From Black Zombie to Lost Wax, This Pairing Shows How Death Can Never Die

Maya Annik Bedward’s Black Zombie explores the walking dead’s journey from African spirituality and Haitian Vodou to Hollywood. This thoughtful documentary reclaims the zombie as a symbol shaped by colonialism, slavery and cultural survival.

Black Zombie Poster
Played at Fantasia Film Festival on July 29, 2026 at the Salle J.A. De Sève

Nearly everything you want to know but were afraid to ask about the authentic history of how the walking dead came to be gets nicely tracked in Black Zombie. From their African roots to Haiti to Hollywood and back, it’s neatly explored. This Canadian documentary, directed by Maya Annik Bedward, covers all the gamut needed to understand why it is universally regarded as a metaphor for how those early slavers regarded their cargo. It’s also about how the Yoruba religion became syncretized with Caribbean culture, forming Vodou.

Ultimately, what this work claims is how it all evolved from when Africans brought to America were tossed to the mines rather than dressed to the nines, because of who they are. The root cause considers the fear Europeans had for the spirituality of a world colonizers never bothered to truly understand.

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AnimEigo and Otakon 2026 Home Video Announcements Galore: So What’s New?

From Fantasia Film Festival to Otakon 2026, we have this intermission. AnimEigo announced a fantastic array of titles that also includes a literary classic for those who missed it the first time ’round.

Animeigo at Otakon 2026

With Otakon 2026 taking place this weekend, there’s reason to celebrate! Anime distributor AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD announced five newly licensed Blu-ray home media titles during a panel at Otakon 2026. They are a mix of old and new, and for those in the know, it’s about time one fond favourite anime from the 90s is getting an update!

The following are to be released in 2027

Antique BakeryAntique Bakery is a slice-of-life anime series about four men who work in a French bakery in Tokyo. It’s based on an acclaimed manga series created by Fumi Yoshinaga (Ooku: The Inner Chambers, What Did You Eat Yesterday?) that won a Kodansha Manga Award for best shojo manga. The 2008 TV anime ran for 12 episodes on Fuji TV’s late-night Noitamina block, following an earlier live-action drama adaptation from 2001. AnimEigo will release the series on Blu-ray in 2027.

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In Spider-Man Brand New Day, Even Spidey Has To Ask, “Won’t You Be My Neighbour?”

Yes, Mr. Rogers sang it best, but for Spider-Man Brand New Day, it’s a tough time for the webslinger as he has to deal with life without his besties, and a threat that can affect the future of the MCU. Beware of spoilers.

Spider-Man Brand New DayTechnically, Spider-Man Brand New Day is a restart of sorts where Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is debating if he should reconnect with what’s lost following the events of the last film. He knows he should move on, but when MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) aren’t there and he longs to reconnect, to watch from afar is genuinely creepy!

When he’s not looking in on their lives, he’s affecting others, mostly random New Yorkers getting mugged or some brand new villain. After dealing with Scorpion and Hammerhead, I think the rogue’s gallery is getting thinned out! But when there’s a new player he can’t figure out, that’s when things go from bad to worse.

As the trailers have teased, it seems Parker is losing control. His arachnid DNA is asserting itself and early speculation hinted at him becoming the man-spider. It’s an arc I loved from the comics and animated series, and that can still happen. But as for when, that’s hard to say.

Making a live-action film takes up to two or three years; in animation, where the story has been told during the 90s animated series run, his “mutant” run was short-lived, and with this latest take, there may be other consequences. From the same said series, Petey had anger management issues because of it. And perhaps that’s why we see this lad go find Doctor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and get his advice.

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Why Unholy Night’s Italian Family Zombie Curse Is Surprisingly Effective

A folk curse turns Gino’s Italian family into a hungry ghost festival rather an an Unholy Night. It’s not your traditional celebration either when grandma is that zombie!

Unholy Night Poster ImageNot to be confused with the 2019 film of the same name, this 2026 version of Unholy Night needs a suffix to distinguish it from the earlier work. The earlier take is an anthology, and the latest from freshman Michael Gabriele seems to riff on the idea of why hungry ghosts must be respected. Technically, the undead featured here are zombies, and since everyone knows from the title that this film takes place over the winter holidays, just why an Italian family looks targeted is obvious.

There’s a folk curse going on that has Gino (Marc Bendavid) targeted, and his family is fair game in a cat and mouse run around the block. With Nonna (Jacqueline Robbins) uttering death threats, slowly succumbing to old age, and threatening violence to the entire family, we should all worry. When Rene (Shailene Garnett) gets involved, she learns from her boyfriend that they are not alone. Just how much they do to help the neighbourhood sets this film’s tone.

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See No Evil, Hear No Evil… Where’s The Wisdom The Mouths Have To Speak Anyway?

Takashi Shimizu’s The Mouths transforms a cemetery legend into a nightmare involving a cursed tree, cicadas, and a ghoul? Spoiler Alert. You have been warned:

The Mouths Movie Poster
Played on July 26, 2026 at Fantasia Film Festival at the Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU

If you’re a fan of Ju-on or any of Takashi Shimizu‘s works, The Mouths (口に関するアンケート) will certainly scare you! That’s because once the synopsis revealed there’s a suicide tree, I half expected this film to be about Aokigahara Forest rather than a random hunk of wood located in a dilapidated cemetery. When the legend of the said park overshadows any other urban legend, what’s presented feels like a partial set of short stories, each tied to why four young adults have come here to find the spirit reputed to haunt this tree!

In what begins as a simple truth or dare, it ends up being a challenge of the human spirit against nature. In this case, it’s to see if the curse attached to the said tree is true! And when none of the individuals invited it home, there’s cause for concern! Should this entity not follow its victim(s), it would never feed.

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So What’s Hot or Should That Be Shot in Vancouver? A Prediction on What Adventures in Hollywood North Will Be Recounted.

The upcoming book Shot in Vancouver may not be comprehensive, but it will feature nearly every film and television production that decided to make the Greater Mainland home for many years while that story was being filmed.

Shot in Vancouver book cover
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA.

Release Date: October 6, 2026

When film aficionados and television professionals talk about the work they’ve done in the upcoming book Shot in Vancouver, published by Arsenal Pulp Press, it’s safe to say the entertainment industry is booming. Over time, even viewers have learned to recognize certain city landmarks, the backdrop of the Rockies and the foundations supporting the SkyTrain.

That’s because similar architecture is used throughout the world to keep those rails moving. Technically, there are more than just these telltale signs when one starts exploring the region. Whether filming takes place near Steveston in Richmond, Surrey or even Abbotsford, the diversity is enormous. That’s why filming in the Lower Mainland is not only lucrative, but also tells a story of its own.

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