📚🐾 Join me for a book signing at the cat café Cup Cats in Brussels on February 8 at 1 PM! I’ll be bringing my cat-themed books: AVALON, CLOWDERS, and MEOW! 🐈 Come say hi and grab a signed copy!
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Saturday, October 29, 2022
WHEN ANIMALS ATTACK ON TOUR - 7EME AAAARGH RETRO FILM FESTIVAL IN NAMUR
When Animals Attack is going to the 7ème Aaaargh Retro Film Festival in Namur, Belgium.
This year, the festival will devote part of its programming to some of the retro animal-attack movies featured in the book. Three of these films I will also introduce...
* Cujo (1983) - October 30, 09:30 pm
* Razorback (1984) - October 31, 07:30 pm
* Grizzly (1976) - October 31, 09:30 pm
Monday, October 24, 2022
EVIL SEEDS ON TOUR - RAZOR REEL FLANDERS FILM FEST
On October 28 at 6 p.m., I will guide you past the most dangerous cinematic children during an Evil Seeds lecture (in Dutch) at the Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest in Bruges, Belgium.
The event is free and will be followed by two "Evil Seeds" movies that I will also introduce: Richard Donner's The Omen (1976) and Max Kalmanovicz's The Children of Ravensback (1980).
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
18 INSANE HONG KONG MOVIES TO ADD TO YOUR WATCH LIST
Together with the Offscreen Film Festival in Brussels, Belgium, I'll be hosting a retrospective on the craziest Hong Kong movies ever made.
There was a time when Hong Kong was the Hollywood of the East. At its peak in the early 1990s, the local film industry was second only to that of the United States as the world's biggest in terms of output per capita and as the largest exporter of product. Hong Kong played a key role in the spread of Asian cinema to the West, first in the 1970s with the martial arts productions of famous studios such as Shaw Brothers, followed in the 1980s and 1990s by the action, fantasy and horror films of John Woo, Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam.
But alongside the box-office successes, Hong Kong cinema maintained a remarkable level of creativity. Although it had its roots in traditional genres aimed at mass audiences, it also found room for experimentation, innovation and boundary-pushing, as much in terms of form and technique as in themes and genre tropes.
The Offscreen Film Festival will be focusing on Hong Kong cinema outside the mainstream, with a selection of 18 unconventional, extraordinary, pioneering, and even demented genre offerings attesting to a vibrant, audacious and visceral film culture.
We pay special attention to exploitation films that were awarded the Category III classification. Although Category III, introduced in 1988, is not a genre in itself, these shocking and sensational films had one characteristic in common: they defied good taste and conventional morality with their depictions of explicit sex and graphic violence. Far from scaring people off, the Category III rating came to be regarded as a guarantee of transgressive elements in the Hong Kong films that flooded cinemas across Asia, while remaining below the radar of most Western audiences.
Here is an overview of the crazy Hong Kong movies that will be showing at Offscreen, most of them in 35 mm. The festival will take place between March 9 and March 27, 2022. You can peruse the entire program here.
EBOLA SYNDROME aka YI BOH LAI BENG DUK
Anthony Wong, fearless as ever, plays a horny sleazebag who catches ebola from a woman he rapes in Africa. Pausing only to murder his boss and turn the corpse into burgers, he carries the virus back to Hong Kong and runs amok. Yau’s gory yuckfest is tasteless, hilarious and guaranteed to offend just about everyone.
THE CAT aka LO MAU
An intrepid writer suspects an odd couple and their cat are extra-terrestrials, though he's slow to realise what we already know: these aliens are the good guys. The real threat comes from a psionic blob-monster in this sci-fi fantasy packed with demented special effects, including a crazy cat vs dog kung fu fight.
THE HEROIC TRIO aka DUNG FONG SAM HAP
Screen goddesses Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh and Anita Mui play rival superheroines who join forces to foil an evil being who has been kidnapping newborn babies in this action fantasy with wuxia-inspired effects, unexpected infant mortality and gratuitous urination. Watch out for Anthony Wong's flying guillotine!
SEX AND ZEN aka YUK PO TUEN: TAU CHING BO GAM
A scholar is obsessed with seducing women, leading to slapstick comedy, tragic irony and plenty of softcore lubriciousness in this sensuous adaptation of a 17th century Chinese erotic novel. Highlights include a horse penis transplant, letter-writing by vagina, and a flute co-opted as a lesbian sex-aid.
