Microhabitat (So-gong-nyeo) (2017) [Fantasia 2018]

A young woman living paycheck to paycheck on a very tight budget finds herself in a hard place when she has to decide what to cut from her budget when her rent goes up by quite a bit. As she tries to find a way, she decides to abandon the tiny apartment and go couch surfing for a while. As things advance, her situation becomes more and more precarious.

Continue reading

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Rian Johnson has created what is easily one of the most complete and well developed “Star Wars” cinematic installments since “Empire.” While it does have the occasional pitfall (Porgs), “The Last Jedi” is a masterstroke for the series so far. Johnson manages to skillfully build on this new universe while also answering a lot of the pressing questions that the fans had for “The Force Awakens.” This is the second film to usher in the new generation and ease out the originals, turning this in to a war where the underdogs are still the rebels and they’re filled with reverence for folks like Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Johnson focuses primarily on the “How,” and “Why” questions from “The Force Awakens,” allowing fans closure on a lot of the nagging questions that left them excited and or baffled.

Continue reading

The Shorts of Fantasia International Film Festival 2017 – Part 3 [Fantasia International Film Festival 2017]

Each year Fantasia showcases a ton, almost a literal ton, of shorts films.  Reviewing them can be a bit demanding, so it has been decided to review them in groupings.  The following shorts were attached to feature films that played the fest and were viewed on the big screen.

Continue reading

An Interview with Staci Layne Wilson [WiHM 2017]

Staci Layne Wilson is well known for her film reviews, interviews (on camera and in writing), her writing, and now producing and directing.  Her interests are varied, but she clearly has a preference for horror as seen in her films such as the trippy triptych The Key to Annabel Lee, the sexy Fetish Factory, etc.  Her knowledge of the genre and Hollywood’s inner workings is wide and she uses it well in her creations.

Her trivia on IMDB is rather telling: “Has worn Freddy Krueger’s hero claw, George Romero’s glasses, and the original Hannibal Lecter mask.”

Continue reading

The Shorts of Blood in the Snow 2016 – Part Two

a-quiet-momentThe Fight (Canada) (2016)
In this super short film, a couple fights each in their own scene, or perhaps each in their own timeline.  Their fight escalates and a surprise is in store for each of them and the viewer.  This grim short, short for an estimated $50CAD (yes you read that right), is written Clint D’Souza, Neil Tavares and directed by D’Souza.  Stars Asoya Hall and Steve Kasan sell the fight and its emotions well while escalating at a nice pace.  This short is a visceral one for anyone who has ever reach a breaking point with a significant other.

Continue reading