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Netflix’s latest Nordic noir, The Glass Dome, might not be the most riveting crime thriller out there, but the way it admixes several key socio-political issues plaguing Sweden with the core narrative surely deserves some praise. Be it by showing the true face of decrepit law enforcement, which is led by people who prey on those they are assigned to serve, or exploring the pervasive xenophobia and racism aggravated by the class divide, along with the environmental degradation caused by the profiteering upper strata of society, The Glass Dome acts as a critique of the country’s current situation. The cast, majorly comprising Swedish talents, did a remarkable job of capturing the thriller motifs while remaining faithful to the narrative’s demands of exploring key themes. This is your spoiler warning as discussion regarding the characterization and cast will inevitably involve major plot twists and revelations from the narrative.

The most famous superheroes may hail from the Us, but that doesn’t mean world cinema doesn’t have plenty of its own...

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's... probably a character you've never heard of, actually. Welcome to the world of the international superhero. For all of Matthew Vaughn's apocalyptic comments regarding the end of superhero and comic book movies, the truth remains that they have fuelled the international box office of the last decade.

They remain in rude health, and the bread and butter of sites such as our own. But along with the Western, they are most definitely an American genre, representing the American worldview and touching upon American concerns.

But, while the USA may, indeed, be the birthplace of the genre, it by no means has a monopoly on the ideas, as there is an international community of celluloid heroes and villains out there,...

Day Four marks the halfway point for Fantastic Fest, and I’ve already seen two of the best films of the festival so far. That really makes me wonder what they’re going to close things out with. There was Secret Screening #3 on Sunday, and it turned out to be Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and not the Michael Jackson concert rehearsal footage film, This Is It, as everyone expected. Personally, I think we got a good deal. We were able to enjoy Gilliam and Michael Jackson in the same evening… due to the Michael Jackson Dance Party held at midnight.

With only two Secret Screenings left, speculation is running rampant about what they might be. I’ve heard everything from Kick-Ass to Sherlock Holmes to The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Okay, New Moon was tongue-in-cheek; Let’s hope they don’t try to kill us with shock from something like that,...

Film festivals are often a conumdrum for me because I sometimes wonder how they get started and, more to the point, who picks the films that get shown at them. My problem is that the films selected for many of the festivals don’t usually seem all that appealing (at least to me) and are often a collection of “art for art’s sake” films overwhelmed by their own sense of self-importance.

Fortunately, I don’t have this problem with the Fantastic Fest in Austin, which runs from September 24th to October 1st. The films selected for this festival represent an eclectic mix of genres and filmmakers and what I consider to be some of the most interesting, innovative and creative films being produced today. Sure, they’re not all potential Hollywood blockbusters, nor are they for everyone, but they are all pretty much guaranteed to be interesting, entertaining and in their own way,...

That's right, the first 32 titles have been announced for Austin's Fantastic Fest and the opening film will be the latest from Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) which stars Jemaine Clement (Eagle vs Shark)! I think I'm going this year!

Also playing will be the likes of...

Nicholas Refn's Bronson (review)

Pieter Van Hees Dirty Mind (review)

Esther Gronenborn's Kaifeck Murder (review coming shortly)

Lawrence Gough's Salvage (review)

Cory McAbee's Stingray Sam (review)

Full list of features and shorts after the break.

42nd Street Forever Volume 5: The Alamo Drafthouse Edition

The hugely popular Synapse trailer compilation series 42nd Street Forever is featuring the Alamo Film Archive for it's fifth volume. Here's your chance to check out a sneak preview screening of the actual 35mm trailers which are featured in the DVD compilation

Breathless

(dir. Yang Ik-june, 2009, South Korea)

Breathless is a foul-mouthed drama that delivers an unlikely mix of pathos,...

It is time boys and girls, the first wave lineup for Fantastic Fest 2009 has been announced, and we are bringing it to you right… now:

Also, Do Not forget to go buy your damn tickets!

Features:

42nd Street Forever Volume 5: The Alamo Drafthouse Edition. The hugely popular Synapse trailer compilation series 42nd Street Forever is featuring the Alamo Film Archive for it’s fifth volume. Here’s your chance to check out a sneak preview screening of the actual 35mm trailers which are featured in the DVD compilation.

