FOLLOWING FILMS

Today I’m joined by the cast and crew behind one of the most exciting films to come out of this year’s FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL, Pledge. The film is about a group of college freshmen who pledge an exclusive fraternity but soon realize there's more at stake than they could have ever imagined. The film is currently playing festivals and should have a distribution deal to announce soon. To keep up with the latest information on PLEDGE go to stagpictures.com. To hear my attempt at a conversation with director Daniel Robbins, producer Mark Rapaport, writer Zack Weiner, and star Zach Byrd press play on the embedded player below.

Directed by: Robert D. Krzykowski Starring: Sam Elliott, Adrian Turner, Caitlin FitzGerald, Ron Livingston, and Larry Miller The 22nd edition of Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival was the site for the world premiere of Robert D. Krzykowski's THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT on July 20th, 2018. The film has easily one of the best titles I've seen in years and somehow manages to subvert the expectations of a name like that and deliver something far more interesting and sober. Calvin Barr (Elliot) is a legendary World War II veteran who has the distinction of being the man who secretly assassinated Adolf Hitler. An act that has left him with remorse and regret. He quite possibly saved millions of lives but he killed a man, no matter how justified, at the end of the day he still carries the weight of that one moment. Killing Hitler forever changed the course of history and in turn destroyed his life. As we meet Calvin he is in the twilight ...

FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING Friday, July 27th at 9:45pm at Theatre J.A. de Sève (1400 Boulevard de Maisonneuve O, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada) **World Premiere** RONDO Directed/Written by : Drew Barnhardt Starring : Luke Sorge, Brenna Otts, Ketrick “Jazz” Copeland Synopsis: Paul, a troubled veteran, is given a special prescription that opens a door to a world of sex, murder, and revenge. Full of black comedy and violent twists, Rondo follows the young vet as he descends into bizarre criminal enterprises in the high-rises of Denver, Colorado. There’s only one rule in Rondo: “stay on the plastic” and Paul’s about to break it. In the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and Brian De Palma’s Body Double, Drew Barnhardt's Rondo is a sexy, funny, and distinctly modern update to the suspense thriller. Check out a clip from RONDO below

2018 Directed by: Joel Potrykus Starring: Joshua Burge If you take Ven diagram of David Lynch and Kevin Smith, then divide the result by Castaway, you get an idea of what Joel Potrykus has done with his latest effort, RELAXER . Abbie (Joshua Burge) is an impossibly sedentary 90s slacker dedicated to concurring Pac Man without leaving the couch. Set in the days and months leading up to Y2K,  RELAXER presents a slightly augmented version of history through the eyes of its singularly motivated protagonist. For a film set in one room and primarily focused on a single character, RELAXER moves through an impressive number of tones and visual styles. One of the biggest challenges with limited storytelling is in the cinematography. Potrykus manages to keep the film interesting from that perspective by shifting through distinct techniques for each of the film's 3 acts. At times warm and inviting, at others disgusting and uninhabitable, the apartment at the center of the fi...

Just before it premieres this Saturday July 21 at Fantasia Film Festival, Raven Banner Releasing slides in to pick up the rights to Knuckleball for Canada. Raven Banner likes a good twisted thriller and Knuckleball hits it right out of the park with this nail-biting horror. Directed by Mike Peterson (Lloyd The Conqueror) this is a feature you wouldn’t expect from the Calgarian director, and that’s a good thing. Keep them guessing. And that’s what you’ll be doing throughout this “R rated version of Home Alone.” Henry is a 12-year old who finds himself cut off and alone on an isolated farm after his grandfather unexpectedly dies. The nearest neighbor finds out there’s no one to protect the young guy, and Henry becomes a target for reasons that are unknown. His parents are at least 24 hours from returning, and a massive snowstorm is brewing. Henry retreats into the house and prepares for a siege. What follows is a desperate battle for survival that will also unlock the terrifying connec...

Audiences at the Fantasia Film Festival were treated to a special performance by musician/composer and member of the legendary band Goblin, Maurizio Guarini, who performed a special cine-concert event alongside the legendary 1911 silent film, Dante's Inferno (L'Inferno). The iconic musician performed a wholly original score alongside a digitally restored version of the film from Cineteca De Bologna in Italy. The performance kicked off the announce of 2018 concert tour kicking off September 21st, with the first 4 cities announced as: Friday, September 21, 2018 The Roxy 320 20th St W Saskatoon SK http://magiclanterntheatres.ca/A/index.php?theatre=Roxy_Theatre Friday, October 12, 2018 Cinematheque at The Cleveland Institute of art 11610 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH https://www.cia.edu/cinematheque/ Saturday, October 20, 2018 The Lyric Cinema 1209 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO http://lyriccinema.com/ Saturday, November 3, 2018 AFI Silver Th...

Mike Diana is an outsider artist working in comic books. Unlike what most would associate with the medium, Diana uses his funny books to tackle subjects like the environment, consumerism, and pedophilia. Through graphic depictions and dry social commentary Diana pushes the boundaries of acceptable speech and taste so much so he has the distinction of being the first person to be convicted of artistic obscenity. BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA opens with the following: "The uncensored art shown in this film is deliberately and aggressively NON PC. It is meant to provoke, disturb, shock, offend, and confront the viewer. If graphic depictions of sex and violence disturb you, STOP watching the film NOW." It's the perfect way to open the film as it contains imagery that will make many viewers uncomfortable. And if you are unable to get past that imagery to see the tragedy of Diana's story, the film has no interest in speaking to you. The film mirrors its su...

Sister organizations The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies and Spectacular Optical have two special events planned for horror fans in Montreal and Toronto this summer. In partnership with the Fantasia International Film Festival and the Frontières International Co-Production Market, The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies will be presenting a career talk with iconic Canadian cult actor Michael Ironside at the festival on July 20th, moderated by film writer and producer Heather Buckley. To celebrate Fantasia’s screening of Knuckleball, a Frontières project, the Miskatonic Institute will present career talk with one of the most iconic character actors of our time, and a true legend of the genre film world. Over an hour-long illustrated discussion of the key films, directors and collaborators in his life, Ironside will discuss his many film roles – which includes work with David Cronenberg, Claude Jutra, Jean-Claude Lord, Tony Scott, Walter Hill, James Glickenhaus, Paul Verhoeve...

The first feature from German writer/director Tilman Singer LUZ is captivatingly shot on 16mm with immersive sound and visuals that call to mind the experimental images of Giallo and 70s Spanish horror atmosphere. Produced by Dario Méndez Acosta and Tilman Singer, with a brooding synth score composed by Simon Waskow, the film stars breakout actress Luana Velis as Luz, as well as Jan Bluthardt and Julia Riedler offering a strong supporting base. LUZ World Premiered at the Berlinale and screened at Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema and will play at famed Brazilian genre fest Fantaspoa before having its North American Premiere at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival this summer.