In film, there's nothing I enjoy more than passionate creativity. Compared to the sea of mediocrity surrounding it, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is practically overflowing with it. This animated movie is vibrant, kinetic, and extremely inventive with its art style. On top of all that, this is just a solid movie. It tells its story with sincerity and tact, always focusing on the important aspects of Miles' emotional journey. The script wastes no time on pointless scenes or moments, which also gives the film an energetic rhythm that draws you in. One of the other great aspects of this movie is its reinvention of the Spider-Man story. It's clever writing demonstrates a true understanding of the webslinger, and offers commentary on the current state of his movie adaptations. In the end, you get a film both Spidey fans and non-fans can enjoy. Above all other aspects, what I like most about Spider-Verse is how fun it is. It demonstrates quality animation and filmmaking doesn...

On a cold, wintery weekend before Halloween, the We Want to Believe team is invited to explore the Village of Ashcroft, which is in the Interior of British Columbia. Led on a tour of haunted locations by resident John W. Fair, the investigators not only learn about the community’s spooky history, but find themselves communicating with ghosts from the gold-rush era, and uncovering the sad story of two deceased children. Writer/director’s statement: Our trip to Ashcroft was the first time the team had no idea what it was in for prior to an investigation. All we had was an invite from John W. Fair to explore the area’s haunted past. We got more than we bargained for in terms of encounters with potential spirits, and ticked one more off the paranormal investigator’s bucket list by spending the night in a local cemetery. And it was cold… very, very cold. Here's some pics from the latest episode: An EVP session in the snow. Lead investigator Peter Renn and director Jason Hewlett What did...

Seeing as the Castlevania animated series has recently concluded, I thought it apt to give my thoughts on the series as a whole.  I'm not going to lie, I have mixed feelings about the show. For me, it would often flip-flop between interesting and bland. It had some intriguing concepts and characters throughout, but these would often be overshadowed by a meandering and haphazard plot. There were many subplots that were underutilized, misused, or straight-up abandoned by the end. The Infinite Corridor, for example, is a plot point that's given a lot of build up in Season 3. It gets well established, a character's fate gets tied to it... and it's turned into a useless footnote in the last season. It seemed like the show's mission statement would change from season to season, so established plot threads would have to be re-woven to accommodate. Regardless, this show is still a good watch, and there is some splendid animation by the end. I'd still call this series a ...

I've always been a fan of anthology shows, as they have the opportunity to showcase new and interesting ideas. Love Death + Robots is such a series, as it is essentially a collection of unrelated animated sci-fi short films. It hosts a variety of interesting concepts, unique art styles, and a fair helping of gore. In the current era of restricted, often sanitized science fiction, this series is so refreshing in its creative freedom. Unsurprisingly, the show's quality can be hit or miss. Some episodes are fairly generic, and offer little substance on the second watch. However, this is somewhat balanced by the great attention paid to the animation and stylization of each story. This is a futuristic, sardonic box of chocolates that's got something for almost every kind of sci-fi nerd. Even if certain episodes fall short, they still manage to be thought provoking and entertaining. This series is definitely a Good.

It's not often I find anything superhero related that I wholeheartedly recommend, but the animated series Invincible is just one of those pieces of media. Invincible is an adult superhero series, in more ways than one. It has the violence, gore, and swearing you'd expect with that kind of tag line, but it's fairly adult with it's storytelling as well. Instead of characters taking a back seat to the action, as they do in most superhero stuff, their struggles and internal conflicts are front and center. We get to see the consequences of wearing the cape and saving people, we get to see how difficult a job it is, and how you can't save everyone no matter how invincible you are. I was afraid this series would end up being just another "edgy" addition to the genre, but was pleasantly surprised at how mature it was.  Now, don't get me wrong. There's still plenty of fun, superpowered action to be had here. Thanks to it being animated, everything hits with...

