Watch: An Eerie Animated Horror Short - 'Something in the Garden'

What if you find something creepy crawling in the garden in the backyard? What do you do? If you're in the mood for something weird and creepy, this fantastic animated short film is worth a watch. Something in the Garden is made by a Chilean animation filmmaker named Marcos Sánchez. He animated all of this on his own and I really dig the look of his animation style. It played at numerous film festivals over the last few years, including at Sitges in 2021 and SXSW in 2022, also winning Best Animated Short at the 2022 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). Here's the intro: It's nighttime in the suburbs and the stillness is interrupted by a strange presence, a creeping being that lurks in the dark. The stellar animation is set on a black background, which gives the characters a distinct dynamic in the "darkness" of the frame. There's something very eerie about this and how simple & unsettling it is following this creepy thing around. ›››

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Best of the Fest - 10 Favorites from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival wrapped up last week after returning to a 10-day in-person event in Utah running alongside an online counterpart. Now it's time to present our annual Best of the Fest list. I was able to catch a total of 50 films this year (my full list on Letterboxd), half of them at screenings in Park City, the other half virtual screenings. This is my 17th year in a row covering Sundance, and this fest still has a special place in my heart. It was so nice to be back again. I am presenting one big list of my 10 favorite films - a mix of a few documentaries and narrative features. All 10 of these below are worth watching, and I highly recommend seeing them on the big screen whenever they show up at your local theater. I also wrote another editorial about how much Sundance 2023 focused on discoveries & first-time filmmakers, returning to their roots as a launching ground for so many wonderfully talented storytellers. Below are my favorites, the films that connected with me and have remained on my mind all the way through the 10 days of the fest. ›››

View the Post: Best of the Fest - 10 Favorites from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

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Christoph Waltz & Sam Neill in Adventure 'The Portable Door' Trailer

"We were able to influence this consumer… Imagine what we can do to the masses." Madman Films + Sky Cinema have revealed two trailers for an Australian fantasy adventure movie called The Portable Door, adapted from the book series by Tom Holt. It's set to open in UK + Australian theaters in April, with no US release yet. It tells the story of two interns who begin working at the mysterious company J.W. Wells & Co, run by the villainous Humphrey Wells and Dennis Tanner. "A tale of magic, middle management & strange goings on at a mysterious corporation that is not what it seems." Based on the popular books, this family comedy invites you into a world of fantasy and madness where all coincidences are orchestrated by a very strange company. Produced by The Jim Henson Company & Story Bridge Films. Starring Christoph Waltz as Wells and Sam Neill as Tanner, with Miranda Otto as Countess Judy, Damon Herriman, Sophie Wilde, Jessica De Gouw, Rachel House, Patrick Gibson, & Christopher Sommers. It's like Harry Potter if it was about an evil ad agency, instead of wizards. A bit derivative, but it looks entertaining anyway. ›››

View the Post: Christoph Waltz & Sam Neill in Adventure 'The Portable Door' Trailer

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US Trailer for Gripping Filipino Child Soldier Film 'Boy From Nowhere'

"It's what we choose to do now, that determines who we really are." Buffalo 8 has released the official US trailer for an indie film from the Philippines (also a Canadian co-production) titled Boy From Nowhere, based on a true story. The directorial debut from SJ Finlay, Boy From Nowhere is shot guerrilla style in the dangerous parts of the southern Philippines. Featuring a cast of non-actors, Finlay realistcally captures the harsh realities of war, the brutality of human behavior, and the risks someone may take to find their place in the world. The story follows a young boy from a fishing village who is brainwashed and recruited to become a child soldier as part of a fictional rebel group in the southern Philippines. The intense indie drama stars Balugto Necosia, Gary Jumawan, Nack Nack Abugyan, and Waway Saway. This looks like a very powerful and authentic story about how kids get pulled into this kind of horrible life, similar to other films like Beasts of No Nation previously. Check out the trailer below before it plays in theaters later in February. ›››

View the Post: US Trailer for Gripping Filipino Child Soldier Film 'Boy From Nowhere'

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Stolen Art Heist Thriller 'Righteous Thieves' Trailer Starring Lisa Vidal

"So… not a standard smash & grab." "This is gonna get us killed." Lionsgate has revealed an official trailer for a thriller titled Righteous Thieves, the new title for a film formerly known as Shelter. It will be out to watch in March on VOD and in a few theaters if anyone is interested. This is a story we've heard many times before (rescue stolen art) but they're rehashing it once again. The head of a secret organization assembles a crew to steal back artwork plundered by Nazis during World War II. They plan to recover a Monet, Picasso, Degas, and Van Gogh stolen by Nazis during WWII – now in the possession of neo-Nazi billionaire oligarch, but loyalties are tested when the crew learns the real reason behind the heist. The film stars Lisa Vidal as Annabel, with Jaina Lee Ortiz, Cam Gigandet, Carlos Miranda, Sasha Merci, and Brian Cousins as the oligarch. This looks like it was made for The CW, not for theaters, with so much gloss on every frame. ›››

View the Post: Stolen Art Heist Thriller 'Righteous Thieves' Trailer Starring Lisa Vidal

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Jake Gyllenhaal & Dar Salim in Guy Ritchie's 'The Covenant' Trailer

"Listen, you're gonna be alone. You gotta adapt - use what you got." MGM Studios has revealed an official trailer for The Covenant, a two-part war movie action thriller from the British filmmaker Guy Ritchie. It's now set to open in theaters in April coming up this spring, an easy sell for US audiences to watch a jingoistic Afghanistan War movie. It's actually officially titled Guy Ritchie's The Covenant, kind of like how it was called Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. The film follows Sergeant John Kinley, who on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan is teamed up with local interpreter Ahmed, who risks his own life to carry the severely injured John across miles of grueling terrain to safety. Later John decides to return on an unapproved solo mission to save Ahmed and get him out of the country before the Taliban kill him. Jake Gyllenhaal & Dar Salim star as John & Ahmed, along with Antony Starr, Alexander Ludwig, and Bobby Schofield, Emily Beecham and Jonny Lee Miller. It does look pretty good, as a gratifying action movie redemption story. ›››

View the Post: Jake Gyllenhaal & Dar Salim in Guy Ritchie's 'The Covenant' Trailer

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One Final US Trailer for 'The Lost King' with Sally Hawkins & Coogan

"I've been trying to work out why you're here - I wonder if it's because you're lost." IFC Films has revealed a new US trailer for the British drama The Lost King, which premiered at TIFF and already opened last year. It played in October in UK cinemas, and opens in the US in March in theaters for those still interested. Co-written by Steven Coogan, and directed by Stephen Frears, the film follows a historian who defies the stodgy academic establishment in her efforts to find King Richard III's remains, lost for over 500 years… Telling "the life-affirming true story of a woman who refused to be ignored and who took on the country's most eminent historians, forcing them to think again about one of the most controversial kings in England's history." Sally Hawkins stars as Philippa Langley, with Harry Lloyd as Richard III, plus Steve Coogan, James Fleet, Sinead MacInnes, John-Paul Hurley, and Phoebe Pryce. With this cast it's obvious the film is going to be good, and the story is so catchy I'm so curious to find out how she figures out where he is. ›››

View the Post: One Final US Trailer for 'The Lost King' with Sally Hawkins & Coogan

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