The NFB at Sommets du Cinéma D’animation 2024

There’s a lot of amazing talent to find at Sommets du Cinéma D’animation and although I’m focusing on TheNFB, there’s much more to experience during closing weekend.

The NFBSommets du Cinéma D’animation has an enormous presence at Montreal’s Sommets du Cinéma D’animation (May 6–11) with eleven productions and co-productions. With almost half being world premieres, it’s a good time to celebrate why filmmakers like animating their projects than go live-action. Sometimes, its due to what the visual arts can offer through direct symbolism.

And what I present are my takes on those works which impacted me the most. It was tough to nail a top five, so to break from the norm, I present my favourite three.

As this festival is all about celebrating why animation is wonderful. Sometimes what’s presented is heavy, and other times it’s light-hearted. There’s a bit of everything to enjoy, and for up-and-coming talents, who knows, they might find a job with a studio in town or somewhere in Europe next. Not everyone wants to work for specific studios, and to have a place to present their innovative works is important.

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Shaka: A Story of Aloha and Why The Spirit of Hawaii is Everywhere!

Everything you want to know about Shaka and why Hawaii is special are well explored in this #documentary. Hopefully after @VCFilmFestival there’ll be more screenings! Our #moviereview is at:

Shaka: A Story of Aloha Movie PosterJust how a simple gesture came to represent the beating heart of Hawaii in Shaka: A Story of Aloha is not only fascinating but also a look back at history. There are multiple meanings (with hang loose being the most popular during the 70s) and six origin stories. And instead of giving credit to one, what I loved is in how this feature simply said, let’s give credit to everyone rather than just one individual.

To compress all of that into a 72-minute documentary must have been tough. I would’ve thought there’s a lot more story to some parts, but when there’s not, I’m glad what gets revealed isn’t too stretched out. Instead, what is added is in how universally recognised the image is. The segment I liked included how a Hawaiian infantry unit got chewed out for constantly using it during inopportune times. I laughed at how they worked within the restrictionx so that it became a special sign language of its own during engagement.

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After Star Trek and Boston Legal, You Can Call Me Bill in this Enlightening Documentary

To figure out why William Shatner says You Can Call Me Bill is because he’s allowed to expound upon what he feels is important about life. It’s not just his legacy in this well meaning documentary.

William Shatner You Can Call Me Bill PosterNow Streaming on Apple Play, Google TV and VUDU

After finally being able to watch William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill multiple times, all I can tell is that this documentary presents a different side of this actor that few rarely see. It had a very limited theatrical run, but back then, I didn’t have my notepad in hand. Within the fandom community, some may say he has quite the ego and outside, others wonder why is he a big deal? Here, the best segments concern his youth, what his upbringing was like and what made him decide to be an entertainer.

Anyone who knows his resume will say Twilight Zone or Star Trek is what made him a star. Prior to those appearances, he was in a few Westerns. Although his most famous episode concerns a gremlin, to recognise “Nick of Time” is just as important. While parts of his television career are quickly referred to, namely T.C. Hooker and Boston Legal, I’m curious why TekWar wasn’t mentioned? Although it was ghost-written by Ron Goulart, the ideas were his.

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GoGoGo Speed Racer on Digital and VOD!

Fans of anime from the golden age will be happy Speed Racer is accessible from any and all platforms next month.

Speed Racer on VODAlthough FUNimation’s home video release of Speed Racer is long out of print, fans of classic anime can rejoice! Shout! Studios have it ready for an online release beginning June 1, 2024. It’ll be available on various digital platforms and also as video-on-demand.

Myself, I’m hoping that what Emile Hirsch has been teasing two months ago with wanting the live-action adaptation back on screens (or on 4k) might shed light soon. This movie by The Wachowskis have earned cult status, and even I’m begging for it.  Perhaps after this release, we’ll get more information since there’s a contingent of fans wanting to scratch that nostalgia itch in more ways than one.

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Stephen Sommers’s The Mummy at 25 Years!

If you haven’t gone to the theatrical celebration, that’s okay. We can still have cake to celebrate The Mummy’s Silver Anniversary!

The Mummy PosterToday marks The Mummy’s anniversary! This reboot of the Boris Karloff classic debuted on May 7, 1999, and while I could’ve gone to a theatrical celebration, sadly there wasn’t one screening in my city. The reason this film stands the test of time is that it’s simply fun! It captures the true essence of what pulp fiction should represent and gives us characters I want to root for. It’s not just another Brendan Fraser film. Instead, it’s a career launcher for the other two main leads, namely Rachel Weisz and Arnold Vosloo. The former loves appearing in indie films more than mainstream ones, and the latter continues to pop up in fondly loved projects, ranging from Veritas: The Quest (which I feel deserves a reboot) and even Condor’s Nest to show the type of roles that challenge him as a Hollywood actor.

However, I must note that Kevin J. O’Connor stole the show. As a cowardly and conniving Beni Gabor, without him, I doubt the search for The Mummy’s treasures would’ve been known, and although Evie was the reason for his awakening, both had important roles to play! Continue reading “Stephen Sommers’s The Mummy at 25 Years!”