Festivals (Page 22)
Coverage of domestic and international film festivals, previewing the latest upcoming features and independent favorites.
Fantasia 2018: Lifechanger’s Justin McConnell on Shape-Shifting, Memory and Toxicity

Fantasia 2018: Lifechanger’s Justin McConnell on Shape-Shifting, Memory and Toxicity

The writer/director of Fantasia-debuting horror film Lifechanger talks about the origins of the project and getting into the mind of his film’s main monster. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Lifechanger is a sneakier, more fascinating thriller than it might seem at first glance – the tale of a man doomed to feed off and ... Fantasia 2018: Lifechanger’s Justin McConnell on Shape-Shifting, Memory and Toxicity

Fantasia 2018: Blue My Mind Is a Different Kind of Mermaid Story

Fantasia 2018: Blue My Mind Is a Different Kind of Mermaid Story

Lisa Brühlmann’s Swiss coming-of-age mermaid tale is admirably shot and performed, but inadvertently hews too closely to similar teen-horror dramas of recent years. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood It’s almost a shame that Lisa Brühlmann’s Blue My Mind came out so close on the heels of Julia Ducournau’s Raw. One of the freshest, ... Fantasia 2018: Blue My Mind Is a Different Kind of Mermaid Story

Fantasia 2018: Satan’s Slave Review – Ghosts, Zombies and Sex Cults, OH MY!

Fantasia 2018: Satan’s Slave Review – Ghosts, Zombies and Sex Cults, OH MY!

A loose remake/prequel to the 1980 film of the same name, Satan’s Slave is a chilling story of how the sins of our parents haunt us in the present from director Joko Anwar. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood A grief-stricken family comes face-to-face with the aftermath of their recently deceased mother’s deal with ... Fantasia 2018: Satan’s Slave Review – Ghosts, Zombies and Sex Cults, OH MY!

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time
The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.
Fantasia 2018: Mikhail Red Explores Violence, Morality and Family in Neomanila

Fantasia 2018: Mikhail Red Explores Violence, Morality and Family in Neomanila

Superbly acted and beautifully shot, Neomanila is a morally ambiguous tale about what we do to survive and crimes we commit for the ones we love. This piece was originally posted at Alcohollywood Set against the backdrop of President Duterte’s war on drugs in the Philippines, Neomanila is a grim and gritty tale of family ... Fantasia 2018: Mikhail Red Explores Violence, Morality and Family in Neomanila

Fantasia 2018: Hanagatami Review – The Director of Hausu Confuses and Delights in His Final Epic

Fantasia 2018: Hanagatami Review – The Director of Hausu Confuses and Delights in His Final Epic

Hausu’s Nobuhiko Obayashi starts wrapping up his 60-year career in filmmaking with a deeply weird, compellingly stream-of-consciousness wartime drama. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Nobuhiko Obayashi is one of Japan’s veteran suppliers of the weird and fantastical – despite a career spanning nearly forty films, his most famous international export is 1977’s kaleidoscopic, ... Fantasia 2018: Hanagatami Review – The Director of Hausu Confuses and Delights in His Final Epic

On Chesil Beach Review: A Picturesque Tale of a Broken Honeymoon

On Chesil Beach Review: A Picturesque Tale of a Broken Honeymoon

Dominic Cooke’s sumptuous adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel tells the tale of a marriage doomed from the start, using luscious photography and brilliant performances from Saiorse Ronan and Billy Howle. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood This film played at the 6th annual Chicago Critics Film Festival – read our capsule review here.  ... On Chesil Beach Review: A Picturesque Tale of a Broken Honeymoon