Character Drama Archives | Otaku No Culture

Meditating on “Nine Days,” Because It Must Lead to Something…

Will isn’t Buddha and nor is he Lord of the Underworld in any traditional mythological sense in Nine Days.

Sony Pictures Entertainment
Coming to VOD and Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

Will (Winston Duke) may well be figuratively dead inside in Nine Days. This character study by Japanese Brazilian director Edson Oda is his feature film debut, and he offers a look at how certain “individuals” are given second chances at life. It’s not just about whom this arbiter selects. He’s never seen the writing on the wall himself, and the mystery is in why he’s the judge, jury and executor driving part of this movie. He only has those number ot days to make the call if the ‘new souls’ are deemed worthy of life.

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Many Myths Are Abound in Saint Narcisse

Saint-Narcisse, is Bruce LaBruce’s spin on a well known Grecian myth with a dash of horror and delight added on top.

Vancity Theatre beginning Sept 17, 2021 (please click link for showtimes)
1181 Seymour St
Vancouver, BC

Knowing who Bruce LaBruce is as a maverick storyteller can prepare those new to his world on what to expect. This avant-garde filmmaker is known for his very explicit sexually charged style and his movies are often about gays rather than the blending of pop culture genres. Not everyone will want to watch his take on zombies and vampires. His latest, Saint-Narcisse, is his spin on a well known Grecian myth with a dash of horror and delight added on top.

This film is an amusing expansion on the story of Narcissus. Dominic (Félix-Antoine Duval) is obsessed with his looks. He had enough sexual encounters with both genders, but after meeting a female Cyclops of sorts, he can’t help but feel something dreadful is coming. He doesn’t know who the phantom face he sees is. He’s haunted by it. Eventually, he’ll visit the sleepy town of Saint-Narcisse de-Beaurivage in Quebec to get answers.

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The Shadow in the Water, a Different Kind of Shark Tale

David Elendune talent for making characters we can empathize with is why I’m always there for his shows.

Victoria Fringe Festival

Showtimes:
Sep 8, 2021 – Sep 12, 2021

Metro Studio Theatre
111 Quadra St.
Victoria, BC

Tickets can be bought in advance here.

Anyone who knows Peter Schilling’s music video of his hit single, “Major Tom,” may well get the shivers when learning about Mary’s life in David Elendune’s The Shadow in the Water. She’s coming home alright, but not in a way I would immediately suspect.

This story billed as a tale of love, loss and sharks is a deceptive tease. I’m thinking it’s about sailing into the mystic, Van Morrison style. This octogenarian is recounting moments about her life to Sharon. I assume this younger character is a caretaker sent to check in on this senior–who is listening to the broadcast of the Apollo 11 landing at the start of the play. Bits of this landmark moment in human history plays out throughout the show, and it’s highly suggestive that eventually, Mary’s time will come to “go home.”

Instead, Mary is lost in her own memories. She wants someone to know everything she’s done since before the night fades away.

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Victoria, BC’s Fringe Festival is Back! Journey with Alice as …

Anyone who knows that movie will realize that Alice is struggling in this Fringe Festival performance, but eventually she perseveres.

Aug 13th to 18th
Tickets can be purchased in advance here.

The Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is back, and it’s adapted to allow enthusiasts of the dramatic arts to attend shows in person and online. That is, for the live stage shows, instead of rows of seats, we have tables. This change makes sense as we are still in a pandemic, and it allows for some distancing between social bubbles so that small groups of friends can stick together when going to a performance.

Kicking off the 2021 edition, the shows are spread throughout four weeks at The Metro theatre venue. All the in-person events will take place here, and for once, we’re not running around town to get to another show. One year, the Fringe will return to that format, but until the health officers say we’re past the health scare, I believe Intrepid Theatre will stick to this new format.

To read a list of my picks of the Fringe, I’ve published a guide on my food & theatre site, Twohungryblokes.com

In the show to kick off the Fringe, Alice explores Wonderland, not in the Lewis Carrol sense but ala Carl Jung. This young girl is losing her mom. In the opening act, she’s asked to see the doctor. Afraid, instead of wanting to face the inevitable, she steps into a void and hits a barrier.

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The Passion is in the “Pig”

Robin has nothing to lose as he ventures back into civilization to find his beloved pet truffle pig.

Pig Movie Poster Playing at select theatres
in Canada beginning July 16, 2021

I can’t help but think of the song “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” by Pink Floyd after watching the film Pig. The passing similarities in what the narrative arc means between the concept album and the movie are almost similar.

Nicolas Cage played many types of characters over the years and not all of them are as multi-faceted as Robin, a once famous chef in the Portland food scene, but now some hermit. There’s no easy way to categorize him but as a B-Movie God (credit to No Film School for giving him this title). His latest work has a bit of connective tissue with past works he’s starred in, namely Mandy and Colour Out of Space. The only difference is that we don’t see him go John Wick on the person who kidnaps his beloved swine and nor do we witness his sanity going down the pits. Plus, the small bits of unintentional humour is a sweet touch.

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VFFOnline: Pining for Spirits in Ghost Town Anthology

Denis Côté’s Ghost Town Anthology is a cozy supernatural character driven drama which, as the title implies, collects a few anecdotes together by those people who knew the person who killed himself at the start of the movie.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Streaming Online
at the Victoria Film Festival
Get your pass here to view beginning Feb 5th, 2021

Note: Available for residents in British Columbia. Please check local listings for availability near you.

Denis Côté‘s Ghost Town Anthology is a cozy supernatural character driven drama which, as the title implies, collects a few anecdotes together by those people who knew the person who killed himself at the start of the movie.

Everyone who lives in this small Quebec town of Sainte-Irénée-les-Neiges, population 215, knew Simon Dubé (Philippe Charrette). Nobody understood why he took his life and too much time was spent over thinking who he was and what happened which led to his suicide. When considering how icy hard the ground is (the tale takes place during the hard winter), he can’t even get a proper burial.

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