Category: Cinema

[Fantasia Film Festival] Dog of God or God of War? Just Why Lycans Crucially Matter Here is…

…that we can expect the unexpected! This wonderfully edgy film redefines what werewolves represents. To say one can be a “Dog of God,” gets morally justified here!

Dog of God Movie Poster
This movie played at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival on Monday evening, July 21st.

Potential Spoiler Alert

Vampire Hunter D better look out. There’s a new antihero in town, and his name is Dog of God! This character is more creepy than charming; given the movie’s title, I looked into its production history. And when the storylines of both are similar, I’m going to have a tough time deciding on who is the better hero.

This animated film made by Latvian filmmakers Lauris and Raitis Abele has lots of elements to like. It’s presented as a parable. When they drew inspiration from the court case where the Thiess of Kaltenbrun was accused of theft, he admitted to being a werewolf. It’s a story that might surprise even history buffs. According to records, officials brought an 82-year-old man to court, where he admitted to being a werewolf. He recounted his battles against witches and wizards who served the devil, and as an emissary of his mighty Lord and saviour, he’s out to do good rather than evil–which humanity is having trouble believing! 

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Fantasia Film Festival 2025 More Epic Picks of Must Sees!

When Fantasia Film Festival is the place to be for films old and new set within the genre of speculative fiction, it’ll have a bit of everything for everyone to enjoy, and this list considers them all!

Fantasia Film Festival 2025 Movie PosterWith the complete list of films and shorts fully announced, the 2025 edition of Fantasia Film Festival has a terrific selection of films to get fans of Asian cinema buzzing. That’s because anyone fresh from seeing STRANGE TALES: LAN RUO TEMPLE aka Curious Tales of a Temple (as Light Chaser Animation lists it) can see a revisionist version of “Nie Xiaoqian” with a cinematic presentation of Chinese Ghost Story 3 (Aug 3)

Even though that means racking up tons of air miles points to fly from China to Montreal, it might be easier to rent the film originally made in 1991. But then, one would miss out on seeing The Battle Wizard (July 20th), a fun Shaw Brothers Studio production considered by many a cult work.

With those two works said, the following remaining films make my list of must-see this hot summer season.

Queens of the Dead
Aug 02

Queens of the Dead Movie PoserIt’s Easter in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and a different resurrection is at hand. Dre (LOVE LIES BLEEDING breakout Katy O’Brian) is putting on a warehouse drag show, trying to deal with her lead performer’s last-minute cancellation, among other problems. One that she never could have imagined is a zombie apocalypse breaking out in her neighbourhood, which besieges her and her team while her wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome, THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW), a nurse at a local hospital, tries to dodge the flesh-eating hordes and get across town to Dre. As the trapped party crew deal with various interpersonal issues—most notably the sudden return of Sam, a.k.a. Samoncé (Jaquel Spivey, MEAN GIRLS), some time after abandoning Dre and her show at a crucial moment—they’re forced to resolve their differences and band together and survive.

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All The Fears About Strange Tales of Liaozhai: Lanruo Temple Are Revealed With The Final Trailer

The upcoming Strange Tales of Liaozhai isn’t a simple anthology as far as _ is concerned!

Strange Tales of Liaozhai- Lanruo TempleLight Chaser Animation

As the date nears for Strange Tales of Liaozhai: Lanruo Temple to hit theatres, fans of this studio’s works will finally get to know more about the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Amazon link). This work contains many short stories, and we finally have confirmation of which tales are being adapted. They are:

  • The Taoist Priest of Laoshan Mountain: A classic zhiguai story about a wandering Taoist encountering supernatural threats.
  • Princess Lotus: A spirit romance centered on a flower fairy—echoing themes of love across realms.
  • Nie Xiaoqian: A melancholic ghost tale where a female specter falls in love with a scholar—the inspiration behind many film/TV adaptations.
  • The Painted Skin: A chilling demon tale where a beautiful woman is revealed to be a monstrous spirit.
  • The Daughter of Magistrate Lu: A supernatural courtroom fable where a magistrate in the afterlife judges the dead.

The main narrative, set at Lanruo Temple, will incorporate each of these works. This historical building sits on the Yangtze River, and locals call it a “little-known travel destination.” With the final trailer out, with subtitles, fans from around the world have a better idea about what’s going on. Although it primarily focuses on one tale, it’s easy to tell there’re multiple stories involved.

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F1RST: A Celebration of Aboriginal Film is back for its Second Year in Victoria, BC

Next month will present various opportunities to acknowledge what makes this continent special with its look at what its F1RST settlers have done when they settled this land. 

F1RST- A Celebration of Aboriginal Film PosterVisitors to Victoria, British Columbia might want to plan if they want to take part at F1RST: A Celebration of Aboriginal Film while here. This short movie marathon run by the folks from the Victoria Film Festival is now in its second year. It may well be replacing Feast Food+Film, an event that may have ended when the pandemic hit.

In this follow-up to last week’s post, this introduction provides more information about this sophomore event and what to expect next. After this show is Free-B Summer Nights screenings at Beacon Hill Park.

When a lot of events, operations, and festivals, including this blog, makes our home in this region, we are all honoured to be based on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples of the Songhees Nation and Xwsepsum Nation, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

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Tsui Hark in 2025. Upcoming Releases and Updates.

