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[VFF’15] A Music Otaku’s Guide to Tennis Pro’s Big In Japan! Review & Interview

bij_POSTER 9:45pm Feb 6
2:00pm Feb 8
Odeon Theatre

Little known Seattle-based rock band Tennis Pro is having problems with notoriety and in what they realize is that they are not getting the attention that they deserve. When Alex Vincent (AKA Alex Shumway) of Green River fame takes notice and offers them the chance to pursue recognition in the land of the rising sun, perhaps their fame will truly be “Big in Japan.”

This rockumentary blends actual concert moments with a fictionalized narrative to tell the story of what guitarist David Drewery, drummer Sean Lowery and bassist Philip Pearson faced while in this country. From total culture shock in not quite realizing where they are to figuring out how to survive on a budget, the humour just happens naturally.

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[VFF’15] The Boy and the World, A Review

The Boy and the World is a kaleidoscope of crayon, pen and ink images made to give life to a world where Cuca (Vinicius Garcia), a young boy, is desperate to see his father come home.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

3:00pm Feb 9
Mary Winspear Centre
Charlie White Theatre

6:00pm Feb 9
The Vic Theatre

The Boy and the World is a kaleidoscope of crayon, pen and ink images made to give life to a world where Cuca (Vinicius Garcia), a young boy, is desperate to see his father come home. He hopped a train in search for work, but in the weeks that follow, everything he experiences are that of loss, hope and necessity.

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[VFF’15] I am a Man and a Big Bird, A Documentary Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

4:30pm Feb 8
7:15pm Feb 11
Odeon Theatre

I Am Big Bird is one of those rare biographies that tells a heartwarming tale about not just one of pop culture’s beloved icons. Puppeteer Caroll Spinney is now in his 80’s and the life he gave to Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch shows that both he and the characters he helped create have resiliency — even when new characters are introduced in a television program that’s still ongoing.

After having a difficult childhood with his own parents, namely his father, and finding a place to belong, there’s happiness in his soul. Back in the days, his life-long admiration of puppeteering and playing with “dolls” was misunderstood. In what he developed for himself (including his skill with a pen and brush) is sweetly examined and audiences can not help but shed at least one tear afterwards.

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Japan’s New Nintendo 3DS gets the Zelda Makeover

As expected and predicted by Otaku’s Vintage Tempest, Nintendo’s New 3DS — the non XL version — is getting a facelift in the form of an eloquent faceplate to have Zelda fans lusting over. The sleek black on muted black, with only a golden emblem is far more sexy to croon over than the gold brick with a painted on mask. This newer design has more of an emotional appeal to it than the fan service item that Nintendo of America is offering in its limited edition Majora’s Mask Nintendo 3DS XL model.

Sadly, this item is only available for the Japanese market, but soon, either on eBay or through online resellers, this item can become obtainable through alternative secondary sources.

No. 056 is a different design featuring the Skull Kid looking rather forlorn in misty forest. Even this design shows a love that not many other collectible art models demonstrates. Maybe it’s time to move to Japan. At least over there, the company is showing an appreciation for what fantastic art is supposed to be.

[VFF’15] Searching for the Family Ties that Bind in Boychoir, A Review

Opening night at the 2015 Victoria Film Festival must have had Heaven watching. Audiences treated to a live choir performance before the start of the gala movie, Boychoir, to set the mood.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Boychoir Poster

7:15pm Feb 6th
The Odeon

Opening night at the 2015 Victoria Film Festival must have had Heaven watching. Audiences treated to a live choir performance before the start of the gala movie, Boychoir, to set the mood. For those who missed this movie, let’s hope there’s a repeat engagement or a wider release being planned.

Newcomer Garrett Wareing is fantastic at playing Stet, a troubled 11-year old with nowhere to go. With a deadbeat mother and a strange father he never met, just what’s revealed is the fact that he has no family or friends. The only thing he has is his angelic voice that this movie describes as “on loan.”

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[VFF ’15] Sunshine Superman Flies High with Inspiration, A Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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4:30pm Feb 7
9:45pm Feb 10
Odeon Theatre

The art of free-falling as an extreme sport can be dangerous. When done right, the euphoria experienced might be like that of experiencing heaven shine upon one’s face like a bright sparkling diamond. Sunshine Superman is an aptly titled documentary about Carl Boenish, the father of BASE jumping. His work in the 70’s and 80’s helped further interest amongst the masses, and the challenges he faced typically meant disobeying the law. Not everyone in enforcement liked the idea of miscreants breaking into buildings or climbing high mountaintops only to leap off it.

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