Tag: Science Fiction

The Vintage Tempest’s Picks of the Fantasia International Film Festival 2019

Image result for fantasia film festival 2019Runs: July 11 – August 1st
Montreal, Quebec

The Fantasia International Film Festival is in full swing, taking place in Montreal, Quebec with plenty of works to view and a wonderful look into all things fantastic. The genres also include horror, science-fiction and drama. In this show, the focus is on the extraordinary, hence the name. I encourage anyone who loves these genres to come to this show and see the world premieres that take place here.

Of particular note is a premiere screening of Shelagh McLeod’s Astronaut (review coming) starring Richard Dreyfuss. Arielle Dombasle’s Crystal Palace is a French production which only some can describe–a hallucinatory experience, a kitsch and camp kaleidoscope with surrealist dialogue and cardboard costumes (literally), all with a dash of meta-cinema. I’m particularly excited for the release of Takahiro Umehara’s The Moon in the Hidden Woods which blends steampunk, Korean folk styles and otherworldly fantasy into a tale of a world bereft of a lunar guardian. Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s Night God is said to be a waking nightmare, an unknowable maze of gigantic moving paintings, reminding one at times of the painter Carel Willink.

But it’s not the movies that defines a show. The huge list of shorts showcase the imagination of many a new filmmaker. Swiss animator Nils Hedinger’s Kuap looks like it may borrow from Hayao Miyazaki in narrative, Simon Beaupré’s Evil James Bond vs World War Z is a must for those who love crazy crossover ideas. Those who love Chinese folklore should look at Wan Jinyue and Du Jinzhi‘s The Girl and the Serpent.

The list does not end here. From the press release:

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Digging in Deep with The Ghosts of Cybertron Past

As for how the Ghostbusters will deal with finding the sparks of those Cybertronians lost and restoring them in Ghosts of Cybertron, this tale has me wondering if Burnham has the mythos established from Beast Wars and Transformers Prime in mind to wrap the tale up.

Transformers Ghostbusters Ghosts of Cybertron Comic Book Cover* Spoiler Alert

When I heard two beloved 80s franchises—Transformers and Ghostbusters—are crossing over, I had to contain my excitement. I thought about the movie where Starscream died and the G1 episodes “Starscream’s Ghost and Ghost in the Machine. His spirit never moved on; it haunted the tomb where his remains lay and later possessed the Decepticon Octane. Although IDW’s crossover with The Ghosts of Cybertron doesn’t address this continuity, I had hoped we’d get some rhetoric where spirits can possess any Transformer and just why he never took advantage is because of his limited thinking.

It’s a shame across even in Beast Wars, where his spark returns, this Decepticon never gets his just reward. Just why Starscream’s spirit stayed in this world has never been addressed. Those Transformers who ‘died’ in the movie never returned, and yet, throughout the animated series, he’s never moved on.

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Author Profile: Scotto Moore, The Next Rod Serling?

Scotto MooreBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Scotto Moore is a playwright from Seattle, Washington bringing his style of the bizarre to the printed word. After being a singer at an early age and studying theatre in college, he blended the two in a bunch of works for the Annex. Locally, they were very well received and some of his works can be found online. This achievement made him seriously decide on what the next big step for his career should be.

After spending 15 years producing shows like H. P. Lovecraft: Stand-Up Comedian! (it’s available on YouTube) and offering web series like CHERUB: The Vampire With Bunny Slippers, to imprint his style to the masses, his book Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You is the next logical step. He favours writing science fiction, but in this recent work, it’s a blend of horror and heavy metal.

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What Does Rick & Morty, ECCC and D&D Have in Common? A Bonanza …

Rick and Morty Dungeons and Dragons Comic Book Cover
Available on AmazonScotto Moore

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date: March 12, 2019

After reading IDW & Oni Press‘ Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons in a collected softcover release, I feel ready to take on the live show happening at Emerald City Comic Con! The panel takes place on Friday, 6:30pm at TCC Level 3, Room 5 in the Washington State Convention Centre. Here, writer Jim Zub and gang–Josh Trujillo, Kat Kruger and Kate Welch–through the wringer if he’s to recreate what he wrote in the book.

As for whether or not there will be any surprise visits, could voice talents Sarah Chalke, Chris Parnell or Justin Roiland be nearby?

The four-issue comic book run released last year, back around late Summer and it offers plenty of easter eggs for fans of this role-playing game to enjoy. Fans of the Adult Swim cartoon will find this new adventure fun and exhilarating. From recreations of classic covers of many an AD&D game module to jabs at how different each edition of the game is, I was reliving my days of an avid AD&D gamer. The 80s and 90s were my time with many a role-playing game. The jokes are hard not to miss (when I’m in the know) and I loved the inclusion of Dungeon Master (from the animated series of the same name). I was in stitches since writers Patrick Rothfuss and Zub nailed this personality spot on.

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The Wandering Earth Roams Into Ice Cold Familiar Territory

The Wandering Earth is China’s choice of hailing in the Lunar New Year and for some, the celebration is still ongoing.

The Wandering Earth Netflix PosterComing Soon to Netflix

The Wandering Earth is China’s choice of hailing in the Lunar New Year and for some, the celebration is still ongoing. Technically, the two-week celebration is over, but I do not want to take down the decorations. It serves to remind me what’s good about life, and know the future is bright. I gotta wear shades because the idea behind this film is cool.

The science behind setting the planet loose to be adrift in the cosmos is bang on. More than half of the citizens are dead or in accidental cryonic suspension when it came time. The reason for leaving the solar system is that the life cycle of the sun includes becoming a red giant. when that day comes, mankind better have a plan to escape; the government’s idea is to mount nuclear-powered thrusters on one side of the planet and turn it into a spaceship. To help navigate the dangers of space, the ISS gets a major redesign and co-pilots the planet. It houses humanity’s greatest minds to deal with course corrections and be the safe house for Plan B if there is one.

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Finding Zen in Giltrude’s Dwelling, An Interview with Jeremy Lutter

Giltrude’s Dwelling is set to make its hometown debut Jan 25th, during the Vancouver Shorts Film Fest, and writer Marcy Waughtal and director Jeremy Lutter could not be any happier.

Giltrude's DwellingGiltrude’s Dwelling is set to make its hometown debut Jan 25th, during the Vancouver Shorts Film Fest, and writer Marcy Waughtal and director Jeremy Lutter could not be any happier. This piece is about a young girl who has seemingly lost her parents. They warn her about the dangers the outside has, especially at night. Their home teleports to new worlds every day. The question of whether it returns is asked, and by only going to see this work, answers can be given.

One night, the folks leave and Giltrude (played by Kennedi Clements, the young girl, and Kacey Rohl, adult) is waiting for their return. Years pass and this young lady has a lot to fear. However, there’s more to this work than meets the eye. Lutter saw something unique in Waughtal’s story and he believes it is has a lot to offer to the viewer.

“It’s a fairly common trait to let bad events have a big impact on your future,” said the filmmaker, “I have seen it ruin people’s lives. I also had my fair share of heartache in my life that I had to see past and not let it stop me. As soon as I read Waughtal’s script, it spoke to me.”

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