Montreal City’s Fantasia Film Festival is the destination for all things wild in the pop culture movie scene. Although I love it because of all the Asian style imports, there’s always something unique from another country that’ll catch my interest.
Whether that’s with Les yeux d’Olga or Chainsaws Were Singing (Mootorsaed laulsid) due to what this work promises to entertain with, they help round out this top twelve must see picks! The former is a short which may borrow concepts from Bubba Ho-tep and the latter is a horror musical, a genre which doesn’t receive enough attention, and I hope both succeed!
Presented in alphabetical order are my top picks on what to go see:
Brush of the God (Kaminofude)
Sun July 28, 2024
Salle J.A. De Sève
Once a movie earns the label of a kaiju film, I’ll simply watch it, and here, it’s about a young girl who wants to know more about her late grandfather. He’s a model maker who’s worked in many monster movies, and as for how she gets teleported into the worlds that her grandpa made, well, that’s the mystery. I doubt this work will be like the Last Action Hero, but I’m very curious!
Dark Match
Sun July 21, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
Anyone who loves Wolfcop by Lowell Dean will want to see this latest, which stars wrestling legend Chris Jericho! I’m really hoping he has a big role in this work, and when I don’t want to know too much in advance, other than it sounds like Bloodsport but with a demonic spin edge, that’s enough for me!
Ghost Cat Anzu
Sun July 21, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
Based on the manga by Takashi Imashiro, this film will be familiar but just as fun. That’s because it’s been compared to My Neighbour Totoro. Here, 11-year-old Karin has to take care of grandpa, and when he says he doesn’t want to be cared for. Instead, he tasks the lad to look after Anzu Nakamura. Little does he know he’s a ghost cat! This work has been on my radar for a long time, and it’s very notable because it used rotoscoping to bring the digital world to life.
It’s a coming of age tale, and just how weird it can get has me suspecting it may well borrow from Pon Poko, my second most favourite Studio Ghibli film!
HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot
Sat July 27, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
From the official synopsis
In the not too distant future, humanity has harnessed cosmic forces and expanded its reach far beyond Earth. But this is no new golden age. The eternal struggle for resources remains, pitting the water-starved Empire of Mars against our species’ home planet. The Second Great War has raged for decades. Kai’s father has fallen in battle, his mother gone missing on a mission to Saturn. Now 18 years old, Kai is determined to do his part (and find his mother), and follows in his father’s footsteps to the Mecha Corps Academy.
Though brilliant in theoretical matters, Kai is physically weak, and hides the asthma that would disqualify him. With the support of his squad—overachiever Waye, easygoing Ean, neurotic Ren, and the sympathetic if incomprehensible brute Rock—Kai earns his place at the controls of his own mecha, which he names Little Dragon. So begins the deep bond between Kai and his robot, which will need to be strong as steel if either will survive the incredible challenges ahead.
What’s notable about Rich Ho’s project is that he spent decades world building, and after getting the investments needed, he can bring this movie to life. It’s rare to hear of a film of this scale being made in Singapore, but I’m taking notice!
Mantra Warrior:
The Legend of the Eight Moons
Sun July 21, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
When Bangkok-based Riff Studio has done quite the fantastic job with their reboot of Ramayana, a cyberpunk space opera, to see what else this salon can do has my attention. Here, the tale concerns mecha and mythology from this South Asian country, need I say more?
From the Official Movie Synopsis:
A war between good and evil has raged for eons, enduring into a far-flung future of technological wonders and political intrigue spanning galaxies. On the planet Ayodia, Prince Ram is exiled in paradise with his wife Sita, until the sinister Emperor Tossakaan kidnaps her. The villain plans to seize the divine power that the princess carries, a spiritual force that can create or destroy on a cosmic scale. The fierce and spiteful King Palee of the planet Varana has allied with Tossakaan, but the noble Prince Ram is not without friends. In the neon-drenched urban underbelly of Varana, a team of rebels assembles covertly. Against terrible odds, this squad of elite battle-suit pilots is ready to fight for what’s right—in fact, a coming cosmic convergence assures that it is their fate.
Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain
Sat July 20, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
When director Kenji Nakamura (Gatchaman Crowds) is making a movie, most anime fans are sure to take notice because his pop art style pretty much says it all. It’s almost like experiencing an acid trip in some ways, but mostly, once you have seen Monster, you just have to ask how he can top it, and with this work, it’s certain to be just as crazy.
Here, what we’re wondering about is how Asa and Kame can survive working at a pleasure house, where Lord Tenshi keeps his harem. There’s going to be more than the usual mash up of pleasures of the flesh and other odd desires being brought to the screen. Here, there’s a paranormal element which caught my attention, and I hope these two boys can deal with it. There weren’t ghostbusters back then.
A Samurai in Time
Sun July 28, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
An Edo-period samurai is flung into the future, arriving in modern Kyoto to confront utter confusion—and an acting career. A fish-out-of- water fantasy that’s clever, funny, and remarkably poignant. When this film is “more than a fun fish-out-of-water fantasy and is an homage to samurai cinema,” by Rupert Bottenberg, that’s enough to sell me on wanting to see this. It’s certain to be picked up by GKIDS if it hasn’t already; to enjoy it on the big screen, however, will be key to why I’m eager for it.
Shelby Oaks
Sat July 20, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
Finally, I’m discovering stories about paranormal experts risking it all by going to scary locations. Here, it’s about who took Riley Brennan? From the synopsis, “That’s the question asked by millions of devoted, even obsessed fans of the popular YouTube series Paranormal Paranoids, which ceased production when Brennan and her three co-hosts disappeared near the deserted town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio in 2008.
“Conspiracy theories have run rampant over the years, but none are more determined to get to the truth than Riley’s sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan), who has finally agreed to tell Riley’s story to a documentary film crew (Emily Bennett and Rob Grant) hoping to find closure.”
I hope this movie delivers on the missteps taken by wannabe ghost hunters. As for other aspects of the production, I hope it lives up to expectations, as I’m sure those studying the paranormal in our reality will point out the inaccuracies of what should be right or wrong.
The Umbrella Fairy (San Shao Nv)
Sun July 28, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
When there are spirits capable of transforming into “fairies” to serve mankind, that can be trouble. Sometimes they manifest as a simple household item, or be something else. Here, Qingdai and Wanggui hope to reunite their owners so that they can make amends rather than trouble, but will it work? It’s hard to say, but for Jie Shen offering a traditional tale over what we’re used to lately from Lightchaser and other houses only getting half their product to international markets, I’m very interested in seeing it.
Unlike Deep Sea by Coloroom Pictures, what’s offered here sounds familiar with bringing traditional Chinese painting techniques to digital, animated life. Whether this work can top that will remain to be seen.
The Yin Yang Master Zero (Onmyoji 0)
Mon July 29, 2024
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
This historical fantasy looks interesting because it deals with Japan in the Heian-era where malevolent spirits are everywhere! They need to be chased down, but as for whether the onmyoji can deal with them, it seems like they can’t! As for what Abe Seimei can do, hopefully he can exorcise the spirits in a royal court and I want to see just how different ghosts look in this time more so than see another work like The Ring. While modern horror has its own interpretations on why ghosts roam around, I’d like something more traditional, and this film may be it!
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