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Guest Line Up for Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 Announced!

Let the first round of announcement begins. This week are media guests slated to appear at Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 and next will be voice over talent !

In the first week of November, the organisers of Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 announced their first line up of guests, and it’s a doozy! Not only will attendees get to meet up with two members from Charmed, but also they can get Mythbusted! That is, attendees can get to meet Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, and also Adam Savage! But they’re not the only big names who will be coming to town! I suspect there’ll be at least a dozen names who will grace Terminal City late winter, and so far, the lineup looks great!

But the big kahuna that we all love (no, it’s not The Rock), Danny Trejo, is coming to town! This beloved character actor is a favourite of mine not only because of Spy Kids but also his dedication to the independent film world. I’m thinking about his appearance in Bullets of Justice. (movie review link) I love the fact he’s the people’s champion since he comes from a rough and tumble background, and found success to keep him away from trouble!

Also, for fans of Daredevil, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio will be together again to talk about their work on the Netflix series. While he’s better known to sling a staff, will there be webs afoot too? I mostly know about this superhero’s antics through the Spider-Man crossover comics, and as for whether it’s possible to get someone from Sony to talk about crossover potentials between Netflix to Hollywood-made, I’m holding out hope!

To keep up with the latest announcements and last minute cancellations (it’s inevitable), please visit Fan Expo Vancouver 2024’s Facebook page or Twitter. Or stay tuned as we offer updates too, and offer some personal thoughts as to whom we’re excited to see come February BC Family Day Long Weekend (Feb 19)!

Anime, TheNFB and the 2023 Vancouver Asian Film Festival – Top Animated Picks

We offer our top animated picks that’ll be playing this weekend at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival!

The 2023 Vancouver Asian Film Festival is taking place this weekend, and out of everything being offered this year, it’s their Animated Shorts Program that has my interest. That’s because the National Film Board of Canada is presenting two special shorts. Also, the anime Gonta: The Story of The Two-Named Dog in The Fukushima Disaster is playing at this event!

I’m tempted to head over to see the film and make a weekend out of being in the big city. While I’m still deciding, I should also mention two other works in the shorts’ presentation, including Bride’s Dream and Galactic Canine Space Force!

Thankfully, ahead of their BC premiere screening, I got to preview TheNFB’s works, and have a quick review. Disclaimer: beware of spoilers.

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Instead of the Same Ol’ Same Ol’, This Year’s Scary Victoria Halloween Event Guide Tries to Be Different

Only the most loved events are mentioned in this year’s Halloween Event Listing for the Garden City is considered.

The season for trick or treating is right around the corner, and instead of listing the usual staples that take place around Victoria, B.C., what’s offered in this year’s Halloween Event Guide are either new events and activities that sparked my interest. The lists I’ve published in prior years are generally still valid, and should be listed as related articles following this post. Because variety is important and not everyone is inclcined to revisit the same old thing every year, even I want something different to try!

Not listed are murder mysteries, themed board game nights and other similiar store hosted events where there’s limited seating. This list will be updated as more events get advertised. If you know of one that should get listed here, please do not hesitate to comment or contact us.

FAMILY EVENTS

Empress Kids Haunted Hotel–Shaughnessy ballroom
721 Government Street
Oct 23, 2023

For a taste of the upper class and also being in a haunted hotel, The Fairmount has this unique event for locals and visiting tourists to partake in during the season. Not much information has been made available, but it sounds promising!

Continue reading “Instead of the Same Ol’ Same Ol’, This Year’s Scary Victoria Halloween Event Guide Tries to Be Different”

Top 5 Genre Picks Playing at the Vancouver International Film Festival

This year’s Vancouver International Film Festival is looking terrific with its variety of genre films that’s being offered!

The Vancouver International Film Festival has started, and they’ve added more genre films to their programming! It’s terrific that there’s more representation, but to stay true to their mission, it’s not anything that looks good, but it’s visions that can show the best genre movies can represent from an artistic perspective.

There’s not enough to form a top ten picks out of the thirteen titles, so what I offer is my top five, beginning with:

The Boy and the Heron

Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki returns from retirement with an enchanting swansong, the story of a young boy, Mahito, growing up in Japan during WWII, who must venture into a fantasy world in order to save his new stepmother.

For those unable to attend these film festival screenings, there’s no need to worry. This movie is making it’s theatrical debut December 8, 2023 and it’s sure to sell out!

6:30 pm Fri Oct 06 Vancouver Playhouse
12:00 pm Sat Oct 07 Vancouver Playhouse

Robot Dreams

Living a solitary existence in Manhattan, Dog is tired of being alone, and builds his own friend: Robot. Their friendship blooms while exploring 1980s New York. This enchanting 2D animation brims with love, loss, and friendship.

6:00 pm Mon Oct 02 The Rio Theatre
3:45 pm Sat Oct 07 International Village 9

The Animal Kingdom

In a world where mysterious mutations are gradually evolving humans into animal hybrids in an unpredictable and frightening way, a father tries to protect his 16-year-old son who is starting to acquire beastly characteristics.

9:00 pm Sun Oct 08 The Rio Theatre

Bitten

Françoise wakes up from an ominous dream that seems to foreshadow her imminent death. Not wanting to waste a minute of her remaining time, she consults her crystal pendulum and convinces her best friend Delphine to attend a mysterious costume party.

6:30 pm Fri Sep 29 The Cinematheque
8:30 pm Wed Oct 04 Vancity Theatre

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

Meet Sasha, the world’s most compassionate young vampire. Her family is at their wits’ end with her refusal to embrace their lethal traditions and threaten to cut her off–until she meets a brooding boy hoping to end his life, and strikes a unique deal.

9:00 pm, Sat Sep 30, The Rio Theatre
8:15 pm, Mon Oct 02, International Village 9

When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Halloween season has begun! And to get your early scares on, The Belfry is bringing the cross country hit, Yaga, to Victoria, BC!

Kat Sandler's Yaga Title Card — **Playing at The Belfry,** **Victoria, BC**
**From Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.**
**Tickets are available here**

Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances.

The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of a best-selling author, the point of view is from an omniscient presence needing more than the usual sustenance. Baba Yaga is an infamous Slavic witch known to eat children, but these days, she’s not picky.

Ever since this show’s debut in 2019, various theatre houses have put this play on across Canada. To kickstart Victoria, BC’s The Belfry 2023/24 season and get attendees ready for Halloween, it seems the director Jani Lauzon added an indigenous touch on top. We’re in a birch house to listen to the very beginnings of life. It’s told by a woman shaman (Tracey Nepinak) in a set that I believe was designed to resemble a traditional First Nation longhouse.

Continue reading “When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight”