“Summer of 84”
“Summer of 84” may not have made a huge impact in its premiere at Sundance, but it’s almost guaranteed to be a sellout in its Canadian Premiere at Fantasia, the festival whose market and co-production component developed the RKSS project. Moreover, the local filmmaking collective—composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell—are (you guessed it) hometown heroes, following up the success of their first feature “Turbo Kid.” If their debut is anything to go by, this throwback to ‘80s horror films is certain to be familiar and thrilling in all the right ways. As well, expect another banging score by local electronic artist Le Matos.
“Bleach”
It might come as a surprise to learn that “Attack on Titan,” “Shin Godzilla” and “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” are among the biggest audience hits in Fantasia’s recent years. It’s no surprise then that among the lineup this year is the North American Premiere of “Bleach,” a highly-anticipated live-action adaptation of the long-running manga series. Director Shinsuke Sato is no stranger to manga adaptations, having handled entries in the “Gantz” and “Death Note” series. Another fun fact; this is only one of three Shinsuke Sato films on offer at the festival this year; “Inuyashiki” is in the hunt for the Cheval Noir prize, and “I Am the Hero” (from 2016) is also making an appearance. At a brisk 105 minute run time, this one looks accessible to newcomers and looks to deliver on fabulous action and colorful hairstyles.
“Body Melt”
Every edition of Fantasia complements its program of the latest and greatest in genre cinema with a few flavorful repertory picks. Often, these films are tied to an honored guest—for example, “The Howling” and “Gremlins” in homage to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Joe Dante—or the annual sampling of Shaw Brothers classics, and on 35mm film no less. Independent home-video labels also bring DCP restorations of cult classics; this year, keep an eye out for “Body Melt,” courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome. The gross-out ’90s flick from Australian director Philip Brophy boasts makeup effects by Bob McCarron, a veteran of Peter Jackson’s early splatter classics. However good—and/or stomach-churning—the movie itself may be, odds are “Body Melt” has never been in front of an audience as rowdy as Fantasia fans, which makes this World Premiere of the 2K restoration a can’t-miss screening.
Honorable Mentions
Fantasia runs for a solid three weeks, and these choice picks are only the tip of the iceberg. Other promising titles include the World Premiere of Blumhouse production “Hurt,” Erick Zonca’s long-awaited “Black Tide” with Vincent Cassel, Takashi Miike’s “Laplace’s Witch,” Berlinale deep cuts “Amiko,” “Luz” and “River’s Edge,” Filipino actioner “BuyBust,” Spike Lee-produced horror anthology “Tales from the Hood 2,” SXSW hits “The Ranger” [our review] and “What Keeps You Alive” [our review], Arrow Video‘s restoration of Mario Bava‘s “Blood and Black Lace,” and, with what is certainly the best title of the fest, “The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot.” This one’s a marathon, not a sprint, folks.
