Fantasia International Film Festival 2025 - Week 1

Doc’s Fantasia Fest Journal
Week 1: Animation
The Fantasia International Film Festival runs until August 3rd
Get tickets HERE 

By “Doc” Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

The Fantasia International Film Festival’s 29th year is off to quite a start. I’ve seen some truly w-i-l-d stuff, some of which I’ll be talking about below, but what’s most impressive and important is the variety! I don’t know about y’all, but I’m a sucker for animation. Though it has admittedly started to shift, for a long time animation in America was viewed as “for kids”, and most of the stuff that broke free of that label did so by leaning heavily on shock tactics like sex and violence. I believe that animation is its own art form, capable of telling any kind of story, and for any type of audience, exactly the same as film.

I think there should absolutely be animated features for all tastes. To that end, I’ve selected four animated features from this year’s Fantasia, and arranged them from most- to least-accessible to all audiences.

I Am Frankelda (Soy Frankelda)
Written by Arturo Ambriz, Roy Ambriz
Directed by Arturo Ambriz, Roy Ambriz, Mireya Mendoza

A sprawling storybook epic with maybe a turn or two too many, I Am Frankelda is still a marvelous debut feature as well as an actual triumph of stop-motion animation and creativity. And I Am Frankelda is all about creativity, about the world of fiction where dreams and nightmares come from. When an aspiring young writer’s stories enable that world to cross over with ours, an epic battle between the various clans inhabiting the so-called Realm of Spooks ensues. The worldbuilding is a little unclear, but, like a half-remembered dream, the logic doesn’t matter as much as the feeling you’re left with. I think animation geared towards children should do more than just distract them. To that end, I Am Frankelda is an impetus to follow your passions, both in its messaging and its methods. There are so many creative tricks and gorgeous visuals to be found that it’s worth watching on that metric alone, but as a sweet, all-ages friendly film about chasing your inspirations, it’s impossible to beat.

ChaO
Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki

A riff on The Little Mermaid (the 19th century fairy tale more than the 1989 animated film, to be clear) with touches of environmentalism, futurism, and a specific flavor of character design and animation common to STUDIO 4°c productions, ChaO is at its core a very sweet love story. When an aspiring engineer and designer, Stephen (Oji Suzuka) falls overboard during a punishment by his boss, he awakens in the hospital having somehow won the heart of the Princess of the Ocean. The movie follows their, pardon the pun, fish-out-of-water romance, which teaches a lesson about how buried traumas of the past run the risk of ruining good things in your future. I love the animation aesthetic of this studio; aside from shape-shifting merpeople, there are humans of all shapes and sizes (Stephen’s boss is mostly an orb for instance), but even the “standard” humans are exaggerated and instantly identifiable. The only thing keeping this from being all-ages friendly is some very inoffensive but juvenile moments, like a character perpetually picking their nose, or someone with the nickname “boobie rocket missiles”. Nothing to clutch pearls about.

Death Does Not Exist (La mort n'existe pas)
Written and directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière

When firebrand Helene (voiced by Zeneb Blanchet) freezes at the moment her group of ragtag revolutionaries storms the compound of a local wealthy family, she is forced to watch as everything falls apart. Fleeing into the wilderness to avoid security, she unknowingly sets off on a spiritual journey where she will confront her past, her future, and the horrible moment she is running away from. There are some shocking moments of violence, and graphic depictions of skinning and eating animals, which is balanced and almost heightened by comparison to the delicate, painterly-textured animation style that utilizes color in very unique ways. Emotionally moving, and with a tantalizing sense of the supernatural, Death Does Not Exist is a tremendous example of what the term “adult animation” can be.

Dog of God
Written by Lauris Abele, Raitis Abele, Ivo Briedis, Harijs Grundmanis
Directed by Lauris Abele, Raitis Abele 

To say that Dog of God has a lot going on would be an understatement, no matter how frequently or decisively you say it. First things first: the rotoscoped animation--a process which I’m particularly fond of, wherein filmed elements are animated directly over top of--constantly flirts with the uncanny valley by presenting characters and environments that feel realistic and tangible, but somehow off, and drenched in the color palette of a blacklight poster. Then there’s the subject matter: sex plays a major part in the narrative, with frequent appearances from butts, bare breasts, penises of many shapes and sizes, and The Devil’s Testicles (I don’t know why I capitalized that, it just felt polite). However, if you can look past what seems like shock tactics, there’s also a very mystically fascinating film constructed here. Though playing with a power struggle between the local pastor and a local baron, wherein barmaid Neze (voiced by Agate Krista) is either dangerous witch or a helpful naturalist healer, the depiction of the supernatural crosses into numerous houses of belief. Imagine Ken Russell’s The Devils set at the foot of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain, with the palette of Panos Cosmatos, and the whole thing is a segment in 1981’s Heavy Metal, and you’re getting close to the aura of Dog of God. Not for everyone, but extremely for some of us.

