The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (台北金馬影展) is celebrating the wacky, bloody and sexy aspects of cinema with a new festival that focuses mostly on B movies, cult films and genre flicks.
The lineup for the Taipei Golden Horse Fantastic Film Festival (台北金馬奇幻影展) includes zombie films like Dead Snow, a hilarious Norwegian take on the genre that reportedly went through 475 liters of fake blood during production, and The Children, a classic horror flick about a group of possessed kids who murder their parents.
Paired somewhat incongruously with such fare are a mini retrospective on Roman Polanski’s early works that includes his 1958 short Two Men and a Wardrobe and a program of classics selected by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢).
Organizers aren’t sure whether the fledgling festival will land a permanent spot in Golden Horse’s stable of events, as it lacks government funding and is relying mostly on ticket sales to cover costs. But festival director Wen Tien-hsiang (聞天祥) says he is optimistic because a third of the screenings have already sold out and revenue from advance ticket sales has exceeded NT$2.4 million, more than double the projected amount of NT$1 million.
Even more surprising for Wen is that tickets for B movies and cult films such as Little Shop of Horrors and The Rocky Horror Picture Show have been among the first to go.
“I think we can learn a few things from the audience,” Wen said. “We used to think Golden Horse audience members were pretty square. But in fact they’re not as conservative as you might think.”
Following the shock complete failure of all the recall votes against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers on July 26, pan-blue supporters and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were giddy with victory. A notable exception was KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), who knew better. At a press conference on July 29, he bowed deeply in gratitude to the voters and said the recalls were “not about which party won or lost, but were a great victory for the Taiwanese voters.” The entire recall process was a disaster for both the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The only bright spot for
As last month dawned, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was in a good position. The recall campaigns had strong momentum, polling showed many Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers at risk of recall and even the KMT was bracing for losing seats while facing a tsunami of voter fraud investigations. Polling pointed to some of the recalls being a lock for victory. Though in most districts the majority was against recalling their lawmaker, among voters “definitely” planning to vote, there were double-digit margins in favor of recall in at least five districts, with three districts near or above 20 percent in
The great number of islands that make up the Penghu archipelago make it a fascinating place to come back and explore again and again. On your next trip to Penghu, why not get off the beaten path and explore a lesser-traveled outlying island? Jibei Island (吉貝嶼) in Baisha Township (白沙鄉) is a popular destination for its long white sand beach and water activities. However, three other permanently inhabited islands in the township put a unique spin on the traditional Penghu charm, making them great destinations for the curious tourist: Yuanbeiyu (員貝嶼), Niaoyu (鳥嶼) and Dacangyu (大倉嶼). YUANBEIYU Citou Wharf (岐頭碼頭) connects the mainland
For their 15th wedding anniversary, Katie Walley-Weigert and her husband decided to take a beach vacation with their young son. But the trip didn’t go as planned. Walley-Weigert wound up needing to pack her computer because of a work assignment she couldn’t ignore. The 38-year-old marketing professional had just landed a podcast interview for an executive she worked with, and he had a short window to prepare. As she labored away through most of the vacation, she regretted not being present for her toddler’s introduction to the ocean. “I know my husband and my son are having this once-in-a-lifetime first experience, and
RSS