Midnight Matinee

Swede Hurt rambles: History is in making this weekend...

2011-08-31T04:34:00.000-07:00

Swede Hurt rambles: History is in making this weekend...

My Whip It! Flickr links to the world of Derby as seen through the lens of Midnight Matinee

2010-08-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since the advent of Whip It! a little Derby movie that made its first splash at the Toronto International Film Festival last year we've taken the plunge into the world of action amidst all the ladies with all their skates and equipment and can we say sexy uniforms and Derby names?

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Oh hi ! We are back here again to let you know there is a new Flickr Pro account that holds many of our most recent shots as well as some previous Derby material.

So the new Flickr site is at
Midnight Matinee24 on Flickr

The most complete list of our Flickr sites is actually now over here:
Midnight Matinee Photography

The other page is also where we are doing most of our writing now but we'll put something interesting here now and then.

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A partial list of all the Midnight Matinee Flickr photo sites with all our Derby photos is listed here [and will be continually updated].

The latest batch from A Fistful of Brawlers Tri-City Thunder vs. Montreal Sexpos is up on Flickr at
fistful of brawlers
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These are the Derby shots from Midnight Matinee sites up at Flickr.

www.flickr.com/photos/midnight_matinee
TORD 2010 Cubs vs Cougars - TORD Championships 2009 - Gore Gore Rollergirls vs. Smoke City Betties - Whip It at TIFF2009 - Death Track Dolls 2009 - Year of the Doll

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee
Smoke City Betties against Gore Gore Rolergirls November 21, 2009

www.flickr.com/people/midnightmatinee2010
Toronto Roller Derby - CN Power vs. Rideau Valley Vixens

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee24
Quad City Chaos

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee25
Quad City Chaos [CN Power vs. Hammer City, CN Power vs. New Skids on the Block, Hammer City vs. Terminal City Rollergirls]

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee26
Quad City Chaos [CN Power vs. Terminal City Rollergirls]

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee27
Quad City Chaos [CN Power vs. New Skids on the Block]

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee28
Edmonton E-Ville Dead vs. GTAR Derby Debutantes

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee29
Fresh and the Furious

GTAR Chrome Mollys vs. Shockwave

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee30
Fresh and the Furious - Rage vs. Quad Racers - June 12, 2010

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee31
Clam Slam 2010 - July 2, 2010

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee32
GTAR Derby Debutantes vs. FCRG Thames Fatales - Thames Fightin' Words - June 26, 2010

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee33
Clam Slam 2010 - July 2, 2010

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee34
Shark Attack

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee35 Cruisin' for a Bruisin' - Part C - Tri-City Thunder vs. Lake Effects Furies

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee36
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' - Part B - Tri-City Thunder vs. Lake Effect Furies

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee37
GTAR only page

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee38
GTAR only page

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee39
Right To Roll Riot - WEWRA Rollergettes vs. Forest City Stepmoms

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee40
Cruisin' for a Brusin' - Part A - Cruisin' for a Bruisin' - Tri-City Thunder vs. Lake Effect Furies

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee41
FAN CHOICE at The Hangar - 32 pins - who gets picked last?

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee50
Chrome Mollys [away] vs. Rollergettes [home]

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee53
Hammer City last game - Death Row Dames vs. Hamilton Harlots - Batch A

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee54
Dames vs. Harlots - Batch B

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee55
Dames vs. Harlots - Batch C

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee56
Fistful of Brawlers-Montreal Sexpos vs. Tri-City Thunder [at home]

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee57
A Fistful of Brawlers-Montreal Sexpos vs. Tri-City Thunder [at home]

www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmatinee58
Montreal Sexpos vs. Tri-City Thunder [at home]

Thoughts on a Sunday afternoon - A Knight's Tale and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2010-01-10T14:57:00.001-08:00

While watching the wildcard playoffs going down the drain on a lazy Sunday afternoon - the Packers down ten at the half and the Pats getting whipped on hometurf - (update: so maybe the Pack are making a comeback)

A Knight's Tale revisited on blu-ray is a very pleasant surprise. The transfer looks immaculate and what's even more surprising is the sound. There are two audio soundtracks - PCM 5.1 and Dolby Digital surround tracks - the LPCM soundtrack truly kicks it loud. The visuals are bold and bright too. A young and dashing Heath Ledger as the knave reaching for the stars to becoming a true knight and champion -A Knight's Tale has all the ingredients of a great story - the underdog overcoming his upbringing and surroundings, finding love along the way - the fierece adversary of noble background, the ascension of the hero, the climactic build-up towards the final joust - it's a true romance.

A Knight's Tale will really rock you.

After the wild and mesmerizing experience that is Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus one could only say that the Monty Python director still has it - and it is saddening to think that this film dedicated to the friends of Heath Ledger would be the ultimate film of his life.

It took the trio of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to add the dashing, the debonair and the dastardly ingredients that encompassed Heath Ledger's role as Tony - a character raised from the dead with a nebulous past with a knack for the persuasion and the parting of someone's money.

A reimagining of a tale a la the Daniel Webster and the Devil pact - Christopher Plummer as the Doctor and Tom Waits as the Devil excel in their roles. Just go along for the puzzling ride as the tale unwinds around you. The young Lily Cole is the scrumptious "daughter" Valentina who falls for the newly arisen and confused Tony.

Avatar - /* Outstanding! */

2010-01-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

James Cameron is back in full force with this full-blown IMAX 3D experience.

Blue blue my world is blue blue is my world now I'm without you

Cameron spins a tale comparable to Dancing with Wolves with heroic elements of Braveheart.

Brothers - and all I want is you

2010-01-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

The inverse of Susanne Bier's original Brothers - Jim Sheridan's version allows the camera to breathe and have a dose of fun before settling into the nitty gritty of war and the relationships between all the protagonists.

Tobey Maguire is the handsome dashing brother Tommy Cahill whilst Natalie Portman is Grace, his high school sweetheart now his wife. Out of the picture in the beginning of the tale is the just out of prison Jake Gyllenhaal as Tony Cahill.

