Tag: 2026

Animated Anthologies are Rare, But When You Find One, Let Bliss Beyond The Edge of Time Sail You Away …. You Won’t Regret It

Although there’s no confirmation which distributor will pick up Bliss Beyond the Edge of Time for the North American market, this anthology is a must see for those who love thought provoking animation cinema!

Bliss Beyond the Edge of Time Movie Poster
Played at Fantasia Film Festival July 25, 2026 at the Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU

Spoiler Alert

Bliss Beyond The Edge of Time is a colourful animated anthology that aims to deliver a powerful set of stories about the state of humanity. To paraphrase the official synopsis, the film draws inspiration from six of the I Ching’s 64 hexagrams, also known as the “Book of Changes.” It brings together six original animated shorts that are not simple at all. Here, memories can be erased, identities rewritten and fate re-engineered. The nature of humanity is well explored in context to work which functions as a tool for divination.

The six symbols explored are ䷗, ䷝, ䷑, ䷋, ䷘ and ䷣. Presented in that order, they can be interpreted as Return, Illumination or Fire, Decay, Stagnation, Innocence and The Darkening of the Light. With the last hexagram, not even the most dedicated can decipher what portent it brings if cast. At its heart, this glyph concerns protecting or concealing one’s inner light when faced with a hostile system. Within the context of science fiction, that idea can also extend to suppressed memories, forbidden knowledge and people hiding parts of themselves from systems that aren’t ready to accept them.

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All Hail The Metal Messiah! Vividly Restored to 4K, at Fantasia Film Festival and Coming to Home Video Too!

Canadian International Pictures screened the 4K restoration of Tibor Takács’ Metal Messiah at Fantasia Film Festival, and if you missed it, fret not. A Blu-ray release is expected to be announced later this year.

Metal Messiah 1978 Movie Poster
Played at Fantasia Film Festival on July 25, 2026 at the Salle J.A. De Sève

Because I wasn’t born in time and be of the right age to witness Metal Messiah back in 1977, whether in theatres, if it ever reached Victoria’s Roxy or Vic Theatre, or later on VHS, discovering it now feels surreal. With it’s recent 4k remaster, some scenes only look that much more cosmic when considering the how well it’s been colour balanced. Although some video artifacts remain, this movie would not be what it is, a product of the times. Even today, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a story so deeply rooted in an era still firmly rooted in The Cold War.

Today, it’s a cult film that embodies the raw spirit of Toronto’s early punk movement. And when looking back at my own discovery of the stylings of Iggy Pop and Ziggy Stardust, I’m sure either would’ve appreciated what writer-director Tibor Takács (The Gate, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) accomplished here. What he made feels like hard-boiled detective fiction colliding with This Is Spinal Tap, only with a far more philosophical edge.

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When All Is Lost? The Galactic Ghoul Is the Last Hero You Wanna Call!

Wildly campy and packed with puppets, absurd performances and homemade effects, The Galactic Ghoul proudly embraces the charm of those B-Movies of yesteryears, and get Lexx about it.

The Galactic Ghoul Movie Poster
Played at Fantasia Film Festival July 28, 2026 at the Cinéma du Musée

The Galactic Ghoul is one of those crazy fun films which recalls more than a few well known and lesser known screwball sci-fi epics. No, we’re not talking about Red Dwarf. Instead I believe this film is the love child of Lexx and MST3K and the individual grew up watching Spaceballs set on repeat! This work written and directed by Simon Harrisson is a laugh a minute, and honestly, I could not take it seriously even if I tried.

This film ranks right there in the same spectrum as 1000s of Beavers, even though the genres are different. Also, I must note Vincent Hoss-Desmarais helped write this work, and it wouldn’t be fair to not mention him too. They might have taken inspiration from Lost in Space too, and I say that with fondness when considering some of the costume and surreal designs that tained the later seasons.

And honestly, I like to know which one of the two is the Space Adventure Cobra fan! There’s some vibes from this anime as the film follows the misadventures of Oscar Bravo (Vincent Hoss-Desmarias), Lieutenant Foxtrot (also Hoss-Desmarias, for reasons made known later in the film) and Xenon (Michael Richard). For part of the story, they weren’t working together, but when they do, it seems they are better off as partners than rivals.

When both are wanting to gain Queen Xaltalusia XXIII’s (Katherine Isabelle) favour, they better be careful in what they want to reap! But she’s the bad guy, right? After managing to collect a mystic stone (basically, the last remnants of a destroyed world) to give to her, they go their separate ways. As Oscar wants to stay behind, he’s the brave idiot who becomes a consort of sorts. And that’s when things get kinky and weird.

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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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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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