Sci-Fi & Squeam

25 Mar 2016

Spectacular Canadians!

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Episode #314 Tuesday the 22nd of March,2016 at 10pm in the JOY studios Melbourne Town.Sonja-The Squeamer-Hammer has in the studio the most amazing writer and genre film programmer and festival curator Kier-La Janisse from Canada. Kier-La is the new Festival Director for this years Monster Fest 2016 as well as working on the Stranger With My Face International Film Festival running in April this year in Tasmania!

‘Acclaimed author of the autobiographical House of Psychotic Women, Janisse comes to Monster Fest after nearly two decades of experience on the genre festival circuit, having worked for such prestigious events as Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX and founding Canada’s first horror film festival, CineMuerte (1999-2005) as well as co-founding revered Montreal micro-cinema Blue Sunshine. In addition to her Monster Fest duties, Kier-La also runs Spectacular Optical Publications (Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s) and founded the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, which has branches in Montreal and London, with a US branch opening later in the year.

“The appointment of Kier-La signals a real intent on behalf of Monster Fest to permanently etch its way into the Australian cinema landscape” says Monster Fest founder Neil Foley. “In recent times genre film festivals have emerged to become among the most exciting, important and well-attended screen culture events on the planet, both in terms of launching new talent, and celebrating their more established counterparts. Kier-La brings a dynamic mix of experience, knowledge and vision to the festival that we are confident will see Monster Fest take its place alongside some of the world’s finest film festivals. If you’re a fan of sensational genre cinema, whether from behind a camera, or in front of a screen, then this is an exciting day!”

Sonja asks Kier-La about her roles in genre film programming and about her published books and her passion for David Cronenberg movies and Prog rock and in particular the late keyboard wizard Keith Emerson from Emerson, Lake and Palmer. And Kier-La chats about her books and the publishing house Spectacular Optical.

They also discuss the passing of Barry Hines author of YA classic Kes.

Dedicating this weeks podcast to the late Sylvia Anderson.

Below TV Pioneer and genius Sylvia Anderson on the set of Space 1999 in the 1970s.

Sonja, The Squeamer, to celebrate the upcoming Melbourne Queer Film Festival of 2016,reviews one of the few genre films on the menu for this year: Closet Monster by Stephen Dunn:

‘Keeping it from looking like a pallid imitation is Closet Monster’s sheer oddness, as well as the director’s nostalgia for the ’90s in which he grew up, evident in frequent nods to Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer in particular. Dunn’s avatar-like central character has a hamster named Buffy, he applies horns to the head of his best friend, Gemma (Sofia Banzhaf), before class and he’s applying for makeup school in New York; his portfolio looks like a compilation of forensic photographs from Sunnydale High’s mortuary.’ –excerpt from Hollywood Reporter Tiff reviews 2015. That hamster is voiced by Isabella Rossellini!!