The Black Hole (Must Auk; Finland/Estonia, 2024)
Official synopsis: Residents of an apartment block district long for a better life, but when a black hole appears mysteriously in a lilac bush, they have to face aliens, a giant spider and an Austrian in breeches. When the aliens land on Earth, they will change the lives of everyone they meet. Sirje (Anne Reemann) and Maret (Eva Koldits), dreaming of finding work abroad, end up in an extraterrestrial science experiment. Jüri (Ursel Tilk), still living with his mother, falls in love with his lustful neighbour, Gertrud (Jekaterina Linnamäe). Mariliis (Doris Tislar), who dreams of a world without abusive men, finds shelter at fearless bodybuilder Uma’s (Rea Lest) apartment full of giant spiders.
Extraterrestrials and huge spiders abound in the comedy/drama/fantasy The Black Hole, but it’s also sometimes fellow humans of whom the protagonists must beware. Director Moonika Siimets has crafted a thoroughly entertaining film that combines fantastical elements and sometimes bleak but always engaging drama, with humor that ranges from the absurd to the heartwarming. The performances are top notch, and the puppetry and other practical effects that bring the creatures to cinematic life is stunning. Some gruesome-looking body horror played for well-earned laughs is done with CGI but looks impressive. The Black Hole is one of the most original films currently on the festival circuit and I highly recommend it for genre-film lovers who seek out the unusual.
Vampire Zombies . . . From Space! (Canada, 2024)
Official synopsis: In 1957, two detectives, a young heroine, and a chain-smoking greaser try to stop Dracula’s (Craig Gloster) cosmic plan to turn a small American town into his vampire zombie army before it’s too late. From the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet: turning the residents of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies. Terror grips the town as a full-blown zombie outbreak erupts, leaving chaos in its wake. A motley crew consisting of a grizzled detective (Andrew Bee as Police Chief Ed Clarke), a sceptical rookie cop (Rashaun Baldeo as Officer James Wallace), a chain-smoking greaser (Oliver Georgiou as Wayne), and a determined young woman (Jessica Antovski as Mary) band together to save the world from — see title. Packed with gruesome special effects, b-movie miniatures, and gut-busting laughs, VAMPIRE ZOMBIES . . . FROM SPACE! is a bloody comedy that has its foundation in horror films of the 1950s.
Dracula and his son Dylan (Robert Kemeny), who digs human pop culture, invade from another planet in director Mike Stasko’s science fiction/horror comedy Vampire Zombies . . . From Space!. The result is an amusing valentine in glorious black-and-white to 1950s-era B-movie genre fare, with the humor ranging from homage (Ed’s Wood & Hardware is one of the town’s businesses) to corny to outlandish to broad (Rabelaisian humor, to put it generously, abounds, including Lloyd Kaufman portraying a serial public masturbator). The members of the sizable cast are all in on their performances, and some gory practical effects look terrific. Stasko and company ask nothing more of viewers than sitting back and having a fun time, and although not all of the jokes land, overall Vampire Zombies . . . From Space! does what it sets out to do, providing a mirthful movie experience that presses the nostalgia buttons.
Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story (Canada, 2025)
Official synopsis: LUNATIC profiles the complex life of famed WWF women’s wrestler Luna Vachon who, while battling for glory inside the wrestling ring, was also battling her inner demons outside the ring. Born into a wrestling dynasty, Trudy Vachon transformed into Luna “The Lunatic” Vachon, a formidable force in the WWF during the “Attitude Era” in the late 1990s early 2000s. Known for her intimidating presence and unparalleled skill, Luna shattered stereotypes, inspiring a generation of women to embrace their strength and challenge the status quo. Beyond the wrestling ring, however, Luna battled personal demons, including the guilt of balancing motherhood with her career, a bipolar diagnosis, abuse, and addiction. The film poignantly portrays the duality of Luna’s life, revealing the sensitive woman beneath the hardened exterior.
Although not a fear-fare film, Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story should be of great interest especially to horror movie fans who were also pro wrestling fans in the 1990s and 2000s. Luna Vachon was one of a group of horror-themed wrestlers in the WWF, including a run with her then-husband David Heath, who wrestled with a vampire gimmick under the name of Gangrel. But you needn’t be any particular type of fan to be moved by director Kate Kroll’s superb documentary, which digs deep into the trouble life of second-generation pro grappler Trudy Vachon, who changed the face of women’s wrestling as Luna Vachon. The film covers her successes and her low points, the latter of which include — but are by no means limited to — battling substance abuse and turning over the raising of her children to their grandmother. Kroll doesn’t craft her documentary as an exploitative piece, though. Rather, it is a moving tribute to an independent woman determined to do things her way, no matter the cost.
The Black Hole, Vampire Zombies . . . From Space! and Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story screened as part of the Calgary Underground Film Festival which ran April 17-27. For more information visit https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/.
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