Breathless

(dir. Yang Ik-june,

2009, South Korea)

Breathless is a foul-mouthed drama that delivers an unlikely mix of pathos, brutality and humor. First-time director Yang Ik-June plays an angry thug named who gets involved in a dysfunctional relationship with a high-school girl. It eventually becomes apparent that the pair are linked in ways that neither of them realize.

Bronson

(dir. Nicholas Winding Refn,...

Hey who said that the U.S. was the only country that could parody Star Wars? It seems that Sweden has come up with their own answer to Spaceballs, and it's only 20 years too late! Carl Åstrand and Mats Lindberg created the TV series Kenny Starfighter back in the late '90s, about a dim-witted hero who drives a space-bus and fights the evil Dr. Deo. Now the character comes to the big screen with one of the most expensive Swedish productions ever: Kenny Begins! Okay, okay, I know it's more than just a straight up Star Wars parody, and it does actually look like fun. The trailer doesn't have English subtitles unfortunately, but you can certainly get a sense of the look and feel of the film. It hits theatres this week in Sweden, but I have no idea if this will ever find its way to North America.

This is one of those trailers where you have no idea what's going on but can't stop saying 'hell yah!' as you watch it. It's hilarious and the special FX are killer. Imagine Space Balls meets Sky High and you'll get the idea of what you're in for with this one.

Kenny Starfighter is probably the worst student the Hero Galaxy Academy has ever had. His parents have now grown tired of paying for his studies and give him an ultimatum; 'take your exams or become a hairdresser.'

In pursuit of his exam grades, Kenny accidentally crash-lands on Earth. He bumps into Pontus a limping 15-year old boy with poor eyesight who is bullied in school. Pontus has found a mysterious, luminous crystal which has given him super powers and the possibility to get the coolest girl in school, Miranda, interested in him.

Rutger Oversmart, the most intelligent man in the Universe,...

It’s quite difficult to describe this Swedish comedy Sci-Fi feature coming to the land of the blond, except to say that I guess people making funny noises translates universally. What’s it all about? Kenny Starfighter is probably the worst student the Hero Galaxy Academy has ever had. Kenny’s parents have now grown tired of paying for his studies and give him an ultimatum. Take your exams or become a hairdresser. In pursuit of his exam grades, Kenny accidentally crash-lands on Earth. He bumps into Pontus a limping 15-year old boy with poor eyesight who is bullied in school. Pontus has found a mysterious, luminous crystal which has given him super powers and the possibility to get the coolest girl in school, Miranda, interested in him. Rutger Oversmart, the most intelligent man in the Universe, finds out that the boy has absorbed the crystal’s powers. All Rutger...

Kenny Starfighter is probably the worst student the Hero Galaxy Academy has ever had. Kenny’s parents have now grown tired of paying for his studies and give him an ultimatum. Take your exams or become a hairdresser. In pursuit of his exam grades, Kenny accidentally crash-lands on Earth. He bumps into Pontus a limping 15-year old boy with poor eyesight who is bullied in school. Pontus has found a mysterious, luminous crystal which has given him super powers and the possibility to get the coolest girl in school, Miranda, interested in him. Rutger Oversmart, the most intelligent man in the Universe, finds out that the boy has absorbed the crystal’s powers. All Rutger has to do now is squeeze these powers out of the boy in order to become the most powerful man in the Universe. When Rutger discovers that a Galaxy Hero is protecting the boy he...

Now, the Spaceballs comparison is not entirely accurate in that Calle Åstrand and Mats Lindberg’s Kenny Begins is - as far as I can tell - a wholly original creation as opposed to being a parody but on every other level this thing looks as though it could be a companion piece to the Mel Brooks scifi comedy classic. The broad humor, the hysterically lo-fi effects, the goofy creatures - I’m particularly partial to the fan-headed guys - are all in full effect.

Kenny Starfighter is probably the worst student the Hero Galaxy Academy has ever had. Kenny’s parents have now grown tired of paying for his studies and give him an ultimatum. Take your exams or become a hairdresser. In pursuit of his exam grades, Kenny accidentally crash-lands on Earth. He bumps into Pontus a limping 15-year old boy with poor eyesight who is bullied in school.