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Like a Bat Out of Hell, Luc Besson’s Dracula is Flying Fast to VOD!

Luc Besson’s Dracula is arriving on VOD on March 10, 2026. Starring Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz, and Zoë Bleu, this romantic reimagining of the vampire myth also stands as one of Vertical’s biggest theatrical successes to date.

Coming to Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, and YouTube

Straight out of theatres and into your home, Luc Besson’s Dracula is ready to strike beginning March 10, 2026. It is already listed on Prime Video, and is reported to be one of Vertical’s highest-grossing releases to date. This romantic reimagining stars Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz, and Zoë Bleu, and offers a bold new take on the iconic vampire myth.

In my review, I noted that Dracula: A Love Tale reshapes the familiar myth into a sweeping gothic romance driven by loss, reincarnation, and pulp energy. Caleb Landry Jones leans hard into the Count’s theatrical menace, while Christoph Waltz gives Van Helsing a scene-stealing presence that helps keep the film lively. Though the digital effects can feel uneven, the film still lands as an entertaining and memorable take on the legend.

Although a Blu-ray and DVD release date has not yet been announced, seeing this vampire reincarnate around Easter would be rather ironic indeed.

Luc Besson’s Dracula Trailer

Terror Awaits When Nash The Slash Rises Again!

A stylish and thoughtful documentary, Nash The Slash Rises Again! examines the life, sound, and legacy of one of Canada’s most singular musical innovators, celebrating an artist who turned performance, technology, and mystery into something unforgettable.

Opens at Select Theatres March 13

Nash the Slash is an original. A living Phantom of the Theatre, unafraid to obscure himself, he’s often seen performing wrapped like a mummy, minus the Egyptian motifs, instead donning dark sunglasses and a stiff top hat. When we see him in Nash the Slash Rises Again!, he’s not just a silent film star, but a silver age minx. He exists in a space where noir sensibilities thrive. Nearly everyone knows the name, even if the sound itself feels ephemeral, electronic, and ahead of its time.

What’s presented in Tim Kowalski’s documentary brilliantly honours him like a living memorial. Rameses the Great would be jealous. When this musician doesn’t predate the theatrical shock of early Pink Floyd or Alice Cooper, but feels spiritually adjacent to them, evolving along a parallel creative wavelength. One suspects they’d have relished sharing a stage had the opportunity arisen.

With interests leaning heavily into the horror film genre, shock becomes part of the live experience for those fortunate enough to witness him perform. Not every show has him embodying The Invisible Man, but the theatricality remains central. His life and career are explored in thoughtful detail through Tim Kowalski’s documentary.

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Run, Kitty, Run! The Legend of Hei 2 on Blu-Ray! Coming Soon

The beloved Chinese animated fantasy returns with The Legend of Hei 2, continuing the story of spirits and humans struggling to coexist. With new dangers emerging from the spirit world, this sequel expands the mythology with a fresh adventure and stunning hand-drawn animation.

The Legend of Hei 2 Blu-ray GKIDS and Shout! Studios
Release Date: May 12, 2026

The story continues in The Legend of Hei, the acclaimed Chinese animated film that won audiences over with its beautiful hand-drawn animation and heartfelt storytelling. For anyone who missed the original, the movie is available online, with the home video still easy to find. Now the sequel, The Legend of Hei 2, arrives with a brand-new adventure filled with fresh dangers and a looming threat from the spirit world.

While the premise of maintaining balance between worlds may sound familiar, this story takes its own path. The conflict between spirits and humans is a universal theme, but this sequel expands the mythology in new directions rather than echoing other animated series. Readers can check out my review of the first film here.

The upcoming Blu-ray release of The Legend of Hei 2 arrives May 12, 2026 from GKIDS and Shout! Studios, bringing the acclaimed animated sequel home with several behind-the-scenes extras.

From the Press Release:

Revered for its luminous hand-drawn animation and emotionally rich storytelling, The Legend of Hei 2 reunites audiences with a world where spirits and humans coexist in uneasy harmony, raising the stakes with a sweeping new chapter that balances heart, humor, and kinetic action.

