- Darkstar Pictures Announces Free Online Film Festival!
- Stunning First Look at Indie Fantasy THE WANTING MARE [Trailer]
- Stunning First Look at Indie Fantasy THE WANTING MARE [Trailer]
- Stunning First Look at Indie Fantasy THE WANTING MARE [Trailer]
- SKYLINES Is Coming! [Poster Premiere]
- Who Hunts Who in HUNTER HUNTER? [Trailer]
- MONSTER HUNTER Coming for Christmas [Trailer]
- Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival Returns with In-Person Event [Line Up]
- LUNATIQUE Director Returns with WASTELAND 3 Promo [Short Film]
- Win a copy of JAMES CAMERON'S STORY OF SCIENCE FICTION [Contest]
- Slice of Life, Blade Runner inspired short
- Is Snowpeircer a sequel to Willy Wonka?
- Re: Yesterday
- Re: Yesterday
- Yesterday
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- LUNATIQUE Director Returns with WASTELAND 3 Promo [Short Film]
- A Comet Destoys Earth in GREENLAND Trailer
- Interactive WAR OF THE WORLDS Adaptation Out Now!
- 8K Trailer for Train to Busan Sequel PENINSULA Drops Hard!
- Making a Bomb Shelter in a Funhouse is a Bad Idea in IMPACT EVENT [Trailer]
- Retro Slave: FOX's Post-Apocalyptic Sitcom WOOPS!
- TRAIN TO BUSAN Sequel PENINSULA Gets a Teaser Trailer
- New on Blu-ray and DVD for March 11, 2020
- The Apocalypse Kills Women in ONLY [Trailer]
- Trailer for TheWalking Dead: World Beyond Spin-Off Series
- BORDERLANDS Movie From Eli Roth in Development
- A Woman's Mind Unravels in BIGHT HILL ROAD [Review]
- TIFF 2020: Vanlife Gets a Reality Check in NOMADLAND [Review]
- TIFF 2020: APPLES, THE WAY I SEE IT, PIECES OF A WOMAN & ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI [Capsule Reviews]
- TIFF 2020: The Truth Tellers Return with THE NEW CORPORATION: THE UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY SEQUEL [Review]
- TIFF 2020: NEW ORDER is Brutal, Violent & a Must-See [Review]
- TIFF 2020: ENEMIES OF THE STATE, Or Are They? [Review]
- TIFF 2020: HOLLER Explores Life in a Dying Town [Review]
- Fantasia 2020: THE OAK ROOM, MARYGOROUND & CLIMATE OF THE HUNTER [Capsule Reviews]
- UNCLE PECKERHEAD is One Note but Fun [Review]
- Dave Franco Shows Potential as Director with Debut Feature THE RENTAL [Review]
- VIFF2020: Director Loretta Todd on the Making of Her Debut Feature MONKEY BEACH [Interview]
- TIFF 2020: APPLES, THE WAY I SEE IT, PIECES OF A WOMAN & ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI [Capsule Reviews]
- TIFF 2020: The Truth Tellers Return with THE NEW CORPORATION: THE UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY SEQUEL [Review]
- TIFF 2020: NEW ORDER is Brutal, Violent & a Must-See [Review]
- TIFF 2020: ENEMIES OF THE STATE, Or Are They? [Review]
- NO ESCAPE Director Talks Influencers, Escape Rooms & Writing [Interview]
- TIFF 2020: HOLLER Explores Life in a Dying Town [Review]
- The Funny Side of Alien Invasions: You have to SAVE YOURSELVES! [Trailer]
- Kodi Smit-McPhee Goes to the Future to Save the Present in 2067 [Trailer]
- First Look at Denis Villeneuve's DUNE [Trailer]
- Fantasia 2020: LAPSIS, THE COLUMNIST, MINOR PREMISE, FEELS GOOD MAN & HAIL TO THE DEADITES [Capsule Reviews]
- BUNRAKU Writer/Director Returns with LX 2048 [Trailer]
- BLOOD QUANTUM Writer/Director Talks Inspiration, Zombies & Representation [Interview]
- Fantasia 2020: THE OAK ROOM, MARYGOROUND & CLIMATE OF THE HUNTER [Capsule Reviews]
- Sylvester McCoy Talks SENSE8, DOCTOR WHO & THE OWNERS [Interview]
- Fantasia 2020: PVT CHAT, PATRICK, TIME OF MOULTING, SLEEP [Capsule Reviews]
- Scholar Mitch Horowitz Breaks Down Faith, Horror & CURSED FILMS [Interview]
- Actor Cosmo Jarvis Talks About his New Thriller THE SHADOW OF VIOLENCE [Interview]
- Director Jay Cheel Talks Making of Horror Documentary CURSED FILMS [Interview]
- Europe is in Shambles in UNDERGODS [Trailer]
Jack In
Latest Comments
Latest Forum Posts
PA News
Latest Reviews
Older News
Crew
Marina Antunes
Editor in Chief
Vancouver, British Columbia
Christopher Webster
Managing Editor
Edmonton, Alberta
DN aka quietearth
Founder / Asst. Managing Editor
Denver, Colorado
Simon Read
UK Correspondent
Edinburgh, Scotland
Rick McGrath
Toronto Correspondent
Toronto, Ontario
Manuel de Layet
France Correspondent
Paris, France
rochefort
Austin Correspondent
Austin, Texas
Daniel Olmos
Corrispondente in Italia
Italy
Griffith Maloney aka Griffith Maloney
New York Correspondent
New York, NY
Stephanie O
Floating Correspondent
Quiet Earth Bunker
Jason Widgington
Montreal Correspondent
Montreal, Quebec
Carlos Prime
Austin Correspondent
Austin, TX
Latest news







