{"product_id":"star-wars-kid-the-rise-of-the-digital-shadows-staff-pick","title":"Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows (Staff Pick)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"message-text\" class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\" class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDecades after becoming an internet sensation, Ghyslain Raza breaks his silence\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn April 2003, a video of lightsaber-wielding teenager Ghyslain Raza arrived online and became a worldwide sensation, eventually earning more than a billion views. Widely perceived as a misguided Star Wars fanatic hungry for attention, Raza only had a casual interest in the franchise, and the original tape was a camera test for a school project he never intended to show anyone. Shared without his consent, the video went on to saturate mainstream culture, but rather than benefit from this attention, Raza was ridiculed, hounded by the press, and bullied by his classmates, ultimately forcing him to withdraw from school and all aspects of public life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows, Raza breaks his silence, revealing how this internet phenomenon became a harrowing personal ordeal – and the path he took to restore his self-esteem and find a sense of purpose as an adult. Fleshing out Raza and his experience, director Mathieu Fournier brings new depth to a story that went global without going deep and even brings Raza into contact with the blogger who turned him into a meme. It’s a potent look at high-tech harassment and disturbing new threats emerging online today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"message-text\" class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\" class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\" class=\"p-rich_text_block\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value=\"{\u0026quot;1\u0026quot;:2,\u0026quot;2\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;A rock n' road movie about a girl who learns to drive\\n\\nAt loose ends with life in Toronto, Ramona (Highway 61’s Valerie Buhagiar) is abruptly dispatched to the wilds of Northern Ontario by her mercenary record promotor boss (eXistenZ's Gerry Quigley) to retrieve The Children of Paradise, a wayward rock band that has disappeared mid-tour. There’s only one problem: she doesn’t know how to drive. Armed with only a Walkman and the clothes on her back, she embarks on a journey that quickly introduces her to a cavalcade of oddball characters, including a cab driver with ties to Elvis, a film director in search of a muse, a singer who’s lost his voice, and an aspiring serial killer (Last Night’s Don McKellar) determined to make it big. With the help of this motley crew, Ramona hopes to push beyond her limits and mount a rock n' roll show for the ages.\\n\\nOne of the defining films of the Toronto New Wave, Roadkill immediately turned heads in 1989 with its freewheeling punk rock style – and a memorable appearance by the one and only Joey Ramone – launching the careers of director Bruce McDonald (Pontypool), star Buhagiar, and co-star\/screenwriter McKellar in the process. Boasting a now-legendary soundtrack full of local talent (and the Ramones), this first installment in McDonald’s iconic road movie trilogy (which also includes Highway 61 and Hard Core Logo) is a wickedly funny and enduringly hip DIY joyride. Buckle up!\u0026quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"\\\"Larry Kent was a heroic figure for me... I loved him on the spot.\\\" – David Cronenberg    \\n\\nWith a dead-end job and a potentially pregnant girlfriend jeopardizing his freedom, Des (Cathy’s Curse’s Alan Scarfe) spirals into bitterness, misanthropy, and fantasies of violent crime. While visiting a sick friend one afternoon, he crosses paths with the similarly jaded, even suicidal Laurie (Lynn Stewart), a young parent working as a waitress to provide for her child and struggling playwright husband (Philip Brown). Desperate to recapture a sense of vitality – and raise money for rent – this troubled couple invites Des and a group of local beatniks over for a hedonistic party that culminates in a series of shocking acts of violence and betrayal.    \\n\\nMade for just $5,000, The Bitter Ash is the first feature from celebrated independent filmmaker Larry Kent, a cinematic trailblazer cited as a key influence by countrymates David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan. Playing like a Canadian answer to John Cassavetes’ Shadows, this first entry in Kent’s seminal Vancouver Trilogy (followed by Sweet Substitute and When Tomorrow Dies) also flirts with the frank sexuality and other provocations of ’60s exploitation cinema, which led to a series of censorship battles, dooming the film to decades of obscurity. CIP is thrilled to resurrect this groundbreaking classic with a new 4K restoration.   \"}' data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":5053,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"7\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"“Larry Kent was very important to me. Those early\\nfilms were so ahead of their time.” – Atom Egoyan\\n\\nBusy navigating his final year of high school, brainy aspiring teacher Tom (Waiting for Caroline’s Robert Howay) is determined to land an elusive scholarship, but his hard work is constantly interrupted by his real obsession: pursuing the opposite sex. Before long, he develops a romance with former classmate Elaine (The Boy Who Could Fly’s Angela Gann), who persistently declines his sexual advances. This inspires Tom to consider other options, including his good-natured study buddy Kathy (Carol Pastinsky). But when they take their friendship to the next level, shocking complications threaten to derail Tom’s future, inspiring his friends to take drastic action.