Blackfoot Nation Films has created a new indigenous Canadian Horror-Comedy Anthology series “Tales from the Rez” which breathes life into popular Blackfoot urban legends. Each episode is introduced by crusty Uncle Randolph (Charles Duck Chief) an Elder with one foot in the living world and the other in the spirit world. Each episode blends humour and spine-chilling suspense to offer a twist on age-old tales. The initial season takes place in the traditional territories of the Blackfoot confederacy also known as Southern Alberta, Treaty 7. The series started streaming on APTNlumi on 20October2023.
The episode “Queen’s Hotel” reminds me of a song my late mother said her Temperance leaning mother used to sing something along the lines of “Lips That Touch Liquor Will Never Touch Mine” and something about the devil being an engineer on the liquor train!
With spooky music Uncle Randolph swigs on a beer and warns of the excesses of alcohol. And then the story rolls with imposing, mystical and larger-than-life Eddie (Eugene Brave Rock) entering a bar in the Queens Hotel looking for his derelict brother. Then symbolism and al matters of possible interpretation make this episode so great in fact almost European. Nothing is laid out in spoon-feeding fashion. You may have to guess the ultimate interpretation of what you are seeing. A warning of the dangers of the liquor and the white man devil leading the train of the liquor sodden into hell. My God my grandmother would have loved this episode as a member of the Temperance movement.
If “Queen’s Hotel” is indicative of future episodes I am hooked. Brillant and intelligent. Give me more!
You can see the season trailer here https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=6852471304796321
You can stream at the APTN website https://www.aptn.ca/
Written and Directed by Trevor Soloway.
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