Review: ‘The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot’

A legendary American war veteran is recruited to hunt a mythical creature.

Sam Elliot is a legend of the silver screen, and at the age of 74 it’s always wonderful seeing him in new films. So it’s no surprise that he shines in The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot. The story has a tongue-in-cheek fairy tale quality to it. It’s unique and phenomenally engrossing. Elliot’s character, Calvin Barr,  has done more than most men in history, combined. Now he has come to the point in his life where he thinks he’s done all he’d care to. With so much accomplished on paper,  a long lost love is the one thing haunts him most. But the government is not done with him just yet. They have one last mission in mind. He’s essentially the greatest, most badass, action hero you’ve never heard of. His nonchalant nature is the perfect balance to the over the top nature of the storytelling. Elliot is this character, somehow. He embodies a quiet strength even as he hurtles through the bizarre. The parallel between the target and Elliot’s character is almost poetic. This film is weird, wonderful, and pretty unbelievable in every sense of the word. Though I’m positive that is the point entirely.

RLJE Films will release THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD on Feb. 8, 2019.

Written by Robert D. Krzykowski , who is making his directorial debut, the film stars Sam Elliott (A Star is BornThe Hero), Aidan Turner (“Poldark”), Ron Livingston (Office Space, Tully), Caitlin FitzGerald (“Masters of Sex”), Larry Miller (Pretty Woman) and Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood).

Fantasia International Film Festival review: ‘The Night Eats The World’ breathes new life into the zombie genre.

The morning after a party, a young man wakes up to find Paris invaded by zombies.

The Night Eats The World is all about isolation. Sam is alone in his ex’s apartment, walls splattered with blood, and the other floors are not much better. Realizing the outside is even less safe, he begins to use his wits by gathering what he can find, little by little, staying organized but perhaps not sane. Actor Anders Danielsen Lie is in every single scene of the film. His performance is so engrossing that I almost missed his complete physical transformation along the way. He must remain as calm as possible, which is pretty difficult considering the circumstances. Director Dominique Rocher has given us quite the gem here. The Night Eats the World easily sets itself apart from the average zombie film. The film delves into the complexity of human intimacy. This is explored through a relationship with an undead individual trapped inside an elevator (played magnificently by Denis Lavant), an encounter with a fellow survivor, and a cat. An added element of interest that propels the plot is the fact that Sam is a musician. This becomes both an advantage and a misstep along the way. We’ve all watched The Walking Dead for years now but off the top of my head, I’m not sure I would be as methodic in my solitary survival as Sam. While we don’t get any information about the outbreak specifically, it never stopped me from enjoying the film, rooting for Sam to stay alive. Sometimes you don’t need it all spelled out for you, sometimes great storytelling is more than enough.

The Night Eats The World made is Canadian Premiere at this year’s Fantasia International Film festival. The 2018 fest came to a close last night, but we’ll keep you updated on the release dates. As for The Night Eats The World, you can catch it in theaters now and on VOD platforms like Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

Fantasia International Film Festival review: ‘CAM’ flips subject and voyeur.

Cam is unique for so many reasons. First, it’s a genre-bending menagerie. You think you know what you’re in for with a sex worker vying to be in the top ten of her live sex show site. But the script is flipped several times and in completely unexpected ways each time. It’s difficult to categorize Cam and I do mean this as a compliment. It seesaws from horror to thriller and swings into surreal territory all while keeping the audience in the dark until the very end. Rarely do we see sex workers treated as human beings, but in Cam, there is a sense of empowerment attached to the storyline. Lead actress, Madeline Brewer, has the massive task of being more than two distinct characters and to explain further would ruin the plot. Brewer knocks it out of the park here. Her talent is undeniable. I will say that the commentary on social media and immediate gratification it can produce is front and center. The final scene renders the plot unapologetic. Cam is an all-around good trip.

Fantasia International Film Fest 2018 ends tonight. But we’ll keep you updated on release dates for all the films that screened this year.

Fantasia International Film Festival review: ‘THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW’ takes its place among the classics.

