Tag: Fantasy

[Fantasia 2021] Sympathy for the Devil in Frank and Zed

If Evil Dead II had a spiritual prequel, I’d say Frank and Zed is worthy to fill in the blanks in explaining where the Deadites come from!

Frank and Zed Movie PosterAvailable to view on demand

Just when I thought The Barbarian and the Troll was hilarious, there’s a fantasy horror movie that takes gonzo to a whole new level. Frank and Zed is all about the let’s puke out the gore first and offer a Faustian story second. It’s a movie where the big climax will leave some viewers wanting to catch her breath. 

Here, the focus is on two walking dead. Frank is a flesh golem needing a lot of power requirements. He’s basically a Frankenstein’s monster and all he does is go hunting for rodents and feed his zombie pal, Zed, their brains. This ghoul returns the favour by operating the generator to recharge the giant. They live in relative peace.

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[Fantasia 2021] Un Petit Vampire is Moving on Up From Festival to Home…

In what makes The Petit Vampire enduring is the story. It borrows from many animated traditions, including Casper the Friendly Ghost.

The Petit Vampire (Lil Vampire) Movie Poster
Playing at Fantasia Film Festi on Aug 08, 2021 3:00 PM and Aug 10, 2021 9:00 AM

Coming to VOD Sept 21 & Home Video Oct 5th via Shout! Factory Kids.

Joann Sfar’s adaptation of The Petit Vampire (The Lil’ Vampire) book series to film is an amazingly well thought out story. Many people have adapted the original series by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg to either a movie (there were two prior) or a book, and none of them really gained traction till now. In this filmmaker’s case, the titular protagonist can no longer grow up. He wants to go to school in the graphic novel editions. This coming of age tale teaches us viewers something else–the value of friendship. This artist’s version takes a few cues from Casper the Friendly Ghost, and goes further because of its rich phantasmagorical mythology.

One unusual aspect in this property is that certain characters don’t have a proper name. The Captain of the Dead (Jean-Paul Rouve) leads this clan. He also protects them from Gibbous–whose face is like the crescent moon. He’s hardly a man and there are times where I think he’s a harbinger of Death. In the animated movie, these two figures desire Pandora, and I’m sure that name is taken from a certain Greek myth.

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Upcoming Animated Feature Films in 2021

The following is a guide of animated feature films from not only streaming services but also theatrical (film festivals included!); this list includes works with known release dates:

Animated Feature Films featuring PompoWe’re a little more than past the halfway point in 2021 and its amazing how time flies. There’s a lot more animated feature films being released than I realized, and had to compile a list of what’s still to come this year. We don’t have to be limited to the theatrical releases either. There’s a tiny selection coming to streaming services only. The bigger name films will no doubt have its run on the big screen before arriving on the smaller one a month or two later, if not at the same time.

In the same token, the film festivals that are operating also have a “virtual” component where they’re making their selection available to stream too. If it’s available to play in your part of the world, I advise checking these works out!

This list includes movies with known release dates:

Pompo: The Cinephile

Kadokawa Animation
Aug 7, 2021 at Fantasia Film Festival 2021

Based on the manga of the same name, this movie is not only a crash course for beginners on how movies get made but also a love letter to the art. We all see it through the eyes of a young girl, Pompo, and this work is sure to please and enlighten.

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The Rhythm is in My Shoes with Disney’s Jungle Cruise

The race is on to find the gold in Disney’s Jungle Cruise: Whoever holds the arrowhead has the key to find the secrets to immortality.

Jungle Cruise - theatrical poster.pngSpoiler Alert

Disney’s Jungle Cruise is not the most original tale based on one of their rides. We see and hear nearly everything from that park attraction used in some capacity in the cinematic take about taking on the dangers of the Amazon river. It works to make this world come alive. Add in some mystique with fabled fauna, namely the Tree of Life where a leaf is said to cure any disease or magical curse, and that’s the start of a franchise!

The backstory is the best part, and I’d watch a film based on that alone. The symphonic version of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” is perfect to drive home the context in what drives those characters. Anyone who doesn’t know the lyrics would be missing a nuance. Fortunately, the song title speaks for itself. That also includes the relentless pursuit for the gold by the present treasure seekers.

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The Vintage Tempest’s Top Five Animated Picks to see at Fantasia Fest 2021

Fantasia Fest 2021 BannerFantasia Fest is the event to keep tabs on about which animations will hit a theatre near you. Between this celebration of genre movies and Annecy, a festival of all things animation, the works featured also means which titles GKIDS & Shout! Factory is likely to pick up for release onto home video.

This year is rife with a lot of Japanese pieces I can’t wait to see. There’s even a very wicked selection of eight shorts in Things That Go Bump in the East 2021 Edition, which tops my list. The most promising is Juan-Diablo-Pablo; It’s a showcase of Asian inspired terror! Also, Circo Animato 2021 should never be missed. It showcases the up-and-coming talents.

On the regular front, I offer my top five picks from the twelve pieces being offered. The titles mentioned in the previous article aren’t included to prevent overlap. I’ll most likely see them all (schedule permitting), and this list is presented in alphabetical order.

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The Vintage Tempest’s Picks on What to See at Fantasia Fest 2021

Fantasia Festival | 2020 Artwork

Fantasia Fest 2021 is now half-and-half, offering in-person and online screenings! People living in Canada have the option to either travel to the East Coast for this genre film celebration or stay at home. The pandemic is still lingering around, and we don’t need real life zombies roaming the streets of Montreal.

Please be aware there’s limited seating options for the in-person events, especially James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (also opening theatrically at the same time). These are bound to sell out fast as sales opened yesterday. Online, most screenings are on demand, with a select group scheduled to broadcast at a select time. These details will be noted as needed.

In this two-part article are my top picks on what to see. There’s a lot to explore, as this festival is very diverse and month-long! I’m including seminars since this year will be honouring Phil Tippitt with a Lifetime Achievement Award (event ticket here). There’ll also be a masterclass with this legend too, where he’ll explain the deeper roots of his art. The bonus is that the online discussion is free to view!

(to note, at time of writing, not every work has a promotional poster to go along with)

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