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Is There Gold To Be Found With Kayara, A Peruvian Animated Film?

A rare animated look at the Incan world, Kayara blends a familiar coming-of-age structure with a thoughtful historical lens. The result is an engaging adventure about identity, resilience, and a civilization fighting to preserve its spirit.

Kayara Movie Poster The ancient Incan world is fascinating not only because of where it existed within the cosmos, but also because, as a mountain community, the way its people communicated between villages is worth examining too. While there are plenty of scholarly publications on the subject, seeing that world brought to life through animation is incredibly rare. Now there’s Kayara, the latest entry to deliver not only a strong coming-of-age tale, but also a historical glimpse into this culture’s past.

My first exposure to this world came through The Mysterious Cities of Gold; I don’t count The Emperor’s New Groove, since it’s more sitcom-oriented than folklore-driven. While The Road to El Dorado is more about the arrival of the Spaniards, I still wanted to know more. Thanks to Shout! Studios’ commitment to bringing world animation to their growing catalogue of releases, I was pleased to check out Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon (review), made by Peruvian animation studio Tunche Films, and their next work proves just as enlightening.

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Look Out! The Skywatcher is Coming, And There’s No Need To Be Scared.

Part two of the Skywatcher trilogy heads to Bradshaw Ranch, trading hard answers for atmosphere and suggestion. With gorgeous drone work and speculative skywatching, this middle chapter feels more like a field guide than a revelation.

Bradshaw Ranch is back under the magnifying glass, and this time Dan Starkey and Clive Christopher (of Unearthed) are poking around Sedona, Arizona to see what kind of cosmic dust is being kicked up. Usually, their eyes are glued to the skies, scanning for UAPs drifting over the desert. In part two of a trilogy flying under the Skywatcher banner, and no, I did not spiral into thoughts of Skywalkers or Skinwalkers. What we get isn’t a deep excavation of theory but more of a starter kit. It’s a gentle “here’s how you might flag down the weird” guide for anyone tempted to pack a flashlight, find a mate to protect your back, and go hunting for an unexplained encounter.

The region near the Superstition Mountains has long been steeped in lore. Indigenous stories, frontier myths, whispers of hidden gold and stranger things. If cryptids once roamed the Wild West, I would not be shocked. That’s not the path this documentary takes. Instead, it leans into the idea of energy, where it’s coming from and if it is sentient. Maybe this force is stirred up by human intention, or perhaps by something less visible and more elusive. If I ever decide to go hunting for hematite, well known in New Age circles for its “grounding” properties, I now know where to start. Still, much like the cautionary tales about removing lava rocks from Hawaii, I suspect the desert might not appreciate souvenirs either.

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Storm Crow Manor & Arcana Food and Spirits: Their Loose Haunted Connection

Arcana Food and Spirits in Gastown delivers a noir occult hangout with cocktails that glow, keepsake cards worth collecting, and a steak frites that hits the mark. It’s part speakeasy, part spooky lounge, and I’m already plotting my return.

During the Fan Expo Vancouver weekend, I knew I had to visit Arcana Food and Spirits in Gastown again, and they didn’t disappoint! From the neon glow of a “pet psychic” facade outside to the noir-styled interior within, walking into Arcana feels like stepping into another dimension. The entrance is decorated like in Rocky Horror Picture show, but once you’re inside, what’s there is more of a speakeasy than an area for a stage show.

This time around, I brought my friend Susan along. We’ve done paranormal investigations together and while we weren’t planning to run a session on a busy Friday night, I’ll admit the mood makes you half-expect a planchette to slide on its own. I also had to accept one bittersweet update: anyone hoping to meet the Lich King or sip beside the Cthulhu tiki mug and take home now has to make a pilgrimage to Toronto’s Storm Crow Manor. but here, all you can do is drink with them. Their storefront, Mysterious Package Company doesn’t seem to update inventory often, so don’t count on snagging rare barware online.

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