 

SAINT-NARCISSE (Film Movement)

Saint-Narcisse
Film Movement

The Stats
Video: 1080p High Definition
Audio: LPCM stereo (5.1 surround available in menu)
Subtitles: SDH

Buy it HERE from Diabolik or HERE from Vinegar Syndrome

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

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Saint-Narcisse comes to Blu-ray from Film Movement and Vinegar Syndrome. Artist and provocateur Bruce LaBruce brings his melodramatic and queer take on the Nunsploitation subgenre anchored by a riveting lead performance. The film's gorgeous cinematography and high-quality audio and visual transfer might not make up for the comparatively slim special features and intentionally shocking moments, which will not be for everyone.

The Movie: 4.5 stars

With the caveat that some of the subject matter of this film may not be all viewers, Bruce LaBruce's Saint-Narcisse is quite a film. Boundary-pushing, gorgeously lensed, with a magnetic performance at its center, the film, like its auteur, is intentionally provocative. But beneath that deliberate shock are some layers that truly bear examining.

When disaffected and self-absorbed Dominic (Félix-Antoine Duval)'s aging grandmother passes away, she reveals that his mother, whom he believed died in childbirth, is in fact still alive somewhere in the town of Saint-Narcisse. Traveling to find her, Dom is told she is a witch and lives with another woman, who does not age, in a cabin outside of town. He also begins to think that a mysterious hooded figure that has been haunting his dreams may not be entirely the product of his imagination.

I don't want to spoil very much of Saint-Narcisse, though if you are familiar with the figure from Greek mythology, with whom the town's namesake saint shares a name, you may be in the ballpark of just some of the film's more eyebrow-raising moments. Suffice it to say, the film's salaciousness would run the risk of dominating discussion if the film itself weren't so impeccably well-made. Cinematographer Michel La Veaux used lenses and a lighting kit from the 1970s to achieve the look of the film, resembling something shot on 35mm film.

The performances are by and large, very good, but Félix-Antoine Duval is the standout. Known more for TV roles in his native Canada, Duval is riveting, projecting simultaneously a certain self-obsession and a complete lack of self confidence that makes each decision Dom makes feel revealing and borderline dangerous. As mentioned, the film plays with some (read: many) taboos, so as Dom develops an adversarial sort of sibling-esque relationship with Irene (Alexandra Petrachuk) the young lady who lives with his mother Beatrice (Tania Kontoyanni), the ol' eyebrows began creeping upwards once again.

Putting all the provocative content aside, Saint-Narcisse makes some interesting observations about the damage parental abandonment leaves in a person, what it's like to recognize one's self in someone else, and what learning to love them means about learning to love yourself. As a filmmaker, LaBruce is certainly confrontational and deliberate in his artistic choices, melodramatic though they may be, but they're not empty ones. He is asking questions about love in many and varied forms, and leaving the audience to ponder where they stand on each iteration. 

The Packaging: 4 stars

This is your basic, good quality physical release packaging: sturdy case, double-sided cover. The interior image is a moment from the film where Irene confronts Dom with a shotgun as he showers outdoors. The included booklet features an essay from Finley Freibert which was very enlightening about some of the imagery chosen in the film, and in some cases, its specific subtext within the gay community. Being neither especially Catholic nor especially gay, I was unaware of the layered meanings behind the inclusion of St. Sebastian for instance, which probably influenced the decision to make him a part of the narrative.

There is also a limited edition slip cover version available, designed by Adam Maida, which features an embossed silver foil zipper, referencing The Rolling Stones' famous Sticky Fingers album cover designed by Andy Warhol.

The Video: 5 stars

This looks absolutely tremendous. The aforementioned imitation of 1970s visuals is a very strong choice, and one that was achieved very thoroughly. There's a depth to the colors and shadows that's just so magical and really feels like it exists out of time. The greater palette of the piece is predominantly made up of autumnal colors; browns and buttery golds, with overcast skies, and some occasionally shockingly vibrant green foliage. Even in the occasional more dimly-lit moments, the film never felt like it lacked visual detail and overall the shadows had appreciable depth to them without fully devouring the backgrounds.

