“On the road again. Just can’t wait to get on the road again”…
There’s nothing I love more than covering film festivals for JoBlo and Arrow in the Head. You really can’t ask for a sweeter gig. While at the festival as part of the press, I get to indulge myself in a nonstop orgy of films, while also finding time to shoot the shit with other journos from different sites. The Fantasia Film Festival is special for me, as it’s the first festival I ever got the chance to really cover for the site, and it led to trips to TIFF and Sundance.
“It’s Fantasia time,come on! It’s a celebration!”
My corny quoting of Willie Nelson is probably a little misleading here, as I’m not really “on the road” at all. You see, Fantasia’s in my backyard so to speak. I’m a Montreal boy, so attending Fantasia’s a piece of cake, as the venue (my alma-mater, Concordia University) is within walking distance of my apartment. Even before covering this as a journo, I’ve been a die-hard Fantasia aficionado, going back ten years, when I was a fresh-faced nineteen-year-old. Anyone who’s ever spent time at Fantasia can tell you that the vibe is electric, aided by the super-cool, rowdy audiences, and a kick-ass staff of volunteers- who are always game for a couple beers at the nearby Irish Embassy after a late-night screening. I fucking love it.
They love Fantasia a little too much…
Last year seemed to be a game-changer for Fantasia, as it included a bunch of high-profile early screenings for soon to be released genre films, including THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE, THE LAST EXORCISM, the complete MESRINE, and SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. That’s in addition to some of the finest worldwide genre fare you’re ever likely to see- including A SERBIAN FILM (which, truth be told, I’ve yet to watch- despite a screener having sat on my desk for over a year), THE LIFE & DEATH OF A PORNO GANG, RED WHITE & BLUE, THE LOVED ONES, RUBBER, BLACK DEATH, and more.
2011 seems to be another great year for Fantasia, and the following are just a few of the films I’ll be reviewing over the next few weeks.
A LONELY PLACE TO DIE: The buzz on this UK chase thriller centering around a bunch of mountaineers who stumble upon a child smuggling ring, is white hot. It’s been described as CLIFFHANGER meets THE DESCENT, as directed by circa-1980’s James Cameron. Count me in!
BURKE & HARE: John Landis. Simon Pegg. Andy Serkis. Hell yes. I’m still amazed that this hasn’t gotten a proper North American release after enjoying solid box-office success in the UK late last year. If it’s as good as the pedigree suggests, a screening at Fantasia might give it the kind of buzz it needs to make an impact stateside.
BELLFLOWER: I still can’t believe I haven’t seen this yet. It caused a major stir at Sundance, but- alas; there were so many films to see it kinda slipped under my radar. Described as a mumblecore MAD MAX, I’m eager to give BELLFLOWER a shot- and word on the streets is that this is a cult hit in the making.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK: A Guillermo Del Toro-produced chiller that’s been picking up a lot of buzz. Looks to me like PAN’S LABYRINTH meets INSIDEOUS, although not as derivative at that sounds. Del Toro’s a genius, and anything associated with him immediately demands to be seen.
DETECTIVE DEE & THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME: Tsui Hark’s long-awaited comeback, DETECTIVE DEE’s been picking up a lot of buzz since debuting at TIFF in the fall. Starring Andy Lau as the titular Detective, Hark alone makes this a must-see. In my late-teens, I was obsessed with Hong Kong action cinema, and Hark was one of its maestros. His last really good film was TIME & TIDE back in 2000, but I’ve heard this ranks up there with his best. I hope so.
RETREAT: A UK survival thriller starring Cillian Murphy, Thandie Newton, and Jamie Bell, RETREAT is one of the more high profile premieres gracing Fantasia this year, and the Fest is giving it a big build-up. If I know the programmers, this wouldn’t be getting a push if it didn’t deserve it, so I’m expecting this to be a rock-solid thriller.
STAY TUNED FOR OUR FANTASIA FESTIVAL COVERAGE, KILLING SOON!
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