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Like many years before it, 2024 was a year with a generous amount of blockbuster hits, but there were also some surprising films. For every Dune: Part Two, there was a Didi. For each Wicked, we saw a Summer Solstice. Although you may not have heard of those counterparts and they may have flopped hard at the box office, it doesn't make those surprising films of 2024 any less compelling.

Trust us, Oscar and the Hollywood Foreign Press will pay attention to a few movies you may not know that made an impact at the movies. Here are Bam Smack Pow's Top 10 Most Surprising Films of 2024.

10. Hippo

This is a delirious arthouse film that makes you second guess watching it in the first place. Imagine "Napoleon Dynamite" having meth delusions and no boundaries. The film follows two home-school kids, Hippo (Kimball Farley) and Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger) who go on a dark comedic...

A recent update to Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 acts as an intriguing teaser for the upcoming game Secret of the Mimic, providing glimpses of what is to come. Of course, this update does not offer any direct explanations for the questions it raises, but some of the newly added details already have significant implications for the entire Fnaf franchise. Combined with the other reveals included in this update, it is increasingly clear that Secret of the Mimic will have a major impact on Fnaf lore.

Although little is known about the next Fnaf game at present, its initial teaser trailer did include a hint towards Secret of the Mimic’s place in the timeline: a brief glimpse of the year 1979. This trailer also provided the first glimpse of a new Jack-in-the-Box animatronic, which may or may not be an incarnation of the same Mimic animatronic seen in Security Breach’s Ruin Dlc.

The dark comedy Hippo is unlike any other film, but it's also business as usual for Eric Roberts and Eliza Roberts. The two actors have been partners both on and off-screen for decades. In Hippo. Eliza stars as the mother Ethel, while Eric provides the distinctive narration for this story told entirely in black and white.

In an interview with Cbr, Eliza and Eric spoke about reuniting with Hippo director/co-writer Mark H. Rapaport for this quirky coming of age film, and working on the same project without being in the same scene. They also talked about what makes their professional dynamic work as well as their personal one, and looked back at their extensive credits. Plus, would Eric be interested in returning to Frasier with the revival being a hit with fans?

Cbr: You had previously worked with Hippo director and co-writer Mark H. Rapaport on another movie. So...

“Hippo” is a new surreal, live-action ‘black comedy’ feature, directed by Mark H. Raport, starring Kimball Farley, Lilla Kizlinger, Eliza Roberts, Jesse Pimentel and Vann Barrett, with narration by Eric Roberts, now playing in select theaters:

“…a teenager and his step-sister ‘Buttercup’ struggle to come of age in late 1990’s America…

“…under the roof of a mother who has been institutionalized at least once…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

At long last, Mark H. Rapaport's darkly comedic and disturbing feature directorial debut Hippo is finally reaching theaters over a year after its world premiere at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival. Ahead of its limited release, Collider is excited to share an exclusive sneak peek highlighting the troubling relationship between step-siblings Hippo and Buttercup, played by Kimball Farley and Lilla Kizlinger respectively. The monochrome film is their twisted coming-of-age story, exploring how they approach life outside the confines of society with their mother. Their bond is described as akin to a Greek myth, with the devout Hungarian Catholic immigrant Buttercup practically worshipping the ground that her video-game-addicted brother walks on, even though he's more interested in ruling over their home.

“It would be good for you to socialize with someone. Even the pedophiles!”

Such is the timeless maternal advice that Ethel (Eliza Roberts) offers her stunted adolescent son, known only as Hippo (Kimball Farley), with the hopes of getting him out of the house for a few hours. The unremarkable young man is typically laser-focused on playing Nintendo 64, masturbating against his own stuffed hippopotamus, and drinking milk that he despises because he values bone density above all else. It’s the kind of reclusive existence that causes even his legal guardian to wonder if being molested would be that much of a social downgrade.

But protecting her kids from pedophiles has never been Ethel’s strong suit. The time that she devotes to discussing hypothetical pedophiles at the local pool would be far better spent looking into the very real pedophile that her stepdaughter has invited into their home. The...

"Let us bear humble witness." Kinematics has debuted a trailer for a weird little indie film called Hippo, a kooky creation from filmmaker Mark H. Rapaport as his feature debut. It premiered at last year's Fantasia Film Festival and it also played at the Calgary Underground Film Festival earlier this year. Hippo, a peculiar adolescent, and his Hungarian step-sister Buttercup struggle to come of age in late 90s America, under the roof of a mother who has been institutionalized at least once. Reviews describe the film as "an avant-garde sex comedy that unleashes the quirks of Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch to their weirdest extents." Huh. Adding that it also "doesn't hold back in exploring taboo subjects... yet offering riotous laughter through the characters' absurdity." The indie film stars Kimball Farley, Lilla Kizlinger, Eliza Roberts, and Eric Roberts. This definitely won't be for everyone, but adventurous cinema nerds should check it out anyway.

