{"id":21306,"date":"2016-07-06T03:39:55","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T07:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=21306"},"modified":"2020-07-29T11:12:12","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T15:12:12","slug":"20-past-films-from-fantasia-international-film-festival-worth-looking-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/06\/20-past-films-from-fantasia-international-film-festival-worth-looking-for\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Past Films From Fantasia International Film Festival Worth Looking For"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ichi-the-killer\"<\/a>Fantasia International Film Festival is having its 20th<\/sup> edition this July and I am proud to say I have only missed 4 of them, the first one, 2006, 2012, and 2014.\u00a0 That being said, I\u2019ve played catch up and seen some of the films from those years and can say without a doubt that Fantasia International Film Festival plays a fantastic selection of films from around the world, with a penchant for the odd, the weird,. And the often overlooked by mainstream movie goers.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In celebration of their 20th<\/sup> edition and in preparation for this year\u2019s selection, here are 20 films from the past editions, based on those I\u2019ve seen, that I believe are absolutely worth looking for.\u00a0 In no particular order, they are:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ichi The Killer <\/strong>(Japan) (2001)
\nMiike\u2019s story of a killer with so much blood spilled and bullets shot that should be reason enough.\u00a0 This film is insane and insanely violent, a good introduction to Miike for anyone not familiar.\u00a0 His extreme style and violence permeate this film which is entertaining and mesmerizing.\u00a0 It\u2019s not for the faint of heart and should shock a few.<\/p>\n

\"Sur<\/a>Sur le Seuil <\/strong>(Evil Words) (Canada) (2003)
\nThis French-Canadian horror film based on the book by Patrick S\u00e9n\u00e9cal is an intriguing story of a writer who cuts off his own fingers when his stories become too real to handle.\u00a0 The religious and supernatural angles make this one a particularly good watch as well as very Quebecois.\u00a0 The acting is great, the story is good, the effects as well.\u00a0 The way this one develops makes it worth searching for.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"End<\/a>End of the Line <\/strong>(Canada) (2007)
\nA young woman rides the very last train one night along with a few other late night regulars.\u00a0 To anyone who rode those trains in any city, that alone is creepy enough, but here they add end of the world religious nuts and some very nasty baddies to make this a hellish night.\u00a0 These baddies are badass and make for one fun night (for the viewers).<\/p>\n

\"lascarslaffiche\"<\/a>Lascars <\/strong>(France) (2009)
\nBased on a short format animated series, it\u2019s not necessary to be familiar with it to have fun with the feature length film.\u00a0 This one is a bit crazy and funny with good French hip hop\/rap (yes, French rap) and one of the characters is voiced by Vincent Cassel.\u00a0 The story is simple, 2 guys from the projects want to go on vacation but their plans are thwarted and they are stuck in the cite where all kinds of things go wrong.\u00a0 To convince anyone that it\u2019s worth seeing, check out this video<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"musa\"<\/a>Musa The Warrior <\/strong>aka The Warrior (South Korea, China) (2001)
\nAn epic story of the underdog and the princess with crazy good battle and fight scenes, this one took my breath away on the big screen and still works on the small screen.\u00a0 The acting is good, the music fitting, the cinematography pulls you in, \u2026\u00a0 It\u2019s a great one for lovers and newbies to Asian epics.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The Convent <\/strong>(USA) (2000)
\nNuns versus evil, evil nuns, fluorescent blood, crazy insanity, directed by Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!), what else do you need to know?\u00a0 This one is completely insane and boat loads of fun.\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s cheesy, yes it looks like its low budget, but who cares, it\u2019s a huge blast.<\/p>\n

\"Natural<\/a>Natural<\/strong> City <\/strong>(South Korea) (2003)
\nNatural city is a sci-fi film in the vein of Blade Runner where human-like robotic dolls take on the roles of entertainment and company in which a young police officer falls in love with a dancing doll as her expiration date approaches.\u00a0 This film is a sad tale of love and despair, of finding hope where there is none.\u00a0 Sad and beautiful, touching while a bit depressing, the story and film are highly effective.<\/p>\n

\"psycho<\/a>Psycho<\/strong> Beach Party <\/strong>(USA) (2000)
\nJust like an old school surfing musical but with more murders.\u00a0 The music is super fun; the characters feel right out of a beach film.\u00a0 The story is simple or so it seems.\u00a0 It\u2019s an easy watch of a summer film with blood and mayhem.<\/p>\n

\"saving<\/a>Saving General Yang <\/strong>(Hong Kong, China) (2013)
\nA classic story of filial piety, the general\u2019s sons do all they can to save him and his honor.\u00a0 This epic story by director Ronny Yu is well done and has amazing battle scenes shot in a way to see all the fighting, not shying away from it or over editing it.\u00a0 The acting is very strong, the costumes are stunning.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit long, but absolutely worth it.<\/p>\n

\"Returner\"<\/a>Returner <\/strong>(Japan) (2002)
\nReturner is a sci-fi, time travel story starring Takeshi Kaneshiro in the title role.\u00a0 That should be enough on its own, however, there is so much more.\u00a0 Returner is one of those crazy sci-fis that may not actually make much sense at first glance but does once one delves deeper into it.\u00a0 A fun over substance film yes, but also very worthy contender of its genre.<\/p>\n

\"Stir<\/a>Stir of Echoes <\/strong>(USA) (1999)
\nBased on the book by Richard Matheson, Stir of Echoes is a creepy story involving a man losing his mind over possible ghost(s) contacting him for help.\u00a0 It\u2019s well shot, very well acted, and very well crafted but it got overshadowed at the time of its release by the hugely popular The Sixth Sense.\u00a0 To this viewer, Stir of Echoes is a lot creepier and much better, definitely worth a watch on a dark night.<\/p>\n

