At Darkroom Streaming, They’re All About Crusher Joe! (and the classics)

Last week, Darkroom added Crusher Joe to their streaming collection, and if you don’t know who this character is, we have an introduction! He’s more than your “average” Joe, and we explain why. Also other classic titles have been added.

Darkroom StreamingFor those who don’t know about Darkroom, perhaps now is the time to subscribe. Not only is this streaming platform affordable, it also specializes in showcasing independent, foreign, arthouse, and cult classic films; at just $2.99 USD per month, why not? Even a quick browse shows they’re no stranger to giving film festival curiosities like Heavy Trip (film review) a home. There’s even Icarus to be found, assuming you have a premium membership to tap into this particular film vault.

For anime fans, what’s especially notable is the platform’s recently added lineup, which includes Crusher Joe. For those unfamiliar with this classic series, it follows a group of licensed troubleshooters known as Crushers, specialists who tackle everything from rescue missions and planetary colonization support to dangerous assignments that ordinary authorities can’t handle. The Crusher Council oversees their activities, and the original novels delve into far more drama than the animated adaptations that followed. Written by Haruka Takachiho beginning in the late 1970s and published through Sonorama Bunko, the series feels less like Star Wars and more like giving Han Solo his own spin-off series, only with a stronger emphasis on teamwork and adventure.

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The Crime Caper I Love Boosters is Streaming! What Can Go Wrong?

Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters is now streaming, giving cult film fans another chance to catch this chaotic, anti-capitalist crime caper before its home video release.

I Love Boosters in 4KStreaming on YouTube and Apple TV

If you missed Boots Riley‘s I Love Boosters back in May, NEON Entertainment is giving cult film fans another shot to catch one of this year’s most talked-about films sooner rather than later. Riley is best known for the 2018 cult hit Sorry to Bother You, and since then, he has been on a hot streak. His unabashedly anti-capitalist filmmaking style is a hit, and for those who want a distraction from all the things going on in the States, this follow-up is a breath of fresh air.

From claymation fashion minions to a car chase staged on a miniature San Francisco, this must-see film is now available to stream!

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[Fantasia Film Festival] Unveiling the Hidden Truth: A Chinese Ghost Story 3’s Secret Reincarnation Links

Explore how A Chinese Ghost Story 3 subtly connects to its predecessors through the enduring theme of reincarnation and the nuances of cultivation.

A Chinese Ghost Story 3
Playing at Fantasia Film Festival Aug 3. Buy your tickets here!

Spoiler Alert

The original “A Chinese Ghost Story” trilogy (1987–1991) is a cult classic that stands the test of time. And at Fantasia Film Fest, the programming team decided to play A Chinese Ghost Story 3 on the big screen instead of the other two, which are narratively better than this chapter. The reason may well be because the third film was originally designed to be standalone. But for a long-time fan like me, these movies are connected because of what Daoism tries to achieve–cultivation. It’s like connecting to The Force in Star Wars.

But because reincarnation is a major theme that connects all three movies, there’s an implication that Fong (Tony Leung Chiu-waii) may well be an incarnation of Ning Choi-san. That’s how I read the introduction, which explains why this film jumped 100 years into this world’s future. When Yin Chik-ha, a Taoist priest, and Ning Choi-san, the scholar, are fighting the tree-demon again in order to banish it for a century, the setup feels obvious.

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