Author: Sean Parker
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Back in the mid-nineties, before the internet took off and streaming platforms were even an idea, network television ruled the airwaves, and the world-premiere network movies and multi-night mini-series were landmark events. As an impressionable youngster, this was how I’d get my regular fix of Stephen King-adapted horror. But, on occasion, you’d also get something…
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Taiwanese horror has been making serious waves over the last few years, with films like The Sadness, Detention, and Incantation tearing up Western streaming charts. One film in particular, The Tag-Along, became the highest-grossing Taiwanese horror film of all time back in 2015, before being dethroned by Incantation in 2022. The Tag-Along, based on the…
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Having released six features since 2021, Alice Maio Mackay is quickly becoming one of the premier auteurs of cult shockers, changing the landscape of horror cinema. Mackay’s punk rock filmmaking style knows no bounds. Throughout these last few years, she has created a universe of monsters, exploring the subgenre stylings of horror, playing with monsterdom,…
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There is no shortage of post-apocalyptic indie dramas out there. Hell, at this point, I’m fairly certain you could find a Tubi subgenre dedicated to these films without going very deep into the subscription service. The idea of the end of the world is generationally compelling, and the plots tend to cater to small budgets.…
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How the hell does anyone talk about a Mickey Reece film? The first film I saw from the director was Climate of the Hunter, which I caught during a film festival back in 2020. The film, about two aging women becoming increasingly cruel toward one another as they attempt to impress a man who might…
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Is there anything worse than noisy neighbors? I’m sure there is, but first-time feature director Kim Soo-jin pushes the envelope in his Fantasia debut Noise (Noijeu) to suggest otherwise. The Korean-made Noise takes a page from many horror favorites in crafting a story about a rundown tenement building where some of the tenants have stayed…
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One of my favorite things about the Fantasia International Film Festival is the depth of its programming. There’s always unexpected treasures waiting to be found within the massive amount of films playing, and I think I just found one. Jody Wilson, a visual effects artist from Vancouver who has contributed to projects such as The…
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Alberto Sciamma delivers one of the most indescribable experiences of Fantasia’s lineup, Cielo. The film is beautifully captured, from roaring landscapes of the Bolivian desert to colorfully inspired Church murals and dangerous cliff sides. The cinematography alone is cause to turn Alex Metcalfe into a sought-after name in his field. Cielo, which translates to Darling,…
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Animation has long been one of my favorite film mediums. Great artists tell fantastic stories through colorful lenses of exaggerated colors in dazzling, surreal landscapes. When it’s done well, it’s magic, and when it’s not so well, it remains imaginative. I knew Death Does Not Exist (La mort n’existe pas) would be a challenging film.…
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Homeowners Association or HOAs can be pretty ruthless. We’ve all heard stories of HOA presidents riding waves of power, and there are some pretty unbelievable stories out there from public court cases to personal accounts on Reddit threads. It’s no wonder Jenny (Haley Leary) has reservations about moving out of the chaotic city and into…