ROUNDING (2025) - Music Box Selects

Rounding
Music Box Selects

Original Release Date Feb. 14th, 2025
Written by Alex Thompson, Christopher Thompson
Directed by Alex Thompson
Starring Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Rebecca Spence, Bradley Grant Smith
Language English

Get your copy HERE from Diabolik, or HERE from Orbit

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

Overview:

Rounding comes to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome partner label Music Box Selects. Director Alex Thompson, and his co-writer brother Christopher draw on the family business to bring a medical thriller that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Music Box Selects' release of Rounding features a respectable video transfer and audio package with a somewhat middling selection of bonus features.

The Movie Itself: Good

After the death of a patient shocks him into a breakdown, young doctor James Hayman (Namir Smallwood) transfers to a more rural hospital, hoping to start over somewhere that he could reset, do some good, and hopefully make some strides in his career. But he may not be as ready to return as he'd like to think. When a young girl with a perplexing diagnosis comes to his notice, James begins to see something sinister happening under the surface of this idyllic new situation.

Rounding is a moody, cold, alienating experience that is nonetheless a pretty fascinating watch. A character study with a really engrossing lead performance, its biggest problem is that it keeps trying to distract the audience from what the real story is, which does it a disservice. As James becomes obsessed with "solving" Helen (Sidney Flanigan)'s case, he begins to put his personal life, health, and sanity on the line in ways that feel visceral to the audience and impressively visualized.

I want to like Rounding more than I ultimately did. The trailer, which is included as a bonus feature, obviously leads you to presume something more unique is happening at the story’s core, and that subterfuge being a red herring takes away from the emotional core of the story. Without the visions of floating girls or beasts lurking in the hospital’s dark corridors, the movie is essentially an episode of House M.D. (it even has its obsessed medical professional limping through the film’s back half!) and there’s really nothing wrong with that. House was on TV for eight seasons, so obviously there is an audience for this kind of medical mystery-solving, without necessarily needing to include a Scooby-Doo style ruse.

None of this is to say that the film is bad. Every other facet, aside from that story contrivance, is actually quite good. The writing itself, the acting, the look and sound of the flick are all very polished and professional, which even for a sophomore effort is quite impressive.

The Packaging: Average

This is another solid but unremarkable physical release, from a design perspective. The case here is the usual, slightly wider, sturdier clear plastic Blu-ray case. The cover is an excellent, evocative image of James with some surreal touches alluding to his growing obsession over Helen's case. The interior image is James staring out from a black void. Nothing incredible, but it does have one of the more eye-catching covers.

The Video: Good

Rounding looks great. Cinematographer Nate Hurtsellers has a very varied list of previous works, including music videos, which I always say speaks to a great versatility and creativity. Without spoiling anything, there are some supernatural visuals in Rounding that are incredibly competently handled for such a low budget film. Golden or amber lights, cool greens and blues, and deep shadows run throughout much of the film, and all look very appealing, even as they add to the increasingly spooky tone.

A reoccurring event in James' life is that he goes running early in the morning every day before his shifts, no matter the weather. There's a very tangible cold dampness that's most noticeable in these scenes, but persists throughout much of the film. This inhospitable feeling helps to put you in James' mindset as he increasingly feels he is the only one truly committed to Helen's care.

The Audio: Average

I noticed no issues with Rounding. There's one sequence where a code is called and rather than wait for the elevator, James runs up several flights of stairs. It turns out this code was called in error, and an exhausted James then throws up in a nearby trashcan. For some reason, this moment is underscored by a kind of goofy clarinet movement? Other than that though, the score is very non-invasive and overall pleasant and fitting for whatever is happening onscreen. 

The sound mix is perfect for what it is. My three channel soundbar had no issues with the mix, so no buzzing or anything like that, and I had no issues with the volume, so I wasn't constantly adjusting up and down to hear dialogue. That's always my biggest gripe (aside from maybe muddy audio in general), and Rounding was a real "set it and forget it" situation.

The Supplements: Average

The bonus features here are decent, but nothing to write home about. My favorite bit was the Interview with Michael Potts who plays James' attending, Dr. Harrison. It's clear that Potts put a lot of thought into who this man was when he wasn't on screen, including some backstory and a personal obsession, none of which are important (or even mentioned) in the film, which leads me to believe these were the actor's choices. And I applaud them.

