Screw winter, summer is here. Time to stay inside a dark room.
Montreal’s very own Fantasia International Film Festival 2016 has launched its new website and with it the definitive list of films we’ll be watching starting next week, July 14th. The tickets are on sale on a Saturday for the very first time, July 9th at 1pm. It’s also the same Saturday when that other geek fest, the Montreal ComicCon is taking place, so we’ll be in a bit of a tight spot. That being said, it doesn’t start until next Thursday, so start planning!
Full disclosure, no time travel this time! We’re going horror/comedy/crazy. I have my expectations high for Rupture, As the Gods Will, The Wailing, The Lure, Assassination Classroom: Graduation (YES!), Train to Busan, Too Young To Die and Before I Wake.
No passes will be allowed to see King Dave, Lights Out or Don’t Breathe. I expect Lights Out to come out on mainstream movie rotation, but I’m tempted for Don’t Breathe. Otherwise, it might be a good thing to skip the high-buzz ones and go for other ones that won’t be reviewed as much.
On the mainstream side, I’m tempted by Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers. I have taken note of Let Me Make You A Martyr (feat. Marilyn Manson), Antigang (feat. Jean Reno), Skiptrace (feat. Jackie Chan), I Am Not A Serial Killer (feat. Cristopher Lloyd) and Blood Father (feat. Mel Gibson), but I might trade some of those for other movies just on the point of highlighting the more independent film. I also need to take a break here and there. Kevin Smith, Marilyn Manson and Christopher Lloyd will attend their own movies.
Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro will attend the showing of Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex where he is featured, and receive the Cheval Noir Award. The fan favorite and prolific director Takashi Miike will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
This is a rough draft, but here’s what’s gotten my attention so far. This schedule will invariably change as I tend to switch and improvise, and some of these happen at the same time so I’ll have to choose between a few. Plus, I might need a break from watching a huge bright screen.
Update: I’m taking up a lot of horror this festival, although some silliness remains. After all, I do want to see Takeshi Miike get his Lifetime Achievement Award before Terraformars (although I want to see As The Gods Will a lot more).
- Thursday, July 14: Outlaws and Angels (USA).
- Friday, July 15: Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex (France) / Rupture (USA/Luxemburg/Canada).
- Saturday, July 16: Terraformars (Japan) /Demon (Poland).
- Sunday, July 17: Beware the Slenderman (USA) / As the Gods Will (Japan).
- Monday, July 18: Three (Hong Kong) / White Coffin (Argentina) / The Wailing (South Korea).
- Tuesday, July 19: The Lure (Poland).
- Wednesday, July 20: Lights Out (USA).
- Thursday, July 21: Harmony (Japan) / Train to Busan (Japan).
- Friday, July 22: Embers (USA) / Seoul Station (Japan).
- Saturday, July 23: Psychonauts (Spain) / The Phantom Detective (South Korea) / Assassination Classroom: Graduation (Japan) / Tank 432 (UK).
- Sunday, July 24: Break.
- Monday, July 25: Break.
- Tuesday, July 26: We Go On (USA).
- Wednesday, July 27: Familyhood (South Korea).
- Thursday, July 28: Toro (Spain)
- Friday, July 29: Too Young To Die (Japan) / Yoga Hosers (USA).
- Saturday, July 30: Bakuman (Japan).
- Sunday, July 31: Train to Busan (Japan) / Antigang (France) / Before I Wake (USA).
- Monday, August 1: Tower (USA).
- Tuesday, August 2: I Am Not A Serial Killer (USA).
- Wednesday, August 3: Judge Archer (China) / Blood Father (France) / Don’t Breathe (USA)
Fantasia’s upcoming dates:
- July 6: The complete schedule, the official website and the program guides are available now.
- July 9: Tickets go on sale at Concordia’s box office and Fantasia’s website
- July 14: Fantasia’s opening night!
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 