2021 Archives | Otaku No Culture

[Fantasia 2021] A History on Folk Horror in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary Review

Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble with this review of Woodlands: Dark and Days Bewitched. A History on Folk Horror

Available to view on demand
For local screenings, please visit the official webpage

Clocking in at over three hours, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a very detailed examination of what defines folk horror and on what the seminal films are. Kier-La Janisse certainly knows the cinematic realm to the tee, and I’d have to rewatch this work to catalogue all the movies referenced. I’d take breaks just because there’s a lot of terrific information to soak in.

The Unholy Trinity of “Witchfinder General,” “Blood on Satan’s Claw,” and “The Wicker Man” are referenced and rightly so. They helped define this new genre of cinematic folk horror. And thankfully, instead of focusing on the output from one country, many other worlds are looked at. Not every film is examined, and neither is every movie noted. The runtime doesn’t do the look at world cinema justice. Continue reading “[Fantasia 2021] A History on Folk Horror in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary Review”

[Fantasia 2021] Having “Dreams on Fire”

The movie Dreams on Fire is about finding that passion to make Yume that rising star, and fulfilling a dream to become a professional dancer.

North American Premiere

Moviegoers who love films about newcomers wanting to firmly establish themselves in the performing arts have seen this premise before. There’s an individual who wants to be recognized. But in order to do so usually means crossing the line or burning a bridge somewhere.

Yume (Bambi Naka) has Dreams on Fire–this film’s title. After watching a spectacular performance at a local theatre, all she wants to do is dance. She goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the nest to find she’s alone. She’s nowhere close to getting auditions for those shows or being recognized, much less winning at street dance competitions. But there’s more to the art than having the moves. There’s also finding that drive to keep going. As Don Henley once sang, “She can’t feel the heat coming off the street.”

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[Fantasia 2021] Sympathy for the Devil in Frank and Zed

If Evil Dead II had a spiritual prequel, I’d say Frank and Zed is worthy to fill in the blanks in explaining where the Deadites come from!

Available to view on demand

Just when I thought The Barbarian and the Troll was hilarious, there’s a fantasy horror movie that takes gonzo to a whole new level. Frank and Zed is all about the let’s puke out the gore first and offer a Faustian story second. It’s a movie where the big climax will leave some viewers wanting to catch her breath.

Here, the focus is on two walking dead. Frank is a flesh golem needing a lot of power requirements. He’s basically a Frankenstein’s monster and all he does is go hunting for rodents and feed his zombie pal, Zed, their brains. This ghoul returns the favour by operating the generator to recharge the giant. They live in relative peace.

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[Fantasia 2021] Alien on Stage is Freakishly Funny!

This British play, Alien on Stage, has that wryness and style which defines many a British sci-fi productions.

ALIEN ON STAGE THE DOCUMENTARY by Danielle Kummer — Kickstarter — **Fantasia Film Festival 2021**
**Available to Scream, er Stream On Demand.** **Tickets can be purchased here**

Not everyone will have visited West End in London to see Alien on Stage when it first premiered. This theatrical take of the movie by Ridley Scott is not meant to be a high budget performance, but a comedic Fringe Festival like to take. Their parody performance is one for the ages. The documentary makers Lucy Harvey and Danielle Kummer deserve a standing ovation for being involved in following the theatre troupe from its inception to its inaugural performance.

Half the crew are bus drivers fromDorset, England and the other are simply close family and friends with a varying range of acting ability. They are an amateur group of community theatre performers, and I was amazed at how they got their act together. This team did their research and props to them when considering they didn’t have too high of a budget! The stage uses curtains and lighting to alter where the crew of the USCSS Nostromo are throughout the ship.

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[Fantasia 2021] From Stage to Film to Streaming with Art Kabuki

Taping live theatre performances is one thing, but to capture the nuance that defines song, dance and drama through the lens of a video camera requires having the eye to make the show as mesmerizing as attending one.

Nakamura Kazutaro and Onoe Ukon knew that when the pandemic hit, not every citizen of Japan could partake in watching Kabuki theatre. There are other forms of entertainment, but some cultural events would have to reinvent themselves if it’s to survive. Taping live theatre performances is one thing, but to capture the nuance that defines song, dance and drama through the lens of a video camera requires having the eye to make the show as mesmerizing as attending one. And thus, Art Kabuki was born.

The story we find has to enthral and even captivate. The first segment, “The Descent of the Four Gods” connects the heavens with the mortal realm as these divine forces get rather curious about our human affairs. Much like early Greek theatre, where gods are said to intermingle in the lives of humans and are part of the show, this Asian world takes a novel approach.
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[Fantasia 2021] Un Petit Vampire is Moving on Up From Festival to Home…

In what makes The Petit Vampire enduring is the story. It borrows from many animated traditions, including Casper the Friendly Ghost.

The Petit Vampire (Lil Vampire) Movie Poster — **Playing at Fantasia Film Festi on Aug 08, 2021 3:00 PM and Aug 10, 2021 9:00 AM**

**Coming to VOD Sept 21 & Home Video Oct 5th via Shout! Factory Kids.**

Joann Sfar’s adaptation of The Petit Vampire (The Lil’ Vampire) book series to film is an amazingly well thought out story. Many people have adapted the original series by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg to either a movie (there were two prior) or a book, and none of them really gained traction till now. In this filmmaker’s case, the titular protagonist can no longer grow up. He wants to go to school in the graphic novel editions. This coming of age tale teaches us viewers something else–the value of friendship. This artist’s version takes a few cues from Casper the Friendly Ghost, and goes further because of its rich phantasmagorical mythology.

One unusual aspect in this property is that certain characters don’t have a proper name. The Captain of the Dead (Jean-Paul Rouve) leads this clan. He also protects them from Gibbous–whose face is like the crescent moon. He’s hardly a man and there are times where I think he’s a harbinger of Death. In the animated movie, these two figures desire Pandora, and I’m sure that name is taken from a certain Greek myth.

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