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Stars: Alexandre Nachi, Derek Johns, Megan Peta Hill, Vincent Leclerc, Benz Antoine, Carlo Mestroni, Guy Nadon, Patrick Abellard | Written by Jerry Frisson, Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell | Directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell

Knowing this film comes from Rkss – the Canadian filmmaking collective composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell – I couldn’t wait to see it. These three previously created Turbo Kid and Summer of ‘84. Both excellent movies, with Turbo Kid being one of my very favourite movies. They also have another film out this year – Wake Up – which looks just as great, but for now, I was happy to watch We Are Zombies.

The first thing to note about the movie is that it’s not the usual zombie movie. The directors have tried to do something a little bit different. We see a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — and...

Nine years ago, we heard that producer Pierre Spengler was teaming with French comic book publisher Humanoids to bring adaptations of some of their properties to the screen. Spengler got the filmmaking trio of Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell, and Francois Simard, a.k.a. Rkss, to sign on to make the adaptation of Jerry Frissen and Guy Davis’s futuristic zombie spoof The Zombies That Ate the World… and back in 2022, the project finally made it into production under the title We Are Zombies! The movie is now set to be released through the Screambox streaming service on August 13th – and with that date just a couple weeks away, a trailer has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

The story of We Are Zombies is set in a city breeding non-cannibal zombies who are considered “living-impaired.” The offbeat comedic plot follows three slackers looking to...

My favourite festival of the year is soon to be upon us and Fantasia has another insanely brilliant line-up ready for you! Here are ten films – in no particular order – that I cannot wait to check out.

Samara Weaving in a new horror film. That’s all I need to say really but I will go on. Azrael is also written by Simon Barret and directed by E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) and is a post-apocalyptic survival horror. With almost no dialogue, this promises plenty of gore, action and another fantastic performance from Weaving.

In Bookworm, director Ant Timpson and Elijah Wood team-up once again (formerly in the excellent Come To Daddy), this time in a much more family-friendly movie. A camping adventure for eleven-year-old Mildred with her absent father does not impress her. But they will be searching for The Canterbury Panther in this strange and heart-warming adventure.

There’s...

Remarkably, this year’s Midnight section has this in common: Sam Levinson, Panos Cosmatos, Nicolas Pesce (see pic above) and the team of Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann Whissell are all entering the section with their sophomore features, while longtime technician Jonathan Watson, actress Augustine Frizzell and Coralie Fargeat (showcased at Tiff) are heading to the section with their debuts.

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For the past six years, genre moviemakers and moneymen have congregated for long weekends at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, taking part in the Frontières Co-Production Marketplace. Founded in 2012, the market was conceived as a place for horror/fantasy/action auteurs — both established names and newcomers — to pitch projects to potential backers and take part in various networking events.

A highlight of the Market is the opening-day pitch session, in which selected directors, writers, and producers offer multimedia presentations of their nascent features. At the very first Frontières, this event spawned Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s exuberant futuristic actioner “Turbo Kid”; subsequent movies that took their first steps to fruition there include Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie’s cult/monster horror film “The Void”; Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard’s science-fiction thriller “Radius,” which premiered at this year’s Fantasia; and Jenn Wexler’s upcoming punk-slasher opus “The Ranger.

One of the many joys of film festivals is discovering new talents through their debut features, and Sundance 2015 offered a few that immediately made us fans including Robert Eggers’ The Witch, Tali Shalom-Ezer’s Princess, and Rkss’ Turbo Kid. Rkss — a collective made up of Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, and Yoann-Karl Whissell — have spent years making short films, and their first feature is every bit the gory, goofy, and entertaining adventure those shorts would have you expect. It was one of last year’s genre highlights, and it just recently hit home video. The new Blu-ray is loaded with special features including a commentary track with all three writers/directors — two tracks actually, one in French and one in English. I’m a mono-lingual American, so I gave a listen to the latter. Keep reading to see what I heard on the Turbo Kid commentary. Turbo Kid (2015) Commentator: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-Hsien)

If the meditative stylings of Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky were applied to the martial arts genre, the end result would likely resemble Hou Hsiao-hsien’s rapturous tone poem The Assassin. As much concerned with the essence of nature as it is the essence of humanity, this endlessly beautiful film is equal parts enigmatic storytelling as it is purely enthralling cinema. Though...

