CINELATION | Movie Reviews by Christopher Beaubien
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  • DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: BRIDGE NO. 29 (2014)

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:
    BRIDGE NO. 29 (2014)

    My short film stands as a cautionary tale for those unwilling to take personal responsibility for their mistakes until they are thoroughly helpless. The helping hand that Glenn is reaching for this time is Sandra, an old friend he hasn’t seen in a long time. Their reunion couldn’t be more awful. Both of them become engaged in a fierce and highly calculated battle of wills.

  • A Few Bits on A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS (1985)

    A Few Bits on A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS (1985)

    Peter Greenaway’s sumptuously decadent film "A Zed and Two Noughts" (1985) is one that sates both the visceral and cerebral palettes. While the viewers watch these images, they can contemplate how the subtle offsets to otherwise level and harmonious compositions are really broken illusions that reflect their chaotic reality.

  • Movie Review: BERNIE (2012)

    Movie Review: BERNIE (2012)

    Too often, people cannot believe that he – of all people! – could commit murder. That is the buzz coming from the good people of Carthage, Texas over their beloved Bernie Tiede – the real life subject of Richard Linklater’s bizarre crime story.

  • Movie Review: INCENDIES (2011)

    Movie Review: INCENDIES (2011)

    Nawal Marwan is dead. The room is still and unbearably quiet. As the notary Jean Lebel (Rémy Girard) reads Nawal's final will and testament aloud, Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) are disturbed by their mother's final request.

  • Movie Posters: LIFE DURING WARTIME (2010) and Other Films by Todd Solondz

    Movie Posters: LIFE DURING WARTIME (2010) and Other Films by Todd Solondz

    Over Todd Solondz's career from "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (1996) to "Palindromes" (2004), the posters of his films have been consistently inspired. Their designs and illustrations(!) convey the sweet and sour qualities of his controversial themes, which engage and then subvert our expectations.

SIREN (2020) Film Festival Run

Written by Christopher Beaubien • October 02, 2022 • Start the Discussion!

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“SIREN” Electronic Press Kit (EPK)

My latest short movie SIREN (2020) is having a successful film festival run this year.

It has been featured in 79 film festivals around the world and garnered 15 award wins and 24 nominations:

FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS/NOMINATIONS

PEEPHOLE filmfest
Winner for Best Horror Short Film

Vancouver Independent Film Festival
Winner for Best Thriller Short Award for the Spring 2022

The Strange Days Horror Fest
Winner for Best International Short Film Award for September 2023

Snow Leopard International Film Festival
Winner for Best Horror Short Award
Nominated for Best Color Editing and Best Sound Design

The South African Independent Film Festival
Winner for the Best Experimental Film

The Rio Grind Film Festival
Winner for Best Cinematography

Montreal Requiem Fear Fest
Winner for Best Actress (Dalit Holzman)
Nominated for Best Canadian Short Film

HORROR-RAMA 2022 International Short Film Festival
Winner for Best Actress – Scream Queen (Erin Morgan)

Demonic Brilliance Film Festival
Winner for Best Visual Effects (Christopher Beaubien)
Runner Up for Best Cinematography (Ben Dawson)

Fantasy Day Film Festival
Winner for Technical Achievement

Mad Monster Party Film Festival
Winner for Best Sound Design (Noah Meyer)

GenreBlast Film Fest
Nominated for Best Cinematography

L’Hospitalet de Llobregat International Film Festival
Nominated for the Best International Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Actress (Dalit Holzman)

Shockfest Film Festival
Winner for Best One-Sheet Movie Poster
Nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Director’s Reel

Mumbai International Cult Film Festival
Outstanding Achievement Awards:
Best Thriller Short and Best Cinematography
Nominated for Best Editor and Best Sound Design

Haunted House FearFest
Semi-Finalist for Best Movie Under 20 Minutes

Vancouver Movie Awards
Semi-Finalist for Best Short Horror

Sofia International Film Festival
Nominated for Best Thriller

Milwaukee Twisted Dreams Film Festival
Nominated for Best Ensemble, Best Actress (Erin Morgan), Best Supporting Actress (Madison Isolina) and Best Cinematography

Houston Horror Film Festival
Nominated for Best Cinematography

Underground Indie Film Festival
Winner for the Most Creative Film Award

Genre Celebration Festival
Nominated for Best Horror Short and Best Cinematography

The 5th Annual Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival
Nominated for Best About Lesbian Short Film

Oregon Scream Week Horror Film Festival
Nominated for the Best International Film Award

