As an effective techno-thriller directed by Charles Band, the AI found in AIMEE The Visitor ranks right up there with the MCU from TRON as a force to contend with.
When considering nearly every facet of the online world is run by some artificial intelligence to help people deal with technical issues, if not life, the latest film directed by Charles Band is Aimee The Visitor really hits its mark. Unlike past works from this studio which are more like B movie schlock, this work functions very well as a very cautionary tale. It may be enough to get some people to stop using A.I.
Despite including the usual T&A which defines most of this studio’s content, it’s not all that gratuitous to distract from the real plot at hand. Here, Scott Keyes (Dallas Schaefer) is an isolationist who doesn’t know how to deal with the outside world. As for how talented he is as a cybercriminal, I feel this new IP needs a prequel to understand why he is who he is. This underdeveloped aspect of this character deserves to be expanded upon. And as for the actor himself, I couldn’t help but think he’s the next Michael Paré!
This year’s Vancouver International Film Festival is looking terrific with its variety of genre films that’s being offered!
The Vancouver International Film Festival has started, and they’ve added more genre films to their programming! It’s terrific that there’s more representation, but to stay true to their mission, it’s not anything that looks good, but it’s visions that can show the best genre movies can represent from an artistic perspective.
There’s not enough to form a top ten picks out of the thirteen titles, so what I offer is my top five, beginning with:
The Boy and the Heron
Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki returns from retirement with an enchanting swansong, the story of a young boy, Mahito, growing up in Japan during WWII, who must venture into a fantasy world in order to save his new stepmother.
For those unable to attend these film festival screenings, there’s no need to worry. This movie is making it’s theatrical debut December 8, 2023 and it’s sure to sell out!
6:30 pm Fri Oct 06 Vancouver Playhouse
12:00 pm Sat Oct 07 Vancouver Playhouse
Robot Dreams
Living a solitary existence in Manhattan, Dog is tired of being alone, and builds his own friend: Robot. Their friendship blooms while exploring 1980s New York. This enchanting 2D animation brims with love, loss, and friendship.
6:00 pm Mon Oct 02 The Rio Theatre
3:45 pm Sat Oct 07 International Village 9
The Animal Kingdom
In a world where mysterious mutations are gradually evolving humans into animal hybrids in an unpredictable and frightening way, a father tries to protect his 16-year-old son who is starting to acquire beastly characteristics.
9:00 pm Sun Oct 08 The Rio Theatre
Bitten
Françoise wakes up from an ominous dream that seems to foreshadow her imminent death. Not wanting to waste a minute of her remaining time, she consults her crystal pendulum and convinces her best friend Delphine to attend a mysterious costume party.
6:30 pm Fri Sep 29 The Cinematheque
8:30 pm Wed Oct 04 Vancity Theatre
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
Meet Sasha, the world’s most compassionate young vampire. Her family is at their wits’ end with her refusal to embrace their lethal traditions and threaten to cut her off–until she meets a brooding boy hoping to end his life, and strikes a unique deal.
First up is the feature-length documentary WaaPaKe: Tomorrow, directed by Vancouver-based filmmaker Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin. This work is important because of what was discovered years ago, bodies of children in unmarked graves by a normal school. The public outcry was huge, and to find answers, viewers will have to watch this.
From the Press Release:
For generations, the suffering of residential school Survivors has radiated outward, affecting Indigenous families and communities. Children, parents, and grandparents have contended with the unspoken trauma, manifested in the lingering effects of colonialism: addiction, emotional abuse, and broken relationships. In her efforts to help the children of Survivors, including herself and her family, Koostachin makes the hard decision to step in front of the camera and take part in the circle of truth. She is joined in this courageous act of solidarity by members of her immediate household, as well as an array of voices from Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Moving beyond burying intergenerational trauma, WaaPaKe is an invitation to unravel the tangled threads of silence and unite in collective freedom and power.
Special to this year is an installation art piece of Meneath. It’ll be part of the VIFF Signals program and is based on Métis creator Terril Calder’s Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics, a winner of the New Voices Award at New York’s Tribeca Festival. For our review of this work, please visit this link.
Making money is hard these days, and just what can one art dealer do to make ends meet? Apparently, it’s to make some dirty dealings with the Miami underground in The Kill Room.
Shout! Studios
Playing at select theatres beginning today
From selling fake artwork from celebrated modern masters to more crazy installation type pieces, The Kill Room is a fantastic black comedy which stars Uma Thurman–who doesn’t look like she’s aged by much since her Kill Bill days. With Samuel L. Jackson as a mentor on how she should deal with managing an art studio that’s having a lot of problems, what goes from a simple scam to scheme could go awry!
But when Patrice (Thurman) discovers a new talent in Reggie (Joe Manganiello), she doesn’t really get just what he truly does for a living. There are hints about what he does in Nicol Paone‘s direction, but nobody seems to care. He’s a natural-born killer, and somehow what he uses as a calling card are considered works of art!
Had this home video release included a featurette interviewing directors Keiichi Hara and Takakazu Nagatomo explaining the film, I’d appreciate Lonely Castle in the Mirror a lot more.
Now Available on Home Video Shout! Studios & GKIDS
Fans of Mizuki Tsujimura‘s Japanese fantasy book are more likely to purchase the animated adaptation of Lonely Castle in the Mirror than others, and honestly, I feel it shouldn’t be avoided. It deals with a difficult narrative in how to deal with life when it deals you lemons. It’s not just about bullying. And what’s taught here is that there are ways to find empowerment.
Although what’s shown doesn’t get deep into self-improvement, perhaps I should look at Tomo Taketomi’s manga instead. This movie follows the misery Kokoro (Ami Tôma) faces daily. She’s been teased, intimidated and perhaps more. With nowhere to retreat, how she manages at home is equally isolating, and it’s a shame.
The Vancouver International Film Festival
Robot Dreams
The Animal Kingdom
Bitten
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