Watch The Vetala

2009-12-28T00:46:00.001-08:00

If you have a spare half hour of your life go on over to www.thevetala.com and watch one of the best tv series on the web. It's even better than most tv shows. The entire first season in 7 five minute [give or take] episodes. Very easy to get into the story.

/* it's the coldest day of the fall */ - your shot of the day

2009-12-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

It's the coldest day of autumn at minus 10 C outside at the moment with a minus 19 windchill - in short - it's too cold!

So a little photomerge via CS3 - but the afterwork is the kicker.

/* we still haven't found what we're looking for */ - your shot of the day

2009-12-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year and we start you off with another daily shot of the day in T.O. - this fair city -

Today is somewhere experimenting with the world of Camera RAW although not shooting in RAW.

It's the second day of this white stuff in the city.

More to come for sure Drop us a line. Love to hear from you.

/* it's here ! */ - Your Shot of the Day

2009-12-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love this time of year? It's the first day of the white stuff and already this city is in chaos.

The TTC take an hour to go north and an hour to go south in a journey that should take 15 minutes. It's not the white stuff but pouring and getting splooshed by large uncaring trucks is not anyone's idea of a good time. [How could the truck care? It's a truck - but the driver should}.

So here is your first shot of the first day of the white stuff.

yes, more movie reviews and reflections to come.

More to come for sure.

Sin City Effect

2009-11-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Sin City effect in Final Cut Express

Are you ready for this

2009-11-15T22:27:00.001-08:00

I love this game

This clip is from the last game of the regular season October 17 between Death Track Dolls and Chicks Ahoy!

The action is for real and the hit do hurt. It's damn exciting and a great night out

Unfortunately these two teams are not in the championships.

Championship game Saturday Nov. 21, 2009 at the Hangar!

Gore Gore Rollergirls v. Smoke City Betties

Go out and support the girls and a great movement.

See you there!

Take the better way

2009-11-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

Life happens on the better way.

Life in a day at TIFF 09

2009-11-14T23:50:00.001-08:00

Yonge Dundas Square back when the weather was almost summer and the nights were cool.

/* Rule #32 - Enjoy the small things */ - from A to Z in Zombieland

2009-10-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

/* Jennifer's evil */ - Jennifer's Body

2009-10-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

The difference between Jennifer's Body at TIFF 09 and a Friday afternoon at the Empress Walk?

11 people - 8 schoolgirls.

Comfort factor? Yes.

Reviewing Jennifer's Body is almost pointless - everything seen in trailer or spoilers. Suffice to say that the literal pull of the film hinges on Megan Fox and the soul of Mean Girls Amanda Seyfried. The transformation of Megan Fox from the soundstage of Michael Bay to hot girl in this almost indie piece is not a stretch.

TIFF 09 - Day 10 - Party on !

2009-09-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

The makers of Copycat Criminals hosted the free to the public celebration of the end of TIFF at Yonge Dundas Square on a cold chilly night in Toronto. A blending of music videos and small clips from the top films of all time were splashed on the screen to the background music of loud rap and dance with booming bass.

At the end of it all the TIFF host organizer whose presence has been seen at the square through all the free screenings every day said "See you next--" and stopped there.

Indeed, see you next.

TIFF Day 10 - /* why me */ - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

2009-09-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Cadillac People's Choice award winner for TIFF 09 - why are we not surprised? This movie will not be everyone's cup of tea - it definitely wasn't ours - but the lure of the free ticket and the reputation of last year's winner drew people in - the crowd stretched in front of the Elgin on Yonge Street around the corner down Church Street and up Victoria Street waiting for the magic hour of seven when the tickets were given out.

With all the pull that only Oprah can bring - this film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire is surprisingly a very tough watch but laced with moments of humour that bring Precious out of the darkness.

It's a survivor's tale - with no spoilers here - a harrowing childhood and a lazy, abusive mother on welfare and a father nowhere in sight - Precious's life in the toughest part of New York is contrasted by her MTVshaped escapist fantasies. The director Lee Daniels employs little indie canera tricks to mask this motion picture. Heavyweight names behind the characters surrounding Precious's life - including Mariah Carey as a social worker and Lenny Kravitz as a male nurse - subsume their star identities into the characters of their roles, almost becoming unrecognizable. Despite being suspended from school for her second pregnancy Precious's principal recommended her to an alternative school "Each One Teach One". The teacher - almost too good to be true - driven by her love of teaching - encourages her students to write in their journals - drawing Precious out of her shell and pushing her rudimentary reading skills along and to write her story.

This is the type of movie where if the Academy saw only one film would swallow hook line and sinker. It has every element of an Academy Award winner - a winning tale - a heroine who fights the odds - surrounding characters who keeps things interesting and amusing despite their situations - last year the Cadillac People's Choice Award winner was a little movie made in India by Danny Boyle called Slumdog Millionaire - a similar fate may not be out of the cards for Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire.

/* Don't think twice */ - Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound

2009-09-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Piers Handling the head honcho of TIFF hailed Joan Baez as the voice of a generation before introducing her onstage for the free concert at Yonge Dundas Square. The concert and the Mary Wharton documentary mounted beforehand (to be shown later on PBS' American Experience series) were well attended, a packed crowd straining for a look at the star. Baez's career has spanned fifty years and shows her vulnerability, and plenty of footage of Bob Dylan who had appeared earlier in the Square that day baezin the Don't Look Back documentary.

Baez was caught in the conundrum of trying to be available to everyone, not holding anything back while at the same time trying to come to terms with herself in identity. An avowed pacifist, going back to the days of Dr Martin Luther King and the marches - a pacifist, she fought the war in her own way, trying to bring young men out of the lines before they went into the recruiting stations and getting arrested for her efforts, and after spending time in jail going right back to the front of the protest and doing it all over again, her times in jail only made her a "stronger pacifist"singing the folksongs and hits she created "The Night They Tore Old Dixie Down", bringing Bob Dylan and his songs into the movement in her own way, but holding onto Dylan too tight, unable to shape him, their breakup captures on film during Don't Look Back although it may not have been readily apparent at the time, continuing to fight the Victham War, and seeing her husband taken off to jail for resisting the draft and giving birth to her son during that time, coming back into Dylan's fold with the fun of The Rolling Thunder Revue, and finally coming to a place of peace at last.