\\n\\nIn the wake of The Bitter Ash and the censorship battles it inspired, director Larry Kent returned with this more playful – but no less provocative – sophomore effort. An intoxicating blend of carefree sex comedy and unsparing coming-of-age drama, Sweet Substitute plays like a hedonistic reimagining of the same year’s Nobody Waved Good-bye aimed at the exploitation film market. A surprise success in the U.S. (under the title Caressed), it set the stage for Kent’s next leap forward with When Tomorrow Dies, the third and final entry in his celebrated Vancouver Trilogy.  \"}' data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003edirected by: Mathieu Fournier\u003cbr\u003estarring: Ghyslain Raza, Andy Baio, Jean-Michel Berthiaume, Christian Bouchard, Amanda Brennan, Nina Duque, Kate Eichhorn, Katharina Niemeyer, Jonathan Trudel\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value=\"{\u0026quot;1\u0026quot;:2,\u0026quot;2\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;A rock n' road movie about a girl who learns to drive\\n\\nAt loose ends with life in Toronto, Ramona (Highway 61’s Valerie Buhagiar) is abruptly dispatched to the wilds of Northern Ontario by her mercenary record promotor boss (eXistenZ's Gerry Quigley) to retrieve The Children of Paradise, a wayward rock band that has disappeared mid-tour. There’s only one problem: she doesn’t know how to drive. Armed with only a Walkman and the clothes on her back, she embarks on a journey that quickly introduces her to a cavalcade of oddball characters, including a cab driver with ties to Elvis, a film director in search of a muse, a singer who’s lost his voice, and an aspiring serial killer (Last Night’s Don McKellar) determined to make it big. With the help of this motley crew, Ramona hopes to push beyond her limits and mount a rock n' roll show for the ages.\\n\\nOne of the defining films of the Toronto New Wave, Roadkill immediately turned heads in 1989 with its freewheeling punk rock style – and a memorable appearance by the one and only Joey Ramone – launching the careers of director Bruce McDonald (Pontypool), star Buhagiar, and co-star\/screenwriter McKellar in the process. Boasting a now-legendary soundtrack full of local talent (and the Ramones), this first installment in McDonald’s iconic road movie trilogy (which also includes Highway 61 and Hard Core Logo) is a wickedly funny and enduringly hip DIY joyride. Buckle up!\u0026quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"\\\"Larry Kent was a heroic figure for me... I loved him on the spot.\\\" – David Cronenberg    \\n\\nWith a dead-end job and a potentially pregnant girlfriend jeopardizing his freedom, Des (Cathy’s Curse’s Alan Scarfe) spirals into bitterness, misanthropy, and fantasies of violent crime. While visiting a sick friend one afternoon, he crosses paths with the similarly jaded, even suicidal Laurie (Lynn Stewart), a young parent working as a waitress to provide for her child and struggling playwright husband (Philip Brown). Desperate to recapture a sense of vitality – and raise money for rent – this troubled couple invites Des and a group of local beatniks over for a hedonistic party that culminates in a series of shocking acts of violence and betrayal.    \\n\\nMade for just $5,000, The Bitter Ash is the first feature from celebrated independent filmmaker Larry Kent, a cinematic trailblazer cited as a key influence by countrymates David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan. Playing like a Canadian answer to John Cassavetes’ Shadows, this first entry in Kent’s seminal Vancouver Trilogy (followed by Sweet Substitute and When Tomorrow Dies) also flirts with the frank sexuality and other provocations of ’60s exploitation cinema, which led to a series of censorship battles, dooming the film to decades of obscurity. CIP is thrilled to resurrect this groundbreaking classic with a new 4K restoration.   \"}' data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":5053,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"7\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"“Larry Kent was very important to me. Those early\\nfilms were so ahead of their time.” – Atom Egoyan\\n\\nBusy navigating his final year of high school, brainy aspiring teacher Tom (Waiting for Caroline’s Robert Howay) is determined to land an elusive scholarship, but his hard work is constantly interrupted by his real obsession: pursuing the opposite sex. Before long, he develops a romance with former classmate Elaine (The Boy Who Could Fly’s Angela Gann), who persistently declines his sexual advances. This inspires Tom to consider other options, including his good-natured study buddy Kathy (Carol Pastinsky). But when they take their friendship to the next level, shocking complications threaten to derail Tom’s future, inspiring his friends to take drastic action.\\n\\nIn the wake of The Bitter Ash and the censorship battles it inspired, director Larry Kent returned with this more playful – but no less provocative – sophomore effort. An intoxicating blend of carefree sex comedy and unsparing coming-of-age drama, Sweet Substitute plays like a hedonistic reimagining of the same year’s Nobody Waved Good-bye aimed at the exploitation film market. A surprise success in the U.S. (under the title Caressed), it set the stage for Kent’s next leap forward with When Tomorrow Dies, the third and final entry in his celebrated Vancouver Trilogy.  \"}' data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2022 \/ 80 min \/ 1.78:1 \/ English, French DTS-HD MA 5.1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"message-text\" class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\" class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\" class=\"p-rich_text_block\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value=\"{\u0026quot;1\u0026quot;:2,\u0026quot;2\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;A rock n' road movie about a girl who learns to drive\\n\\nAt loose ends with life in Toronto, Ramona (Highway 61’s Valerie Buhagiar) is abruptly dispatched to the wilds of Northern Ontario by her mercenary record promotor boss (eXistenZ's Gerry Quigley) to retrieve The Children of Paradise, a wayward rock band that has disappeared mid-tour. There’s only one problem: she doesn’t know how to drive. Armed with only a Walkman and the clothes on her back, she embarks on a journey that quickly introduces her to a cavalcade of oddball characters, including a cab driver with ties to Elvis, a film director in search of a muse, a singer who’s lost his voice, and an aspiring serial killer (Last Night’s Don McKellar) determined to make it big. With the help of this motley crew, Ramona hopes to push beyond her limits and mount a rock n' roll show for the ages.