When The Mysterious Nie Xiaoqian: A Chinese Ghost Story (小倩) Gets A New Date!

Like its namesake, let’s hope this new take on A Chinese Ghost Story isn’t just a fading dream. This film has a new release date, and as for when it’ll come out in the Americas, that’s anyone’s guess.

Nie Xiaoqian: A Chinese Ghost Story Nie Xiaoqian: A Chinese Ghost Story has a new release date, and according to AsianFilmFans YouTube information, that’s Dec 6, 2024! Whether this is for its debut in China or an international date, the latter is unlikely. This animated movie was supposed to come out in April of this year, but with no media coverage and reviews to be found, perhaps the film wasn’t ready. When considering the credits lists first-time director Qichao Mao in charge, perhaps he realised there’s some flaws that needed fixing.

Between the older trailer and newest, there’s a lot more story revealed. Siu-sin is tied up, and shows no love for her captor. It’s some greater force who have kept others from ascending. In Bhuddism, there’s sometimes the hope for reincarnation or even a new life in a new realm, but here, there are unearthly forces who want to control spirits!

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Let’s Experience Chillingham Castle on Halloween! (Are The Frights Real Anymore?)

This Halloween, Chillingham Castle gets all the love as this location may well be the only place guaranteed to send shivers down any visitor’s spine!

Chillingham Castle GhostlyTo name what the top ten most haunted places are in the world is subjective, and what we offer has criteria to fulfil: has there been any archaeological style updates at these locales recently? I think the only location is Chillingham Castle, a time-honoured favourite. Investigators mostly work on gathering evidence to justify why a location is haunted, and the experience will vary.

In the entertainment medium, I have seen no advertising campaigns for Ghostober this year. Discovery Plus and TRVL Channel may well be losing customers because of the lack of new content. Some analysts are saying one network will go off air, and fans of this genre will have to head to YouTube or ParaFlixx for their fix. Though I find the latter service lacks the production quality of the nicely funded shows, the heart is in the right place even though the charisma of the talents is hit-and-miss.

And as I searched for something recent to enjoy this week, only one YouTube documentary stood out as fresh. It’s an impressive look at why some people love the classic ghost story, especially before Shakespeare turned the genre upside its head into the form we love now:

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When Pranking is a Ghost Game, How is That Fair to the Victims?

Ghost Game (2024) Movie PosterNow available to stream/rent on VOD

The ominous tone that exists in the movie Ghost Game is enough to make me think twice about squatting in a haunted house! That’s never good; and in a film directed by Jill Gevargizian and written by Adam Cesare, perhaps it’s best to hope content creators Laura (Kia Dorsey) and Adrian (Sam Lukowski) get their just deserts! They believe spooking new homeowners is funny, and when their boss, Mr. Wattley (Aidan Hughes) likes the idea to include demonic possession (it’s a ratings winner), that’s a sign for disaster.

The reason is that these podcasters don’t realise the history of the house they’re “infesting” will endanger everyone, themselves included. To pile their shenanigans on top is guaranteed to cause things to go south fast, and when they don’t care about the lives they’re affecting, that’s disheartening. Although the story really pulled me into the drama, this film is one of those rare instances where you’ll either like these protagonists or hate them.

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Not Every eVil Sublet is Safe! With this Horror Comedy, The Best Bet is to….

….make sure that tenents get to know who their landlords are, and if the house has a not home to another Lizzie Borden! When it’s billed as an evil sublet, maybe it’s best to look elsewhere!

eViL Sublet Movie Poster IMDBAvailable to stream on Amazon Prime

Allan Piper is not your average filmmaker (landlord). In his horror comedy, EVil Sublet, he’s not only producing, filming and editing but also is the director/writer who wants to make sure anyone viewing the insanity he’s made visible in this fun house enjoy themselves rather than run away in sheer terror. That’s because in this story, a loving couple is trying to find some place cheap to live within New York City’s East Village. But when Alex (Jennifer Leigh Houston) and Ben (Charley Tucker) come across the deal of the century with a fully furnished apartment, hopefully those grey hairs won’t manifest soon!

They are told the abode is haunted. All those past murders left an imprint, and what’s presented suggests not everyone moved on. They have a need for vengeance. They are all after Reena (Sally Struthers) and she’s run away and is in hiding. As for what the current tenants can do is to hire an exorcist. Just who they find are kind of like Ghostbusters, but are only worse. These wannabe (and gay) paranormal investigators are hilariously played up for laughs by Stephen Mosherr and Pat Dwyer.

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Anyone Not Watching Angela’s Shadow at the Vancouver Film Festival Are Missing Out!

Angela’s Shadow is a mixed-genre piece that’ll satisfy not only people wondering what went on in Canada’s Colonial past, but also horror film enthusiasts.

Angela's Shadow Movie Poster
Playing at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival

Remaining Screenings:
Oct 05 International Village 8

By saying Angela’s Shadow is the perfect ghost story, I hope the expectations generated are not too much. That’s because this tale looking at aboriginal life effectively portrays spirits as only vengeful when they must. Although that was not Jules Koostachin’s intent when she wrote the screenplay with Steve Neufeld, the way her direction brought out the supernatural is just beautifully executed. These entities are not inherently evil but matter-of-fact entities who sometimes want to be noticed. But what this story is concerned about is the living, and how this character (Sera-Lys McArthur) wants to return to her roots. She was stolen by white men who believed indoctrinating indigenous youths to their society was important.

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In Little Moons, It’s Tough Not To Feel Down. Someone Must Rise Up Instead!

Now available in bookstores is Little Moons, and this graphic novel shows that life doesn’t have to be hard after when someone disappears, and everyone is fearing the worst.

Little Moons Graphic Novel Cover
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Highwater Press‘ commitment to publish stories by emerging talents from the Indigenous community is to be commended. If I could offer a suggestion, they should have a larger presence at comic book conventions. That way, certain works like Little Moons, written by Jen Storm, can get the marketing it deserves.

This one-shot looks at a family dealing with loss. One day, Chelsea is the life of the party, and the next, she’s gone! Reanna hopes that Chelsea simply ran away, but everyone must accept the horrible truth–she fell victim to a random abduction. As a result, there’s a melancholy embedded in every page. When these tales concern isolated communities with brief communication with the authorities, they offer limited hope.

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