Hi Everyone! I hope you’ve had a great 2015 – at the very least, survived, and can stumble into the New Year with renewed vigor and reduced credit card charges. For me, 2015 was pretty great overall, especially as this website took a chance on a Canucklehead who loves to write about horror. So before I get started I’d like to give a shout out to the amazing folks at Daily Dead: Jonathan, Heather, Derek, Patrick, Monte, and Tamika (and if I’ve forgotten anyone, I apologize). Great writers and horror junkies, all, but more importantly – great people. Thanks everyone for letting me do my thing. Without any ado, my faves of 2015!

Favorite TV Show

Wayward Pines: M. Night Shyamalan seemed to be back in favor this year, what with this summer replacement series and on the big screen with the surprise success of The Visit. Based on the books by Blake Crouch,...

Director/writer: Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Aaron Jeffrey and Michael Ironside. Turbo Kid is an action-packed gory retro-future adventure from Canada-New Zealand directing team Rkss (Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell). Don't let the lively description fool you, though; this film tries to do way too much and, in doing so, accomplishes very little. Set in the year 1997, the film claims that “this is the future.” While the opening sequence includes high energy '80s music, throwing back to 1986's bicycle-motocross movie, Rad, and fun video game-inspired credits, once the story lifts off, the entertainment value comes crashing down. As a tribute to past '80s flicks, Turbo Kid does too much looking back when the story needed to be pushed forward. Aside from the campy gore, nifty backdrop and a couple strong supporting actors, the film had this viewer wanting...

Kid Dangerous: Trio of Directors Craft Endearing 80’s Retro Flick

Operating comfortably within the lines of the well-tread grooves of genre paths explored before than it does reinvent the parameters of its retro engaged flavoring, the surprisingly endearing Turbo Kid manages to engage as heartfelt pastiche. Co-directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell (who also star as the father and mother of the main character) and Yoann-Karl Whissell, the gonzo mash-up of exaggerated, bloody violence with the charming earnestness of its protagonists plays surprisingly well even if its narrative trajectory lacks enough remarkable characteristics to differentiate itself from certain films it pays homage to. At times enchanting, particularly with a handful of colorfully detailed character developments, it’s a romantically inclined love letter to a more inventive and playful era of filmmaking sorely missed.

In the post-apocalyptic world of 1997 Quebec, a loner known as The Kid (Munro Chambers) lives alone in...

The 19th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) will end this evening but awards were already handed out on Friday night during the closing ceremony. This year's Bucheon Choice winner was Hong Kong drama-thriller Port of Call by Philip Yung, which also won the Best Actress prize for Jessie Li and got a special mention for Best Actor for Michael Ning. Based on a true life murder story and shot by legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle, the film was an early favorite with critics and audiences alike. The triumvirate of Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell, behind New Zealand-Canada production Turbo Kid, shared the Best Director prize, while Chino Darin won the Best Actor prize for Death in Buenos Aires and Han Jun-hee's local gangster tale...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Port Of Call wins best feature; Turbo Kid team take Best Director.Scroll down for full list

At the 19th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan), Philip Yung’s Hong Kong crime-thriller Port Of Call scooped the Bucheon Choice: Feature Award along with Best Actress for Jessie Li and a Special Mention for actor Michael Ning.

Starring Aaron Kwok and shot by Christopher Doyle, Port Of Call previously closed the Hong Kong fest and opened the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff).

The Bucheon Choice feature competition jury, made up of filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe, actress Lee Jung Hyun, producer Pablo Guisa Koestinger, critic Richard Kuipers and director Kim Tae Kyun, announced they were unanimous in their decision to award the top prize to Port Of Call, citing its “sharp commentary on disaffected youth and contemporary Chinese society, and its examination of a shocking crime and its disturbing psychological components.”

The jury gave...

After the announcement of the Fightfest’s opening and closing films a week ago, the UK’s premiere horror festival has announced its complete line-up… And they’re not making it easy for us to bring you reviews of the majority of the films screening this year!

Yes, not only is Frightfest taking over the Vue cinema on Leicester Square again this year but they’re also taking over an extra screen, Screen 1, at the old home of Frightfest, The Prince Charles Cinema – which will be the location of Another “Discovery” screen strand.

