Piercing Cameron Beyl’s The Veil and Forbidden Mysteries Answered–An Interview

Many people have said The Veil is like a lost episode of the Twilight Zone, and they’re right! The themes explored and just cinematography just nails what made this series special, and we can expect more from Cameron Beyl.

Cameron Beyl HeadshotSome movies like Cameron Beyl’s The Veil need to be savoured, and while the wait for it to arrive on home video/streaming felt long, that’s because to find the right window to release it meant waiting for a certain time of the year to arrive. People believe that the curtain separating the world of the living from the dead is at its thinnest during Halloween. Readers can check out my original review here.

As an enthusiast who has studied the behaviours of spirits through reading other case reports and participating in client-based (not the holiday style) paranormal investigations, everything told in fiction felt spot on. But in order to understand everything that went on in this film, the opportunity to interview this filmmaker to learn about his thought process made this movie what it is:

For readers unfamiliar with your work, can you please introduce yourself?

I’ve been making films, using the DIY approach, ever since I was eleven, and went to Emerson College to get a formal education. I made my feature debut with So Long, Lonesome (2009), and a couple of years later, made Here Build Your Homes. During that time, I made other short films, did commissioned jobs and also worked on documentaries. My “The Director Series,” is well known [it delved into examining notable talents like Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson -ed], and after that The Veil. Continue reading “Piercing Cameron Beyl’s The Veil and Forbidden Mysteries Answered–An Interview”

Continuing on Revealing All The Deets on All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two

The world tour continues in part two of our detailed look at what’s coming in All The Haunts Be Ours Volume Two. Trailers are included (where possible), and the focus here is on Asian films!

All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror Vol. 2
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

Release Date: Nov 12, 2024

In part two of our reveal in what’s to be contained in All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two, we look at volumes five to eight. These works curated and produced by Kier-La Janisse, really dives into what this film historian belives is the best of the best, and that’s going to be hard to argue!

Although some of these works can be found online, they won’t be the same quality as this blu-ray release, and they don’t include the bonus material that’s included to expand one’s appreciation of each film.

Continue reading “Continuing on Revealing All The Deets on All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two”

All The Deets on All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two

Due to the huge amount of information presented, this breakdown on what will be offered in All The Haunts Be Ours Volume Two will be split into three articles.

All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror Vol. 2
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

Release Date: Nov 12, 2024

Everything fans of folk horror want to know but were afraid to ask is continuing to be explored in an all new continuation, simply titled All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two. And when I own a copy of the first set, there’s no turning back! Not only am I a rabid completist but also this new collection offers recent movies that define what this genre is all about.

As for older works that can’t be easily found online or not available, half the list includes films making their debut on the optical medium. The care and attention put into these collections says it all. I’m particularly glad there’s a lot more to explore. What’s offered is an extension of the documentary that started it all, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary (review link)

Continue reading “All The Deets on All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two”

Steve Wang and an Amazing 40 Years in the Makeup Effects Industry. Reflections on the Film That Defined His Career: Kung Fu Rascals

Not everyone will be aware that Steve Wang’s career as a master creature effects artist is approaching 40 years!

Kung Fu Rascals Blu-ray
Available to preorder on Amazon USA

Steve Wang’s behind-the-scenes credits are vast, and to talk to him about the work that got him recognized as an award-winning creature creator and master FX artist was an absolute pleasure. He grew up watching shows like Ultraman, Super Sentai along with many Japanese monster movies which would later influence his creations.

One movie that helped him get recognized in Hollywood was Kung Fu Rascals, which was very DIY, funded out of his own pocket when studio support faded, and it’s now finally getting a Blu-ray treatment from Visual Vengeance, a subsidiary of Wild Eye Releasing.

This film emerged in the early 90s when the tokusatsu genre was truly getting a foothold in North America. Before then, martial arts films with stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan were all the rage. Fans wanted more, the style that transitioned out of one decade to another certainly influenced this filmmaker. He loved all those classics and they certainly had an influence on his style.

And to know more about where he came from, I had the opportunity to talk to him.

Continue reading “Steve Wang and an Amazing 40 Years in the Makeup Effects Industry. Reflections on the Film That Defined His Career: Kung Fu Rascals”

When Megazone 23 Gets an Explosive, Shiny Update!

The late 80s and 90s was a good time for anime and music to really shine. Megazone 23 may well be the best from this era and it’s getting released anew for fans to enjoy the trilogy as its meant to!

Megazone 23 Blu-rayRelease Date: November 12th.
Pre-order this title here.

Megazone 23 is a series that has a special place in my heart, and I’m very excited an updated collector’s edition is being released by Media OCD/AnimEigo. Not only was the soundtrack phenomenal, but also it paved the way to help make anime mainstream. The compositions scored by Shirō Sagisu still holds up today, and he’s better known for other series like Evangelion and Berserk.

Also, anyone who loves Mikimoto Haruhiko’s art will most likely say he was on his A-game during this era! That’s because a lot of his watercolour works were used to help promote many a series. From Macross to Gunbuster, his style had a quality which is beautiful to look at.

Production-wise, this series created by Noboru Ishiguro and Hiroyuki Hoshiyama (Artland/Tatsunoko) has lots to like. I believe it was the first to introduce virtual idols to the cyberpunk anime genre, and in North America, Carl Macek took notice. He spliced bits and pieces of this series to create Robotech the Movie. That was not as well received as the original. Continue reading “When Megazone 23 Gets an Explosive, Shiny Update!”

Celebrating Despicable Me 4 Home Video Release and Benny’s Birthday Surprise!

Long time fans of this franchise can now binge watch all four of the Despicable Me films, or just enjoy more Minion Mayhem stitched together, assuming they’re willing to get off the couch to change discs.

Despicable Me 4 Blu-ray
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Illumination Studios

The Despicable Me franchise has some amazing staying power, and I’m always interested in what new wacky adventures Gru’s family can have. I reviewed this movie when it was at theatres, and as always, am interested in what’ll get offered in the home video release. They never fail to deliver some hilarious short. That’s why I keep on buying them over streaming (I’m in the camp that should a film get pulled, I can’t revisit the movie when I want to) or asking for review copies. I must thank Universal Studios as the Despicable Me 4 package arrived before my birthday. I celebrated my day with Benny’s Birthday short.

Here, this Minion is afraid of what the others planned. That’s because he’s stuck in a temporal loop, and he can’t figure out how to escape. By the time the cake arrives, he gets hurt, and the day starts all over again! How he breaks free is not too unexpected. It’s tough to find fault with these shorts because the works of Mack Sennett inspired most of them. He’s the Silent Film King of Comedy, and in his vast catalogue of works, there’s plenty to borrow from.

Continue reading “Celebrating Despicable Me 4 Home Video Release and Benny’s Birthday Surprise!”