VIVA EROTICA aka SIK CHING NAM LUI
Leslie Cheung plays a struggling film director who has to compromise his ideals by making softcore porn. This sex-comedy meta-masterpiece pokes fun at Category III and features unusually nuanced female characters, notably Karen Mok as the director’s girlfriend and The Assassin's Shu Qi as his starlet, “Miss Mango”.
FULL CONTACT aka XIA DAO GAO FEI
Hong Kong superstars Chow Yun-Fat, Simon Yam and Anthony Wong play scumbags who double-cross each other and shoot, stab or blow up anything that moves, including innocent bystanders. Early use of "Bullet Time" seals the deal in the sort of raunchy, ultra-violent shindig that makes Hollywood action pics look anaemic.
TAXI HUNTER aka DI SHI PAN GUAN
When his pregnant wife gets her dress caught in a cab door and is accidentally dragged to her death, a mild-mannered insurance salesman (Anthony Wong) flips out and wreaks revenge on bad taxi drivers. Vigilante madness, peppered with dark humour and references to Taxi Driver.
NAKED KILLER aka CHIK LOH GOH YEUNG
Kitty, an air hostess who shoots men in the balls, is mentored by a female assassin who keeps rapists chained up in her basement for killing practice, but starts to lose her edge when she falls for a traumatised cop (Simon Yam). A sexy, action-packed work of Cat III genius, featuring death by poisoned lipstick!
MAN BEHIND THE SUN aka HEI TAI YANG 731
The film for which the Category III rating was first created is a gruelling account of horrific experiments conducted by Japanese scientists on Chinese prisoners during WW2. Mutilation of real cadavers, child vivisection and animal cruelty are just some of the atrocities on show. Warning: not for the squeamish.
THE WICKED CITY aka YIU SAU DOU SI
Humans and demons coexist uneasily in this live-action adaptation of a Japanese anime. Two cops investigate a deadly new drug which turns its users into vapor, while demons jostle for power in an orgy of mad special effects, turning themselves into a spider-woman, drinking water, and a fuckable pinball machine.
ENCOUNTER OF THE SPOOKY KIND aka GUI DA GUI
Supernatural action comedy directed and choreographed by the legendary Hung, who plays a village pedicab driver. His wife's lover plots to murder him with black magic, leading to slapstick encounters with ghosts, zombies and hopping vampires, a duel between rival sorcerers and some sensational fight sequences.
ZU: WARRIORS FROM THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN aka SHU SHAN – XIN SHU SHAN JIAN KE
Hark's epic masterpiece is a breathless parade of dazzling beauty and groundbreaking special effects. In fifth century China, a young army deserter tags along on a wuxia quest for twin magic swords to defeat an evil sect. Sammo Hung plays a wizard who keeps a Blood Demon at bay with nothing more than his eyebrows!
A CHINESE GHOST STORY aka SIEN LUI YAU WAN
Leslie Cheung plays a poor debt collector who spends the night in a haunted temple and falls in love with a beautiful ghost. Alas, a long-tongued tree demon is forcing her to lure men to their doom. Can our hero escape a grisly fate? Delightful period rom-com with freaky special effects and wuxia wire-fu action.
BAMBOO HOUSE OF DOLLS aka NU JI ZHONG YING
Sadistic Japanese soldiers abuse sexy nurses in Hong Kong's contribution to the women-in-prison genre, set in a WW2 concentration camp. Obligatory ingredients include an evil lesbian guard, whipping, and a rape montage before the film switches genres for an action-adventure finale involving a quest for stolen gold.
ZEN KWAN DO STRIKES PARIS aka REN QUAN WEI ZHEN BA LI
John Liu wrote, directed and stars in this bonkers vanity vehicle in which high-kicking John Liu (playing himself) flies to Paris to rescue his kidnapped dad, but literally loses the plot amid tragic romantic flashbacks of scantily-clad girlfriends, duels against random karate champions, and a visit to the dentist.
KARATE ON THE BOSPHORUS aka KARATECILER ISTANBUL'DA
Turksploitation star Cüneyt Arkin plays a cop who teams up with a Hong Kong agent to smash a smuggling ring led by a martial artist so evil he murders his own henchmen as well as a belly dancer. Many minions with moustaches get karate-chopped against picturesque Istanbul backdrops en route to a rooftop showdown.
