“We are the weirdos, mister.” – Nancy (Fairuza Balk) in The Craft (1996) These five lines are iconic for a number of reasons, many of them quite personal to the individuals who recall and restate them nearly 30 years later;… Read More ›
Fantastic Fest
Bruno Martín’s crime thriller “Luger” is a lean mean machine with bone-crushing action. [Fantastic Fest]
Nothing is valuable until someone says it is. This may seem obvious, but entire systems are built around what society (locally or globally) deems as worthy of monetary value. It’s why everything from the obvious (gold and jewels) to the… Read More ›
A Conversation with “The Curse (咒死你)” writer/actor Ken’ichi Ugana. [Fantastic Fest]
EoM Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning recently spent time talking with writer and director Ken’ichi Ugana about his film The Curse, which screened at Fantastic Fest 2025. This gnarly, supernatural thriller comments on the increasingly dangerous potential of the digital world… Read More ›
Sean Cisterna’s “Silver Screamers” is a charming, warm-hug of a film that highlights how we all have something to give back to our community. [Fantastic Fest]
There’s a school of thought that implies a person’s value only exists if they are a productive member of society. This, of course, correlates one’s existence to what they can produce versus what they can contribute, which are two drastically… Read More ›
Glenn McQuaid’s “The Restoration at Grayson Manor” is an alchemical mixture of melodrama and body horror which asserts some rehabs are best treated with napalm. [Fantastic Fest]
Names mean something. They hold power. Names withheld can create mystery and names known can open doors. They are the things that can be passed down from generation to generation — be it a surname, a given name, a middle… Read More ›
Make it weird, make it big, make it bloody – make it “Deathstalker.” [Fantastic Fest]
Photosensitivity Warning: There is a brief flashback sequence near the start of the film and a longer sequence during the climax wherein lights flash quite frequently. There’s no strobing and it’s somewhat predictable, but may still be triggering for photosensitive… Read More ›
Surviving horror comedy “Coyotes” is simple: stay with your pack. [Fantastic Fest]
“Il meglio è l’inimico del bene. (Perfect is the enemy of good.)” – Attributed to Voltaire in 1770. If we spend our time pursuing perfect, we’ll miss out on a great deal. What ideal we set up for ourselves —… Read More ›
Filmmaker Ken’ichi Ugana’s onryō tale “The Curse (咒死你)” blends cultural customs with modern conveniences in order to craft maximum carnage. [Fantastic Fest]
It’s not an uncommon practice for a filmmaker to release two films in a year. John Huston released The Treasure of the Sierra Madre the same year as Key Largo (1948), Akira Kurosawa released Scandal in the same year as… Read More ›
Realities collide in Lucile Hadžihalilović’s fantastical drama “The Ice Tower.” [Fantastic Fest]
Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is known for many a tale from The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and, of course, The Little Mermaid. One title that’s well-known in the U.S. is his… Read More ›
22 Fantastic Fest 2025 films to build a schedule around.
2025 brings with it the 20th Fantastic Fest and the fifth time that I’m covering the festival for EoM. Past fests brought personal favorites like The Execution (2021), Baby Assassins (2021), Unicorn Wars (2022), The Last Stop in Yuma County… Read More ›
Faux true crime documentary “Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire” challenges audiences to separate facts from fiction in its conclusion. [Fantastic Fest]
In the Jewish tradition, each person dies twice. The first is when the person dies, their bodily functions ceasing operation through natural causes or unexpected tragedy. The second comes when someone says your name for the last time. This isn’t… Read More ›
Toby Jones’s “AJ Goes to the Dog Park” is an absurdist comedy possessing an important message. [Fantastic Fest]
Budget has nothing to do with telling a good story. A film can be backed by a major studio spending a billion dollars top to bottom can bomb and a film made on a nano budget can sell out regularly… Read More ›
Road trip dramedy “Bookworm” rewards the strong of heart and spirit with adventure. [Fantastic Fest]
Odd couple stories are the bread-and-butter of comedy. Putting mismatched people in situations (regular or irregular) is a breeding ground for hilarity as the two’s friction slowly grinds until it flares up. Add in estranged parentage with a little bit… Read More ›
“Apartment 7A” has all the elements of a great horror movie befallen by forcing the connection to Rosemary. [Fantastic Fest]
Over my recent vacation to Mexico (my first one in over half a decade), I spent most of my days with my Kindle reading in the pool as I baked in the Gulf sun. The first work I devoured in… Read More ›
Yusron Fuadi’s meta-horror comedy “The Draft! (Setan Alas!)” flips the bird at The Powers That Be while delighting audiences from start to finish. [Fantastic Fest]
With the quickness strike out for the less of us doubt Mercy of the man who put the pen in our mouth Word write us well signed, “Forgiveness for sale” I’m through being full, of all the might you want… Read More ›
Kensuke Sonomura returns to the director’s chair for a third time with supernatural action dramedy “Ghost Killer.” [Fantastic Fest]
In the world of martial arts action, there are few stunt directors like Kensuke Sonomura. Over the last 20 years, he’s worked on 12 prior projects as part of the stunt crew. Out of those, he was the editor for… Read More ›
19 films we’re curious to screen during Fantastic Fest 2024.
Returning to Fantastic Fest as remote press for the fourth time, we’re excited to share a recommendation list of films we’re either stoked to see ourselves, have already seen and reviewed, or think others should keep an eye out for… Read More ›
A Conversation with “The Last Stop in Yuma County” writer/director Francis Galluppi. [Fantastic Fest]
EoM Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning recently spoke with writer and director Francis Galluppi about his directorial debut, The Last Stop in Yuma County. A selection for Fantastic Fest 2023, this western flick stars the likes of Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue,… Read More ›
Kim Jee-woon’s dark dramedy “Cobweb (거미집)” explores the duality of depression and optimism in creation. [Fantastic Fest]
“Oh what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive.” Sir Walter Scott, author There is no story more powerful than the one we tell ourselves. Are we the hero? The villain? Are we the main character… Read More ›
Original in concept and philosophy, Gareth Edwards’s “The Creator” is a gorgeously shot, powerfully acted, and thoughtful protest film. [Fantastic Fest]
… Compromise is made out of peace But history’s made out of violence … – From “Sing Along” by Sturgill Simpson. Though he made his big splash for most audiences with 2014’s Godzilla, writer/director Gareth Edwards has been releasing films… Read More ›