Tag: Documentary

Who’s Bleating now? King Arthur’s Night, The Documentary in Review

John Bolton’s King Arthur’s Night blends documentary filmmaking with a filmed theatrical production, creating an unusual take on the Arthurian legend. While the hybrid approach doesn’t always work, the performances and music make it a memorable tribute.

King Arthur's Night Poster ImageScreening at the VIFF Theatre (Vancouver, BC) July 14 and 18th. Please click here to purchase tickets in advance.

Set against the backdrop of Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, John Bolton’s King Arthur’s Night is a bold reimagining of the tale told by Thomas Malory. It offers a meta-look at the play through the lens of preproduction and filmmaking rather than focusing solely on the play itself. While that approach is not altogether bad, the presentation is misleading. When all I want is to see the two separate than apart, I can at least stay fixed to the fiction. The non-fiction can live in it own world.

Because we see bits of filming take place in-betweeen the edited cuts, I’m left begging for just the myth to be told. Perhaps that will change. Until there is an announcement that there is a story only cut, what we have is a work that feels like This Is Spinal Tap!

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Gotta Watch Them All. Fantasia Film Festival 2026’s Pearl Jubilee Top Selections! (Part Two)

In part two of our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 pre-event coverage, we dive into the zany and also include a blast of the past where needed.

Fantasia Film Festival 2026 poster
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.

When certain must-see lists get way too large, it’s best to split things up or subsection. This fact is especially true when planning on what to see at Fantasia Film Festival 2026; when this year has a lot more short film programs added to the party, it’s safe to say some people won’t be sleeping. Some enthusiasts may well be running frantically to catch the next work on their itinerary.

No big intro is needed, and that’s because with this part, I’ve included two movies freely available on YouTube that are required viewing before part three is viewed on the big screen!

The Fox

The FoxSet in a parallel world where animals talk, hustle, swear, and scheme, The Fox opens with Nick (Jai Courtney, Dangerous Animals, The Suicide Squad) discovering that his fiancée, Kori (Emily Browning, American Gods, Sleeping Beauty), is cheating on him. Forced to accept that their relationship has run its course, he’s devastated.

Everything changes when Nick captures a fox (Olivia Colman, The Favourite, The Lobster), who offers him some unconventional marital advice in exchange for her freedom.

Her suggestion? Push Kori into a magical hole, where she’ll emerge transformed into a woman who adores him unconditionally and will never leave. Not exactly a man known for making wise decisions, Nick thinks it sounds like the perfect solution, completely unaware that a much bigger plan may already be unfolding. – Fantasia Film Festival

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Beyond the Curse: About Heather O’Rourke. She Was Here, Then and Now

Rather than lean into the urban legend behind the Poltergeist trilogy, She Was Here-The Heather O’Rourke Story honours the life, promise, and spirit of a child actor gone far too soon.

She Was Here - The Heather O'Rourke Story Poster
Available on Prime Video, Apple TV, Vimeo On Demand, Fandango at Home, and home video.

When Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper saw something in Heather O’Rourke during casting for Poltergeist, although nobody knew it as the time, a star was born. All she had to say was, “They’re here,” in Poltergeist. All those details are well explored in She Was Here – The Heather O’Rourke Story.

She went on to play the adorable Heather Pfister in Happy Days, along with a handful of other roles, before she suddenly passed away. Medical professionals at the time couldn’t pinpoint exactly which condition precipitated the eventual cardiac arrest, and to call it a result of the film’s paranormal origins is urban legend rather than fact.

What’s presented here is less about the curse and more about how a star is born. For anyone unfamiliar with the trilogy, a bit of history: four people connected to the franchise died before, during or after the release of each film.

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The Truth is Out There. Siksikakowan The Blackfoot Man Delves Beyond the Movie Myth of Masculinity

Siksikakowan The Blackfoot Man offers a visually grounded look at Blackfoot masculinity, but its slow pace and loose structure may leave some viewers wanting a stronger throughline. Still, its intimate perspective and rejection of old screen stereotypes make it a worthwhile watch.

Siksikakowan The Blackfoot Man
Free to Stream on the NFB

For decades, pop culture has sold masculinity through bodies in motion: the fighter, the cowboy, the indian and Hercules, the man who never flinches. But everyday life rarely works that way. Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man offers a different view from an Indigenous perspective, shaped by a specific community and their own sense of cultural identity.

That’s what makes this documentary special. Even here, we see one young adult have posters of Bruce Lee and other screen icons plastered around his room. Nearly every culture has absorbed those images. It’s nearly impossible growing up with media that presents idealized heroes as the model for what men should become. However, it’s about what not only him and other men do every day which matters more. The masculinity portrayed here is not about adulation, but about coming of age and finding one’s place.

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The Strange Journey The Story of Rocky Horror To America Will Arrive Soon!

After touring festivals and art house screenings, Strange Journey The Story of Rocky Horror finally heads to VOD. This documentary looks at Richard O’Brien, the film’s cult legacy, and the fandom that kept doing the Time Warp long after 1975.

Strange Journey The Story of Rocky HorrorComing to VOD
Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home
Release Date: June 2

It’s astounding that after more than a year of building strong buzz on the festival circuit and through special art house screenings, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is finding a home across various North American streaming platforms. Magenta Light Studios has the rights to handle this documentary about the enduring legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Directed by his son, Linus O’Brien, the film approaches Rocky Horror as more than a movie. When life is fleeting, what’s presented is a living commentary about how the fandom evolved. After nearly five decades of midnight screenings, cosplay, music, and queer celebration, the appreciation has only gotten stronger. All anyone has to do is look at the “new” material coming out, like the crowdfunding effort to craft a sequel, namely Bride of Rocky Horror (editorial link here).

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Nobu Needs a Little Wasabi

A thoughtful look at Nobuyuki Matsuhisa reveals more than a culinary journey, it questions whether the global Nobu brand can still reflect the man behind it.

Nobu PosterNow Available on VOD through
Apple, Amazon & Google

Anyone heading into the documentary Nobu should eat first. This intimate look at Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, his restaurant empire, and his rise as a celebrity chef is filled with mouth-watering food cinematography. The visuals alone can make anyone hungry for Japanese food. For viewers unfamiliar with his past, the film offers a solid overview of how he navigated life in post-war Japan. He was born in 1949, a time when certain cultural sentiments still lingered beneath the surface. The film touches on this, though digging deeper might have distracted from its main focus, his life, both the highs and the hardships.

I won’t go into every detail, but one of the most important threads is who shaped him. Running alongside that is a quieter subplot involving his close friend Sakai. I’ll leave most of that unspoiled, but what matters is the unwavering support Sakai gave him, up until a tragedy changed everything.

The film also brushes against the philosophy behind the food. Precision matters. If the cut isn’t right or the aroma doesn’t draw you in, the dish falls flat. Sometimes it’s about freshness, other times restraint, like how much wasabi is used, if any at all. Even nigiri depends on balance; the exact mix of vinegar, salt, and sugar in the rice, and how long it’s been sitting after being cooked, can make or break the experience. Even the crispiness of the nori matters. I’ve experimented with recrisping it in a smoker, and it changes the texture. Continue reading “Nobu Needs a Little Wasabi”