\"shaun<\/a>Shaun of the Dead <\/strong>(UK, France) (2004)
\nIf you haven\u2019t heard of or seen this one, do yourself a favor and seek it out.\u00a0 This parody of zombie movies is a perfect send up of the genre and the first film in the Cornetto trilogy.\u00a0 Whether or not you are into the zombie genre or even horror films is not that important, the film is funny in or oout of that context.\u00a0 The zombies are a back drop for a fantastic comedy.\u00a0 The trio of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost is downright magical here.<\/p>\n

\"Helter_Skelter\"<\/a>Helter Skelter <\/strong>(Japan) (2012)
\nA model becomes obsessed with fame, beauty, and youth as her career depends on it.\u00a0 The more she gets, the more she wants.\u00a0 This tale of a young woman with many vices is a good representation of society, of a society obsessed with instant fame and eternal youth and beauty.\u00a0 This one doesn\u2019t even have an IMDB page (at least under this title) that I can find, so it might be near impossible to find.<\/p>\n

\"imaginaerum\"<\/a>Imaginaerum <\/strong>(Finland, Canada)\u00a0 (2012)
\nAn old man in a coma relives his childhood memories and fantasies, mixed together by his dementia.\u00a0 The story is beautiful and touching told through mesmerizing images and a soundtrack by Nightwish which is stunning all of its own.\u00a0 This soundtrack<\/strong> <\/a>will make you want to watch the film over and over.<\/p>\n

\"attack<\/a>Attack the Block <\/strong>(UK, France) (2011)
\nSouth London is under siege from gang violence, that is, until it becomes under siege by an alien invasion.\u00a0 For a lot of sci-fi fans, their introduction to John Boyega came courtesy of Star Wars The Force Awakens for others, it come courtesy of Attack the Block.\u00a0 To see where Boyega came from or a great alien siege\/invasion film with an original take on the aliens, Attack the Block is necessary.\u00a0 It\u2019s a fun sci-fi romp from the UK with so much to love.<\/p>\n

\"dead<\/a>Dead End <\/strong>(France) (2003)
\nThis Ray Wise and Lin Shaye film from France takes place almost entirely in and around a car with a family on their way to a relative\u2019s Christmas party.\u00a0 As they take a short cut, they find themselves telling all their secrets as they wonder if they will make it to their destination alive.\u00a0 This family drama\/horror movie is full of surprises and incredibly well crafted.\u00a0 Wise and Shaye give great performances and the whole film works so well, it needs to be seen.<\/p>\n

\"malefique\"<\/a>Malefique <\/strong>(France) (2002)
\nFour men share a prison cell, trying to make the best life they can while doing their time, when they find a book hidden in a wall.\u00a0 This book of black magic gives them hope, hope of possibly getting out.\u00a0 This one starts off almost normal, like a prison drama, and then it takes a turn for the bizarre.\u00a0 This one is worth seeking out for the ending alone; however the rest of the film is also very good.<\/p>\n

\"doghouse\"<\/a>Doghouse <\/strong>(UK) (2009)
\nIn a small town where all women have become cannibals with a penchant for men after being infected, a group of friends, all males, arrive to help one of them get over his divorce.\u00a0 Doghouse was a complete surprise, a funny action\/horror film where a group of friends do what they can to survive.\u00a0 The characters here are in part based on real people and the writer and director have a ton of fun with this story.<\/p>\n

\"warlords<\/a>The Warlords <\/strong>(Hong Kong, China) (2007)
\nJet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro, together in one film, that alone should be enough to make anyone who\u2019s a fan of their careers or Asian cinema want to see this.\u00a0 This take on \u201cThe Assassinatin of Ma\u201d, the story of the killing of General Ma Xinyi is a beautiful epic story of war, brotherhood, and the Qing Dynasty.<\/p>\n

\"Thanatomorphose\"<\/a>Thanatomorphose<\/strong> (Canada) (2012)
\nI was originally very split about this one, but do strongly believe that like most polarizing film, it must be seen.\u00a0 Thanatomorphose means to rot from the inside, which is what is happening to the lead young woman in this film.\u00a0 The story and characters are a bit thin, but the subtext and what each viewer can take out of it are worth at least a watch.\u00a0 The effects alone are worth rewatching multiple times if one can stomach them.<\/p>\n

Of course, it was difficult to choose only 20 films for this and the first few years of the festival are not well represented as I was too young for a lot of the movies playing, but this list is a good start.\u00a0 Also highly recommended and fairly easy to find: Trick \u2018R Treat<\/em><\/a>, Tucker & Dale vs Evil<\/em><\/a>, We Are Still Here<\/em><\/a>, Bubba Ho-Tep<\/em><\/a>, Turbo Kid<\/em><\/a>, and Deathgasm<\/em><\/a> et al.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fantasia International Film Festival is having its 20th edition this July and I am proud to say I have only missed 4 of them, the first one, 2006, 2012, and 2014.\u00a0 That being said, I\u2019ve played catch up and seen some of the films from those years and can say without a doubt that Fantasia […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2497,1284,9],"tags":[111,113,315,349,367,477,1087],"class_list":["post-21306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fantasia-fest","category-festivalsevents","category-list-junkies","tag-arthouse","tag-asian","tag-edgar-wright","tag-fantasy","tag-foreign","tag-horror","tag-thriller"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21306"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22034,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21306\/revisions\/22034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}