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INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE Review

The “when-animals-attack” genre can often times be depended upon to deliver diverting entertainment. Pure and simple, as viewers we just want to see people getting attacked.

For decades, there have been films about countless animals – sharks, snakes, rats, dogs, wolves, bugs, spiders, bears, ants and even beavers – the list can go on and on. What they all hold in common is that the lead characters come face to face with said animals and must find a way to stop them. Meanwhile innocent bystanders get mauled or eaten in the process.

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Filmquest 2015: Lighting a Short Fuse – The Shorts Part I

A daunting 150 short films are currently being screened at the Megaplex 17 at Jordon Commons in Sandy, Utah, for the Second Annual Filmquest Film Festival, which celebrates the horror, fantasy and science-fiction genres.

These films represent a wide variety of themes

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LAFF 2015: IT’S ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG Review

The films that comprise Richard Linklater’s Sunrise Trilogy are considered by many to be some of the best independent features of the last couple decades. In the trilogy, two strangers meet in the first film, and each subsequent film picks up their story several years after the previous installment. It’s very much like the acclaimed 7 Up saga, in which a group of individuals are revisited every seven years. With that in mind, it’s easy to dismiss Emily Ting’s feature film directorial debut as a “Linklater wannabe,” but though the formula may seem familiar, Ting’s directorial style and writing are not. It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong is an engaging and relatable romantic drama that poses some interesting, awkward and heartfelt questions about life, love and the pursuit of talking plush toys.

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The 2015 Filmquest Film Festival

For the second year in a row, the science-fiction, fantasy and horror genres descended upon an unsuspecting Utah populace. The second largest film festival in the state of Utah has returned with a new offering of the fantastic. From June 18 to

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LAFF 2015: BE HERE NOW Review

“Never stop; never stop fighting till the fight is done.”

It seems rather odd for Be Here Now to open with a quote from The Untouchables, especially when one takes into consideration just what this particular film is about. Lilibet Foster’s powerful, intimate and emotional documentary chronicles Andy Whitfield’s battle with life-threatening cancer.

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frank 7.5

DWF 2015: HELLO, MY NAME IS FRANK… Review

Figuring out how to get an audience to see a film that viewers may have preconceived notions about can certainly be a challenge, and it rests in the hands of the filmmakers and promoters to do just that. Hello, My Name is Frank… – a coming-of-age, road-trip film that features a developmentally disabled individual – appears on the surface to be exploitative in the worst kind of way. However, this film is filled with endearing characters on a journey that isn’t at all exploitative and has plenty of heart, laughs and cussing.

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INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 Review

When you hit the proverbial wall, it seems like the next logical step would be to go backward. In the case of the hit supernatural franchise Insidious, it seemed like there was nowhere else to go after two films covered the events of the Lambert haunting.

In fact, the route filmmakers eluded to at the end of the second film just felt tacked on and pointless, such that the franchise would have become a parody, no matter how scary and creepy they tried to make the third installment. So having hit the logical end of the Lambert story, the filmmakers decided to go back to the beginning in this less-than-inspiring prequel to the Insidious saga.

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DWF 2015: THE CHALLENGER Review

When people call films “formulaic,” they are undoubtedly referring to the fact that those films follow the same structure as many that have come before it – predictable, unoriginal, not very compelling or even boring. Movies have been around for more than a century now, and it goes without saying that, at some point, one film is going to look like another you may have seen before.

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THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE III (FINAL SEQUENCE) Review

In 2009, a little horror film – The Human Centipede (First Sequence) – broke onto the scene and became a notorious sensation. In the film, a mad scientist creates the first “medically accurate” human centipede, where three individuals’ digestive systems are fused together into one gruesome tract.

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MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Review

When it comes to film, the word “masterpiece” is not just a word but also an affirmation. It’s a label that is not meant to be thrown at just any film out there. It’s a declaration that must be warranted.

Think of films that have been declared masterpieces by critics and moviegoers alike – The Godfather: Part II, The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars, Chinatown, Lawrence of Arabia. These are films that are looked upon and admired as cinematic achievements, and there aren’t many people out there who would argue with calling them “masterpieces.”

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Star Wars Celebration 2015 Wrap-Up Spectacular

“A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away…”

That phrase has been etched into the hearts and minds of numerous generations. It is, of course, the opening words to George Lucas’ Star Wars saga. From casual fan to the

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EX MACHINA Review

What is it exactly that makes us “human beings?” What, scientifically speaking, determines our intelligence? Is it our intellect? Is it because we are cognizant? Is it our morality? Is it because we have the ability to learn? Rudimentarily speaking, aren’t we nothing more than living, breathing computers? We’re walking I/O towers.

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FURIOUS 7 Review

The Fast and Furious franchise has gone through many changes over the course of its 14-year-long run, a run that will likely continue for the foreseeable future. It transformed from an easily dismissible series of films about illegal street racing into an action powerhouse that has featured some of the most insane and thrilling car chases put on film.

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SPRING Review

“Love is a monster” is the tagline for the latest film from Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the directors of the underrated horror film Resolution. In the case of their film Spring, it is both metaphorically and physically true.

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Made_in_Japan-FIF 6.5

SXSW 2015: MADE IN JAPAN Review

Music is universal. It crosses borders. It breaks through language barriers. It creates a sense of community. One can get a sense of just how popular a style of music is just by looking at English-speaking artists who are selling out venues in foreign countries where English isn’t even the native language. It doesn’t matter if they don’t understand the words because the people like the sound, and somehow they connect with it.

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IT FOLLOWS Review

You have sex with someone; you contract herpes; and it’s yours forever. No matter where you go, no matter how far you try to get, it will always be with you, and, if you’re not careful, it can be passed on to the next person you have sex with. In some cases you may not know you’re infected until it’s too late. Horrifying notion isn’t it?

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