Despite the chill of the night, the crowd hung on - getting to hear the voice on God Is God, and a few other tunes including "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" riffing on Bob Dylan's voice for a few lines. which perfectly captured the spirit of the night.

TIFF Day 9 - /* the times they are a changin' */ - Don't Look Back - An American in London

2009-09-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

D A Pennebaker's documentary on Bob Dylan's tour of London and area in the year of 1965 when he was the rising "folk singer" - a pigeonholing he reruted to the press - his acoustic career was ascending into the media spotlght on a scale of the madness of Beatlemania.

Shot in black and the camera captures it all on the grainy footage following Dylan everywhere from backstage of concert venues to his travelling limo or the hotel rooms to the front of stage itself. Playing solo on stage in front of a church hall or the Royal Albert Hall - it was a time for all mod cons. Marianne Faithful watching on as Dylan played at the piano, Joan Baez on the sofa with Dylan typing away on an old manual, the ever hovering Alan Grossman, his manager, trying to land a deal with the BBC - Alan Price, Donovan - and the ever presence young girls following Dylan, eyeing his hotel room from ground level - or chasing his car after concerts. The madness of a carrer and not that we knew it the beginning of the end of his relationship with Joan Baez who he did not bring on stage with him even though she was invited to accompany him. Plenty of cigarettes and alcohol in a room and the incident with a glass being thrown at a limo driver that seems to be escalating and fueling Dylan's anger.

Of course the beginning of the film is hallmarked by its homestyle flip card video of Subterranean Homesick Blues with Allen Ginsberg in the background lookingly bemusedly on at the shooting.

Don't Look Back belies its title - it is worth the look back

TIFF Day 8 - /* it's a musical journey */ - U2: Rattle and Hum

2009-09-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Man, do these cameras ever fly. For 1988 what makes Philip Joanou's rockumentary of U2's Rattle and Hum tour is the way these cameras move and move fast to really capture the action. As opposed to D A Pennebaker's cameras were really crammed into the pit with their lenses trained on a spot on the performer and focusing in and out - and even in Monterey there was some crude form of steadicam with a 16mm camera attached at the end of a long harness - the cameras of Rattle and Hum really move and maintain a rocksteady focus during concert but can swirl during a performance of Desire. Desire showed U2's integraton of the roots of American rock and roll into its sound - Rattle and Hum captures another period of the band's history, distinct from Live at Red Rocks. U2 were becoming even bigger anthemic rock stars and showmen - stopping traffic in San Francisco for a rock concert - protesting the internecine rivalries in his native Ireland that culminated in the explosion in Inniskillin that claimed eleven lives - the whole film is a helter skelter of experiences from the top end of Harlem for I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For to the heart of Memphis to record in Sun Studios with the real producers and musicians of the time and a visit to Graceland itself where Larry Mullen Jr. evocatively rides aboard Elvis's bike. The segment with BB King is classic meets today blues.

Finally landing into the colour spectrum U2 Rattle and Hum again shows the obvious connection between band and audience - the Tempe Sun Devil Stadium bursting into life for the anthemic Where The Streets Have No Name - and songs such as Unforgettable Fire's Pride (in the Name of Love) and Joshua Tree's With Or Without You are hallmarks of an era that U2 don't try to follow up anymore constantly on their current 360 tour shedding a lot of the past to their current infatuation with studio experiments. U2 RATTLE AND HUM is a nice way of remembering U2 when they were at the absolute top.

/* I will follow */ - U2 at Skydome - night one

2009-09-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

What a difference four hour makes - from waiting beforehand in the chill air of Skydome waiting for Snow Patrol to open up at the super early hour of 7:15 and then four hours later as U2 brought their two hour plus set to a close - what a strange stage.

TIFF - DAY 7 - /* the beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning */ - The Band tangle up with Scorsese in The Last Waltz

2009-09-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Band started at The Winterland - and came to a close at The Winterland.

Sixteen years was enough for Robbie Robertson - envisioning 20 years on the road was beyond fathoming for his. The Winterland show - the castle of promoter Bill Graham - would be The Band's "last waltz" “the beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning.” The time go get out was now, because the road had claimed too many victims: Hank Williams, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Jimi. So they brought together a few of their mentors, idols and friends and Scorsese's camera crew highlights their last kick on and off stage, stopping in between songs for interviews that set up the moments to come...

Shots of the crowd are at a minimum save for the beginning shots of the crowd lineup to get into the theatre, or wide shot taken of the stage that show it was a general admission floor, and photographers vying to get their pictures with old Pentax cameras.

At The Last Waltz - auch talent never to be assembled, talents at the top of their game, and then gone on to icon or legendary status - Neil Young, Joni Mitgchell, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond.

The Last Waltz reflects a worndown band away from the stage trying to get a measure of their place in time and looking to the future - but once on the floorboards, they show their greatness and their songs with an exuberance - and playing along with the likes of Eric Clapton or Bob Dylan a reverance and joy.

The music took us everywhere physically, spiritually, psychotically...

Scorsese lends his weight to the tone of the film, setting up the key moments and bringing in the talents who were maybe not on the floor of Winterland but shows the scope of The Band's influences and their musical range bringing in gospel choirs or Emmylou Harris on Evangeline.