It's rare to find a movie as haunting and darkly profound as Apocalypse Now. It's even rarer to be able to see how such a film is made, in raw and intimate detail. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse documents the turbulent production of the anti-war classic, and its ambitious director's slow decent into madness. It's probably one of the best filmmaking documentaries I've ever seen. It captures the fluid chaos of making a movie, and how that experience bleeds into the final product. This documentary is both inspiring and horrifying for an amateur filmmaker to watch. You see director Francis Ford Coppola pushed to his limits, unwilling to give up on a movie that had a chance of being truly great. In some way, I understand that parasitic obsession, and the toll it can take on its host. Documented by Elanor Coppola during the production, this film is also incredibly personal. It's not just a record of technical chaos, but an investigation of the direct...

If you were looking for another addition to the niche genre of Anthony Mackie Sci-fi, I humbly present to you Synchronic. It's definitely a step above Outside the Wire, but it's still not as cohesive as it could be. This movie seemed like an earnest, but clumsy, attempt to combine sci-fi, drug use, racism, and philosophical ponderings on death. You can tell the script is trying hard to tie these ideas together neatly, but in the end, the story comes out patchy and disconnected. What doesn't help is our inconsistent main character. Anthony Mackie does a fine job portraying him, but the script he's working with can't seem to settle on who this guy is. Maybe he's a womanizing bachelor, maybe he's a science nerd, or maybe he feels out of place in his own time. It's not that you can't tie these threads together into one complex character, but the filmmakers didn't know the right knot. What I did appreciate was some of the inspired cinematography. It f...

Lead investigator Peter Renn returns as We Want to Believe’s investigation into local Bigfoot lore comes to a close. This time, the team ventures into the deep woods with Indigenous artist and storyteller Chris Bose for an overnight attempt to make contact with the legend using wood knocks, and a recording of a baby crying. But their efforts put them in contact with something… else in the darkened forest. Writer/director’s statement: This episode isn’t only the culmination of We Want to Believe’s Hunt for Bigfoot, but it’s the pinnacle of the work we’ve done on our first season of the show. Everything I ever wanted the series to be is here: an accurate portrayal of a paranormal investigation and cryptid expedition, the humour and camaraderie of the team, a moody atmosphere, and a few chilling moments, with nary a false scare or gotcha moment to be found. I hope viewers enjoy it. Here's some pics from the latest episode: Chris Bose returns as our guide into the woods. What has lead ...

If you want yourself a spooky ghost story, I'd recommend avoiding Crimson Peak. Yes, on paper it definitely sounds like your typical gothic tale, what with the specters, dark romance, and cavernous old mansion to boot. However, in actuality, this movie is neither spooky or potently romantic. Director Guillermo del Toro seems to have take a very grandiose cinematic approach to this story, and I don't think it paid off. Perhaps, in an attempt to make this horror story more mainstream, del Toro tries to give his movie a sense of epic scale. This means lots of expansive sets, tons of extras running around in the background, and several CG ghosts that love the spotlight. It's all a lot of unnecessary flare that distracts from what should be a much more intimate story. The core of this narrative is its romance, but none of the cinematography emphasizes it. Almost every scene is cleanly lit and given fairly standard coverage; giving very few visual hints to what our characters are...

I love all types of horror media, but I believe video games have the most potential out of any medium. A great example of this would be the recently released indie game, Gnarled Hag. The premise is simple; a kidnapped little girl has to escape the house of a very gnarled, old witch. It's by utilizing the dynamic and interactive strengths of a game that this 10-minute experience can leave more of an impact than a 90-minute movie. To start, the game invests you in the character's survival by having you control her. You're now responsible for her wellbeing, and it's up to you to get her out of the house. Not to say movies can't reach that level of intensity, but a video game does this so much faster. Furthermore, the girl dynamically responds to her environment by having her eyes follow each sound she hears. This little detail instantly makes the character seem so much more lifelike and organic. It also helps that the game's cartoonish art style made her eyes three...

