Fantasia 2023 begins Thursday!

One of the best times at the movies you can have, Fantasia , opens Thursday across Montreal and we are better for it. 

A glorious celebration of films of the fun sort, Fantasia has been delighting people for decades and it has opened my eyes to some of the most wondrous things. It is the festival that always gives an early indication of what are going to be the most talked about genre films from across the globe. Sure there are other genre fests, but every other festival does what Fantasia doesn’t do, which is lean into some genre a little bit more than other. Fantasia doesn’t do that- it gives us a wide spectrum of everything out there and we are better for it.

How big a deal is Fantasia? Many of my film friends here in New York abandon the city and the festivals like New York Asian and Japan Cuts in order to be in Montreal and see as much of the cinematic goodness in person. Before I started covering the festival I thought they were mad, but now after about a decade of coverage I completely understand why people go to Canada for this festival, it has some truly batshit crazy stuff that demands to be seen.

As this posts I’ve only seen a few films, the result of a few films being sent my way so it's nigh impossible to give you a must see list (Though THE PRIMEVALS and RESTORE POINT would be on it if I were putting one together). I am currently looking forward to anything and everything that I can get my nasty little hands on. That may sound odd, I mean you would think I would have to pick and choose, but the truth is the joy of the festival is not in seeing the big films, but the small little gems. I get great delight at discovering some small film no one has heard of and no one is paying attention to, only to have the film turn out to be a hot ticket a short time later. I love being able to tell my friends that I saw the film when it premiered at Fantasia while they were looking elsewhere.

Some films are playing both New York Asian and Fantasia and reviews will appear accordingly. Reviews of #MANHOLE and MARRY MY DEAD BODY will appear soon after this curtain raiser goes up  to tie into their NYAFF screenings. A review of WHITE STORM 3 HEAVEN OR HELL will post after July 20th  when we are seeing the film a NYAFF. KILLING ROMANCE and PHANTOMS will also be reviewed toward the end of the festival since I'm seeing them on the last day of NYAFF. 

I saw PEOPLE WHO TALK TO PLUSHIES ARE KIND for the upcoming Japan Cuts and it is really sweet.

We’ve previously covered the following films:

SATAN WANTS YOU
MAD CATS
RIDE ON
A CHINESE GHOST STORY
GOD OF COOKERY
DEAD ENDERS
DEEP SEA
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
MAMA WATA
MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE
PERPETRATOR
PRUNING
ROUNDUP NO WAY OUT
SMOKING KILLS
SUITABLE FLESH
TAKE CARE OF MY CAT
TAXI
HUBBARDS
PUMPKIN BOY

This is just a great festival and if you can get to Montreal you need to go.

Reviews will drop when the embargoes do.

For information on the festival and tickets go here.