The Audio: 5 stars

As with the video section, I was impressed with the audio overall. There's nothing especially dynamic to tax my three-channel soundbar, but the dialogue was clear throughout. The music and score, which at times features Gregorian chants, distorted church bells, or in one notable moment some extremely wild trumpet stings, is very well balanced and placed to not compete with anything else for your ears' attention. Similarly, the brief motorcycle scenes came through excellently and gave a feeling of the dynamic size and shape of the mix.

The Special Features: 4.5 stars

The special features on this release are slim, but they at least offer a fairly comprehensive commentary track from writer / director Bruce LaBruce, which helped me more fully understand the tone of the film. With something so deliberately designed to push buttons, knowing that the filmmaker isn't doing it for it's own sake, and has greater ends in mind really allows the film to land. I personally don't understand the implied appeal of the Slates feature, which is just a collection of the slates from shooting the film, so if anyone can illuminate me a bit about that, I wouldn't mind.

• Commentary by director Bruce LaBruce
• Deleted Scenes (3:34)
• Slates (1:02)
• Saint-Narcisse trailer (2:12)

In Summary: Recommended

I know I've banged this particular drum a few times, so what's one more: Saint-Narcisse might just offend some more prim and proper film enjoyers, but if that doesn't describe you, I heartily recommend it. Gorgeous visuals, magnetic performances, and a heightened melodrama all combine into a release that's ultimately very satisfying.

Bruce LaBruce knows what he's doing, and exactly how far to push events to keep them in the sweet-spot where things are exciting and novel without crossing the line into distasteful or excessive. If your average Nunsploitation film doesn't leave you clutching your pearls, I think Saint-Narcisse will be just fine.

Fantasia International Film Festival 2025 - Preview

FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL returns for its 29th year

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

In the last 29 years, the Mission:Impossible franchise has released eight espionage action films of varying quality, while, despite the title, there are only 23 years between zombie flick 28 Years Later and its franchise originator. In 29 years you could experience almost an entire year on Saturn, which equals 29.4 Earth years, though interestingly the days on Saturn only last a little over ten and a half hours. If you had money to burn, you could build an elaborate and expensive 500,000 gallon pool in your backyard in Covington, Tennessee like this guy, or circumnavigate the globe in the exact path and manners of travel as in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days approximately 132 and a half times! Or you could be like the Fantasia International Film Festival and grow into a renowned exhibition of films from around the world!

Founded in 1996, the Fantasia International Film Festival has evolved from merely celebrating Asian genre cinema--a noble pursuit in itself, certainly--into an annual destination for genre films and filmmakers of all stripes from around the world. It has become a place to seek out highly anticipated films from the more independent-minded creators in the industry, and to see world premieres of films great and small! To still be around after 29 years is an amazing feat.

In my past experiences with the festival I’ve discovered some truly amazing films, and this year’s crop of films is as exciting as you could hope. There’s an animated zombie-style film from legend Takashi Miike with cats in place of the zombies (as in: if you get bitten by a cat, you turn into a cat) called Nyaight of the Living Cat; there’s Ari Aster’s cognitive dissonance COVID conflict film Eddington; there are pictures about stalkers, screenlife, stop-motion, and Smurfs! Truly, there’s something for probably everyone.

To that end, while the following films are the ones I am most excited for, that doesn’t make the others any less worthwhile. One of my favorite aspects of film festivals is watching something you were only medium-eager to see and having it be one of your favorite films of the year. It’s happened to me many times, and I’m always so grateful for it. With that in mind, let’s take a look at just some of what will be available at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

Dog of God
Directed by Lauris Abele, Raitis Abele
Canadian Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

Apparently based on “the most famous werewolf trial”, this rotoscope animated film capitalizes on the attention that Academy Award winning feature Flow has brought to animation from Latvia, but to very different stylistic ends. Brother directors Lauris and Raitis Abele have made something with fascinating and tantalizing visuals that tells a story about the struggle for power between a priest and a baron involving witchcraft, hedonistic frenzy, violent madness, and *checks notes* the Devil’s testicles! Aside from the incredibly unique animation, the sex and the violence, there’s something special about Dog of God that immediately made me think “I bet Ken Russell would have loved this”. As a diehard Ken Russell appreciator, I can’t wait to check it out.