Legendary filmmaker Tsui Hark is one busy man! And we got a recap on what to expect soon in theatres. Not only can we get to revisit the classics, but also expect his trademark style in two upcoming projects.

Shanghai Blues Original Movie PosterRelease Date: June 20, 2025

Shanghai Blues has been updated to 4K and unlike other releases, Tsui Hark knows that audiences have to experience this classic on the big screen instead of just releasing it to disc! This film is one part comedy and another romance. As for what’s next on this auteur’s plate, fans can look forward to the release of Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants sometime this year, and in pre-production is Shih, Queen of the Sea. The former is a new take on a fond tale and the latter concerns one of the meanest pirates to sail the Asiatic seas! Both are equally ambitious works, and we’re glad this filmmaker is not retiring soon.

Shanghai Blues Plot Synopsis

In 1937, after The Second Sino-Japanese War breaks out, a soldier and a young woman have an awkward meet cute in darkness under a bridge as they seek refuge during a bomb raid. Although they can’t see each other’s faces, they promise to meet again after the dust settles. Ten years later, the soldier, now a burgeoning songwriter and tuba-player in a marching band, is back in town desperately searching for his would-be soulmate. As fate would have it they end up living in the same building unbeknownst to each other. Through a series of mishaps he mistakes her new ingénue roommate for his love interest and wacky love triangle hijinks ensue.

Shanghai Blues Picture Still
Shanghai Blues in 4K (sample image)

Consummate auteur Tsui Hark almost single-handedly reinvented Hong Kong cinema in the 80s and 90s with uber-kinetic genre opuses, amping up cinematic spectacle whether with special effects or sheer unbridled energy. This Hong Kong styled homage to the screwball comedies of yesteryear features black belt level slapstick and delightfully droll romcom shenanigans. With striking mise en scène and inspired production design Shanghai Blues, “…luscious, loving and a lot of fun…one of Tsui Hark’s most enjoyable works” — Richard James Havis, South China Morning Post.

The 4K restoration of SHANGHAI BLUES was supervised from the original negative by Tsui Hark with L’Immagine Ritrovata and the soundtrack remixed by One Cool Sound.

Tsui Hark Biography

Tsui Hark HeadshotThis filmmaker is widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in Hong Kong cinema, known for his innovative style and pushing the boundaries of filmmaking. He emerged as a key figure during the 1980s Hong Kong New Wave, challenging genre conventions and censorship restrictions with films like Butterfly Murders and Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind. And with his film series Once Upon a Time in China and Detective Dee turning into major commercial successes, Tsui remains of the highest-grossing filmmakers in Chinese-language cinema.

In 1984, Tsui co-founded Film Workshop, leading to a series of commercially successful films that defined the golden era of Hong Kong cinema. Works such as A Chinese Ghost Story, Swordsman, and Once Upon a Time in China solidified his dominance in Asia. After directing films in Hollywood, Tsui returned to Hong Kong in the mid-1990s and expanded his reach globally with films like Iron Monkey and Time and Tide, which reinvented the Hong Kong action genre for international audiences.

A Chinese Ghost Story 1987

From 2011, Tsui ventured into 3D filmmaking with films like Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon. His film The Taking of Tiger Mountain 3D earned him the Best Director award at the Golden Rooster Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Other notable achievements were co-directing and co-producing The Battle at Lake Changjin, a record-breaking Chinese film that garnered Best Directors and Best Film awards at the Golden Rooster Film Awards. Most recently, his film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong, was an Official Selection for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, and his adaptation of the classic Jin Yong novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes was released in 2025.

At This Year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, These Three Short Works Deserve Special Attention

Time flies at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and what’s offered is a look at the shorts that show why the magic is alive for new talents looking to make a difference.

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival LOGOSome folks may well say the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival moved quite fast this year. I seem to recall that some years had more days added to it than others, and I’d have to check my archives to verify if that’s true or not.

As I reported before, I’ve chosen to look at the shorts presented this year and I suspect half of what’s presented will be available at other similarly themed events. When my focus is on the genre of magical realism, what I offer is a look at these shorts which really caught my attention above all other screenings. Sadly, when doing remote coverage, some films might not be accessible, and that’s okay. They may show up at Fantasia Film Festival or another local Asian celebration of movies next, and I’m crossing my fingers!

Ruya

Sany (Bernadette Balagtas) is a dreamweaver, and in this world, they are more than storytellers. They interpret life’s major events and it’s woven into a tapestry. Not everyone can read the colours and patterns put into the t’nalaks. I couldn’t help but want to be reminded about how strings intertwine in what The Fates from Greek legend weave; however, those threads have a different meaning. And unlike what the dreamcatcher does, what’s made here is more about remembering one’s heritage more than anything else.

Ruya Movie Picture Still

Sadly, after she suffers a heart attack, she can’t continue making this long piece of cloth. And it’s up to her daughter Ruya (Yssamei Panganiban) to understand what this tapestry means to the family. And when not everyone is familiar with indigenous Filipino culture, what’s revealed is fascinating!

I was captivated by the later moments as the film attempts to explain who Fu Dalu, the Spirit of Abaca, is. Even then, what this story presents is scratching the surface. Afterwards, I researched further, and I’m glad the aboriginal fascination with the Dreaming isn’t limited to Australia!

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