Tag: Canadian Film

Riceboy Sleeps, More than just an Immigrant Song

To watch a film shot in classical format, in 16mm, is a rare treat these days, and it certainly adds an air of authenticity to Anthony Shim’s Riceboy Sleeps.

Riceboy Sleeps Movie PosterPlaying in select Cineplex theatres across Canada

Anthony Shim’s Riceboy Sleeps is a very sweet and melodramatic movie. It’ll certainly have some Asian youths thinking about their relationship with their parents. That’s because this filmmaker drew heavily upon his own experiences to tell a compelling tale about life, hardship and how to live. It also reflects upon what some immigrants must have faced in the 80s when trying to raise children in a world that’s still relatively foreign to them.

When So-young (Seung-yoon Choi) wants to make a fresh start in Vancouver, BC with her son Dong-Hyun (played by child-actor Dohyun Noel Hwang and teen Ethan Hwang) who’s ready to rebel, trying to connect is tough. He has his problems and she has hers. It’s less about the communication barriers, but more to do with not having a father figure around.

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Relax, I’m From the Future. So What Can Absolutely Go Wrong (or Get Right)?

Luke Higginson’s movie doesn’t borrow a lot from the well known flicks of yesteryears. Instead, Relax, I’m From the Future plays with the tropes differently.

I'm From the FuturePlaying at the Victoria Film Festival
Odeon 2, Feb 8th, 8:30pm (limited tickets left at the door)

Casper (Rhys Darby) is from the future, and he’s out to change history just a little …. or a lot! However, in Luke Higginson‘s expanded version of his short film, Relax, I’m From the Future, what he’s altered has ramifications to more than the lives of those he met. It’s also about preventing that world he left from happening. For those curious as to where this movie will screen next, please visit the official Facebook page.

Many fans of this genre are aware these tales concern cause and effect. This time traveller is after Percy (Julian Richings), and it’s not because this down-and-out punk rock artist is ready to end his life. To interfere must mean something. Fans of this British-Canadian actor know him best as Death from The CW‘s Supernatural and depending on how well one knows his vast filmography, he’s a much loved character actor. I think seeing him in a non-enigmatic role is a huge sell.

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Star Light, Star Light, Who Will Polaris Shine on Tonight?

Polaris has a war that feels like it’s been torn right off the template that defines the Mad Max movies.

PolarisScreened at Whistler Film Festival

A new Ice Age has fallen upon the world, and the only ray of hope is with a girl (Viva Lee) and a white bear in the movie Polaris. Whether the survivors of humanity are aware of what she represents, she’s no messiah. She is named Sumi by those who became her friends, and all she wants is to find the omnivore who kept her safe when her family disappeared. That’s what I’m assuming; although we don’t get told much about her arrival to this world, to reveal too much would be bad.

Whatever caused this great freeze doesn’t need to be explained either. The opening title cards in writer/director Kirsten Carthew‘s sci-fi film suggests climate change created this post-apocalyptic realm. Although this movie has a lot of obtuse moments to suggest otherwise, the gorgeous cinematography of the Great White North will blow you away. I surmise Nature moves in cycles. That is, this catastrophe was not man made.

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Aristomenis Tsirbas’ Timescape. Seeking Happiness in Days of Future Past at Fantasia 2022

Aristomenis Tsirbas’ Timescape is a fun 80s Disney / Amblin Entertainment style adventure about why family matters.

Timescape Movie PosterNot to be confused with the 1992 movie of the same name, Aristomenis Tsirbas’ Timescape is a fun 80s Disney / Amblin Entertainment style adventure about Jason (Sofian Oleniuk) learning to grieve. The full title is actually Timescape – Back to the Dinosaurs and I hope it’s the the beginning of what I hope is a new franchise. The potential exists to expand upon the premise of an unlikely pairing, a girl from the future and a boy lost to the present–or should that be wishing to alter the past?

That’s because he doesn’t believe his parents are dead. Everyone else (Uncles included) believes his parents are gone and they want him to accept the harsh truth. However, he has hope. The smashed car was found in the woods, and there were no signs of where their bodies went. If that isn’t telling enough, this lad pointed out how the police who searched the forest apparently didn’t try hard enough.

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Dale’s a “Cult Hero!” Busting His Way to Success at Fantasia 2022’s Premiere!

If Domazar can successfully take down this latest cult, well, Cult Buster, er Cult Hero will be back on television screens!

Cult HeroCult Hero is a lively throwback to the action films of yesteryear and writer/director Jesse Thomas Cook loves to camp it up! Anyone who loved his movie, Monster Brawl, will enjoy this one too. I was laughing throughout this horror comedy. Plus, the mashup of filming with a mix of old and modern equipment is perfect for to give this film everything a fan of 80s and 90s television would want. Even the titles are recreated with loving effect.

This movie about the life and times of Dale Domazar is hilarious. Ry Barrett is perfect in the role of a has-been television show host cum private investigator. He used to be the star of a television show called Cult Busters, and as the name implies, it’s about him breaking up ominous cults. But after the last broadcast resulted in a mass suicide, that can ruin one’s reputation easily. However, he believes he can get his mojo back.

This jab at reality TV is what I need after watching Conjuring Kesha. It’s not even a ghost hunting show (review link) because the direction is very Scooby-Doo and depends more on this singer trying to be like Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkly at the same time.

Conversely, thankfully Domazar pulls off the craziness like Sgt. Slaughter and be all gung-ho like Dog the Bounty Hunter. He’ll stop at nothing to stop secret societies bent on ruining people’s lives. Sadly, these days, he’s out of work, living in a recreation-vehicle and trying to sell a shtick.

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