I couldn't let this one thing go, however. The BTS feature is made up of cast and crew interviews and while they do feature some interesting observations and context (like what it was like for them making the film during COVID, etc.) but then the following Interview features are just the same footage. There's a little extra meat on each of the bones, but not enough where it feels like it warranted a multiple separate entries, and if it was that interesting, just fold it all into the main BTS feature. It almost feels like it was done to artificially inflate the bonus feature count? A weird choice.

• Commentary with director Alex Thompson and editor Mike Smith
• Behind the Scenes of "Rounding" (15:38) (HD)
• Interview with director Alex Thompson (5:14) (HD)
• Interview with co-writer Christopher Thompson (4:20) (HD)
• Interview with Namir Smallwood (3:43) (HD)
• Interview with Sidney Flanigan (2:27) (HD)
• Interview with Michael Potts (2:50) (HD)
• Deleted Scenes (4:47) (HD)
• Outtakes (6:13) (HD) (Unmixed audio)
• Trailer (1:34) (HD)

Final Thoughts: Worth a Look

Rounding is a very well-made film that tries to obfuscate its concerns with too much misdirection, which ends up robbing the third act of some of its impact. The supernatural imagery, even though I liked it, quickly becomes such an obvious misdirect that I could feel myself not fully engaging with the film's stranger scenes because I presumed they would just end up being revealed to be another dream sequence or the like. But the story at Rounding's core is very interesting and ultimately tragic.

There is a way to just tell this story without as many unnecessary complications and allow it to be a story about obsession, dedication, and self sacrifice (to a fault), and I feel like that version of Rounding would have me recommending it with my whole chest. As it stands, I feel this is definitely worth seeing, for the excellent cinematography and lead performance, but will only earn a place on specific folks' shelves.

TAHARA (2020) - Film Movement

Tahara
Film Movement

Original Release Date January 25th, 2020
Written by Jess Zeidman
Directed by Olivia Peace
Starring Madeline Grey DeFreece, Rachel Sennott, Daniel Taveras, Shlomit Azoulay
Language English

Get your copy HERE from Orbit, or HERE from Vinegar Syndrome

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

Overview:

Tahara comes to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome partner label Film Movement. The first feature from director Olivia Peace, the film is creative and well-executed. Film Movement's release of Tahara looks and sounds solid, but is light on bonus features.

The Movie Itself: Good

Tahara isn't anything wildly original, but it is done quite well. Two best friends, Carrie and Hannah (Madeline Grey DeFreece and Rachel Sennott, respectively) attend the funeral service and the mandatory post-funeral discussion session in the synagogue for a recently deceased classmate. Their attentions, however, are on a million other things: Tristan (Daniel Taveras) the cute boy Hannah is crushing on, the performative grieving of some other classmates, and a recent party attended by Hannah and the deceased, but NOT Carrie. The fact that the two are never quite on the same emotional wavelength creates subtle but constant friction in a way that feels authentically like high school. When Hannah cajoles Carrie into sharing a "practice kiss", a variety of new feelings bloom in Carrie for her frustrating and somewhat self-centered bestie.

But Tahara avoids melodrama. Since almost the entire film takes place in the presence of others, there can be very few histrionics. When Carrie and Hannah argue, it is done through looks and brief gestures, or hushed tirades delivered just around the corner, all of which adds to the frustrations inherent in the high school melodrama genre. The characters can never get it all out of their system, and just have to let off enough steam so they won't immediately explode, then continue carrying this weight until the next opportunity to turn the pressure release.

The performances are what stays with you. Carrie and Hannah’s friendship feels real because it’s so nuanced. Hannah is kind of a jerk and when the film opens, you don’t know whether that’s just how she is or not. The fact that Carrie seems so put-off by her behavior is your first inkling that something is going on that we’re not being told, and that very small scale mystery, that question, is what keeps your attention. Everything else that happens, internally or externally, all functions to make aspects of that central relationship clear(er). As a character piece, its strength is in its nuance.

If you’ve ever had complicated feelings for a friend, or had to deal with the slow realization that someone you cared about is not who you thought they were, Tahara will likely hit home even if you weren’t a young, black, Jewish, queer girl at the time. Some things, like bad friends and messy emotions, are universal.

The Packaging: Good

This is the slightly sturdier, clear plastic Blu-ray case traditionally used by Vinegar Syndrome and its partner labels. The cover presents Carrie and Hannah's heads positioned counter to each other and sideways, with a cloudy purple, pink, and blue background. The interior image on the back of the cover is of the two friends looking at each other, tinted fully purple.

