Fantasia Film Festival Archives | Otaku No Culture

Fantasia’s All Abuzz with David Allen’s The Primevals, A Love Letter to More Than The Land of the Lost

The love for all those classic adventure films and the passion put behind bringing The Primevals to life is the only reason why you should go see this film!

The Primevals is more than a love letter to the pulps of yesteryears. Here, the long production history must be noted before I can go into the review. Back in the late 60s, David Allen (who did the animation in Young Sherlock Holmes and Ghostbusters II) came up with the idea, and this stop-motion animator turned filmmaker had a lot of wonderful ideas which were ahead of its time. It’s tough to say if he knew of Erich von Däniken’s Chariots of the Gods and the theories he posed as it was published in 68, with translations not necessarily emerging until a year or two later.

It probably doesn’t matter. Sadly, to get this movie made back then was tough. That was partially due to how the studio system worked and other politics that held this project back.

While much of this story was filmed back in the late 80s, the project was shelved and this individual’s untimely passing meant it’d never get finished. Thankfully, his work with Chris Endicott, Charles Band and Full Moon Studios meant that everything that was done got carefully warehoused. It wasn’t until 2018 that the team sought crowdfunding in order to finish this project. Other talents volunteered their time as this idea shouldn’t be lost to history too.

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[Fantasia 2023] Who’s The Devil in Raging Grace?

There’s a lot of disturbing layers to find at Raging Grace. This multilayered film deals with a lot of topics, and how it unfolds will leave many second-guessing!

Encore Performance
Aug 01, 4:35 PM Salle J.A. De Sève
For tickets, please visit this link.

It’s tough to decide which movie title is better. Both Raging Grace or Raising Grace works in a this Filipino movie about Joy (Max Eigenmann) and her eponymous daughter (Jaeden Paige Boadilla), which this work focuses on. This work written and directed by Paris Zarcilla, transcends what we know as a mixed genre movie. I wasn’t sure where the story was going until in the middle of the second act.

Here, this woman from the Philippines is simply struggling to make ends meet. She doesn’t have her green card and her child can’t assist unless her employers look the other way. In her latest job, she’s hired by Katherine (Leanne Best) to be a caregiver. And while she claims she’s the niece of the homeowner, Mr. Garrett (nicely played by David Hayman), and what she’s not telling is cause for suspicion for the employee.

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Mad Cats is Mad Cap Hiliarity that only Reiki Tsuno Can Realise!

Mad Cats is one heck of a roller coaster ride of an action flick and a laugh out loud road trip movie at the same time.

Playing at Fantasia Film Festival Aug 4, 2023
For tickets, please visit the link here.

Mad Cats is more than just another absurdist fantasy, and I rather enjoyed how it brought the Egyptian veneration of felis catus to a Japanese film. Here, a cult of cat-women are hell-bent on taking out a mega corporation. While the motives aren’t entirely clear, I would not question it. Although this micro-budget film didn’t go all out in the makeup department to make this villainous cast look feline, it’s easy to understand why they are completely human. If they don’t totally blend in, then to attack their targets would be a lot more problematic.

This group of warriors serve Bastet. And as for why they’re targeting Japanese pet shop owners is because of Mune Kurosawa (So Yamanaka) ticking off this Egyptian goddess. After locating the seat of her power and finding where she stashes her catnip, he’s caged up for his transgression.

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Mami Wata at Fantasia 2023. It’s All About Absolute Faith.

Students of folklore and the humanities will adore Mami Wata, a goddess whom not everyone is aware of.

Playing July 20 and 21st at Fantasia Film Festival 2023
For tickets, please visit this link.

Beliefs in the goddess Mami Wata stretch from Senegal to as far as Zambia and in what C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s crafts in his movie about her is not only mesmerising but also modern. She’s more than just another mermaid / patron deity to those cities that still venerate her to this day. Her ability to cure ailments isn’t the only reason. The enormous snake that accompanies her is a symbol of her divine authority.

In the isolated village of Iyi, what the people are facing is multifold. Mama Efe (Rita Edochie)’s role as ruler is challenged. That’s because some people are dying from an unknown disease, and she can’t cure this ailment. One child has crossed over already. While some want her to step down, others are asking if their goddess has forsaken them.

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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 Poster Not 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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The “Next Exit” in this Supernatural Road Trip Is To Fantasia 2022 & A Better Future

Next Exit offers ideas most paranormal investigators are keen on for years but ultimately it concerns two folks looking for the meaning of life.

Next Exit Poster To be fair, anyone going to see Next Exit because of Karen Gillan will be disappointed. She only has a small part. Instead, it’s about Teddy (Rahul Kohli) and Rose (Katie Parker), who think that they have no reason to live anymore. It’s hard to tell that they are depressed and wish to end it all. But after getting a call from Stevenson’s Life Beyond institute, they’re on a road trip to be test subjects about the hereafter.

Apparently, Research Scientist Dr. Stevenson (Gillan) discovered a way to track the transition of a person’s soul as it moves from life to death. Sadly, that means anyone wanting to be a Ghostbuster may no longer be needed. And anyone who wants to “move on” isn’t lining up! Well, not yet. The concept is brilliant because of my interest in the paranormal, because I often wondered if we can observe terminal lucidity. Or rather, what does losing 21 grams mean?

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