Hippo examines the coming-of-age of two step-siblings: Hippo, a video-game addicted teenager and Buttercup, a Hungarian Catholic immigrant with a love of classical music and Jesus. Like the Ancient Greek Aphrodite, Buttercup’s love is unrequited by a brother who prefers to indulge the art of war and chaos. The result is a hormone-fueled, tragicomic waking nightmare that must be seen to be believed. Mark H. Rapaport's comedy drama, Hippo, is coming the theaters on November 12th. Hippo premiered at Fantasia last Summer, where Josh and I caught it. I couldn't quite explain what I had witnessed at the time, but Josh could, which is why he reviewed it and has been quoted in the official trailer. Take a look for yourself down below and...

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

The Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival (Shiff) is set to return to the historic towns of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, New York, from October 10 to 13, 2024. Nestled in the heart of America’s supernatural folklore, the festival promises an eclectic mix of premieres, tributes, and exclusive screenings, all designed to celebrate genre cinema in the birthplace of Washington Irving’s legendary tales.

This year’s Shiff boasts a line-up that will appeal to both classic cinema enthusiasts and fans of the supernatural. Among the highlights is a celebration of the 75th anniversary of Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. To mark this occasion, D23—The Official Disney Fan Club—will guide festival-goers through an enchanting event filled with rare behind-the-scenes footage, special guests, and surprises that aim to bring Disney nostalgia to life.

Adding to the festivities is a tribute to iconic director Tim Burton, with a 30th-anniversary...

Krapopolis fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 1 Episode 20 episode titled Prince Hippo!

Find out everything you need to know about the Prince Hippo episode of Krapopolis, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Krapopolis Prince Hippo Season 1 Episode 20 Preview

Get ready for an exciting new episode of “Krapopolis” titled “Prince Hippo,” airing on Fox at 8:30 Pm on April 28, 2024.

In this installment, tension rises as Atlanteans make their way to Krapopolis, sparking intrigue and upheaval. Shlub drops a bombshell, revealing that Hippocampus is technically the king of Atlantis, setting the stage for a royal revelation that will shake the city to its core.

Meanwhile, in Deliria, a mysterious priestess arrives, offering her enigmatic services, stirring curiosity and suspicion among the residents. As her presence looms over the city, Delirians grapple with uncertainty and apprehension, unsure of her true intentions.

Hippo, directed by Mark H. Rapaport, is an avant-garde sex comedy that unleashes the quirks of Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch to their weirdest extents. The film takes place in the mid-'90s and revolves around a deeply troubled family, tackling subjects like narcissism, sexual urges, and unconventional education. Hippo doesn't hold back in exploring taboo subjects like incest, making viewers feel uncomfortable yet offering riotous laughter moments through the characters' absurdity.

Imagine if Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch got together to make a sex comedy, given free rein to unleash all of their quirks to their fullest, weirdest extents. That might give you an idea of what you're in for when you watch Hippo, written and directed by Mark H. Rapaport.

It's certainly not a traditional, 'pure' sex comedy. The film is incredibly dense, even though it takes place almost entirely in a single location with only a handful of characters.

There was no escaping “Red Rooms” at Fantasia.

Awarded the Cheval Noir Award for best feature at the 27th edition of the fest, Pascal Plante’s film also took honors for screenplay and Dominique Plante’s haunting score, as well as an outstanding performance award for Juliette Gariépy.

“The ultimate effect a film can achieve is to implant a significant and lasting emotional memory. ‘Red Rooms’ masterfully accomplished that goal,” said jurors David Hewlett, Brenda Lieberman, Jourdain Searles, Virginie Sélavy and Gary Sherman.

“With incredible skill and artistry, without resorting to gore or violence, this film delivers not only an extremely disturbing and frightening experience but introduces you to characters and situations you may never forget.”

Produced by Nemesis Films, it takes on the trial of a man accused of murdering teenage girls and selling videos of his crimes online. But Plante wanted to focus on women who follow him.

Kimball Farley in Hippo

Mark Rapaport and I first met back in 2021 when he produced and starred in a breakthrough low budget horror comedy which he described as “the first Jeffrey Epstein film,” Berlinale Best First Feature award winner The Scary Of Sixty-First. At the time he was trying to break into directing, and he told me about a film called Hippo which he had shot during Covid lockdowns. Now, in 2023, Hippo is screening as part of the Fantasia International Film Festival. When we got a few minutes to catch up, I asked him about the film, a dysfunctional family comedy, and how it was shaped by being made it that restrictive context.

Lilla Kizlinger, Jesse Pimentel and Eliza Roberts in Hippo

“The writing process started during Covid, and it did come from the place of ‘What can we make right now?’” he says. “That's a combination of Covid and also just,...

UTA has boarded world sales on Mark H. Rapaport’s Fantasia premiere “Hippo.”

“We are very excited for this one,” said UTA’s Billy Offer, admitting a number of distributors have already expressed interest.

“It’s so oddly relatable and so singular in its approach, and vision, that we really wanted to help make sure it got the right platform to shine. Fantasia is a perfect launchpad for this type of film.”

Produced by Kinematics in association with Rough House Pictures, it counts Danny McBride and David Gordon Green among its executive producers.

“Hippo’s’ strange and dark humor is quintessential viewing and a wonderful reminder of why we all got into indie filmmaking in the first place,” Gordon Green told Variety, calling it “a brilliant feature debut.”

In the film, Hippo and his adopted sister Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger) live in complete isolation with their unstable mother. But Buttercup keeps...