The release comes with a handsome booklet featuring an essay from entertainment journalist Sara Clements discussing the film's themes and highlighting the more unique aspects of its story. There's nothing unique about the release, physically, but it is quite handsome.

The Video: Good

With the caveat that this is an independent production from a first time feature director, I think Tahara looks pretty good. The vast majority of the run time is spent in a classroom, and related hallways and bathrooms, which leads to a predominance of overcast, slightly desaturated lighting, but it's a very pleasant, soft look overall.

But there are some really inventive and creative moments here. When Carrie and Hannah share Hannah's "practice kiss", the film's dimensions expand. Initially shot in a square aspect ratio, the kiss literally expands Carrie's world in a way that's extremely clever, ambitious, and quietly melodramatic. There are also brief animation and claymation interludes that further elaborate on the characters' inner turmoil. They're not long, or especially involved, so don't expect to see Mad God stuff here, but they feel authentically like the flights of fancy that kids experiencing these feelings might imagine. It's good stuff that stands in contrast to the comparatively dull everyday of their real world.

The Audio: Average

Similarly, I have no real complaints with the sound mixing of the film itself. Though it's light on score, the dialogue mixing is very good. Again: most of the film is in a synagogue, with a few scenes in bathrooms and the like, but there's no wild sound echoes, squeaky shoes, or anything else I associate with my time in similar buildings.

The mix through my three-channel sound bar was perfect, and I never had to reach for the volume knob because of a sudden volume change ...except, for some reason, the menu is incredibly loud when compared to the film itself. This seems to happen sometimes, and I just do not get it. Obviously, I didn't notice this at the start of my viewing experience, but once the flick ended and the menu started back up, whatever mumbly r&b track that ends the film burst, with renewed vigor, from my speakers. It was not the most pleasant experience.

The Supplements: Average

Listen, I know this is a small production, and the cast and crew were all relative newcomers at the time (I believe this is Rachel Sennot's first feature) but I'm certain there's something that could have been thrown together to give me what I always look for from these kinds of features: context. Though it lacks anything like outtakes or behind-the-scenes interviews, the commentary track is charming, and reasonably informative, with five of the people involved in bringing the film to fruition all sharing their perspectives and memories.

• Commentary with director Olivia Peace, writer Jess Zeidman, cinematographer Tehillah De Castro, editor Troy Lewis, and sound designer Justin Enoch
• Trailer (1:48) (HD)
• Alternative Trailer (2:30) (HD)

Final Thoughts: Worth a Look

Let's address the elephant in the room: While it IS funny that both this and Shiva Baby are films about young female Jewish queerness centered around funerals released in 2020, AND that they both feature Rachel Sennot in a prominent role, I think that their differences in subject matter, concerns and execution are more than enough to set them apart from one another.

I'm not wild about Tahara, but I fully acknowledge that it does have some truly unique points of interest. First of all, Cassie is played by Madeline Grey DeFreece, a black actress and while her race is not a direct component of the story, it is still a very unique thing to see a film with a black, queer, Jewish, female point of view character. And not for nothing, but DeFreece is very good and engaging in the role. Her performance is more than enough to justify giving this one a watch, whether you decide to own a copy or not.

The Rat-Horse Demon Ska Burger Mural (Slaughterhouse Rock)

I watched the movie Slaughterhouse Rock (1988) last night, and it's fine. It's really rambling and kind of silly; frequently unintentionally funny, etc. But. It has a lot of fun effects for the kills and whatnot, and has a really zany style.

Case in point: Early on, the main guy, Alex (Nicholas Celozzi) goes to dinner but can't focus because he's distracted by the horrible visions he's been having, and they do a riff on the effect from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) when Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) pushes through the wall above Nancy (Heather Langenkamp)'s bed. Instead of a bedroom wall, it's the restaurant wall behind Alex.

But that homage is not the point of this post. The wall itself is:

That's the wall. I don't know exactly what kind of restaurant this is supposed to be (they get burgers), but I kind of love this weird mural! What IS that thing?

A rat?

A horse?

A rat-horse?

I guess it's some kind of demon, what with the spines down its back and the spade-tipped tail. But I also love the shaggy mullet and the underground comix-esque pants and shoes. All that, combined with the checkered everything-else is an aesthetic I absolutely love, and I would absolutely frequent a burger joint with this vibe. Wouldn't you?