Stunt performers tend to be the most underrated aspect of an action film, as their physical finesse can give a fight the harsh edge it needs to have weight and impact. However, as Jiu Jitsu demonstrates, that hard edge cannot hold up an entire movie. This dull schlock fest is only really concerned with showing off "cool" fight choreography, and couldn't care less about the dialogue, characters, or story as a whole. As a result, this movie is a boring slog that occasionally picks up a pulse once someone starts punching someone else, but even that gets boring after the 30th time it happens. What this "film" fails to understand is the fighting can only be a tool used to tell the whole story. Like the engine of a car, it is functional, but a car needs more than just an engine to be drivable. The martial-arts action is but one part of the whole, and only by actually having a story, does the combat leave an impact. I won't lie though, it is quite obvious all the s...

What does a crappy group project look like in movie form? One of the answers to this question could be Alita: Battle Angel. It seemed obvious to me that some of the crew working on this movie tried quite hard to make a good one, while some did not. It's a shame to see such excellent CGI animation wasted on a pretty slap-dash writing/directing job. The animators and half the cast seem to be the only ones who took things seriously. It doesn't help someone on the production just could not let Alita have normal-sized eyes. The only thing I don't like about the CGI is how hard they tried to recreate the Anime look with the main character. Her eyes never escaped the uncanny valley, and they completely overshadow the rest of the competent CGI. What's also distracting is how inconsistent the acting is across the cast. Half of the actors are trying their best, while half were just there for a pay cheque. Christoph Waltz never stopped looking awkward while holding that prop hamme...

There's nothing I appreciate more than a series blindsiding me with its quality. This is what happened to me while finishing Season 2 of Final Space, the sci-fi/comedy series created for TBS and the Cartoon Network. At first glance, this show appears to be just another raunchy animation that's trying to shock you with cynical humour. However, after a few episodes, it becomes obvious this series has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. Dare I say, this has become one of my favourite series!?! You see, Final Space shares a lot in common with its main character, Gary Goodspeed. At first, he seems like an incompetent goofball. But he grows on you. Soon you realize the humour is just a front for a whole range of emotions and themes just beneath Gary, the show's, surface. Funny enough, Gary grows on you like all the characters on display. At first, everyone appears to be a stereotype. But the hidden layers of each character unravel as we spend more time with them. For seeming c...

The Hunt for Bigfoot Part 3: With the help of renowned cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, the team explores the mythology of Bigfoot in terms of how it relates to people, and its habitat. Why is Bigfoot hard to find? What makes it the Hide and Seek Champion of the Universe? Where do they live, and how do they mark their territory? These are the questions Jason Hewlett, Sarah Jane, and Chris Bose attempt to answer, with Gerhard’s help, setting the stage for one final hunt... in the woods… at night! Writer/director statement: This episode wasn’t part of the original plan for our Hunt for Bigfoot episodes. Once we started venturing into the woods, and began compiling footage, we realized we’d stumbled across something we hadn’t anticipated finding – possible Bigfoot shelters and territorial markings! Having Ken Gerhard on hand to help explain things adds a lot to the episode, and it’s one of the best of this series, in my biased opinion. Here's some pics from the latest episode: Renowned cr...

If the first Doom movie was an example of not trying hard enough to hit the mark, then Doom Annihilation is an example of what happens when you do the complete opposite. I've never seen a movie try so hard to steer completely in the wrong direction. It's impressive, actually. There is so much about this movie that would make for great action cinema... if it didn't have the Doom name on it. This feels more like a fan remake of Aliens that happens to be wrapped in Doom wallpaper. There's a lot more attention paid to the military tactics and the team's internal politics than the actual "demons" we end of seeing. It's a shame this movie couldn't be its own thing. I think, if this story had a competent director behind it, you would have something on par with The Raid in space. Everyone on screen is clearly giving it their all, and committing to their performances. They don't always pull their characters off, unfortunately, but I think that's due...