THE UNTOLD STORY aka BAT SIN FAN DIM: YAN YUK CHA SIU BAU
Anthony Wong won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance as a restaurant owner who becomes chief murder suspect after severed limbs are washed up on a Macau beach. This creepy cult classic, inspired by a real news item, ends with one of the most shocking scenes in film history.
THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE aka SHEN WEI SAN MENG LONG
After Bruce Lee's untimely death, a mad doctor uses his DNA to produce three lookalikes (who actually don't look anything like him) in this prime slice of "Bruceploitation." Bolo Yeung plays the kung-fu trainer who prepares them for combat against podgy bronze men in underpants. Also featured: naked beach frolics.
Apart from the retrospective, the Offscreen Film Festival will also be hosting an international conference on the subject.
French critic Julien Sévéon will explore the taboo breaking quality of Category III films that has made them such a cultish draw for so many. Examining films before and after the handover of Hong Kong to China, Dr Calum Waddell (University of Lincoln) will interrogate the ways in which these films seem to foreshadow the current political crisis in Hong Kong. We will also be joined by Dr Victor Fan (King’s College, London) who will turn his wide-ranging expertise on Chinese cinema and politics on to the crazy, bizarre and confrontational world of Category III.
The conference will conclude with the documentary Category III: The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema by Calum Waddell, and conclude with a panel discussion.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Top 18 best fantastical films from Czechoslovakia
This month, the Offscreen film festival in Brussels, Belgium, brings a retrospective of eighteen Czech films from the 60s and 70s, from lyrical pearls, over historic parables to atypical fairy tale adaptations of Cinderella, The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. Director Juraj Herz of dark masterpieces like The Cremator and Morgiana is a festival guest, along with stop-motion filmmaker Jiri Barta.
Here are the eighteen best fantastical films from Czechoslovakia according to Offscreen...
Monday, January 2, 2017
Harry Potter exhibition in Brussels
On the last day of 2016, I went to see the Harry Potter exhibition in Brussels. Judging from the pictures, it looked a magical experience. It truly was.
Here are a few photos...
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Visiting the Eau d'heure lakes
This past weekend, I visited the Eau d'heure lakes in Belgium as part of a press trip. Though the lakes are situated in my own country, I had never heard of them prior to this trip.
Yet, with its five lakes and 600 hectares of national park, it's one of Belgium's most beautiful places of interest.
The reason the Eau d'heure lakes are not well known, is that the area has only just recently seen a steep rise in tourist attractions. Hotels, seminar rooms, holiday villages, and recreational activities pop up at a rapid pace thanks to the support of the local and European authorities.
During the press trip, I had to opportunity to try out some activities at L'eau d'heure. Here's an overview:
Recreational activities at the Eau d'heure lakes
Aqua Golf
The Plate Taille lake is the only place in Europe where you can play Aqua Golf. Contrary to a normal game of golf, the player has to get the balls onto floating islands. Great fun.
Crocodile Rouge
Crocodile Rouge prides itself on being a bus that can drive on land as well as on water. Only nine of these vehicles exist. The Crocodile Rouge took me on a trip on the Plate Taille lake, but I'd say it's more for kids than for adults.
You can find more pictures of and info about Crocodile Rouge here.
Natura Parc
If you're adventurous, you may want to do a climbing trail at Natura Parc. There are different tracks and levels. The "erolienne" trail is a must as the giant rope slides will take you over the Plate Taille lake for a magnificent view.
During the summer, Natura Parc organizes a night-time climbing experience, coupled with a BBQ. How awesome is that!
You can find more information about the Natura Parc here.
Hiking and biking
The majority of the tourists go to the lakes to hike and bike. I explored the banks of the Plate Taille lake by foot and soaked up Belgian nature at its best.
Barrage de la Plate Taille
Belgium biggest dam, the Barrage de la Plate Taille, is the only one whose interiors can be visited. I discovered its underground corridors, its turbine pumps, and enjoyed a 360° panoramic view from 107 meters high. A guide taught me about the history of the lakes and the dam's past and current uses.
