see how they would pull it off. Sloane and Katie had our attention from the beginning and never lost it. We found it hard not to love them, especially when they started on their rampage, we couldn’t look away. Once the second half of the movie got going, we felt it became less of a horror movie and more of a thriller. The revenge scenes felt more fun than scary, as the girls got pretty creative with their torture techniques. Although the dialogue did get a bit stale at times and some of the plot was predictable, in the end this horror movie DOES have a pretty good bite! We highly enjoyed it.

Reel ROB Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

Review: ‘Tomorrow Ever After’ Has Everlasting Message

Tomorrow Ever After

Theatrical Release Date: May 5, 2017

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

Tomorrow Ever After follows a woman, named Shaina (Ela Thier), who claims to have come from the year 2592. Something goes wrong while she is visiting some physicists, who experiment with time travel, and Shaina ends up stranded in 2015. As a historian in her time, she has read about the past, and refers to the time frame she is stranded in as “The Great Despair.” Shaina very quickly comes across a mugger, Milton (Nabil Viñas) and spends the entire movie, with Milton and his friends, searching for someone to help her get back to where she came from. On this journey, Shaina also gets a chance to experience things that she has studied of the past.

Tomorrow Ever After was written, directed, and produced by Ela Thier, who was also the star of the movie. The movie has taken home four awards across three different film festivals. This indie comedy did a great job keeping us interested and laughing at Shaina’s attempt of adjusting to the past’s way of life. Ela Thier did an excellent job of portraying how today’s general public looks at someone in need of help. Whether it is a woman from the future or your next door neighbor, people today don’t always jump at the chance to help a fellow person.

Throughout the movie there are plenty of moments with funny exchanges. We enjoyed watching Shaina trying to adapt and also get confused by the way things are done in “today’s” society. One of the big differences from the future is hugging. Shaina quickly realizes this is not accepted very warmly by strangers in 2015. Our biggest, and really only, complaint with Tomorrow Ever After, is Shaina was such an interesting character that we wish more of her journey was shown. The ending, being one example, leaves us with a few questions that, if answered, would have left us more fulfilled. However, Tomorrow Ever After, is a fantastic movie with an everlasting message and will leave everyone with hope for our future!

Reel ROB Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

Review: ‘NOLA Circus’… the most average show on Earth

NOLA Circus

Theatrical release date: April 21, 2017
VOD (Video On Demand) release date: April 25, 2017

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

NOLA Circus is a comedy, directed by Luc Annest, about two competing barber shops in New Orleans, that are right across the street from one another, and the ridiculous events that take place surrounding the owners and their friends and families.

One of the barber shops is owned by Will (Martin Bradford), a black barber who loves afros and regularly gives speeches on racial issues. Will is having a secret love connection with Nola (Jessica Morali)a white woman dreaming of a career in showbiz. Will’s rival, Marvin (Vas Blackwood), is a sex addict who is having an affair with a local drug dealer, Karen (Kamille McCuin). The drama in everyone’s lives seems to all come together at once, creating a series of crazy events. Whether its Nola’s brother, Denzel (Reginal Varice), beating up pizza delivery guys to “protect” his sister or the KKK going after Will, you just never know what will happen next.

Nola (Jessica Morali) is the focal point in this movie. The “circus act” of events all seem to stem from her life. Without Jessica Morali this movie would have gotten an even lower rating. NOLA Circus is labeled a comedy, but we only found ourselves laughing only a few times and most of those times can be found in the trailer. With the amount of craziness going on in this movie, it’s easy to see why it would get put in the comedy genre… we however, just didn’t find it that amusing. With a similar premise to the Barbershop franchise, we were expecting more out of NOLA Circus. So was this circus, “The greatest show on Earth?” Not by a long shot… average at best.

Reel ROB Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

NYFF54 Reviews: ‘NERUDA’ & ‘A QUIET PASSION’- two different films about two unforgettable poets.

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NERUDA

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  • Pablo Larraín
  • 2016
  • Chile/Argentina/France/Spain
  • 107 minutes
  • Opens December 16, 2016

Pablo Larraín’s exciting, surprising, and colorful new film is a “Nerudean” portrait of the great Chilean poet’s years of flight and exile, featuring Luis Gnecco, Gael García Bernal as a fictional detective, and a terrific cast.

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NERUDA is a beautifully detailed period drama about the legendary Communist party leader and Chilean poet Pablo Nedruda. It’s essentially a game of cat and mouse between Neruda’s refusal to turn himself into the government and the cop sent to hunt him down. Always one step ahead of the  game, the film utilizes literary tropes to reel the viewer in. Neruda’s own poem are weaved into the narrative giving it a romantic quality. The dialogue is witty and the delivery from each cast member is delightful. With its noir soundtrack and engaging jump cuts in the dialogue heavy scenes, your eyes and ears are nothing but  entertained throughout. Luis Gnecco portrays Neruda as the beloved, restless spirit he was. He is spectacular. Gael García Bernal, as Inspector Oscar Peluchonneau, is nothing short of hypnotic. He wrestles with falling into the shadow of his fathers greatness and letting out the poet inside himself. Neruda is a gorgeous portrait of man and the effect of his creations on the world.


A QUIET PASSION

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  • Terence Davies
  • 2016
  • U.K./Belgium
  • 125 minutes

The great British director Terence Davies turns his attention to 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson for this formally audacious triumph starring a revelatory Cynthia Nixon.

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Cynthia Nixon brings the reclusive American poet to  life in A QUIET PASSION. While the title, I believe, eludes to more than just her work, Terence Davies sheds light on the mystery that was one of the greatest poets we may ever know. As a fan of Dickinson myself, I was delighted to hear Cynthia voice her work  in chronological order. We first meet Emily as a young woman in a school she does not fit into. Adverse to the staunch religious societal norms, Emily makes her own path, even at the hands of her own happiness. Through her death, she battles a wanting for love and yet pushes away any acceptable suitors out of spite and stubbornness. The film tackles the inherent sexism of the times where duty and tradition trumped defiance such as Emily’s. She has very Lizzie Bennett quality about her. With stunning visual transitions and Wildean wit, A QUIET PASSION is mostly perfect. The one thing that may be difficult to overcome is the theatrical tone in dialogue delivery. It was no doubt  specific choice by Davies, one that might just be the film’s undoing in the long run.