Year: 2010
Director: Jan Sverák
Writer: Jan Sverák
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Every year the VIFF programmers throw in a handful of films that are youth friendly. Last year, one of my favourite moments of the festival was sharing a huge room with hundreds of children as Garri Bardin's The Ugly Duckling made children laugh and cry and though this year's kind friendly fare wasn't quite as endearing as the tale of the ugly duck that turns into a beautiful swan, Jan Sverák's tale of a little stuffed animal that overcame adversity to find his way home was equally enchanting.
Kooky tells the tale of a saw-dust stuffed animal that shares a bed with six year old Ondra. The young boy suffers from asthma and his overprotective mother carefully explains that Kooky can't be washed and therefore needs to go. The little boy saves the teddy from the trash but while he's at school, mom reclaims the little bear for the trash heap. Kooky ends up at the local dump but by some magic (and perhaps a bit of child's wishful thinking) he gets up before being crushed by a truck. He narrowly escapes the bags which guard the dump and makes his way into the forest where he gets lost before running into a group of forest creatures.
The strange looking forest beings are mean things and Kooky finds himself under the protection of Hergot, the head cheese who protects the small group from intruders. He tries to get rid of Kooky but the little stuffed bear ingratiates himself on Hergot who eventually agrees to help Kooky get home. The trip is one full of adventure as the little red bear is still being chased by the guard bags from the dump but eventually he makes it home where Ondra is more than happy to see him.
Sverák's tale is one of wonder and magic, where bags take on shapes and drive around the forest in cars that look like they're made of tin cans in search of a little red bear. It's a child's imagination at work but one that is dotted by darkness and a sense of foreboding. Part of it is the story itself which pits the little bear against some pretty mean creatures and part of it is the puppet design that don't look like anything we've seen before and which seem at odds with their beautiful and lush surroundings. Not only is Kooky a wonderfully imaginative story, it's one that incorporates magic and realism with great care delivering a film that looks as good as anything else I've seen this year.
I really enjoyed Kooky with its intricate designs and the unconventional way it tells a very familiar tale of friendship and adventure. My one major fault with the film is the fact that it has been dubbed for wider distribution. Admittedly I can understand the reasoning behind it and it makes me feel a little better knowing that Sverák supervised and approved the translation but as usual, I found it distracting particularly considering the film opens with humans talking.
This is certainly a fun tale of adventure but not one suitable for all ages. There are a few colourful jokes and one character whose name sounds an awful lot like a bad word. It's safe for kids over 6, the eye raising jokes are adult enough that the kids are most likely to miss them, but be forewarned.
You might also like







(9 years ago) Reply
Been wanting to see this since I saw the trailer. Wonder when/if we'll get a DVD?

dave_or_did (8 years ago) Reply
You can get the English dubbed version of the film if you donate enough money to the latest Humble Indie Bundle charity package (plus you get a load of awesome indie games!) - http://www.humblebundle.com/