Aqua Centre
No holiday is complete without a visit to a swimming pool, right? The Aqua Centre of the Eau d'Heure Lakes has recently been renovated and has a slide and spray park for the kids and a wellness centre for the adults.
Kayak
Ever since my childhood trips to the Ardennes, I have loved kayaking. The Eau d'heure lakes lend themselves perfectly to unwind once more on the water and to revel in the beauty of the surrounding shores.
Where did I sleep?
I spent the night at Golden Lakes Village, a holiday resort with newly constructed holiday homes surrounded by water and greenery.
The holiday homes of Golden Lakes Village belong to private investors. They have the opportunity to purchase completely furnished houses without paying VAT. Golden Lakes then rents out the homes for them. A great idea, don't you think?
What I loved most about the Golden Lakes Village homes? Their comfort and large balconies that lend themselves perfectly for apéritifs and breakfasts in the sunshine.
You can find more information about the Golden Lakes Village here or reserve your stay here.
Where did I eat?
Croco BBQ
Croco BBQ offers basic food such as toasted sandwiches and all-you-can-eat BBQ. Its terrace overlooks the lake and the dam.
Tri Marrants
Tri Marrants is the place to be for quality food. Meat lovers will love the giant portions, but the cook also does his utmost to please vegetarians like me.
And how to resist dinner with such a beautiful sunset view over the lake?
Aqua Centre
The Aqua Centre's restaurant is an easy option for pizza and other comfort food.
Disclaimer
My trip to the Eau d'heure lakes was sponsored by www.lacsdeleaudheure.be (general information), www.goldenlakesvillage.be (purchase of holiday homes), and www.ardennes-vakantievillas.be (rental of holiday homes).
What do you think of the Eau d'heure lakes? Any activities that pique your interest?
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Brussels Film Festival - Bird People, Miss Violence, and The Kidnapping Of Michel Houellebecq
After attending the film festivals Offscreen, BIFFF and Cannes earlier this year, I had the chance to be invited to the Brussels Film Festival which specializes in European cinema. Usually, when I go to a festival, I try to see as many films as possible. Things have been so crazy around here lately that I had to slow down a bit on the movies this time. Actually, I spent most of my time at the festival hiding away in the quiet corners of the Flagey cinema to get some work done.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Offscreen 2014 - Bond girls, hysterical nuns, and vengeful dominatrixes
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Razor Reel 2013
I'll be hosting several Q&A sessions with filmmakers at the Razor Reel Fantastic Film Festival the following two weekends. Here are the trailers of the movies I will be talking about. Come by and say hello if you have the chance.
In 2011, the Razor Reel Fantastic Film Festival buzzed with The Dead, a zombie movie set against the open spaces of Africa. This year, the Ford brothers return with a sequel that takes the action to India and ramps up the action, violence, and drama. Directors Howard and Jonathan Ford will answer questions about their movie at their Q&A session on October 26.
The Otherworld - L'autre Monde
Several years ago, Richard Stanley (Dust Devil, Hardware) had an inexplicable experience in the French locality of Montségur. Its impact made the filmmaker decide to return to the area and shoot a feature-length documentary about the esoteric mysteries there. I will host a Q&A session on The Otherworld on October 27 and will be joined by director Richard Stanley and composer Simon Boswell.
On Tender Hooks
For more than a year, director Kate Shenton filmed several groups of people who pierce themselves with hooks and hang in mid-air from rigs. On Tender Hooks explores a wide variety of experiences and opinions on the subject and shows us how the human body can achieve extraordinary things. Shenton will be present for the screening and Q&A of her documentary on November 1st.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Pairi Daiza
These photos were all taken at Pairi Daiza (formerly known as Parc Paradisio) in Brugelette, Belgium. I had visited the park several times before, but hadn't returned since it was renovated last year. To preserve the authentic feel, the temples and decorations were made from materials imported from the portrayed countries. Since its renovation, Pairi Daiza has been called one of Europe's most beautiful zoos. It's not the best zoo in terms of animals, but it certainly makes for a memorable day trip. Unlike most other zoos, the food in Pairi Daiza was pretty impressive too. We lunched in the Chinese restaurant Le Temple des Délices, followed by tea in La Maison de Thé.
Other posts about zoos: Antwerp Zoo / Parc animalier de Bouillon / Lisbon Zoo.