The Last Waltz is simply just a great film. Like all great documentaries, The Last Waltz captures the sense of a generationk, a whispering, definitive moment in time that will never be repeated,

TIFF Day 6 - /* If you're going to San Francisco */ - Monterey Pop - all you need is love

2009-09-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Three days of sun and rain way back in June 1967 at The Monterey International Pop Festival - D.A. Pennebaker's band of cameramen rolling miles of film in am indulgent manner yet getting locked into camera shots without external coverage - a vintage slice of history - audiences then and now coming to life and gasping at the powerhouse performances of Otis Redding and Janis Joplin come burst into life on the screen, the flower children The Mamas and the Papas, the psychedelic Jefferson Airplane and the blackest blues voice of Eric Burdon and The Animals - the whimsy and the mayhem of The Who performing My Generation and the utter look of shock on the young girl's faces at the destruction of Pete Townsend's guitar - only to be topped by The Wild Thing himself - Jimi Hendrix - who performs last rites for his white Fender before setting it ablaze then throwing the smashed pieces to the crowd. Just as interesting as the stars on stage are the visages of a young nation and innocent generation who came to Monterey - flowers painted on their faces, bell bottoms and floral dresses and long tresses of hair - Mickey Dolenz in the crowd giving Ravi Shankar a standing ovation along with everyone else. Then again there were the Hell's Angels of California in attendance too which worried the police chief. And would worry other people later on.

TIFF DAY 5 - Whip it!

2009-09-15T17:34:00.001-07:00

After the public screening of Jonathan Demme's fantastic MCMLXXXIV film of the iconic Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense, things started to stop making sense...

Dexter dancers and Whip It! girls - and Australian broadcasters and snakes...

.../ more

TIFF DAY 2 - /* Shut up and sing */ - Dixie Chicks fighting mad

2009-09-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

It was a welcome sight to see The Dixie Chicks back on the screen again in a new light - although the war overseas is still going on - but now redeemed with the removal of George W Bush from the presidency. We saw this back at TIFF 2007 in a packed Ryerson theatre - and many in attendance became a Dixie Chicks fan on the spot.

2003 seems like so long ago when Natalie Maines made her infamous remarks about the President - “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas - and the Dixie Chicks backlash so yesterday's news - but it had a definite impact on their career then - and forced them to open up to wider markets - and found themselves at the CMA feud forefront again despite their 5 awards win at the Grammy awards in 2007, country radio still isn't ready to make nice with the chicks.

The Dixie Chicks won in that year of 2007 record and song of the year for their tough declaration comeback song “Not Ready to Make Nice.” The Grammy also gave the band the award best country album, despite the fact the girls don't consider themselves a country band anymore. However, at the peak of the night Natalie shouted: “I’m ready to make nice!” as they accepted the album of the year award. “I think people are using their freedom of speech with all these awards. We get the message.”

Way to go Dixie Chicks!

The Mad Men are back in town!

2009-08-16T22:56:00.001-07:00

Perfect Getaway - /* red snapper */

2009-08-14T22:45:00.001-07:00

Outstanding.

(500) Days of Summer - /* please please let me get what I want */

2009-08-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

This is not a love story where boy gets girl. This is not a love song.

A boy growing up listening to "sad British music".

The Smiths and Belle and Sebastian lend instant cool - and wearing a Joy Division t-shirt for overkill. Does it get any better? Add a PiL poster and Pixies for good measure.

Bandslam - /* I would do anything for you */

2009-08-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Bandslam turns out to be surprisingly good - with funny and touching moments that ring with sincerity.

The catchy songs, the never give up spirit provide the backdrop for the infectious fun to come. Add able acting and singer / performance from one part of High School Musical Vanessa Hudgens and one part of Aly and AJ and Phil of the Future Aly Michalka - plus both playing tough and cute to boot doesn't hurt.

Director and writer Todd Graff [who also directed Camp] seems to try too hard to mesh everything together with lots of backstory and how one geeky guy from Cincinnati can land in the realm of two cute girls from diversely different social classes.

Bandslam starts out with loner type Will Burton with a fascination with David Bowie to whom he writes long messages via the Net which form a narrative through the film. At his old school in Cincinatti he's the outsider and weakling who gets bullied, the world of students is prototypical Breakfast Club / 10 Things I Hate About You student divisions by clique. His life can only get better after he movies with his mother {Lisa Kudrow} from Ohio to her new job and life in New Jersey.

DEAR TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

2009-08-12T07:16:00.001-07:00

Dear anyone nice at TIFF09:

We have been going to the Toronto International Film Festival ever since the days of the director of Julie Ormond's gala at the Elgin not naming her new movie not as "Fatal Extraction". (Name that film) Or having a sensual Bad Timing of it, too.

We remember running OUT OF theatres and having our backpack burst open on the way to The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford or lining up at the Uptown trying to get last minute rushtickets to Heaven or Secretary or enduring Lukas Moodysson and Catherine Breillat at their best or worst. Or freezing after hours outside the Uptown to see Kate Beckinsale at the Midnight Madness viewing of Underworld, then all the geeks afterwards questioning Les Wiseman heavily on his new vampire mythos... Or better still lining up at the University just to get a glimpse of the fuss of what was Devil in the Flesh.

In the days of this current climate, our pocketbook is not going to be able to encompass the cost of this year's passes. So if we could prevail upon you to keep the streak alive - and send us one ticket or if you feel generous enough - one pass - and we promise to review what we see as ably as we can.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours truly,

email me!

an inveterate film fan and TIFF goer as time ticks down

HELLO READER!

2009-08-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader!

We're back in the fold again. Just absorbing life and more movies and coming back into the writing again.

Hope you have all been fun exploring your local cinemas or watching the latest out on release at your local cinemas or on the blu-ray tv.

It's been a task trying to keep up and digest it all - and the one caveat of life is I don't want what I can't have.

The job at hand at the moment is trying to write one review per day - the review may not necessarily be a movie, but it will be of something true.

Have fun and let me know if you're out there.

Orphan - who's babysitting?

2009-08-12T06:44:00.001-07:00

Public Enemies Michael Mann less than intriguing

2009-08-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

For all that Michael Mann is he has helmed what should have been an action packed romp through Depression 1930s into a less than compelling hunt for Public Enemy Number One. Instead he aims for an investigation into the character traits that makes these larger than life characters into a search into their foibles and flaws. It seems Johnny Depp or should we say John Dillinger's character flaw was a deep worship of the Cubs and Clark Gable movies.

