FANTASIA 2020: This Time it’s Digital
I wonder if any of the people who initially read this blog still have it bookmarked, checking daily for a new post...
THAT DAY HAS COME.
I've written for a nice website called Destroy the Brain for the past 10 years or so, and while I suppose I'm still on the writing staff there, I haven't actively written anything in around a year. But I'm wanting to get this blog going and maybe turn it into something. So why now? It occurred to me that I should take the opportunity to cover one of my favorite film festivals as they inaugurate their first digital edition in the wild year of our lord, 2020. Good kick-starter for my pants. And I was acredited!
I've covered Fantasia remotely for the past 3 years (see here) and have seen countless gems that I otherwise might never have. Some of them get released in a few weeks, others over a year later, and some -- including a Korean movie called Idol, my favorite of Fantasia 2019 -- never get released at all in North America. It's a thrilling, eclectic line-up of everything from foreign animation to action to rom-com to horror, and everything in between.
To be completely honest, I hadn't paid too much attention to the line-up this year as I hadn't intended to cover the festival, so I'm just now digging into the roaster that officially started on the 20th and runs through September 2nd. Given the online-only factor this year, the title list isn't as wide and robust as it normally is. I'm sure there are a number of titles that some larger studios weren't comfortable having online premieres of.
Two of the biggest premieres for me are Brian Bertino's (The Strangers) new horror The Dark and the Wicked
...and Johnnny To's (Election) triumphant return with the MMA-themed Chasing Dream
I was a major fan of Bertino's last film, A24's The Monster, a small scale creature feature which followed in the slow build and loud explosion style perfected with The Strangers. As for To, his last action-thriller Three dazled, aptly, three years ago, delivering one of the most memorable action sequences of the decade. Dream looks more in line with his terrific drama Throwdown from 2004.
Other titles and events of interest include:
Crazy Samurai Musashi dir Yuji Shimomura- A samurai film that boasts a 400 on 1 epic battle in one take.
Hail to the Deadites dir. Steve Villeneuve - A documentary about Evil Dead superfans made by...well, Evil Dead superfans.
#shakespearshitstorm dir. Lloyd Kaufman - Troma and Kaufman's return to form, so it appears, after a double misfire of a Class Of Nuke 'em High reboot, this time delivering his take on the bard.
Alone dir. John Hyams - Son of genre helmer Peter Hyams, John's got an excellent looking first horror film here, after owning the Universal Soldier franchise's last two entries (seriously, they're dope).
12 Hour Shift dir. Brea Grant - Actor turned director Grant takes on this twisty horror-malpractice feature with genre stalwart Angela Bettis.
The Day of the Beast dir. Alex De Iglesias - The Spanish classic horror-comedy remastered in 4K? Hell yes, and long overdue.
Also: A John Carpenter masterclass and lifetime achievement award? Hell yes, and you can watch it
right now.
Reviews incoming. Fantasia 2020. Brace yourselves.
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