Category: Cinema

An Animated Guide to VC Film Fest (2024)

Taking place next month is VC Film Fest and we have our guide on must sees for the animation fan and our top three live-action cinematic presentations too. ;)

VC Film Fest Logo
Runs from Wed, May 1, 2024 – Fri, May 10, 2024

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival / LAAPFF is now known as VC Film Fest and they’re celebrating 40 glorious years! This event is great at showcasing films from this region and this year, the shorts program includes Armed with Camera, Digital Histories and Pacific Cinewaves. This helps attendees select what they like to see, and sewn into the fabric of each of these are many animated works and they will be my focus on my top ten works to see this year.

And also included are my top three picks of live-action feature length works.

Aikane Waterfall Picture Still

AIKANE

A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls into a mysterious underwater world. When the octopus who rescued him transforms into a handsome young man, they fall in love and an epic adventure begins.

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Chicken for Linda! The Crazy Quest for Who’ll Count Coup for Poulet.

I’m surprised that the young girl in Chicken For Linda! isn’t asking for other poulet flavoured meals, since a lot more can be done with the leftovers.

Chicken for Linda! movie posterGKIDS
Release Date: April 19, 2024
Please check local listings for screenings near you.

After a successful limited theatre run in New York and Los Angeles, the French animated masterpiece, Chicken for Linda! Is getting ready to be dressed for success! This hilarious slice of life film looks at everything a parent will do just to please a child. The hen is intended for slaughter, and there were times I wished it would survive. But sadly, it’s destined to be on the dinner plate for Paulette (Clotilde Hesme) and her daughter (Mélinée Leclerc). As for whether they can locate one during a labour strike, that’s going to be a challenge!

As a single mother, life is never easy. The father died when Linda was a baby. Now that she’s much older these days, she’s quite the handful! Although mom makes the mistake of blaming her kid for losing the wedding ring she still holds dear, thankfully it gets found! It turns out the family cat was the culprit!

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Simply Irrestiable! City Hunter on Netflix

Here, we look at what made the City Hunter franchise change over time, and look at the latest entry which is surprisingly faithful to what makes it great.

Netflix City Hunter PosterStreaming on Netflix
Release Date: April 25, 2024 (USA & Canada)

Part of City Hunter’s appeal lies in the fact it’s a very hilarious buddy film about Ryo Saeba (Ryohei Suzuki), a merc who really loves his women while taking out crime in Shinjuku, Japan. Sometimes his behaviour gets in the way of getting the job done, and this is something Hideyuki Makimura (Masanobu Andô) dislikes. And despite warning him to not put his moves on his sister, that’s because he’s knows what his partner can do, and is overprotective. And when he dies in the line of duty, he hopes this sweeper will do the right thing and be more like a brother to her.

The anime was really popular in the 90s, and many of the episodes were based on the manga published the decade prior. In today’s woke culture, his actions would not be tolerated and despite this character’s low-brow behaviour, the love for this franchise over the years remained strong. As a result, a fair number of reboots and reinterpretations look at other aspects of Ryo’s career.

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When The First Omen is not the Last Omen for a Restart of an Old Franchise Favourite

The First Omen is very good at fitting into what’s already known. But sadly, it’s missing some of that spiritual gravitas that defined the trilogy.

The First Omen Movie PosterThere’s more than one terror afoot in The First Omen and nobody should be surprised that something new is added to continue this franchise. Back when it all started, writer David Seltzer and director Richard Donner may have had only two ideas in mind: Satanism was on the rise and cults existed at places few communities least expected. This film arrived before the book Michelle Remembers was published. These days, new revelations debunk this publication, but in what this latest offers, what’s getting mapped into the canon gets sinister.

When I first saw the movie that started it all, that parting image of Damien delivering a fourth wall breaking smile was spine-tingling. Anyone who knows that film well understands the spirit locked within has a plan. And when he becomes an adult, that vessel can do nasty things. I was a fan of Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who) and the character he played knew a lot about what’s going on. Unfortunately, time on screen to prevent the unholy from gaining a foothold got cut short.

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Regarding Brandon Lee’s The Crow Anniversary. The 4K Edition is Ready to Land on Home Video!

Not many comic book movie adaptations are worth revisiting time and time again, but with The Crow, there’s lots to like, especially when remastered!

The Crow 30th Anniversary 4K
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

Originally released on May 13, 1994, The Crow entranced audiences and critics alike with its gothic aesthetic, breathtaking action, and Brandon Lee’s soulful performance at the center of director Alex Proyas’ revenge fantasy. Now 30 years later, it’s busting out again with this anniversary 4K release! Not only is it newly remastered but also, there’s all new content!

From the Press Release:

In addition, there will be a limited-edition SteelBook™ with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc, featuring an o-sleeve with a cutout of a crow that lifts to reveal a portrait of Brandon Lee with his guitar.  This film developed a passionate cult following that spawned three sequels, a television series, a video game, toys, and novels.  Based on the comic book saga of the same name by James O’Barr, The Crow delivers an action-packed thriller bursting with hypnotic style and dazzling visuals.

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Exhuma. Lest We Forget, or Forgive. Can The Spirit of Korea Recover?

Before Korea was divided into two nations, there was a time when everyone fought for the same thing and what Exhuma examines is a mix of horror and history.

Exhuma Movie Poster (Korean)Well GO USA
Now playing at theatres new you

Exhuma (파묘) is one of those rare gems which mixes in folk horror with history, and what’s exhumed for audiences to worry about concerns a terror that must be put back in its place, lest more innocent souls get destroyed. In this film’s case, there’s also a sense of unearthing tensions its citizens had when concerning their relation with the Japanese.

Some ancient spirit hates the Ji-young family, and Park (Kim Jae-cheol) hopes to end the curse once and for all. He hires a locally renowned occultist Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun) to basically do some ghostbusting. Unlike other works which are steeped in made up lore, this one is steeped in animism and folklore. It gives this film an air of credibility where even I felt at ease. Although the later act gets fanciful, the nuances still make me think twice when disturbing a grave a night!

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