The time is finally here for the 21st edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival to begin in downtown Montreal, Quebec. It started on July 13th and runs until August 2nd. This year’s opening film was the North American premiere of the South Korean film The Villainess (Ak-Nyeo). It was my first of twenty-four screenings I’ll attend this year.
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.
There should have never been a Planet Of The Apes reboot, a prequel series chronicling the events that led to the destruction of humanity and the rise of the apes. It was a ridiculous concept that should’ve never made it passed the conception, but it did make it. Through this whole trilogy, from Rise to Dawn to War, this franchise has proven itself one of the greatest sci-fi trilogies of the modern age. With War For The Planet Of The Apes, they end this series in the perfect way to create one of the most personal and morally complex blockbusters out there today.
Translation of Beauty : A Conversation with Michael Alago
We’re often reminded that beauty exists in the eye of the beholder. But that revelation takes for granted that the beholder is already positioned in front of the subject she or he is admiring. Seldom do we hear about the influencers that make the relationship between subject and admirer possible. Without them, how would we even have the opportunity to recognize beauty? Michael Alago has made a career of interpreting art and presenting it for large audiences. Who the F**k is that Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago, director Drew Stone’s documentary about Alago’s life and career, explores Michael’s ability to translate his personal passions into shareable ideas. Whether in the role of show booker for the legendary Ritz club in New York, A & R (Artist & Repertoire) scout for Elektra Records, or as an independent photographer, Alago has a vision for understanding the talent that makes his subjects unique and different. And in the film, we get to see the world through his eyes.
WARNING – Spoilers and swearing are plentiful
I had no immediate plans to see The Last Knight, I knew I would because I just can’t turn away from this franchise now that I’m five films into it (I finished the Texas Chainsaw series so I can tackle this one). But if I hadn’t lost an Oscar bet, I wouldn’t have taken the theatrical viewing because I haven’t seen a Transformers movie in the cinema, since I was dragged to Revenge of The Fallen while I paid a tenner to have Michael Bay shove his f**king robo-balls in my face. But I did lose and I did go to see The Last Knight and to my surprise the film had the exact same problems as the last film. Hell it has the exact same problem that every Transformers film has and yet somehow this one turns out worse than nearly all of them. This is one step above Fallen as worst in the series.
Netflix, the world’s leading internet TV network, will bring the ten-episode series The Umbrella Academy to members worldwide in 2018.
Based on the popular, Eisner award-winning comics and graphic novels created and written by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy is a live action series that follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes (The Umbrella Academy) — The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror, and The White Violin — as they work together to solve their father’s mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities. Published by Dark Horse Comics, the comic series garnered much praise from fans and critics alike for its alternate and twisted take on the superhero genre.
Declaring Yourself: A Review of Man in the Camo Jacket
“Declare yourself an unsafe building.” I can’t get that line from The Alarm’s 1981 debut single, “Unsafe Building,” out of my head. The lyric and its sentiment of acknowledging weakness in order to rebuild are the strongest threads through Man in the Camo Jacket, director Russ Kendall’s documentary about Alarm frontman-turned-solo artist Mike Peters. The film could have easily focused on Peters’ rich musical career. But it transcends the predictable Behind the Music-style drama of many music documentaries to become a portrait of hope. We are privileged to tag along on Mike’s several journeys of reinvention, from resurrecting his career after leaving the Alarm to his battles with cancer. The first step toward any reinvention, we learn from Mike, is having the strength to let yourself fall apart.
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.
We haven’t always had the best representation of Catwoman on the Big Screen, so here’s our ‘Top 20 List’ of actresses who should play Selina Kyle.
Cinephellas 