International films have always seemed like a box of chocolates to me; you never know what you'll get. And that's the case with Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil. This Spanish film is based on an old Basque folklore, which does help explain some of the "interesting" leaps in logic the movie makes. This movie definitely doesn't follow the typical Hollywood formula, for better or for worse. The upside is the aforementioned "Gump Effect," and the variety it brings. You're never quite sure how this movie is going to tell its story. Sometimes it's subtle and serious, or sometimes it's over-the-top goofy. While this does make for an engaging viewing experience, these mood swings also make the movie seem unfocused and unsure of what it wants to be. The most fun result of this scattershot directing approach is the film's depiction of the Devil. Instead of being a cliche and hiding him in the shadows, we see an actual guy in a red suit wit...

It's hard to know if an old movie or TV series will hold up today. You might find something that is charmingly dated, or you might find something not half bad, such as the classic Twilight Zone episode, In Praise of Pip. What surprised me most about this episode is the supernatural element is not the star. Instead, it's Jack Klugman's incredibly sincere performance as the main character, Max Phillips. Left weary and regretful from his life as a bookie, the character is a mixture of resignation, quick wit, and subtle compassion. We see all the emotions, and so much more, on display in the middle of the episode when (spoilers) Max learns of his son's death in Vietnam. We've had maybe two scenes with this guy, and have a few assumptions about his personality, but his true feelings are suddenly put on full display. It's one hell of a scene, and Klugman completely convinced me has was a father who just lost his son. He goes through every stage of grief in the span of...

I'm sure many of you in the know have already heard the news the beloved Warhammer 40K fan-film project, Astartes, has been made official. Games Workshop is now working with the creator to make legit content in the future, and that's a good thing... right? I disagree.  The original five parts of Astartes have been taken off YouTube, and now the only way to watch them is to go to the official Warhammer website. Now, that doesn't seem like a problem... until you watch the updated version of Astartes that Games Workshop made. They made Astartes worse! Syama Pederson put a lot of love into creating his series of fan films, and had essentially created animations you could show in a 4K theatre. Instead of just copying and pasting these five shorts onto their site, Games Workshop decided to make some changes to them. They changed some of the already perfect editing, added new music where it doesn't belong, and the new music doesn't even fit that well. What the original Ast...

I think I've come up with a vague genre for a movie like Slaughterhouse Rulez: and it's called The First Draft. Like a first draft, the finished film hasn't ironed out the kinks in the story, and a lot of elements don't blend together all that well, at least not yet. Now, you'd think mixing teen comedy and supernatural horror wouldn't be too hard, but evidently it is. Honestly, this movie feels like two movies in one, with how disconnected these elements are. What's even stranger is if you follow the script during the film, it's structured like an average movie of this genre. This just goes to show that even if your script is half-way competent, scatter-brained directing can make it feel very disjointed. However, there are a few noteworthy aspects of this film, such as Tom Rhys Harries' performance as the main bully, Clegg. He manages to perfectly walk the line between posh prick who loves the smell of his own farts, and violent psychopath. If only h...

I love the potential of online content; you never know what you'll find. You might find the typical "influencer" stuff that's somehow popular, or you could discover the psychedelic hilarity that is Double King. The premise is deceptively simple: a king wants to keep ascending to new levels of kingliness, ie: stealing crowns to put on his crown. He travels to different realms to kill every ruler he comes across, and keep adding to the crown totem pole on his head. It's great! This simplicity is what makes the visuals and creatures digestible. We can understand a universal story told in a very strange land. What we've really got to appreciate here is the beautifully weird animation by Felix Colgrave. The art style is this fluid mix of fairy tale, old Disney cartoon, and LSD-fueled hallucination. It's all animated so smoothly, and with boat-loads of charm and near-perfect comedic timing. No words are spoken in the short either, so Double King has to rely on t...