Taking Pelham 123 New York melodrama

2009-08-12T06:29:00.002-07:00

Star Trek boldly goes back to the beginning and the future

2009-08-12T06:29:00.001-07:00

Whatever Works works! Woody Allen nostalgic return

2009-08-12T06:28:00.001-07:00

Away We Go an enjoyable roadtrip through marriage

2009-08-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

Angels and Demons plunges into the heart of darkness

2009-08-12T06:25:00.002-07:00

Up up and away - curmudgeonly charming

2009-08-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

Moon is illuminating and confusing

2009-08-12T04:43:00.001-07:00

GI Joe action packed

2009-08-12T04:39:00.002-07:00

Amy Adams leads Julie and Julia through appetizing fare

2009-08-12T04:39:00.001-07:00

It's like butter. Melts in your mouth and tastes so good. sinfully rich in tapestry, be braced to be seduced by the mouthwatering concoctions on the screen. After all, it's the double whammy of Julia Child played whimsically by the one and only Meryl whatshername and her modern day disciple Julie Powell as portrayed by the cute as a button Amy Adams. Director / writer of the screenplay Norah Ephron meshes the two memoirs of Julia Child and Julie Powell into this one movie, a celebration of Julia Child's life in France and Julie Powell's achievement of cooking every recipe in Julia Child's book within the timeframe of one year.

Transformers 2 transformative

2009-08-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Michael Bay unleashes the hounds of hell or the dogs or war or should we say the cars of the apocalypse.

The Autobots are back at it against the ultimate of Demonoids and the humans are caught in a war not of their choosing.

While Sam Witwicky gets caught up in the action dragging foxy girlfriend Mikaela Barnes back into the action

/* is this happening ? */ - Good night Adventureland !

2009-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

What is it about Pittsburgh that produces depressing movies about lost characters - in evidence we submit The Deer Hunter, The Wonder Boys, Pittsburgh, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Adventureland.

Sometimes it can be jarring to see a favourite indie actor pop out of place in a major film: a la Jamie Bell from Billy Elliot or Undertow or Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg's Dear Wendy into Peter Jackson's King Kong or Camilla Bell emerge from The Quiet or The Ballad of Jack and Rose into 10,000 BC or Push. Meanwhile there is Jesse Eisenberg who apart from a M. Night sortee into The Village has stuck to Roger Dodger and the forlorn Walt Berkman in The Squid and The Whale.

And once again Jesse Eisenberg is the stoic yet sad Brennan, James Brennan in Adventureland. Brennan has just broken up with a girl he has known for all of eleven days. His high expectations of a six week summer fun vacation in Europe, then grad school at Columbia for journalism and staying in an apartment in New York City with his friend are his way out of hometown. Alas! are shot down in flames as his father is transferred at work to a lesser paying position. So he badly neds money to pay for his education.

A scholarship student majoring in literary, his proceedings in life have proven him inexperienced to even qualify for manual labour jobs in Pittsburgh.

His dysfunctional parents denoted by the copious alcohol consuming father and an ever blame-assigning mother drive Brennan to the desperation of accepting a summer job with his prankful and mean-spirited friend Tommy Frigo at theme park Adventureland.

On his first day out, he meets a girl whose demeanour seem wise beyond her years, yet there she is. Being the new guy Brennan spots her. "Hi, I'm the new guy." On the second day, the new girl saves Brennan from being stabbed over a big-ass panda. Which is where all the fun and drama begins. Adventureland is very skewed - this could have been a flat out comedy but veers towards the quirks and quirky highs in life.

Adventureland brings alive again a time where music defined the generation - The Replacements, Husker Du and Soul Asylum ruled amongst angst-filled kids - and Lou Reed is god. Adventureland maintenance man Mike Connell's claim to fame is playing guitar with Lou Reed one night. The cast of Adventureland is stellar and brings 1987 to life, yet Adventureland dwells in a nostaligic melancholy. Kristen Stewart wearing the perfect Lou Reed Velvet Underground t-shirt brings a very un-Twilight like performance - as Em, still an outsider concealing an inner self full of painful reminders. Her room is adorned with posters of the Buzzcocks Love Bites and Diamond Dogs Bowie, and she collects the coolest records - Big Star's Radio City is on display during the party. Ryan Reynolds as Connell doesn't rise above the rest of the cast - he does his daily chores with a matter-of-fact friendliness and gets along with James, dispensing bits of advice. Brennan's musical hero is Lou Reed and he has a copy of Transformer carefully perched on his system.

The Stardust is a place to hang out and drown the rest of the day while listening to Foreigner or Stones cover bands - Connell goes there with his attractive wife while trying to keep a dalliance with Em on the side, meeting up with her at his mother's basement.

The highlight of the summer is the arrival back of the bodacious Lisa P. played by Margarita Lavieva - along with her sidekick Kelly. Lisa P is hot and she knows it, always in tandem with the similar strutting Kelly - but even Lisa P. does not rise above it all - she does not have overbearing attitude and even deigns to go on a date with James. James is no fool, and recognizes it is probably a payback at one of her suitors, but hey! it's Lisa P!

But in the long run, what dominates Adventureland is this ever-budding bond and romance between the ever-virginal James and Em - they often kiss and fade to black [ she saves him from being knifed over a "giant ass panda" ! ]

Adventureland is this year's Dazed and Confused (and harkens the yearning undertones of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, which is a good thing) except the events of the best time of their life transpires over a summer instead of one night with stellar performances from a starry cast keeping it real.

/* Sorry Lucy */- Michelle Williams is a treat to behold in the quiet of Wendy and Lucy

2009-04-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

Wendy and Lucy is still hanging around Toronto - and if you have not seen this movie yet please make the time to go out and see this little gem. This was our impression from Day 2 back at TIFF08.