Anything That Moves
Directed by Alex Phillips
World Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

Having not even seen a trailer for this film yet, I can say it is high on my Want To Watch list. Director Alex Phillips’ previous film, 2022’s All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, caught me by surprise--I would never have imagined that a film about being able to get high by stuffing worms under your skin would be as sweet and as genuinely funny as it was--and made me very excited for whatever Phillips made next. Turns out it’s Anything That Moves, apparently a loving throwback to the earnestness of 1970s era pornography about a bike courier / sex worker and his various clients. Shot on Super 16mm to better emulate the feel of the films which inspired it, I’m curious to see what, no pun intended, comes from this.

ChaO
Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki
North American Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

As an appreciator of animation, I’m a fan of Studio 4ºC who have been involved with numerous very singular projects--Tekkonkinkreet, MFKZ (a.k.a. Mutafukaz), several segments from The Animatrix, among many others--so their credit in this trailer immediately grabbed my attention. Beyond that, this take on a star-crossed love story uniting the differing worlds of mankind and fish-folk looks sweet, stirring, and genuinely hilarious. A reimagining of The Little Mermaid that seems focused on mankind learning to live more harmoniously with nature, ChaO really seems like my kind of flick. Fun fact: Another Studio 4ºC feature, All You Need is Kill has its North American Premiere at Fantasia as well!

Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie
Directed by Shuhei Shibue
North American Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

Though I am unfamiliar with the manga this is adapted from, it sounds like something I’d enjoy reading: As he lay dying in battle in 234, military strategist Zhuge Kongming wished that his next life would be one of peace, and he is reincarnated in modern Tokyo where he is adopted by club kids and falls in love. The trailer mainly showcases Kongming’s day job as a DoorDash delivery courier, and his getting involved with a popstar, encouraging her to enter a contest to win a record contract. It might not be the most original plot, but the heightened nature of the characters, along with the lushness of the feature’s visuals, it all projects “FUN”! I’m looking forward to checking it out.

I am Frankelda
Directed by Arturo Ambriz, Roy Ambriz
North American Premier
Acquire tickets HERE

Another animated feature from another pair of brothers, Arturo and Roy Ambriz--proteges of Fantasia supporter, Oscar winner, and big ol’ monster-loving sweetie Guillermo del Toro--bring Mexico’s first stop-motion animated feature! When author Francisca Imelda attracts the attention of the owl-boy prince of the world her stories describe, he attempts to break the membrane between the worlds to be with her at the same time that his parents are actively endangering both worlds! Previously appearing in a series of Cartoon Network interstitial shorts, the characters and world of I am Frankelda appear as a carefully crafted love letter to fantasy and the arts. I am thoroughly ready to be enchanted.

What do you think? Do any of these titles jump out at you? I encourage you to visit Fantasia’s site for titles and updates, and see which other films pique your interest. I’m sure there will be at least a few. If you’re able to attend in person, Fantasia offers numerous live events including a book launch for MovieJawn contributor Payton McCarty-Simas’ new book That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film, talks from industry professionals like producer Anne-Marie Gélinas, composer Danny Elfman, or Troma head Lloyd Kaufman, and even an opportunity to see the I am Frankelda puppets in person!

The festival has an especially robust Fantasia Retro lineup as well. This batch of restorations and 35mm repertory screenings is frequently only available in-person. This year’s titles include angelpunk anime Angel’s Egg (a collaboration between Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii & Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano), John Woo’s previously hard to find Bullet in the Head, J-Horror classic Noroi: The Curse, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the 1980s sleaze-revenge flick Night of the Juggler starring James Brolin, among many more!

Stay tuned to MovieJawn for further coverage of the Fantasia International Film Festival from myself and fellow MJ contributor Rachel Shatto, and as always: Long Live the Movies!

MOTHER, COUCH (Film Movement)

Mother, Couch
Film Movement

The Stats
Video: 1080p High Definition
Audio: LCPM 2.0 (5.1 surround available in menu)
Subtitles: SDH

Buy it HERE from Diabolik and HERE from Vinegar Syndrome

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

Mother, Couch comes to Blu-ray via Film Movement. Writer/director Niclas Larsson's debut feature, after a healthy career in shorter form directing, tackles very real familial concerns with the occasionally insightful, occasionally frustrating language of dreams. The bonus features and additional booklet included combine to elucidate the process of making a film like this, leading to a very satisfying overall package.

