We're still greatly enjoying the genre film festival circuit at home

[View this email in your browser]( [Open Ars Technica in your browser]( The last year and a half hasn't been very kind to [the film industry](. Entire theater chains have been shuttered, to say nothing of all the beloved festivals being postponed or the highly anticipated films continually put on ice for some future "safe" date that feels impossibly away. If there's been any saving grace for film fans through all this, it's been that stuff that was previously impossible to enjoy at home has since adapted to this new reality even if it's just temporary. As such, we're currently enjoying our second straight chance to (virtually) attend [Fantasia Fest](, perhaps the greatest genre in the world. (And that's saying something, given the US-based [Fantastic Fest]( is merely a month away.) Usually based in person around Montreal, Fantasia (like all festivals) has had to offer an entirely digital or hybrid approach. This year, some high-profile releases played to safety-minded theaters in Canada, but those of us around the Ars Orbital HQ had to enjoy the event on laptops or other digital streaming devices. And, man, enjoy did we ever. Fantasia Fest continues to offer films we'd never see elsewhere. It routinely features the type of work that catches us off guard and ends up landing among our favorite films of the year (see [The Columnist](, from 2020). At Fantasia 2021, you'll find familiar genres combined in ways you never thought possible, like the well-worn story of a boxing underdog mixed with just the slightest tinge of superhuman ability—that one's called [One Second Champion]( (the title can be interpreted pretty literally). Or, you might stumble into something with an absolutely dynamite premise and enjoy the ride even if it plays out more in the name of arthouse aesthetics than awe-inspiring plot—that one is called [Strawberry Mansion](, where the government can and does monitor then audit your dreams for tax purposes. And given this is an international film event, you'll also repeatedly find stories from places you don't normally encounter. Sometimes, those boast techniques and film production that knocks your socks off—which is essentially [Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes](, where a cafe owner's iMac allows him to see only two minutes into the future. The entire film plays out as if it's a single shot (eat your heart out, Dunkirk). So for this week's Orbital Transmission, we're sharing a few of our favorite films from the 2021 edition of Fantasia Fest. We haven't yet found time to review all these on site yet, but more write-ups are coming. That delay is OK, however, because many of these are not yet available on US streaming platforms. Luckily, most continue on within the pandemic-era festival circuit, meaning you may very well be able to stream them at home in the next few months. So from fantasy epics made by film history's greatest craftsman to an original story that might just be our favorite movie of the last five years, Fantasia Fest watching has reminded us of one thing we're thankful for. Even though life could be a lot better no matter what lens you're looking through, we should keep taking advantage of these new avenues for film distribution while we can. —[Nathan Mattise]( Dealmaster's Deals of the Week Dealmaster's Deals of the Week Logitech MX Master 3 for $80 at Staples (use code: 92760—normally $100) Though we've seen this deal a number of times over the past few months, it still matches the best price we've tracked for [our favorite wireless mouse]( for non-gaming purposes, Logitech's MX Master 3. [$80 at Staples]( Orbital Transmission 08.25.2021 Orbital Transmission 08.25.2021 [(image) ]( Someone needs to bring It's A Summer Film to US streaming platforms, ASAP [Read Full Story »]( Someone needs to bring It's A Summer Film to US streaming platforms, ASAP When's the last time you had pure fun at the movies? For a lot of us, it's probably been at least 1.5 years, given the global health pandemic shutting down theaters by and large and prompting distributors to withhold some of audiences' favorite treats (blockbusters like Bond or Dune, for instance). Even if we watched it on our couch, It's A Summer Film scratched a film-loving itch that's been unaddressed for a long time. It's a love letter to filmmaking. It's also an incredibly likeable underdog teen high school story. And there are elements of rom-coms and beloved sci-fi sprinkled throughout. Heck, none of those ideas is even the central one, which is It's A Summer Film is a samurai film about a samurai-loving teen filmmaker whose journey mimics the well-worn beats of that genre. Saying more might risk spoiling one of the most pleasurable (and well-made, creative) original stories we've seen in quite some time—though expect a full review on site soon. In the meantime, can someone get this delightful Japanese movie programmed as part of an Alamo Drafthouse theme month or work out a streaming deal with Hulu or Netflix at least? [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( Prepare to be in awe of the power of practical effects with Mad God [Read Full Story »]( Prepare to be in awe of the power of practical effects with Mad God At this point, anyone who loves movies knows the name [Phil Tippett](. The legendary VFX artist pioneered a certain brand of creature making and practical effects that brought some of the most influential films of all time to life: Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc. But as he took his talents to others' projects throughout a three decade (and counting) Hollywood career, Tippett had a passion project stewing in the background. Mad God is it, a dark, fantasy and sci-fi epic done entirely through the techniques Tippett loves—clay models, stop motion, miniatures, practical sound and visual effects, et al. It won't be a story you remember as fondly as Luke and Vader, but this film's sheer sensory gifts (the creak of leather suits, wallpaper-worthy vistas, alien creatures that make you cringe) will stay with any Tippett admirer just as long. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( In the near-future Tiong Bahru Social Club, happiness is a warm algorithm [Read Full Story »]( In the near-future Tiong Bahru Social Club, happiness is a warm algorithm What's happiness? Does anyone know at this point—and perhaps more apt for the modern age, is there any surefire single answer for the massesl? In Tiong Bahru Social Club, a real estate development company thinks so. They developed an algorithm that measures happiness, and their communities run directly off what makes their residents (elderly, near or already retired Singapore citizens) happy. Young people get to live here, too, so long as they accept the role of Happiness Agent, where the TSBC monitors their every action and feeling to determine if an individual is increasing the Happiness Index of their assigned resident and the overall community. This is Black Mirror ideas meeting Wes Anderson deadpan, dark comedy, and the film leaves you with as many things to ponder as it delivers smirks and laughs throughout. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( This might be the most eloquent COVID-19 film and it's about pocket-sized kaiju [Read Full Story »]( This might be the most eloquent COVID-19 film and it's about pocket-sized kaiju The 12 Day Tale of the Monster That Died in 8 is ostensibly about one man's journey owning a pocket-sized kaiju he ordered off the Internet. (Hey, no judgement—we're all home a lot more than we're used to and everyone needs hobbies.) But really, this is a poignant snap shot of life during our in-progress COVID-19 era. Clearly produced during that very period, The 12 Day Tale... plays out as a series of related vignettes—Zoom calls with friends, video diaries, amusing social media clips, panoramas of an eerily empty Tokyo—that have tiny kaiju throughout but reveal much more about life itself. There are blunt conversations about the hospitality industry, substance dependency, and loneliness, but these hum in the background of our hero sharing updates on practically the only thing happening (his kanji's evolution) when someone asks, "What's new?" The film manages to never become too dour, and it even lands an optimistic note to close, making it the one COVID-19 work of art I'd revisit outside of [How to With John Wilson's risotto special](. [Read Full Story »]( [Condé Nast Spotlight | The breaking news and top stories everyone is talking about. All in one place. The most popular stories from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired, Architectural Digest and more. STAY INFORMED]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2021 Condé Nast, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Condé Nast One World Trade Center New York, NY 10007 Want to change how you receive these emails? 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