From the press release:

Bigger, bolder, bloodier…Film4 FrightFest 2015 marks its 16th year with its largest line-up ever. From Thurs 27 August to Mon 31 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will return to the Vue West End, Leicester Square to present seventy-six films across five screens, plus a host of special events. There are eighteen...

Shadow people, sharp-fanged co-workers, and insistent sinister spirits will just be a few of the monsters haunting the theaters at this year's Film4 FrightFest. The full lineup for the upcoming event is packed with 76 films aimed to unforgettably frighten audiences.

Press Release: "Film news (UK): Film4 FrightFest serves up a fearsome feast with a record 76 films, embracing 20 world and 42 UK & European premieres

Bigger, bolder, bloodier…Film4 FrightFest 2015 marks its 16th year with its largest line-up ever. From Thurs 27 August to Mon 31 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will return to the Vue West End, Leicester Square to present seventy-six films across five screens, plus a host of special events. There are eighteen countries representing five continents with a record-breaking sixteen European premieres and twenty-six UK premieres. In addition, there is a further ‘Discovery’ strand at The Prince Charles Cinema, signalling a welcome return to FrightFest’s spiritual home.

For everyone who wanted a new Michael Ironside movie on the big screen, here's the trailer for the potentially glorious Turbo Kid...

Not enough films starring the mighty Michael Ironside make it into cinemas, so we have a special place in our heart for the upcoming Turbo Kid already. It's a film set in a post-apocalyptic world (taking place in 1997), that's been written and directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell.

The Turbo Kid of the title is a scavenger with a love of comic books, who one day meets a strange girl by the name of Apple. Unfortunately, there's also Zeus, a not pleasant fellow, who then kidnaps Apple. Which is where Turbo Kid needs to become a reluctant hero, to save the day.

Guess which of the three main roles Ironisde is playing? Clue: it's not Turbo Kid.

The film's already picked up some strong reviews,...

World premieres include closing film The Chosen: Forbidden Cave from Kim Hui; competition line-up includes Coin Locker Girl, which played in Cannes Critics’ Week.

In South Korea, the 19th Bucheon International Film Festival (BiFan) unveiled its line-up today with a record 64 world premieres. The fest has selected 235 films from 45 countries, with 14 international premieres.

World premieres include closing film The Chosen: Forbidden Cave, a Korean shamanist horror film which is the sophomore feature from The Neighbors director Kim Hui; Bucheon Choice: Feature competition film The Tattooist, a Korean thriller directed by Lee Suh; and Sion Sono’s Tag, which is part of a special retrospective on the Japanese director and also in The Masters section.

International premieres include Chung Lee’s Taiwanese film The Laundryman, a previous participant at BiFan’s Network of Asian Fantastic Films (Naff) It Project market and competing in the Bucheon Choice: Feature section; and Hong Kong director Derek Kwok’s action film Full...

Originally designed and conceived as an entry into the first ABCs of Death anthology of horror shorts ("T is for Toilet" won out instead), Turbo Kid is a retro throwback to the low-budget post-apocalyptic joints of the early 1980s. Campy, gory, and a complete and total blast from start to finish, it also makes a solid companion piece to George Miller.s latest action opus, Mad Max: Fury Road. Two very different movies, they represent opposite sides of the same coin. Miller.s movie is essentially an update of the gritty, post-apocalyptic world he first visited with Mel Gibson at his side in 1979, building on the world he created. Turbo Kid on the other hand.written and directed by the trio of Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell.is a loving send up of the glut of cheap international post-apocalyptic knock offs that Mad Max helped spawn throughout the...

Last week, the wildly inventive post-apocalyptic film Turbo Kid screened during the 2015 SXSW Film Festival and Daily Dead was able to catch up with the filmmakers behind the project- Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell and Anouk Whissell to hear more about what inspired them to expand on the original Turbo short from The ABC’s of Death to create the feature film version, collaborating with their co-stars and whether or not they’ve already begun dreaming up a Turbo Kid sequel.

Congrats on a fantastic film, everyone- I loved every single frame and thought it was incredible how you expanded on that initial idea from The ABC’s of Death. Was this a project that you guys had in mind when you were working on that segment?

Francois Simard: I think everything started moving forward once Ant (Timpson) saw the short we did and realized the potential of this universe.