July 8, 2010

Frankenstein at FanTasia


The torrid summer of 2010 just got hotter: The 14th edition of the excellent FanTasia International Film Festival, the largest genre festival in North America, kicks off today, July 8, in Montreal.

Among the offerings this year is Frankenstein Unlimited (2009), an anthology film by local filmmaker Matthew Saliba. The director’s Dark Fury is one of the six short films included in the compilation that, according to a press release, “takes the themes and mythos of Mary Shelley's creation in bold new directions via some of the most dynamic, innovative and mind-blowing shorts you've ever seen!

You can read about the individual films, see the official trailer and even purchase the DVD on Saliba’s comprehensive website. And here’s the FanTasia page for the film.

There’s another Frankenstein connection to this year’s festival. Jury President Jean-Claude Lord, a Québécois film critic turned filmmaker who has proved himself as comfortable with social commentary as he is with B-movie thrillers, directed the 1986 Robocop precursor, The Vindicator, about a dying man turned into an indestructible killing machine. The film’s shooting title was Frankenstein ’88. The production company was identified as “Frank & Stein Film Productions" and the main character’s robotic costume was referred to as “the Frankenstein Suit”.

The Festival runs until July 28. Feast your eyes on the program, the guests and all the goodies on the FanTasia website. There’s also a FanTasia Blog this year.


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