THE PHANTOM (1996) - Kino Lorber

The Phantom
Kino Lorber

Original Release Date June 7th, 1996
Written by Jeffrey Boam, based on the comics by Lee Falk
Directed by Simon Wincer
Starring Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Remar
Language English (subtitles available)

Buy your copy HERE from Diabolik, or HERE from Orbit

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

The Movie: Good

For those who came in late... The Phantom is widely regarded as the first costumed comic book hero! Inspired by swashbuckling, globetrotting serial adventure stories, Lee Falk created The Phantom in 1936. Also known as The Ghost Who Walks, The Phantom defends the fictional jungle nation of Bengalla from pirates, poachers, and other ne'er-do-wells with the help of his two pistols, his peak physical conditioning, assorted assistants, both human and animal, and perhaps strongest of all: generational wealth!

In the wake of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, Hollywood raced to find other super heroes to plaster on the big screen. Presumably, as more high-profile characters would be prohibitively expensive, the suits chose lesser-known indie characters like The Crow, The Mask, or the Rocketeer, or older ones like Dick Tracy, The Shadow, and ...The Phantom. Director Simon Wincer's film picks up with the same words I used to open this review; a call-back to the adventure serials that partially inspired the character. In a fun parallel, Superman (2025) also opens with a similar trick, designed to reproduce the feeling of picking up a story in the middle, as used to happen quite often. The difference is that Superman is a character that has consistently been in the public consciousness for decades, while The Phantom was a very obscure character in the U.S. in the mid-'90s.

Billy Zane might be the perfect casting here as The Phantom, in that he not only has leading man charisma, but a real vintage Hollywood marquee look to him. Fun fact: in a previous attempt to adapt this character, which was to be driven by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The 'Burbs), The Phantom was to be played by Bruce Campbell who has a similar classical action hero look. The rest of the cast includes Kristy Swanson as Diana, a spunky debutante adventurer working with her newspaper-owner uncle to investigate the film's villain, wealthy industrialist Xander Drax, played by a gleefully scenery-chewing Treat Willaims.

Drax's plan is to collect three mysterious artifacts: the Skulls of Touganda which, when combined, yadda yadda yadda absolute power; you get the idea. Drax is aided in his quest by mercenary Quill, played with a globe-trotting gravitas by the always great James Remar, and Sala (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the captain of an airborne all-girl gang of pilots. The flick is also almost overflowing with character actors including Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, John Capodice, and Patrick McGoohan, just to name a few.

As the film bounces from Bengalla, to New York, to a mysterious unmarked third location gathering the Skulls, and our heroes survive one dynamic action sequence after another, I fell in love with this character all over again. Zane plays The Phantom with all of his natural charm, he and Swanson banter well and Diana is an incredibly capable female co-lead. Yes, she gets captured and held captive, but then again so does The Phantom. Treat Williams is an incredible sleazebag, with a penchant for reminding you that he's the Bad Guy in the best, most creatively fatal ways. Even though such broad-strokes white hat heroics and black hat villainy can feel a little outdated, The Phantom overcomes these stylistic hurdles to make a truly entertaining adventure yarn!

The Packaging: Good

There's nothing wildly special about the packaging here. It's just very much in line with the traditionally high quality that Kino Lorber puts out. There is a slip cover and a reversible insert with two of the film's posters recreated in the correct 4K Blu-ray dimensions. One is The Phantom punching into the camera with light shining from his skull ring and the tagline SLAM EVIL! at the top, which is also the image on the sleeve. The reverse shows The Phantom sitting on the carved stone throne (did I not mention he had one of those?) inside his skull cave lair (oh, I didn't mention that either?), with a shaft of cold light illuminating the tagline, his sobriquet "The Ghost Who Walks".

It might not be anything overly elaborate, but it's a solid and handsome addition to any physical media library shelf.

The Audio + Video: Excellent

This is where Kino's release of The Phantom really takes the cake. This film looks incredible! As it happens, I had watched the DVD transfer of the film earlier in the week to prepare for an upcoming episode of my podcast, Hate Watch/Great Watch (look for episode 190 if you're so inclined), so I am perhaps uniquely qualified to tell you that this is a definite upgrade. The colors are better; deeper and smartly adjusted. For instance, in most of the film, the deep blacks of the shadows add to the comic book graphic design quality (think of something like Sin City, but not nearly as stark) while in some later sequences in caves, the color has been tweaked to where the shadows are a deep brown, which avoids these darker locations becoming too one-note or flat.

