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TIFF Review: ‘Blood Quantum’ is a Zombie Film With Serious Bite

Published

5 years ago

September 15, 2019

In 1981, a small community is rocked by the outbreak of a zombie virus. The locals are biting and turning in record time, but on the nearby Mi’kmaq reserve of Red Crow, the Indigenous residents are immune to the disease. Thus begins Blood Quantum, the second feature film written and directed by Jeff Barnaby. It’s a full-bodied and well-bloodied zombie movie, but more importantly, it’s a damning commentary on the history and treatment of Canada’s Indigenous population.

Before making Blood Quantum, Barnaby was introduced to the idea of films being a form of social protest with the documentary feature Incident at Restigouche. The film chronicles the events of two raids on the Mi’kmaq Restigouche reserve by the Quebec police force in an attempt to impose new restrictions on salmon fishermen in the Mi’kmaq community. As a young child on the reserve in 1981, he was witness to these raids. In an interview with CBC host George Stroumboulopoulos, Barnaby shared his memories of the experience:

“Think about being a young man and you know nothing about the outside world, but the outside world comes knocking at your door and they come armed to the teeth and looking to bust your head. And that was my first definition of what non-Native Canadians thought about Indians. That stuck with me.”

Barnaby’s frustration and anger translate onto the screen in the film’s poignant interactions. One particular post-outbreak scene shows a man and his sick daughter arriving on Red Crow’s doorstep. As the Algonquin survivors discuss the fate of these new arrivals in Mi’kmaq, the stranger yells at them to “speak English”. His sick (and possibly infected) daughter is wrapped in a blanket, drawing comparisons to the germ warfare that started a smallpox epidemic in native communities in 1763.

This anger is also voiced through the character of Lysol (Kiowa Gordon, The Red Road). Lysol is not fond of the idea of letting outsiders into the reserve, and he expresses his objections at every turn. While his father, Traylor (Michael Greyeyes, True Detective), and half-brother, Joseph (Forrest Goodluck, The Revenant), are open to helping those in need, Lysol firmly believes that these outside survivors are a danger to their community.

Speaking on Blood Quantum as a zombie film, there’s plenty of bite. The Mi’kmaq survivors are positively badass, blazing through zombie lairs with discipline, precision, and a cache of highly effective weapons. The undead are quickly dispatched by chainsaw, shotgun, katana, and an inventive use of a wood chipper. It all adds up to create one deeply satisfying batch of bloody horror.

These zombie kill effects are practical and exceptionally bloody. This is a visceral film that would do Tom Savini proud, with moments that pay homage to one of the more brutal scenes in Dawn of the Dead. The indigenous survivors are all immune to the virus, so they can get up close and personal when they’re on the attack. With vicious efficiency, they dismember, decapitate, and destroy all in their path, as geysers of blood gush across the screen.

The cinematography by Michel St-Martin is stunning; shots are beautifully framed and filmed. His use of lighting and color adds a naturalistic grit. Outside of Red Crow, uncomfortable interiors — such as the police station and the hospital — have a yellow hue that makes them feel sickly. It subconsciously puts the audience ill-at-ease, whereas the scenes on the reserve feel more open.

Blood Quantum challenges its audience by forcing us to confront the historically problematic treatment of the Indigenous community in Canada. It’s a proud celebration of native culture — from the symbolic artwork to the soaring score — that builds a creatively unique addition to the zombie genre. If you’re looking for something fresh that you can really sink your teeth into, be advised; this film bites back.

For more from TIFF, click to read our review of Color Out of Space and Synchronic.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

14 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

16 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

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Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

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The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

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^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

17 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.