The Witch in the Window has a classic ghost story feel. Anchored by a local legend, the film’s uniqueness is amped up by the fact that the locals can also see the ghost in question. With all of the usual tropes in place, The Witch in the Window uses humor to keep the peace in a genuine way between father and son until the subtle scares become huge ones… in broad daylight. That’s the key to this film. Much like Ted Geoghegan‘s We Are Still Here, it’s the daylight scares that make The Witch in the Window so powerful. While Geoghagan’s makeup FX are beyond compare, this film’s in your face close-ups are what grab you. I literally shouted, “OH!” as I was not expecting to be yelled at from the screen. You absolutely feel like you are in that house. Alex Draper and Charlie Tacker are outstanding together onscreen. Their father/son chemistry is extraordinary. Writer/Director/Composer/Editor (and clearly all around badass) Andy Mitton‘s storyline may also be taking a page from David Robert Mitchell’s IT FOLLOWS. To say much more would take away from the viewer’s experience. It is a solid film that should garner its rightful place in ghost story cult catalog. 

Check out the awesome trailer below.

Fantasia International Film Festival closes tonight, but we will keep you updated on all of the release dates for films that screened at the fest!

Divorced dad Simon (Alex Draper) brings his 12-year-old son, Finn (Charlie Tacker) out to Vermont to help him renovate an old house he recently purchased. Used to the speed of New York City, Finn has an impossible time slowing down to a smalltown pace, and he’s disappointed before even getting there. So is Simon (“I guess I was hoping I would catch you on the 12 side of 12, instead of the 13 side of 12”). Afflicted with a rare medical condition in which there’s a literal hole in his heart, Simon, ever resourceful, does what he can to make things good as he and his son attempt to repair what’s broken. Soon, a series of nonsensically terrifying happenings occur, nightmarish and incomprehensible. It becomes clear that they aren’t alone in the house. That there is more work to be done than either could be capable of grasping. That death is a partially living state. And that they are in a very special kind of danger.

Fantasia International Film Festival Review: ‘Relaxer’ pulls you in with its beautifully weird premise.

Y2K is right around the corner, and Cam just gave his younger brother Abbie ( Joshua Burge) the dopest, most ultimate challenge, um, ever: to beat Billy Mitchell’s infamous Pac-Man high score (by going beyond level 256’s glitch, of course) without ever getting off the couch.

Emotionally abused Abbie has accepted this challenge to finally prove a point to his older brother. He is not a quitter. With the very real threat of Y2K looming on the horizon, Abbie is hell-bent on defeating his brother’s perception of him and earning a massive cash prize all at once. But literally not getting up has consequences for our leading man. Eventually, food and drink run out. The lengths to which he will go to survive on this couch are beyond ludicrous, some downright disgusting. But this is about principal dammit. Joshua Burge, once again, proves to be a master at tackling the oddball guy with an ease that is frightening. A longtime collaborator with writer/director/editor Joel Potrykus, the two have brought some of the boldest characters and stories to life over the past 6 years. Buzzard is still one of my top recommended films of all time. Potrykus pulls inspiration from his real-life experiences. Relaxer is set at a very specific moment in time and anyone who is of a certain age will feel bombarded (in a great way) with 90’s nostalgia. Fantasia International Film Festival is the perfect platform for this film to shine. The film has a genius undertone of supernatural and the final sequence is so satisfying, I cheered out loud.

Relaxer Director Joel Potrykus

The Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 12th- August 2nd. You can find out more about the full lineup and tickets at Fantasia.com 

Fantasia International Film Festival 2018 Review: ‘Mega Time Squad’ is an editor’s masterpiece.

Think “Multiplicity on crack” (and yes, I am referencing the 1996 Micheal Keaton and Andie MacDowell sci-fi comedy delight… and crack cocaine) and you’ll begin to understand the insanity that is Mega Time Squad. Our main man, Johnny, is a low-level criminal who accidentally discovers he is wearing an ancient bracelet that will bring him back in time. Problem being, each use of said bracelet also produces another version of himself, all while running from the both he stole from and his gang of thugs. This heist movie with an incredible twist is hilarious. Packed with deliciously colorful local slang and plenty of four-letter words for punctuation, Mega Time Squad hits every mark. Anton Tennet, writer/director Tim Van Dammen, and editor Luke Haigh deserve your applause and as many beers as a bartender will allow in one sitting. Tennet, as each version of Johnny, brings a distinct specificity that is wildly impressive. Haigh had one hell of a challenge in editing and holy hell is this a triumph. Van Dammen has gifted the Fantasia 2018 audience with a warped premise begging the question of one’s own morality. You have to really pay attention to keep up with the shenanigans and you will have a blast doing so. If you enjoyed The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Mega Time Squad is your jam. And speaking of jams, the music is totally sick. Mega Time Squad is a blast from past to present.

The Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 12th- August 2nd. You can find out more about the full lineup and tickets at Fantasia.com