A minor downside to this video upgrade is that some of the CGI assets look worse in comparison. For example, in an opening scene (perhaps a nod to the bridge sequence from 1977's Sorcerer?), one of the cables on a rickety bridge over a steep drop snaps and the CGI dust hit as it goes looks pretty rough. On the plus side, there are actually pretty few such inclusions, and off the top of my head, the other really notable one (involving sparks added to an elevator shaft sequence) looks pretty great, as do the sparks that occur FOR SOME REASON when bullets hit trees during a police chase.

The sound has been restored to the same level of quality. I didn't notice any specific deficiencies in my initial watch of the previously-available Phantom, but in paying attention to review this disc, I found that everything was extremely clear and well-balanced. My three-channel soundbar didn't have any issues; no vibrations, no muddiness, etc., and I never had to pump up the volume in between action scenes. There's also a neat bonus feature interview with composer David Newman, where he describes how little time he had to work on it, that made me really appreciate the score in a new light.

Special Features: Good

Speaking of the bonus features: I'm not mad at them, but I wouldn't have minded more. I almost never would. What I personally really enjoy are interviews or features that give greater context. I would love, for instance, a deep dive into The Phantom's journey to the screen because there were allegedly a number of ultimately less fruitful attempts and I'd love to know more about that. But as I mentioned above, the David Newman interview was very illuminating, as was the one with Billy Zane.

• Commentary track by director Simon Wincer, moderated by filmmaker Douglas Hosdale
• Kismet in the Jungle - interview with Billy Zane (27:08)
• Slam Evil: Scoring The Phantom - interview with composer David Newman (14:49)
• Trailers
• The Phantom (1996) (1:24)
• Treasure of the Four Crowns (1983) 2:01)
• Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) (2:18)
• Hudson Hawk (1991) (2:05)
• Mystery Men (1999) (2:24)

In Summary: Must Own

If you're at all a '90s kid at heart, OR a scholar of comic book movies, OR action films, OR you have kids who might fall into one or more of those categories, I not only recommend The Phantom as a film, but I heartily stan for this specific release which, it cannot be overstated, restores The Phantom to a visual and audio quality that it has been impossible to find for decades.

I don't mean to sound hyperbolic. It's not as though The Phantom is some lost masterpiece; it's a fun Saturday morning with a bowl of cereal movie that's been consistently available since it made the jump from VHS to DVD. BUT. That DVD-era version is muddy, dull, and thoroughly underwhelming, which does the movie a sincere disservice. I'm glad to see The Phantom making the leap to an upgraded format, and hopefully finding a new audience because of it. This Kino Lorber release really Slams the Evil of underwhelming physical media presentation, so why not add it to your library?

Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 - Preview

FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026
The Renowned Festival Turns 30!

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

2026 has already been a great year in film, which I say with the caveats that A) it's barely half over, B) I haven't seen all of the films released in the first half, and C) the Fantasia International Film Festival hasn't even happened yet. Fantasia is a highly anticipated festival each year, for me (and others, don't get it twisted) because of its focus: smaller, largely independent films and shorts, with a focus on offerings from Asian countries. This appeals to me personally because, odds are, if an indie film that I might like is released in the U.S., it's more than likely I'll end up hearing about it. But international films have that extra barrier of distance to overcome.

For the past handful of years, since I've been covering Fantasia, the festival has routinely exposed me to some of my favorite films of each year. Films coming from creators with different influences, different styles of storytelling and different goals. Expanding your horizons is healthy, and I think everyone should try to do it as often as possible. The festival runs from July 16th - August 2nd, and features a number of exclusive screenings and events for anyone interested in attending in person. 

To that end, below are a handful of films screening at the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival that I'm very excited to check out. These are the titles that jumped out at me immediately, either because I'm familiar with some other project(s) from the folks involved, or in some cases, the concept hooked me, but as with every year I look forward to discovering new filmmakers and new ideas at this year's fest!

Get tickets HERE

YOU ARE THE FILM
Directed by Makoto Ueda
Written by Makoto Ueda
North American Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

Madoka (Marika Ito) and Kazuma (Kai Inowaki) are young people separated by about three kilometers (or a 45 minute walk), who seem to be able to communicate with each other through the movies playing in their respective local cinemas. As the title implies, they are each other’s movies! I'm guessing, given writer / director Makoto Ueda's previous work, that this is a romance with some unique twists I won't even see coming. I know Ueda from his screenplays for films like Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020), and River (2023) which each involve unique, small-scale approaches to familiar time-loop concepts. If You Are the Film, which is his directorial debut, is anywhere near as sweet and creative as those films, I'll be very, very happy.