The Movie: 4.5 star

Writer / director Niclas Larsson, in his debut feature, adapts the novel Mamma i soffa by Jerker Virdborg with an all-star cast including Ewan McGregor, Taylor Russell, Rhys Ifans, Lara Flynn Boyle, F. Murray Abraham, and Ellen Burstyn in the surreal tale of a disconnected family who unite when their mother (Burstyn) refuses to leave the couch of a very uncanny furniture warehouse. McGregor, Ifans, and Boyle play siblings with different fathers who have never been especially close, but all find themselves drawn into the orbit of their manipulative and withholding mother.

Mother, Couch starts and is almost immediately disorienting. According to the commentary track, this was a deliberate choice to put the audience in the right headspace for what is to come. Ultimately, the film isn't exactly subtle, but watching it all build from these first moments, with their feeling of subtle oddness, is really quite satisfying. But none of it would work without the support of the cast. Ewan McGregor is incredible as David; desperately scrabbling for control over the events in his life and suppressing his feelings in an attempt to prove he's in control. But to whom?

Lara Flynn Boyle as older sister Linda is great, though neither she nor Rhys Ifans (as Gruffudd) have a ton to do. Their characters float in and out of David's sphere while he's trying to decipher just why exactly his mother is refusing to leave the Oakbed Furniture warehouse. They're not actively hindering David's efforts, but neither are they what you'd call helpful. David meanwhile is trying to navigate a tense situation with his wife (Lake Bell) and fulfill promises to their kids, all as his mother and siblings slowly make themselves more and more comfortable, leaving David to straighten everything out.

While McGregor gives maybe the most emotionally volatile performance of his career (?), and absolutely deserves recognition for it, my favorite character and performance is Taylor Russell as Bella. Her father owns the Oakbed Furniture warehouse, which has recently gone out of business, but still seems to be in operation. Russell radiates comfort and support as Bella, and she acts as the calm center of David's emotional storm.

I'm sure this film will earn itself comparisons to Ari Aster's Beau is Afraid (also released in 2023), but for my money, Mother, Couch is a much tighter and more focused affair while still maintaining its sense of heightened unreality. Like that film, Mother, Couch deals with parents, grief, aging, generational trauma, and the difficulties of maintaining relationships with family. Unlike Beau is Afraid however, this film is much more uplifting and hopeful; almost encouraging.

The Packaging: 4 star

The packaging here is nothing fancy. There was a slipcover with the first pressing of the disc featuring a collage-style assortment of moments from the film on the front, and a pattern of chainsaws, clouds, and keys on the back, but it has since sold out. The standard cover features an image of David's head, exposing the interior, where his mother rides the couch on a stormy sea. The release also includes a handsome booklet with an essay from film critic, author, and historian Jason Bailey.

The Video: 5 stars

The film itself looks amazing; soaked in light even in the looming, shadowy warehouse. The colors here, amber lamplight, pale green wallpaper, and stately charcoal shadows, are all thematically important as the parts of David's life begin to collapse on top of each other. Details of the furniture that surrounds them in the warehouse become important in a textual way as well once David is given a key and the vague description of the desk whose drawer it unlocks. All of which is beautifully supported with this release, which does a proper job of transferring the film to a disc fit for your home library.

The Audio: 5 stars

I checked out both the 2.0 and 5.1 sound options on my three-channel sound bar, and thought that overall, both worked perfectly well for me. The 2.0 mix was a slight bit quieter I think, but neither mix seemed to need much finesse. Once I settled on a volume level, I could just leave it be for the duration and enjoy the film.

Composer Christopher Bear shows up for the last 15-20 minutes of the commentary track and he and writer/director Niclas Larsson give some fantastic insights into how they conceptualized the score and why they chose what they chose at certain key moments.

The Special Features: 4 stars

My biggest takeaway from the special features present here is that I'm very excited for whatever writer/director Niclas Larsson does next. He is the constant on the commentary track, with four other members of the crew coming in and out in a manner very similar to the people in David's life now that I think about it. The commentary track combined with the BTS feature give great insight into the process of making this film and harnessing its very unique tone and energy. As I mentioned above, this release comes with a booklet, which I think bears mentioning alongside the disc's special features, as it similarly gives insights into the film in a foundational way that made for a very satisfying read.