FILM FESTIVALS ACCEPTED

HARD:LINE International Film Festival
Splat!FilmFest – International Fantastic Film Festival
A Night of Horror Film Festival
HorrorHound Film Festival Spring
Portland Horror Film Festival
Idaho Horror Film Festival
Visioni Notturne – Horror Film Festival
Russian International Horror Film Awards
South Carolina Underground Film Festival
NOX FILM FEST Salto International Horror and Fantasy Film Fest
FIXION Fest, Fantastic & Horror Film Festival
Apulia Horror International Film Festival
Cinemafantastique 5
The Dark Hedges International Horror Film Festival
Dead in Decatur Presents: The Art of Fear
Dead Northern Horror Film Festival
New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival
Haunted House FearFest
CELLUDROID Sci-Fi Film Festival
HorrorHound Film Festival Spring

Something Wicked Film Festival
Trí Rivers Film Festival
New West Film Fest
FOGFEST – Newfoundland & Labrador’s Horrror Film Festival

Secret Treaties – Strange Political Bedfellows
FKM, Fantastic Film Festival of A Coruña
Happenstance Horror Fest
Obscura Filmfestival
Siding Festival of Film
Rock And Metal International Film Festival
CRASH – International Fantastic Film Festival
Dante Sunset Film Fest
Ufology and Paranormal Phenomena International Film Festival

The Sick ‘n’ Wrong Film Festival
Chaos Film Fest
Pumpkin Fantasy Film Festival
Bizarrya Short Film Festival
Hallucinea Film Festival
Purgatory Film Festival
Videoscream International Film Festival
FlickFair
Genre Star
Glasgow Horror Festival
LA Underground Film Forum (Honorable Mention)
The Fear Faire Film Festival (Finalist)
Boobs and Blood International Film Festival (Finalist)
Hollywood Horrorfest (Finalist)
Boden International Film Festival (Finalist)
Nasty Frames Independent Film Festival (Finalist)
Shiver International Film Festival (Finalist)
Blow-up Film Festival (Semi-Finalist)
Vancouver Independent MovieMaker Awards (Semi-Finalist)
Horror Unleashed (Semi-Finalist)
JellyFEST – Season 6 (Semi-Finalist)
The Optical Theatre Horror Film Festival (Semi-Finalist)

SYNOPSIS

Driving on a highway late at night, distracted driver April (Dalit Holzman) and her combative lover Brooke (Erin Morgan) are pulled over for speeding by two sinister police officers (Eryka Alanna and Madison Isolina). During a strange and increasingly frightening interrogation, the two women find themselves under the power of a supernatural force that changes everything they ever knew about themselves… and each other.

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OLDBOY (2003) Introduction at the Vancity Theatre

Written by Christopher Beaubien • September 27, 2022 • Start the Discussion!

Oldboy_Cinelation

On the evening of September 17th, I volunteered to introduce the Vancity Theatre’s screening of Park Chan-wook’s cult classic “Oldboy” (2003). This is what I had to say about it.


Good evening. My name is Christopher Beaubien and I am honoured to be here.

Very soon your heart will be pounding in your chest. Your stomach will sink into its knees. And we’ll all be grinning ear-to-ear watching “Oldboy” in all of its 4K glory.

How many of you are seeing this movie for the first time?

Back in 2005, a horror movie buff loaned me a VHS copy of “Basket Case” and then he challenged me to show him a really scary movie. I hate to disappoint and I knew just the movie to show him. Once I had the movie set up to show my new friend as well as 30 other people (Don’t ask), he asked me — he was so excited:

“Chris, is this movie really scary?”

I assured him it was.

Then the air turned to chill and his face betrayed apprehension.

He asked me again, “Chris, is this movie really scary?”

I told him it was.

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SOCKET (2016) – The Newly Restored Version

Written by Christopher Beaubien • June 04, 2022 • Start the Discussion!

During the pandemic one of my side projects was to produce a new restoration of “Socket.” The movie now includes a more detailed and refined color correction, new visual and sound effects as well as a few more subtle improvements to the edit. The picture has also been reformatted into a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, otherwise known as the European widescreen standard.

I hope you enjoy it.

New SIREN (2019) Trailer

Written by Christopher Beaubien • July 27, 2019 • Start the Discussion!

After three years in the making, my new short horror movie Siren (2019) is now complete.

How would I describe this mind-melting descent into psychosexual terror?

Two policewomen pull over two women.

Siren is about to begin its film festival run. The world premiere will take place at the Sick ‘n’ Wrong Film Festival on August 11th.

Over at Screen Fervor, film reviewer and independent filmmaker Jeremy Herbert gave considerable thought to his take on my movie.

Here is the first of four movie posters each featuring a prominent character. They are designed by yours truly.

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SOCKET (2016): A Sick and Twisted Horror Short

Written by Christopher Beaubien • December 22, 2018 • Start the Discussion!

A doctor punishes a photographer for ridiculing her amateurish attempts at his profession.


You can read more about SOCKET HERE.

Download the SOCKET Press Kit


IMDB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER


CONTINUE READING ►