Review – Bad Genius (2017) Fantasia International Film Festival!

by Vincent Leblanc

On Day 4 of the Fantasia Festival, I had one screening in the afternoon. This film tempted me very much after reading about it and watching the trailer. And it seems I was not the only one to be interested because it was the first of two sold out screenings (ed.: they’ve now added a third screening). A guy even offered me $40 for my ticket that I paid $9 for while I was waiting in the line to enter the theater! This was the Canadian Premiere of the Thai film Bad Genius (Chalard Games Goeng or Chalat Kem Kong, the latter of which is, apparently, the transliteration of it’s original title ฉลาดเกมส์โกง in Thai script).

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This Summer Go Ape Sh!t For ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’!

by Nile Fortner

A few years ago, 20th Century Fox decided to do what a majority of movie production companies were doing and already invested in, dusting off old, famous properties, names, and recognition by doing prequels for the big-screen. I’ve always been a fan of ‘The Planet of the Apes’ films. Back in 2011, I was very surprised how much I enjoyed the prequel ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’. Even more unexpectedly, the sequel to the prequel, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, I absolutely loved, and consider it to be the best ‘Planet of the Apes’ film since the 1968 original classic. Now we have the third entry to the prequels, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’, and is officially a trilogy. The best trilogy we have gotten in years!

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 15 (Interview with Mathieu Ratthe)

Following Passion : A Conversation with Mathieu Ratthe

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

What scares you most? For me, it’s the unknown. If Freddie Kruger, Jason Vorhees, or Chucky showed up at my door, I’d have to check my underwear. But at least I’d know how to defend myself. The first step to conquering a fear is facing it. But what about terror you can’t see?

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Review – The Big Sick (2017)

by Kevin Muller

There is a saying that goes, “write what you know.” This advice is given to writers who try too hard to change the world with a unique idea. While a unique idea is great, sometimes it fails hard when it is overly complicated or not expanded upon to really give it a proper representation. The Big Sick takes this advice and creates something incredibly heartfelt and funny. Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen and this one is definitely one that sticks out among the pack.

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Review – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

by Old King Clancy

Marvel introducing Spider-Man in Civil War was a big step and allowed them to introduce their version of one of the most popular characters in this Universe. Now with his own movie in the MCU, thankfully it isn’t an origin story again. In Homecoming, Spidey proves why his inclusion to the MCU was the best move for the character, and Tom Holland sets himself up as arguably the best incarnations of the web-slinger.

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Review – Pilgrimage (2017) Edinburgh Film Festival

by Old King Clancy

The nature of films, and indeed all media, means that comparisons are almost inevitable and it’s important to remember that just because a film isn’t as good as a similar films, that doesn’t mean it itself is a bad film. Case in point, Pilgrimage comes across as a mix between Valhalla Rising and Silence,  without the visual trip of the former or the heaviness of the latter, but still within it’s own rights is an enjoyable and interesting examination of faith.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 9 (Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter Interview)

Removing Borders: A Conversation with Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter

by Christopher Rzigalinski

On this episode of the Cinephellas podcast I’m talking to the Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter, co-directors of Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation. The documentary uses lacrosse, which the Iroquois nation calls its “medicine game,” as a lens through which to explore Iroquois history and indigenous peoples’ relationships with the United States and Canada. How is it, the film asks, that countless schools and universities across North America play teach the game to its students without relating its ceremonial past? To answer that question, the Peters and I discuss the Catholic Church’s oppressive Doctrine of Discovery, the Iroquois challenges to traditional ideas of sovereignty, and how sports can be used as a tool for activism. Spirit Game is a powerful statement about how popular culture can help change the world for the better.

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