/* Sorry Lucy */ = Michelle Williams is a treat to behold in the quiet of Wendy and Lucy
FRIDAY SEPT 5
DAY 2

WENDY AND LUCY
7:45 pm
AMC 7

A girl and her dog on a road trip - stuck in Oregon on the way to Alaska.

Which basically sums up Kelly Reichardt's little movie Wendy and Lucy starring a wistful Michelle Williams - a girl on the road travelling with her dog - with no safety net of her own and no direction home, she is heading away from native Illinois for a better life and financial future in the promiseland of Alaska. But while passing through somewhere in Oregon, the car breaks down leading to a string of misfortune which we will leave you to find out for yourself for now

Reichardt indicated the movie is a reflection of post-Katrina America where the poor and misfortunate are still looked down upon and almost seen to be responsible for their own fates - a post Katrina America where the politicians assume those American people are supposed to pull themselves up by their bootstraps - but what bootstraps? And where is the financial aid?

Wendy meets a kindly older security guard who watches over the parking lot at Walgreen and they in a way befriend each other. But in the town she meets people without a heart. Michelle Williams as Wendy takes it all in with a quiet stoicism, mingled with a certain despair yet still buoyed by a hope for the best imparted by her new friend - it is only her determination which keeps her moving forward. When she stops her life gasps for air. By the end she is on the road again - on the road to nowhere? but moving on.

It's April in Midnight Matinee

2009-04-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

February flew by too fast so here we are on the April edition of Midnight Matinee.

It's April so what happened to April March?

GLASVEGAS
A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)
Columbia

So this month it's heaven or Glasvegas and the catchiest single of the decade with Geraldine.

Hopefully this single with its attendant video will not be the death to the band where Delilah might have spelled the death knell of a certain t shirt band. However, the entire debut album is composed of shimmery tunes from the days of loud earplitting yet bright shiny rock devoted to by fans of bands of the Lush and Curve variety. Glasvegas is certainly poppy yet vocalist James Allan imbues the Scottish quartet's songs with a heartache and sadness that would make a young girl's heart break.

BUBBLEGUM LEMONADE
Doubleplusgood
Matinee Recordings

For a solo debut Bubblegum Lemonade has been gathering a whole lot of attention for another Scottish musician. From the label that gave you would-be-goods comes "Laz" McLuskey instrumentalist with his "band" Bubblegum Lemonade. Harkening the psychedelia of Three O'Clock or the original Thirteenth Floor Elevator. Too many prevalent influences may mar the experience of just enjoying this record - after all there can only be one Jesus and Mary Chain no matter how hard a group may try not to emulate it.

THE GUILD LEAGUE
Speak Up
Matinee Recordings

Being late to the game but better than never, catching onto the third record from the Guild League is a discovered delight. The Guild League which started as a side project Tali White, drummer of The Lucksmiths has evolved into this still mammoth Australian six piece. With White upfront instead of behind the kit Speak Up and with a group consisting of cello/bass/sax/guitar and drums the sound is far from conventional but more poppy and sprite than expected and heralds the sound of favourites Pale Fountains [which is always a good thing].

/* You owe me a ten second car */ - it seems like old times in Fast and Furious

2009-04-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Conner are at it again in Fast and Furious - and the originals Brian Walker and Vin Diesel slip back into their counterpart roles with ease. As seen in the opening Dom Toretto is still at the same game south of the border - just with a different crew - save the presence of longstanding girlfriend Michelle Rodriguez as Letty who is back into the fold. What is jarring is seeing Brian O'Conner in a full suit running down his quarry in a foot chase reminiscent of the first Bond movie jumping from rooftop to rooftop and scaling over fences. He may be a FBI agent now but he is still the outsider being made to conform.

At the time of The Fast and the Furious streetracing may have been an underground culture but under the direction of Rob Cohen and fuelled by the adrenaline of fast cars and fast women and a killer BT soundtrack The Fast and the Furious paved the way for the next two movies. And now the fourth instalment arrives in Fast and Furious - directed by Justin Lin [ from the third Tokyo movie ].

The car chases in tight tunnels quarters and the and races in the streets of LA and the mindboggling stunts during the heists are as exciting and riveting as ever. Mind you the reunion of the four casts members with the winsome Jordana Brewster back as Dom's sister and Brian's heartbreak girl from the first movie back in 2001 stlll has chemistry but this is not on the scale of the first Star Trek movie where everybody cheered the first presences of their favourite characters. However for the purposes of Fast and Furious only five years has transpired abd the main action has been shunted to the two males, principally Vin Diesel with the two ladies providing the impetus and the glue for the movie.

Speaking of ladies - there are plenty of those eyecandy types with the high heels and the skimpy and tight clothing and the tough attitude that makes the movie easy on the eyes. The pace of the movie is fast for the action sequences with an easy and humorous banter between the two adversaries, but far from furious when they dwell upon the past and moral conundrums.

Fast and Furious is definitely worth the chase.

More music

2009-03-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Midnight Matinee zen music

Welcome back to Midnight Matinee in the year 2009!

On tonight's show :

BAUHAUS
GO AWAY WHITE

Could you have ever imagined talking about Bauhaus in the 2000s? let alone at the end of the triple zeroes? And here they are back in white in a very edgy album filled with a newer sounding Bauhaus - but still reminiscent of the group that led the goth nation into the world of spy in the cab and someone named Bela Lugosi. An 18 day studio session with Bob Ezrin brings back the band after twenty five years for their fifth and final studio album. Very rock guitar, spartan and lean in places, eastern influences and a goth laced tribute all topped off with that trademark glam Peter Murphy vocal and the fab contribution of Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins.

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
ALPINISMS

Maybe it should be School of Seven Belles instead of School of Seven Bells but this is another one of those records that falls into medieval updated choral music - however, this is much less pretentious than the M83 - and with American accents. Catchy rhythms and easy to repeat lyrics make this a good listen when you're on the tube or subway in the morning commute mode.

LOVE IS ALL
A HUNDRED THINGS KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT

For a band grabbing all the attention with their first full length album they stand up to the scrutiny. The sound harkens several of my favourite bands from the 10 Things I Hate About You days - especially Letters to Cleo and the lovely singer - albeit in a different registry and style of shouting out the lyrics.

