(Welcome to Pop Culture Imports, a column that compiles the best foreign movies and TV streaming right now.)
The best foreign movies and TV streaming now are a grab-bag of movies and TV from all over the globe. Well, two continents, to be specific. But vastly different genres and levels of prestige. From French anti-war masterpieces, to the nicest reality show on TV, to trashy Spanish teen soaps, this week’s Pop Culture Imports column offers you a little of everything.
Fire up those subtitles, and let’s get streaming.
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If Terrence Malick and Franz Kafka decided to get married, and then adopted an old wooden crate full of reels of stock footage as their baby, that offspring would look something like Night Has Come. Director Peter Van Goethem has cut together a plethora of Royal Belgian Film Archive stock footage to tell the story of a dystopian society plagued with a memory-erasing virus. Making use of overly poetic, often vague narration, Night Has Come unfolds like a memory of a fever dream, burning its way through your brain as you drift in and out of consciousness.
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The festival scene rolls on past Toronto, with Fantastic Fest kicking off this week and New York Film Festival gearing up for next week. It’s easy to focus on the big winners – Joker, Jojo Rabbit – and the losers – The Goldfinch, Lucy in the Sky – and completely lose sight of why these festivals exist in the first place. In a crowded media environment, film festivals represent one of the last bastions that provide platforms to emerging or under-the-radar filmmakers. They are a spot where a film, freighted with few expectations, can come out of nowhere and surprise unsuspecting viewers.
The following three films represent some of the best of this side of TIFF. Their journeys do not end at the festival, either. Unlike well-funded studio projects using TIFF as a launch pad for release, these films are all seeking U.S. distribution and will likely continue touring the worldwide festival circuit. Keep an eye out for them if they arrive at a fest near you.
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The Craft remake has found its new coven. Blumhouse’s remake of the 1996 cult supernatural horror movie has announced the rest of its cast who are joining the already announced Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim: Uprising). Joining The Craft cast are Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, and Zoey Luna as the teen witches who roam the halls of a Los Angeles Catholic prep school.
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In the latest episode of Ordinary Adventures, Peter & Kitra experience Knott’s Scary Farm 2019 at Knott’s Berry Farm on opening night, exploring all the new mazes and old scare zones. Hit the jump to watch the vlog.
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Zombieland is all about making new friends and killing the old zombie. That seems to be the case with Zombieland: Double Tap, which follows much of the same zombie-slaying and family-bickering ways of the original film, but with more star-studded supporting actors and more awards to trade between main cast members Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone. But the more the merrier, promises the latest Zombieland Double Tap featurette released by Sony. Watch the new featurette below.
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(Welcome to Now Scream This, a column where horror experts Chris Evangelista and Matt Donato tell you what scary, spooky, and spine-tingling movies are streaming and where you can watch them.)
Matt: Every September, there exists a genre film festival mecca called Fantastic Fest. I’ve been lucky enough to attend for four of the last five years, soon to be five of the last six. Mr. Evangelista is new to Austin’s most fantastic excursion, but the time has finally come. This year, ‘dem “Now Scream This” boys are taking down Fantastic Fest together. We’ve already conquered New Orleans, Austin’s up next. Why not honor some past festival favorites now streaming as a primer?
Chris: This marks my first year attending Fantastic Fest, and I honestly don’t know what to expect (other than consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol). So to help get into the spirit, Matt and I have combed through the Fantastic Fest history to come up with some highlights that played at the fest.
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Smallville was a few years ahead of its time. Since the show wrapped up its run back in 2011, the “Arrowverse” has exploded in popularity, incorporating Supergirl, The Flash, Green Arrow, and several other comic book heroes into the mix, leaving Tom Welling‘s version of Clark Kent as just a faded memory.
But now fans will get to see Welling reprise his role as Superman in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the huge five-part crossover event series which marks the most ambitious thing The CW’s superhero shows have ever done. This will be the third Superman in the crossover, alongside Tyler Hoechlin from Supergirl and Superman Returns star Brandon Routh playing the Kingdom Come version of the character. Get the details below. Read More »
In my review from Cannes I described Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite as “a film that unabashedly takes the audience along for a twisty, twisted ride and gets under your skin. With mind-warping shifts in tone and storyline, there’s a feeling that you’re getting more bang from Bong than in a dozen lesser films.” I continue to believe that “it’s a mighty work from a mighty director, and a master who schools the world on how a film like this can be so deftly pulled off.” The jury shared my feelings, awarding the film the prestigious top prize, the Palme d’or.
Months later, my acclaim for the film has grown even higher. I somewhat facetiously wrote for its TIFF premiere that if you really don’t like Parasite it’s incumbent upon you to watch it again. There’s such a purity of vision and precision of craft that it’s easier to find fault in viewer rather than the work itself. It’s that rare movie that truly can, and should, transcend mere discussions of preference. This is a major work, and to argue otherwise seems more than a bit churlish.
It was thus all the more of a pleasure to sit down and speak with Bong during his stay in Toronto. I asked questions in English and he’d reply in a mix of English and Korean (aided by his exceptional translator), and for we discussed the many ingredients that go into making a film like this work.
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Cool Posts From Around the Web:
Last weekend we got confirmation from Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige himself that every single film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Iron Man through Spider-Man: Far From Home, would be released in a massive box set. This collection of films is now officially called The Infinity Saga, and when Marvel Studios took the stage in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con this past summer, they took a victory lap with an awesome sizzle reel looking back at the entirety of their work so far. Now you can watch it for yourself and remember everything The Avengers have gone through. Read More »
