Special Report: 2025 Fantasia Curtain Raiser

on July sixteenth this year. I will not be in attendance, but I will be covering some of the movies, hopefully talking with some of the filmmakers around here. So really a lot of what I cover is going to be

based upon the availability of filmmakers. So doing these kind of quote unquote curtain raisers, it's a little difficult for me because I'm not exactly sure who all I'll be talking to, and I don't tend to request the screeners for films when I don't have the I don't want to say guarantee, but the opportunity to talk to the filmmakers. Of course, being Fantasia, there is a ton of great Asian films available. It's right in the name Folks Fantasia.

That's because it really relies on great Asian cinema, and this year's no exception. There is a animated version now of All You Need Is Kill, which most people will know as Edge of Tomorrow, which was actually based upon a relatively short book, if not a short story, and there is now an anime of that that is going to be playing at the festival. They're also bringing back, speaking of anime, a restored version of Angel's Egg, which I haven't seen yet, but that's one movie I've been

wanting to see. We talked about Belladona of Sadness a few years ago on the show. Angel's Egg is one of those films like Belladina of Sadness that's just kind of lifted up as being a really beautiful anime film, and from everything of the film I've seen, it seems like a very correct approach to that. That's also the thing is, I don't tend to get excited about films that I haven't seen yet because I don't have that much information, and also I don't want that much information.

I don't want to go out and watch a bunch of these trailers because I really enjoy being surprised. So I feel kind of terrible for the folks that fantation when they tell me, oh, you got to do this, You have to do this curtain raiser before you actually can get approved to be a critic for the film Festival. So I will probably talk a lot about some of the older screenings of things that I am familiar with, such as Bullet in the Head, the John Wufilm. There's

going to be a restoration of that. Of course, you are probably aware that there are a lot of WU films and heroic bloodshed films from that golden era of Hong Kong cinema, the late eighties early nineties, when stuff was just blowing up over there, and I'm so excited for more people to see these films. I'm really excited for more people to see bullet in the Head. I've

almost kind of held a torch for that movie. A few years ago, I did a really stupid thing, but I went through and I tried to track down as many versions of Bullet in the Head as I possibly could and try to make a I don't want to say it was the complete version, but at least start to show how many different versions that there were, and really went through painstakingly. I would find, like a shitty bootleg. There was a shitty bootleg of that movie that was

probably the Taiwanese version. It was different than the Hong Kong version, different than the mainland version. And went out and got that digitized that and then started to lay over pieces from other versions to try to make the most complete one I could. The Taiwanese one. There were times where there were a frame or two that were in that that weren't in any other versions. I mean really just literally a frame or two. But then you would also get major sections that were completely missing from

other versions. You would get some versions that had a different ending. I remember I saw that originally in the theater and saw it with what I called the man who would be King ending, and then I rented it from a Chinese grocery store. The whole movie had a completely different ending. That is what people generally call the Carfu ending. I'm curious what this greening is going to be like, it's a supposed to be one hundred and

thirty six minutes. I don't remember off the top of my head which version that is from that, but more people definitely need to see that movie, no matter what version it is. There's also a restoration screening of a Chinese ghost story. Three. This is top stuff, guys. I cannot say enough nice things about some of these Hong Kong films that just really for me changed how I looked at stuff. Had no idea that this type of cinemi existed. Of course, they're going to be playing Eddington,

the new ari Ast film. I haven't seen the last last arist film, maybe the last two Ariaster films. Not a big arister, guy, I guess. I mean they're fun, They're funny. I mean I found Hereditary to be absolutely hilarious, and Midsommar as well. I don't know if I'm supposed to, but I definitely did. I mean, especially when that little girl takes that face plant right to the poll. That was pretty damn funny. Forbidden City is going to be playing. That is actually not a Hong Kong film. It is

a Italian Mandarin joint. It's got a name like it is a older Hong Kong movie, but it is a brand new thing and it looks fantastic. The film Fuck Toys is going to be playing. I did get to see that earlier from another festival, really really fun The Girl Who's Still Time is going to be playing, which looks like it's a new version that is more of like a three D animation that is different than I believe The Girl Who Walked Through Time. But yeah, we'll

see how that compares. Also, there's going to be a retro screening of Funky Forest The First Contact, which is one of the most fucked up Japanese films that I've seen, outside of, of course, Takashimike. There's even a documentary about Japanese amant garde pioneers, which looks absolutely incredible. I'm hoping that some of my favorite avant garde filmmakers are actually discussed in that, but that is when I am super excited to be able to see hopefully they discussed some

Shuji Tara Yama. As far as other retro screenings, are going to be doing a Nightmare before Christmas, as well as Night of the Juggler, which spoiler alert is not a lot of juggling and not nearly enough, especially not nearly enough to put that right in the name of the film. You would think maybe like a Tommy Smothers documentary would be called that but yeah, not nearly nearly, nearly enough juggling. Also a retro screening of pen All Summer, which I know that that was kind of hot a

few years ago. I'm very excited that that is. I'm really glad that that is getting a little bit more attention. I don't know why, but they're going to be showing the Smurfs, but I yeah, I guess this is the new one, the one with Rihanna, So I'm I don't know, I guess because it's the Smurfs, maybe that's why they're showing it. And of course there's going to be special events that are happening at the festival as well. There will be guests who are speaking. Even Danny Elfman will

be up there talking about his work as well. I believe that's where we're getting the Nightmare before Christmas screening from. And even our old friend Lloyd Kaufman is going to be up there, hopefully maybe showing the new Taxic Avenger. But I actually think that that showed last year and we've just been waiting for that one to come out otherwise, So I'm not sure exactly what's happening with that film, why it took so long. I mean, if that's Peter

Dinklingen there, for God's sakes, release it. But that one will be coming to us a lot sooner than Tom Six's The Yaina Club, which I'm still curious to see. Would still like to see that one, but I'm pretty sure that that's never going to be released. Well, folks, hopefully that checks that box of doing a curtain raiser for Fantasia. I'm super excited to actually see some of these movies, talk with some of the filmmakers and share

those interviews with y'all. So definitely keep an eye out for a Fantasia series of podcasts coming to your feed. And in the meantime, we're gonna keep talking about older films, genre films, especially this month with sci Fi July. We will be discussing a whole lot of great things. Hopefully, by the time this has come out, we have kicked things off with Metropolis, got a lot of other good

stuff happening in July. Thanks so much for listening. Keeps a dirty sad down on the shiny side up and you'll hear me on the next episode.

Hands in motion, smiles everywhere. Dance to this rhythm. Tabocare, watch the sunset, keep it right, juggling trees, shaping the lines. Come and juggle, Come and play with me. Feel the joy that your heart feel free, Spin and twelve under the palm tree, Come and juggle, Come and play with me. So come on now, don't you wait. Catch the rhythm, feel the face, juggling life. It's a chance.