Too many obvious comparisons to yeah yeah yeah's or Raveonettes abound - but with a less reverential attitude - more tongue in cheek or cheeky - compare the Raveonettes 60s covers of My Boyfriend's Back against the spectoresque Love Is All tunes. At the end of it all love is all.

WOULD-BE-GOODS
BRIEF LIVES

This is a rare catch indeed. After a listen to Stereolab Chemical Chords, then would-be-goods would be the next step in line. The perfect diction of would-be-goods singer Jessica Griffin [ who also contributes the guitars ] fits right into the notch of Stereolab Laetitia Sadier - dare to compare the accented Vivre Sa Vie with a typical Stereolab tune. The band behind Griffin has more than a brief history with name players among them Peter Momtchiloff on guitar, Lupe Nunez-Fernandez on bass, with Deborah Green keeping things straighforward on drums and adding her high harmonies. Brief Lives is a compendium of little pop style vignettes for those looking for their next literate fix of even Camera Obscura or Belle and Sebastian. This 2002 recording of Brief Lives can be found on Matinee Recordings.

have you spent the night in hell
it's a cheap hotel
and the bedbugs in the sheets
won't let you get to sleep
it's hell

DAVID BYRNE AND BRIAN ENO
EVERYTHNG THAT HAPPENS WLL HAPPEN TODAY

Dare to say anything about this album except it is another modern masterpiece - the vocals and tunes of David Byrne against the instrumentals of Brian Eno is their first album together in about 30 years and another leap stylistically from My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is a venture worth following. These are not songs about food and buildings or suburbia, but more country or worldly-like, references to ships in the darkness and a lighthouse, but in the end leaving with an impression that is haunting.

SEABEAR
THE GHOST THAT CARRIED US AWAY

Rather naive and simple back to basic folk pop music from Iceland without all the intrinsic weirdness that seems to come out of Iceland. Guitar, piano, plucked violin and a smattering of drums and background instrumentation - with multi-part male and a dose of children background vocals - very light listening designed for listeners of Iron and Wine.

Quick views:

FRANZ FERDINAND
TONIGHT: FRANZ FERDINAND

Sometimes you just have to take Franz Ferdinand for what it is - a scattergun catchy popgun approach that does not aspire to the heights of XTC or the tribal rhythms of Adam and the Ants but still with plenty of dance attitude.

SIGUR ROS
()
This is by far the least favourite Sigur Ros album of the whole lot - failing to reach any etherealness with its dry production at moments and just dragging along at dirge pace - which for most people is the whole point of Sigur Ros.

.../ stay tune for the February edition of Midnight Matinee for the year 2009. Happy Groundhog Day.

JANUARY 19, 2009 10:09 PM

/* I do not want what I do not have */ - take 4

2009-03-05T03:47:00.000-08:00

Here it is - one more shot at our first little movie - taking us back to the days of shooting Change of Heart, Third Man In and Redlife videos. Keep your eyes glued to the screen until the end - and let us know what you think.

Hit the play button below in the media player.

We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

/* can't stay can't leave - let's do it */ - Revolutionary Road redux

2009-02-08T23:12:00.000-08:00

This is not the story of Jack and Rose no more - the Wheelers Frank and April as portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet with their perfect marriage living the American ideal with a house in suburbia in Stamford Connecticut with their two children. So why does Revolutionary Road have this aura of American Beauty redux? Oh maybe it's because of a certain Sam Mendes and the Thomas Newman score and the Tariq Anwar editing.

Fans of the original Revolutionary Road must be cringing at this adaptation of Richard Yates's novel from 1962- the dialogue between the Wheelers is reduced to platitudes and cliches. However, Revolutionary Road is a triumph due to immaculate acting amongst all the parties involved.

/* Rachel - I heard you got married - congratulation */ - Rachel Getting Married - sisters are doing it for themselves

2008-11-24T11:11:00.004-08:00

Rachel Getting Married debuted at the TIFF 08 in the gala portion which seems quite contrarian to the movie's presentation. The glamorous Anne Hathaway on the red carpet totally undercuts her depiction of Kim - the sister of Rachel who is getting married.

Jonathan Demme, director of Silence of the Lambs, gets down to the nitty gritty of sisterhood and being family compounded by the attendant pressures of the impending marriage and accompanying farfula and intertwining of both sides of the wedding.

The entire film rings with honest truth as the family deals with Anne Hathaway's harrowing past through self destruction, addiction and rehabilitation as it slowly comes to light.

Taking place during a wedding brings together a huge assortment of characters - family members, best man, maid of honour, friends of family, musicians - [ even one Robyn Hitchcock who plays in performance at the wedding ] - far too many characters to keep track of which really drags out too many scenes too long - and the transition of scenes is far from smooth as scenes play out then tail off.

The movie continually focuses back on Anne Hathaway - even as she tries to stay in the background and listen to the testimonials from friends and family to the upcoming newlyweds the camera records her emotional dissatisfaction. She finally has to grab the spotlight and the microphone and tries to make amends to her sister as part of the twelve step programme as the rest of the room fidgets uncomfortably.

Hathaway should be a deserving subject of award season nomination for best actress - for a persona so far removed from Princess Diaries or Devil Wears Prada.

/... more

Inspirational genius in Vicky Cristina Barcelona

2008-11-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen is back to the sharp clever banter that was the trademark of those classic films a la Annie Hall or Manhattan.

This movie is a delightful romp in the sunny clime of Barcelona where two American girls go for a vacation - each with different traits and personalities- the seemingly straight laced dark haired girl and the stunningly attractive blonde live for the moment and easily romanced.

DAY 10 - /* the only thing that can hurt me is out there */ - The Wrestler - Mickey you da man !

2008-09-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

DAY 9 - /* Just you and me and the deadgirl */ - Deadgirl is a tromatic affair

2008-09-12T22:15:00.001-07:00

At TIFF we actively seek those little teen ensemble movies that mark the coming of age - in the past it's been movies such as Little Athens, Mysterious Skin, 2:37, 11:14.

