Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival is, without question, one of the most highly-regarded genre festivals in North America. (Nay, the world!) And while I didn’t actually attend the event this year, I have seen a nice chunk of their selections, and I really like the Fantasia team, so here’s a (hopefully) handy collection of titles for you to seek out once they’re available.
1. Ant-Man — Yep! Ant-Man played Fantasia. A big-time Marvel movie amidst a sea of independent and international genre films. I think that’s pretty cool. (My review.)
2. Bite — A young woman gets bitten by a mysterious Costa Rican fish creature, only to return home with a horrific infection. (My review.)
3. Bunny the Killer Thing — A bizarre, gory, raunchy import from Finland about a man-sized rabbit mutant on the hunt for one very specific female body part. Never watch this film with your parents.
4. Cub — Terror strikes a young scout troop in this darkly funny and impressively creepy Belgian import. (My review.)
5. The Dark Below — A simple, straightforward, and virtually dialogue-free thriller about a man who tries to kill his wife. And fails. Many times.
6. Deathgasm — Two hard rockin’ Kiwi pals awaken an evil demon and must work together to destroy the damned thing. Also it’s a comedy. (My review.)
7. Director’s Commentary: Terror of Frankenstein — The director and writer of 1977’s Terror of Frankenstein reunite to record a truly disturbing (and darkly amusing) audio commentary. (My review.)
8. The Editor — The creators of Father’s Day and Manborg are back, and this time they’ve set their satirical sights on the world of goofball giallo horror flicks. (My review.)
9. Goodnight Mommy — Two creepy young twins become convinced that their bandaged-covered mama is actually a dangerous impostor in this fascinating, freaky thriller from Austria.
10. He Never Died — Henry Rollins stars as a seemingly immortal man whose past has come back to haunt him. (My review.)
11. The Invitation — A man slowly comes to realize that a dinner party may in fact be a recruitment program for a devious cult in this crafty, creepy thriller.
12. Monty Python: The Meaning of Live — A behind-the-scenes look at Monty Python’s recent reunion tour. Old-school Python fans will dig this documentary. (My review.)
13. Nina Forever — A young man is forced to contend with an ex-girlfriend who pops up at the worst moments — and is also deceased. (My review.)
14. Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made — The creators of the most elaborate fan film of all time reunite to finish their dream project. Or at least try to. (My review.)
15. Roar — A stunning 1981 obscurity about a family that lives with dozens of lions. Or at least tries to. You’ve never seen anything like this movie. (My review.)
16. Some Kind of Hate — A haven for troubled teens becomes sort of a bloodbath when a forgotten victim returns to wreak holy hell. Smart, dark, insightful indie horror.
17. Tag — The director of Cold Fish and Tokyo Tribe is back — with maybe his most aggressively insane film to date. It’s about a trio of young women forced to contend with horrific phenomena that (almost) defy explanation.
18. Turbo Kid — The early-’80s post-apocalyptic action flick takes a square kick in the pants in this highly energetic and consistently amusing New Zealand export. (My review.)
19. We Are Still Here — Two couples spend some time at an isolated cabin before all sorts of occult-related madness breaks out. Fun stuff. (My review.)
Which movies sound the most interesting to you? Let us know in the comments below!