• Audio commentary with writer / director Niclas Larsson, producer Sara Murphy, production designer Mikael Varhelyi, editor Carla Luffe, and composer Christopher Bear
• Between the Cushions and Behind the Scenes featurette
• Trailer
• 16 page booklet with an essay from film critic, author, and historian Jason Bailey

In Summary: 4.5 stars

The dreamlike nature of Mother, Couch might not be to everyone's tastes. Things ebb and flow in the manner of dream logic; something might be incredibly important one moment, then barely worth a second thought the next, and while David tries to sort it out, he realizes he was meant to be somewhere else, also extremely important, at the same time. Meanwhile people seem to come and go with barely any to-do.

If you're the kind of person who finds themselves thinking "Why don't they just A, B, or C?" about characters in a movie, you might not have the easiest time with Mother, Couch, which rewards introspection and quiet consideration as it defies conventional logic. It's best, at times, just to let it wash over you. Logic takes a backseat in the long run, allowing emotions to resonate in a quietly beautiful way.

THE WIZ (Criterion)

The Wiz
Criterion

The Stats
Video: 1080p High Definition on Blu-ray (2160p Dolby Vision HDR on 4K disc)
Audio: Dolby TrueHD on Blu-ray (Dolby Atmos on 4k disc)
Subtitles: SDH

Buy it HERE from Criterion or HERE from Diabolik

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

The Wiz comes to 4K and Blu-ray from Criterion. Veteran director Sidney Lumet, music legend Quincy Jones, and a cross-generational cast of icons come together to update L. Frank Baum's classic story for a then-modern audience. This Criterion release offers The Wiz in perhaps the best aural and visual fidelity ever made available, and a respectable amount of bonus features round out the package nicely.

The Movie: Excellent / 4.5 stars

I'm a sucker for musicals, and I've always enjoyed the spectacle of The Wizard of Oz, so I was bound to be a fan of The Wiz. I had the soundtrack on vinyl, and had a performance of the stage show that had aired on some channel or another duped onto a VHS. Growing up, I had no idea that it was such a divisive film. While I don't think it's flawless, it is--and this is a technical term so stay with me--Very Damn Good and Thoroughly Entertaining. Sorry for all the industry jargon.

A retelling of L.Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but recontextualized to speak to the then contemporary African American experience of the early 1970s, The Wiz is both bold and very sweet. It takes a larger-than-life portal fantasy and combines it with enormous social issues, and gives these things scale through characters whose archetypes we're most likely quite familiar with. A detail of the original children's novel that gets lost on more modern audiences is how filled it is with allusions to America's monetary policy at the time; the yellow brick road being the gold standard of exchange, Dorothy's silver slippers representing the then-default silver standard. Here, that subtext is swapped for a look at the lives of Black Americans, with a slight focus on those in New York at the time.

Obviously, a lot of this went well over the head of the younger me, and even now there are dimensions to the choices made in this adaptation that I'm not fully cognizant of. The inclusion of the song You Can't Win, which was excised from the stage show but revived here, highlights the oppression of having to exist within a rigged system. I know that now, but young me just thought it was a bop, though we didn't use that term quite yet.

All of which highlights one of the most enduring aspects of The Wiz: it's more than just a remake of The Wizard of Oz. The layers of symbolism to the production decisions, from the types of songs and performances, to the casting choices, all enhance your viewing experiences once you've been hipped to why they were made. If your only cultural impression of The Wiz is as being a musical adaptation that bombed before finding its audience over time, there are the greater depths available to distinguish it, if you're inclined to look. 

Beyond that, the performances are amazing. Though controversial at the time, enough so that original director John Badham stepped down, Diana Ross gives a magnetic performance as a Dorothy who is afraid to take her first real steps into adulthood. Ross is so full of life and enthusiasm, which when you think about the exhausting nature of filming scenes with so much dancing is truly amazing. Michael Jackson’s wet noodle physicality as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell’s sourpuss Tinman, Ted Ross’ boisterous Lion, and Richard Pryor’s livewire paranoia as The Wizard all captured and held my attention at all times. Truly a joy to watch.

The Packaging: Excellent / 5 stars

This is your standard Criterion release: sturdy snap case, gorgeous cover artwork, and an interior cover Yellow Brick Road maze that I found incredibly whimsical; like the placemat you'd find at some diner in Oz. The detail of the "EASE" graffiti on the discs also really appeals to me as someone who grew up through the CD revolution and vividly remember the feeling of my mind being blown by the first disc I saw that had actual art reproduced on it, Beck's Odelay.