LOS VAMPIRES
Directed by Craig Mitchell
Written by Craig Mitchell
World Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

Famously, while director Tod Browning filmed the 1931 Dracula by day, director George Melford filmed the Spanish-language version on the same sets by night. This is true, look it up. What writer / director Craig Mitchell's Los Vampires does is take a fictionalized spin on this arrangement and add in a rivalry between the two stars (Henry Ian Cusick and Thomas Kretschmann, respectively) and a series of murders happening around the set. As with the TV show Dragnet, “...the names have been changed to protect the innocent”. This story set-up really appeals to me, not just because I love vampire films, but because the whole fictionalized events on the set of a formative vampire film gimmick reminds me of the 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire (check it out if you haven't!).

THE GLORIOUS DEAD
Directed by John Adams, Toby Poser
Written by John Adams, Toby Poser
World Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

I was already a definite fan of the Adams family (with one 'd'; the family who've brought us the films Hellbender (2021), Where the Devil Roams (2023), and Mother of Flies (2025) among others) but after they personally reached out to say they'd read a review I'd written, I'm ride-or-die. Turns out they're as gracious and down-to-Earth as you'd hope. Their latest, The Glorious Dead, finds Toby Poser and Zelda Adams playing a small town sheriff and her deputy who wake up to find out everything is wrong. According to the description "...blood drips from faucets, people and pets are missing, and fleshy creatures walk the woods". Whatever is behind the events of the plot, I trust the steady hands of the Adamses to deliver a good time.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Directed by Kasper Kalle
Written by Rasmus Birch, Kasper Kalle, Karl Heinreich Ulrichs (short story)
World Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

A fisherman and a stranded whaler begin a secret, queer love affair in this Danish vampire flick that's being described as "haunting" and compared to the work of Robert Eggers (director of The Lighthouse (2019), and Nosferatu (2024) among others). Based on the 1884 (!) story "Manor" by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, what little I could find about this flick (which unfortunately shares a title with an SEO-dominating video game franchise) looks splendidly dark and sensual.

RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON
Directed by Nick Taylor
Written by Joseph Krings, Nick Taylor
World Premiere
Acquire tickets HERE

I love the increasingly lost art of practical effects just a hair more than I appreciate the innovations of digital, and while I didn't recognize the name Steve Johnson right off the bat, a cursory glance at his credits shows that I certainly should. With titles ranging from popular blockbusters like Spider-Man 2 (2004), to genre classics like Big Trouble in Little China (1986), to cult faves like Brainscan (1994), to series like The Tick (2001-2002), and music videos from Primus and Slipknot; the man has had some hand in such a great many entertainments that I've personally enjoyed! I'm very excited to hear his story told by many of the folks he's worked with as well as the man himself!

Honorable mention titles that nearly made it into this write-up include Colony (dir. Yeon Sang-ho), the bio-hacking zombie outbreak flick from the director of Train to Busan (2016); Kung Fu (dir. Giddens Ko), Taiwan's first martial arts fantasy film in 40 years; AnyMart (dir. Yusuke Iwasaki), a gory satire set in a convenience store in a corporate dystopia; and Dance Freak (dirs. Alan Resnick and Robby Reckleff), a dance-virus take on an outbreak film from creators known for their genre-hopping short films like Unedited Footage of a Bear (2014) or This House Has People in It (2016). 

Those are just the titles I felt like I had enough of a handle on that I could attempt to explain them. There are so many other films where I won't truly know what I'm watching until the credits roll (and sometimes not even then). If none of them sound like your thing, it's most definitely worth taking a look at what else is on offer this year. The Fantasia International Film Festival is truly a smorgasbord of cinematic treats. Look around, you're sure to find something delicious.

THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS (1976) - Arrow Video

The House with Laughing Windows
Arrow Video 

Original Release Date August 20th, 1976 (Italy)
Written by Pupi Avati, Antonio Avati, Gianni Cavina, Maurizio Costanzo
Directed by Pupi Avati
Starring Lino Capolicchio, Francesca Marciano, Gianni Cavina,
Language Italian (English subtitles available)

Purchase your copy from MVD HERE

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

The Movie: Good

The House with Laughing Windows doesn't have the grandest legacy, by which I mean it isn't a title that gets tossed around a lot in casual horror conversations, even when discussing the Giallo sub genre, but it certainly could be. Beyond just being very well made, the more unique aspects of The House with Laughing Windows tick many of the typical Giallo film boxes and predate twists in some very popular, more mainstream horror titles. And to be clear: I can't even discuss all of them here because that would rob you of experiencing their revelations yourself.

