Celebrate Día de Muertos World Wide! A Streaming Guide

There’s a reason why Día De Muertos follows after Halloween, and for those who want a weekend of interacting with the other side, we got a guide!

Día de Muertos Día de los MonstersNot everyone marks Día de Muertos on their calendar, but if you’re the sort who digs the counter-spirit of Halloween—less horror, more heart—then this Central American celebration is absolutely worth your attention. This isn’t a solemn affair; it’s a fiesta of remembrance, colour, and community.
And if you’re like me, you’ll probably get hooked through animation first.
The Las Leyendas franchise is infused with a lot of respect. Not only is it packed with encounters with local legends and lore concerning the supernatural, but also, the fact it’s been going on strong for nearly 20 years says something! In America, this series is known as Legend Quest with its own spin off universe. But if you watch the originals, you’ll see a similar DNA that’s worth investigating.
But for those who love dancing during the Day of the Day, it isn’t just about skeletons dancing across screens—it’s a full spectrum of storytelling. For those with streaming access (or the usual international-viewer resourcefulness), here’s a look at what’s out there celebrating the Day of the Dead from different angles.

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Who’s Ready for The Casagrandes Movie During March Spring Break?

It’s about time for Ronnie Anne to shine in The Casagrandes Movie, which promises to bring in some local folklore to make this Mexican adventure shine.

The Casagrandes MovieComing to Netflix March 22, 2024

Ronnie Anne is going to have one heck of a party in The Casagrandes Movie. Whether she’ll be any wiser while in Mexico, that’ll depend on many things. Will she be able to deal with a demigod, and is she up on her folklore? Probably not, but I get the feeling the film will take a stab at what makes the Legend Quest series great. 

Just how much of this fantasy element will factor into this work speaks for itself in the trailer. Although the art and animation style is very different from the television series, only the long-time viewer will notice. While it’s sad the Nickelodeon show is no more, as reported by Axios, thankfully the characters get moments to shine in the Loud House series, and if the film does well enough, perhaps more one-offs.

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When Ghost Hunting Cartoons Get Global in This Top 10 List on What to Binge!

The theme for this year is a list of ghost hunting style cartoons from around the world, and where to find them!

The Real Ghostbusters Samhein introducing Ghost Hunting Cartoons with SlimerHalloween is not always about trick or treating. While it may be fun for some to go chasing after ghosts, others may well be preparing for that last harvest before winter sets in. In what I like watching are ghost hunting cartoons. It beats trying to find them for real, since there’s no proof positive method for an experience. As for what lurks in that cornfield, well….

What I offer is a list of animated series I often like to revisit as the nights get cold, and I don’t want to go out. The theme for this year is a list of ghostbusting style cartoons. Sometimes, peace with the supernatural can be made. At other times, they are chance to communicate. While the best thing is to work out those grievances, mileage will vary depending on the creator’s beliefs on whether to preach or simply entertain. By that definition, I begin with the series that inspired this top ten, which begins after talking about The Real Ghostbusters!

The Real Ghostbusters Creatures of the NightThis unofficial sequel about New York’s finest paranormal investigators is just good ol’ fashioned fun! And what makes this series shine is in how the stories show how they function as a team, deal with personal issues and resolve those conflicts.

Although there are a few episodes which bring back some recurring nasties, namely The Boogieman and Samhain, these spectres are so powerful, they often need help. Because the series wasn’t designed to be a serial, there’s no grande plan. When considering the official Ghostbusters YouTube page often adds to or prunes the list of episodes, perhaps there is a huge story arc to be found. Only the dedicated may find it!

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Let’s Hope The Birth of the Blue Beetle is Not Shortlived

Just why this scarab known as the Blue Beetle exists isn’t fully explained in what is clearly the first film in a series, but will we see more movies made?

Blue Beetle Movie PosterÁngel Manuel Soto‘s take on DC Comics Mesoamerican hero, the Blue Beetle shows plenty of promise, but sadly the likelihood of more films is slim. What’s set up deserves a proper trilogy. But because of James Gunn and Peter Safran now handling the chores of managing the DC Cinematic Universe have other plans, if the Bluey’s adventures continues, this director will need the boss’s approval.

Unlike other origin stories, just how this director charts Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) transition to becoming a superhero is at least a bit different. Instead of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, he’s been given a gift. Just how he uses it depends on how much of a pure heart he has.

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9 Years of Shadows (and Retrogaming goodness) is Coming to the Nintendo Switch and PC!

Halberd Studios 9 Years of Shadow is coming next year! This beautiful pixel art game will certainly look gorgeous when done.

Halberd Studios9 Years of Shadows logo is a Mexico-based development team that emphasizes the power of the narrative in games and they have a beautiful looking product that’ll be available next year for the Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). 9 Years of Shadows promises to bring retrogaming goodness and a style to those who love the anime Saint Seiya, and much more. It’s a side scrolling videogame with a pixel art landscape looks absolutely radient, and it’s been tested at events like PAX and Steam Next Fest.

“We have gotten some immensely valuable feedback and really excited sentiments”, said Miguel Hasson, Creative Director of Halberd Studios. He also added, “We want to make sure we live up to those expectations and over-deliver on the Metroidvania experience. We thank you all for the support.”

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[Fantasia 2022] More Than Just a Sneak Peak at José Luis Saturno’s La Melodía Torrencial

José Luis Saturno’s La Melodía Torrencial is more than just a fairy tale, and we got to interview this filmmaker about it’s deeper meaning.

José Luis SaturnoMonsters and and Humans Shorts
July 23 at 9:00 PM at the Cinéma du Musée

In Fantasia’s 2022 list of animated shorts, not only did José Luis Saturno’s poster for La Melodía Torrencial catch my attention for its artistic design but also the trailer looked fabulous! The art design had a touch of Tim Burton’s design aesthetic which I adored, and I had to know more. I mentioned this film in my top animated picks list, and got a chance to see this short film ahead of its premiere.

This story about a rainmaker going by the name of Fluvio has a lot of layers tucked into its narrative. When a township sought him out to bring them rain to their arid community, what they get–some may say–was their just desserts. But there’s a lot more going on in Saturno’s latest work than meets the eye.

This filmmaker studied Film Animation at Concordia University in Montreal and started producing even before finishing his degree. He didn’t submit for film festivals until his third year in school, and instead of working for the big studios, he decided going independent was the way to go.

Thus, Enjambre Hexagonal was born. A few of their works can be found on YouTube, but to see them as they’re intended, on the big screen, is a must so the detail can be appreciated. He hires freelance artists as part of the staff to do this work, and the people on call include Yann Ben Alluch who does the storyboards and helps animate (“El mimo y la mariposa negra”). Robin Servant handles all the music and is the talent behind the sounds in La Melodía Torrencial. 

He said, “I never felt compelled to work in the industry from the bottom in the hopes of one day being hired as a director. I simply wanted to make films as quickly as possible.”

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