\\n\\nOne of the defining films of the Toronto New Wave, Roadkill immediately turned heads in 1989 with its freewheeling punk rock style – and a memorable appearance by the one and only Joey Ramone – launching the careers of director Bruce McDonald (Pontypool), star Buhagiar, and co-star\/screenwriter McKellar in the process. Boasting a now-legendary soundtrack full of local talent (and the Ramones), this first installment in McDonald’s iconic road movie trilogy (which also includes Highway 61 and Hard Core Logo) is a wickedly funny and enduringly hip DIY joyride. Buckle up!\u0026quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"\\\"Larry Kent was a heroic figure for me... I loved him on the spot.\\\" – David Cronenberg    \\n\\nWith a dead-end job and a potentially pregnant girlfriend jeopardizing his freedom, Des (Cathy’s Curse’s Alan Scarfe) spirals into bitterness, misanthropy, and fantasies of violent crime. While visiting a sick friend one afternoon, he crosses paths with the similarly jaded, even suicidal Laurie (Lynn Stewart), a young parent working as a waitress to provide for her child and struggling playwright husband (Philip Brown). Desperate to recapture a sense of vitality – and raise money for rent – this troubled couple invites Des and a group of local beatniks over for a hedonistic party that culminates in a series of shocking acts of violence and betrayal.    \\n\\nMade for just $5,000, The Bitter Ash is the first feature from celebrated independent filmmaker Larry Kent, a cinematic trailblazer cited as a key influence by countrymates David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan. Playing like a Canadian answer to John Cassavetes’ Shadows, this first entry in Kent’s seminal Vancouver Trilogy (followed by Sweet Substitute and When Tomorrow Dies) also flirts with the frank sexuality and other provocations of ’60s exploitation cinema, which led to a series of censorship battles, dooming the film to decades of obscurity. CIP is thrilled to resurrect this groundbreaking classic with a new 4K restoration.   \"}' data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":5053,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"7\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"“Larry Kent was very important to me. Those early\\nfilms were so ahead of their time.” – Atom Egoyan\\n\\nBusy navigating his final year of high school, brainy aspiring teacher Tom (Waiting for Caroline’s Robert Howay) is determined to land an elusive scholarship, but his hard work is constantly interrupted by his real obsession: pursuing the opposite sex. Before long, he develops a romance with former classmate Elaine (The Boy Who Could Fly’s Angela Gann), who persistently declines his sexual advances. This inspires Tom to consider other options, including his good-natured study buddy Kathy (Carol Pastinsky). But when they take their friendship to the next level, shocking complications threaten to derail Tom’s future, inspiring his friends to take drastic action.\\n\\nIn the wake of The Bitter Ash and the censorship battles it inspired, director Larry Kent returned with this more playful – but no less provocative – sophomore effort. An intoxicating blend of carefree sex comedy and unsparing coming-of-age drama, Sweet Substitute plays like a hedonistic reimagining of the same year’s Nobody Waved Good-bye aimed at the exploitation film market. A surprise success in the U.S. (under the title Caressed), it set the stage for Kent’s next leap forward with When Tomorrow Dies, the third and final entry in his celebrated Vancouver Trilogy.  \"}' data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003eAdditional info:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"message-text\" class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\" class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\" class=\"p-rich_text_block\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegion A Blu-ray\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew audio commentary featuring Fournier, producer Pierre-Mathieu Fortin, and subject Ghyslain Raza\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew audio commentary featuring Patrick Cotnoir of The George Lucas Talk Show and Star Wars Insider‘s Brandon Wainerdi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew interview with Fournier\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGhyslain Raza Q\u0026amp;A\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtended interview with professor Nina Duque\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStar Wars Kid trailer and teasers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDouble-sided poster\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReversible cover artwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnglish SDH subtitles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Enjoy The Ride Records","offers":[{"title":"Limited Edition Slipcase Edition (Limited to 1000 Copies)","offer_id":47939927081198,"sku":"StarwarsKidBRSlip","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2547\/6370\/files\/Star_Wars_Kid_LTD_Front_Oifghg5_dd_2500x_c98d5309-ccc1-45ed-a3e4-cb674de511b6.webp?v=1776978525","url":"https:\/\/enjoytheriderecords.com\/en-ca\/products\/star-wars-kid-the-rise-of-the-digital-shadows-staff-pick","provider":"Enjoy The Ride Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}