Art restorer Stefano (Lino Capolicchio) comes to a small Italian village to restore a recently unearthed fresco in the village church. Coincidentally, he will be staying at a house that the artist, Legnani, who is long dead, had once shared with his two sisters. As the restoration goes on, Stefano begins a romance with demure school teacher Francesca (Francesca Marciano) and simultaneously becomes more aware of the local legends and superstitions surrounding Legnani.

There is a sinister feeling that permeates The House with Laughing Windows that few films can maintain for a full run time. As the restoration of the fresco, which depicts the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, continues, the feeling that you shouldn't see what's really under there grows in synch with a series of unsettling events happening around Stefano. You're given ample time to wonder if the rumors the villagers repeat are true, and perhaps how far they're willing to go to keep this history buried.

The Audio + Video: Good

This movie looks fantastic while still preserving what I feel is a key component of The House with Laughing Windows: there is a certain faded quality to it. Much like the fresco that sets the whole ball rolling, that patina of mild decay seems to fall over the entire film. The house that Stefano stays in is filled with once beautiful paintings and murals that have all degenerated since the halcyon days of their prime. The film's restoration reflects that: the colors are deep here and there, when it's appropriate. A yellow glass bottle, vibrant green trees on the edge of the property, etc. but there is an overcast, washed out, dull cast to most of the film. Those occasional moments of bright color only call this into greater contrast, drawing your attention to the casual shabbiness of the town which adds to the film's overall feeling of unease.

The sound mix in Giallo films always feels heightened to me: everything is just a little too sharp, too harsh. Whether its footsteps in a mostly empty house, the wind through the vegetation, or a scream, I find that Giallo films routinely sound like they're just tipping into the red. The overall effect is to further keep you tense and on edge.

The score on the other hand, is handled very well, with a perfect mix that doesn't ever overwhelm or compete with any of the important dialogue. I have a three-channel soundbar and my biggest sticking point with a film's mix is whether I have to ride the volume button the whole time. The House with Laughing Windows avoids this expertly. While certain sound effects were loud enough to demand attention, I could always hear everyone clearly (obviously, the English subtitles help with my clarity, but still) and the score would come and go, building to its various emotional crescendos.

One piece of Amedeo Tommasi's score, Tema D'amore No. 2 (Love Theme 2) is actually really beautiful and haunting, with sustained piano chords under a delicate melody filled with longing. While all the compositions in the film work, this one is my favorite. It's a true "they understood the assignment" moment.

Special Features: Excellent

When it comes to special features, what I'm always looking for is a greater understanding of the context in which the film was made. I'm happy to say that this Arrow release really delivers in that regard. The included, feature-length (!) documentary about the making of the film, Painted Screams (2025), is a treasure trove! With interviews ranging from stars Lino Capolicchio and Francesca Marciano, to director Pupi Avati, the doc gives insight into not just the making of the film, but into where the ideas came from, to recollections from life on-set, like going to the local pharmacy forgetting you're covered in fake blood!

Beyond that, the two video essays La Casa e Sola and The Art of Suffering, both of which were produced for this release, give really elucidating insight into aspects of the film I wasn't consciously thinking of. In La Casa e Sola (The House Stands Alone), critic Chris Alexander draws particular attention to The House with Laughing Windows' somewhat grisly opening credits and contrasts them with the subtle implication of violence in the credits to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), which were designed by the amazing Saul Bass (that's neither here not there, I just love the guy). In The Art of Suffering, critic Kat Ellinger focuses on the push-pull of themes in the film between, as she says "Apollonian Rationality and Pagan Chaos", as well as drawing comparisons with Clive Barker's Hellbound Heart and the writings of M.R. James.

Since I had seen this picture before, I watched all of the bonus content before diving back in for a rewatch, and I was not disappointed. Armed with numerous new facets to pay special attention to, I really enjoyed my second visit to The House with Laughing Windows.

• Commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
• Commentary by Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth
• Painted Screams (1:34:31)
• La Casa e Sola (19:13)
• The Art of Suffering (14:59)
• Theatrical Trailer (3:40)

In Summary: Must Own

The thing about horror as a genre is that, even though it at times has been seen as lesser-than by mainstream studios, audiences and critics, it's always been relatively easy to make. Not everything, mind you, but it's never been prohibitively expensive to gather some teens / twenty-somethings and put someone in a spooky mask, holding a kitchen knife. This means that, even before its most recent reappraisal and popularity boom, horror has been a crowded field and it's all too easy for films of even high quality to slip by without much notice,

To that end, I recommend anyone with any love for horror, but ESPECIALLY if you're into Giallo, should pick up Arrow's release. Even for a student of the game, there are moves in this film that really left me pleasantly surprised. Plus, I'm a sucker for the folk horror sub genre, which this most definitely flirts with (multiple people in the bonus features make comparisons to The Wicker Man (1973) and with good reason) and films built around pieces of ancient art with a terrible secret. The House with Laughing Windows is all these things, while also splashing around in the tawdry sexual shocks of Giallo, and delivering a constant simmering tension that's just unbeatable.

THAT ALIEN, SOUND (2025)

That Alien, Sound
Directed by Brando Topp
Written by Brando Topp
Starring Mia Danelle, Will Tranfo, Deyo Forteza, Amy Hill, Richard Masur
Running time 1 hour and 37 minutes
Streaming now

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

When I first saw That Alien, Sound, back in 2024, I came away from my viewing quietly reeling. The film, from writer / director Brando Topp, takes the basic premise of John Carpenter's 1984 sci-fi drama Starman (written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon) and turns the knobs a little bit. Adjusting the settings to make it, if not more relevant to today's concerns than Starman, at least more focused. I'm not saying anything negative about Starman, mind you, I gave it a solid four stars on Letterboxd, but the Carpenter film is unsurprisingly a little paranoid while Topp's film is all about acceptance. Both are bittersweet.

When Micah (Mia Danelle) collapses in the record store she works at, screaming and clutching at the headphones she's wearing, her coworker / boyfriend Shannon (Will Tranfo) rushes to her aid and sets a precedent for the film that just kept pleasantly surprising me: no matter how crazy what Micah is saying might seem, everyone pretty much rolls with it. As we'll learn, Micah isn't really Micah anymore, she's a sentience; a once formless intelligence from deep space that accidentally hitches a ride on the song Micah was listening to--"Disco" by Death Valley Girls--into Micah's body. She didn't mean to, she didn't even seem to know that was possible, but it happened. And now she's learning what it means to be, not just physical, but human. Most of you reading this right now are likewise human, so you at least have a vague idea of what she's in for.

The former Micah, now going by the name Sound, meets Micah's family, spends time with various groups of assorted friends, and eventually forms something like a plan: perhaps, if they can broadcast a Death Valley Girls performance into space, it will act as a beacon to Micah's consciousness and she can return to her body, and Sound can return to the void. Sound is a gentle soul who seems very aware that piloting someone's body without their consent has consequences, but the story doesn't need to externalize them. There's no tangible penalty if, for instance, Sound were to smoke a cigarette with Micah's brother Deyo (Deyo Forteza), except that Sound would know it was a selfish thing to do, so she doesn't. 

Mia Danelle is phenomenal. I didn't reference Starman at the top of this article by accident. Jeff Bridges' performance in that film is very highly regarded. His take on an alien being learning to exist in a human world is different, and slightly more physical, while Danelle's is mostly experiential. You're constantly asked to believe that this person is realizing what a sense of smell is, or that she can shrug (which is apparently pretty cool), and you do. 

Evan as That Alien, Sound builds a case that Sound's story might not be true and that, as many of the people close to her posit, this is just Micah's way of dealing with feeling overwhelmed, we see person after person playing along, whether they believe it or not, despite having very little to gain. That is what stayed with me most after watching: the kindness. Whether her story is true or not, whether Sound is the most extraordinary person you've ever met or just a girl having a hard time, where is the harm in having a little empathy? 

You never know what someone is going through until you walk a mile in their shoes, or their body. It may be a cliché, but it's one that too few people take to heart. That Alien, Sound makes the case that we could all stand to be a little softer with one another, a little more understanding, and it makes it with heart and good humor. There is no admonishment in this film, no straw man bad guys or tenacious government agents hunting Sound. There's just some kids treating each other kindly and making it look easy to do. This is a film that leads by example, and I'm profoundly glad it exists.