That aforementioned cover image, by artist Komi Olafimihan is just absolutely tremendous, accurately capturing the details of the costumes and the spirits of the characters. With very few exceptions, Criterion have figured out what works, from a packaging and design POV, and they stick to it.

The Video: Excellent / 5 stars

Even on the Blu-ray, this looks tremendous. I had actually watched The Wiz a few months ago on a whim, and it was a DVD transfer on whichever streaming service, at best. Compared to that, this is a revelation! The costumes and sets are so well-crafted and FULL of detail, finally being able to truly appreciate them feels incredibly satisfying. The lack of visual noise, and the sharpening of the colors goes a long way towards returning the magical feeling this must have conjured when it first hit the screen.

Importantly, the colors are well balanced. Evillene (Mabel King) for instance, is a very brightly-colored character but actually being able to make out the details of her costume and makeup without them getting swallowed in a blob of color-bleed is especially rewarding. There wasn't much by way of noticeable film grain until the Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day number near the end, which I think was exacerbated by how red everything is during that number. Other than that however, this was an incredibly clean viewing experience.

I've seen people knock the direction by Sidney Lumet for keeping the camera too far back during some of the dance numbers and missing detail, but I don't know if I'd even have agreed with that back in the day. Certainly not now. Even while zoomed way out, taking in the entire location and all the assembled dancers, this transfer never lacks for detail and enhances the organic feeling of the choreography--something discussed with more expertise than I can offer on the commentary track.

The Audio: Excellent / 5 stars

Even Criterion knows that you can't talk about The Wiz without talking about Quincy Jones. One of the special features is director Sidney Lumet discussing their film collaborations. Jones' legacy within music will be felt for a long, long time, and while his contributions to The Wiz may pale somewhat in comparison, they're no less special and in no way lack for quality. Luckily the audio transfer is wonderful! I have a three-channel soundbar, nothing fancy, just enough to enhance my viewing experience somewhat. The audio, remastered from original materials kept in the Universal Pictures vault, really gives Quincy, and the soundtrack he oversaw, its due.

The instrumentation shines, the vocals are clear and well-mixed and everything is extremely well-balanced. In that Lumet interview, he discusses how he dislikes most movie music, seeing it as muzak. Something he and Quincy saw eye-to-eye on was that a film's score should never just be reiterating what was happening on screen. They wanted it to enhance the experience for the audience, and I think watching The Wiz with that in mind and with this quality of audio, really gave me a greater appreciation for the craft of scoring a film.

The Special Features: Excellent / 5 stars

I was honestly a little surprised at how few features there were, but they were very enlightening and I had a blast watching them. The Diana Ross interview is hilarious. She's very poised, but the man interviewing her is such a bitchy asshole. It's actually pretty funny how little she reacts to his bait. The interview with Lumet was a great bit of insight into the legendary Quincy Jones, but most of the discussion focused on their first collaboration, 1964's The Pawnbroker. I especially enjoyed the commentary from Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin. It was extremely informative, well considered, and their overall camaraderie and tone was extremely friendly and inviting. I especially liked the dives into Luther Vandross, who composed the song Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day, and where Richard Pryor was in his career at this time.

• Archival interview with Diana Ross
• originally aired in October 1978 for the film's theatrical premier
• Archival interview with Sidney Lumet
• originally appeared as part of the American Masters episode Quincy Jones: In the Pocket
• Theatrical trailer
• Commentary track from scholars Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin

• Booklet includes an essay from author and film critic Aisha Harris

In Summary: Must own! / 5 stars 

About the only thing I'd ding this release on is that I feel like there's a lot to be said, and to be unpacked, culturally, about The Wiz. It's touched on here and there, as in Aisha Harris' essay where she mentions the film's weak box office showing being seen as the end of audience's interest in films with all black casts. Speaking purely for myself, I'd have been happy to sit through a lengthy dive into these areas. But I can't really fault this release for trusting me to chase those particular leads down on my own.

On whatever level you approach this release from, it won't disappoint. If you already love The Wiz, it looks and sounds better than it has in decades at least. If you just enjoy musicals and/or musical theater, the songs and costumes will speak, and sing, for themselves. If you're a nerd about one of the numerous areas of Hollywood history that The Wiz exists within, the special features are a great place to start your own personal deep dive.