This year it's Deadgirl and one of our definite favourites of this year's fest.

DAY 9 - /* There's no reason to screw the computers */ - Control Alt Delete

2008-09-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Those three familiar words of the PC lexicon either define you as computer geek or normal everyday guy.

Control Alt Delete is definitely not normal - does it get any weirder than having sex with your computer ? If it does we do not want to know you.

The movie sets itself a month away from the eve of the Y2K crisis - a period defined where the missing two digits in front of a year as stored in computer data records which held only the last two digits [ i.e. anyone born in 1953 would have 53 in the YY but with the Y2k the years 00 could mean either century ] marked a potential conflict between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and the end of civilization as we know it unless the problem could be fixed - usually by endless bouts of programming. Which brings us to the setting of the story - the offices where the computer programmers and techs work.

However, the good thing about the movie is the hot Laura Bertram [from Ready or Not or Trance Gemini on Andromeda] being seen naked on the screen for the first time in bed with boyfriend played by Tyler Labine.

What's number 3?

/* Did you just throw water at me */

2008-09-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

So the big fat loud guy with the glasses in the last row of the theatre asked me "Did you just throw water at me?" and I said "Yeah, I am trying not to hear you!"

Of course it was entirely justified - he was in loud discussion with someone about the TIFF movies that had seen or about to see - and movies that we were still hoping to see or had seen and spouting off loud obnoxious opinions that we disagreed with but we were well contemplating doing another Viggo Mortensen episode a la A History of Violence- he's always the guy who laughs too loud too and eats popcorn with his mouth open - they're allowed to shoot horses, don't they? so why not obnoxious moviegoers?

Day 8 - /* Where do we go from here? We just keep on going */ - Uncertainty does a double riposte with Revanche

2008-09-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

The theme of the night of Day 8 at the Festival was uncertain futures and even more uncertain ends.

In fact both movie's three endings were more of no ends - Uncertainty was more acceptable but Revanche clearly in line with La Haine a la Charbol - after almost two hours of gruelling tolerance Revanche - a German spoken Austrian movie with a French title - utterly failed to justify its hype. A couple secretly in love, a girl from the Ukraine trying to make a go of it in Vienna - and working at a brothel run by a powerful fat slob [ not totally unlike the guy who got water thrown at ] - she being Tamara in her hooker heels and he is Alex, the boss of the brothel's grunt labour. Nothing can go wrong with a plan, he says, as he figures a way out of their situation at the brothel - a plan that comprises a bank robbery. A chain of events is set in motion that leads to more than two hours of endurance by the audience.

More palatable was the couple of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins in Uncertainty who after a toss of a coin at the bridge run in two separate directions and thrust into two distinctive and dense plotlines - the crux of each being a decision and "will it be the right decision?"

Two more days of TIFF08 to go. O joy.

/* Never do an armour truck */ - Life is a slammer in What Doesn't Kill You

2008-09-11T05:10:00.001-07:00

One day at a time. Living life.

Another story set in the gritty world of Southie - South Boston. The true story of Brian [ as played by Mark Ruffalo ]

< ... more to come >

One week of TIFF08 behind us. Can it get any better?

DAY 7 - /* I'm a Jew you're a Nazi - game over */ - Viggo Mortensen is GOOD

2008-09-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

Good based on the stageplay by the RDA in England at its best is provocative, at its lullpoints merely good.

Viggo Mortensen is a university professor John Halder of literature in Berlin during the 1930s whose book has come to the attention of the new to power Nazi party. The subject of the book is on the right to life, or merciful ending. He is told that the Fuhrer himself has read the book and it seems the party is about to embrace its ideal - to which Halder clearly shocked says, "It is a work of fiction."

But in stages, the university professor is co-opted into joining the Nazi party and rises in scholarly rank and wage, much to the dismay of his friend Maurice [ Jason Isaacs who is also a co-producer and maybe more familiar in his Harry Potter film role ] who is Jewish. Maurice pleads with Halder to save his life and get him a visa out of the country. However, Halder despite rank is forced to take the cowardly way out in front of youth comrades of the party and switches the destination of his ticket from Paris to Brandenburg where his ailing mother lives.

By always trying to do the good thing [for the country or for himself], and always seeming to make the wrong choice but pressured otherwise, Halder is a victim of his decisions, each marked by a bout of music [Mahler] - he writes a paper for the Party, he forsakes his marriage for a younger university girl attracted to him - by the end, Halder is in full Nazi officer uniform. "Call me Professor."

From Finland after Three Wise Men - merry christmas!

2008-09-10T04:44:00.000-07:00

Mika Kaurismäki's Three Wise Men debuted at TIFF back on the second day of TIFF08 on Friday, Sept 5. We had to investigate that club and found out online that the club for the karaoke scene is very much real so an email was sent. This is their reply.

>Hello.
thankyou for mail.
i am happy you can see finnish film about finnish 3 friends on chritmas
party which was some part of film filmed in swengi night club.
hello to everybody.
you welcome again to helsinki.
Best wishes!
Mr.Bakar Manager.

/* An unwritten life */ - The Brothers Bloom takes you along for the ride

2008-09-09T22:33:00.001-07:00

From the director of Brick comes this next setpiece The Brothers Bloom making its world premiere to an ardent crowd at Ryerson. With an amusing intro and antics by director and the three leads in the cast and the director's cousin? on guitar the audience was primed. In the hands of two professionals Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo, the story of the Brothers Bloom as two conmen is worth the emotional investment. When their final *mark* is the fetching Rachel Weisz, Is that worth a wow?

/* Un nuit de chien */ - DAY 6 - Nuit de chien is a night of chaos

2008-09-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

Werner Schroeter Un nuit de chien [ called Tonight internationally ] is a monumental travesty of a film - this was the type of film we were trying to avoid after being somehow drawn to see Peter Greenaway's Nightwatch at last year's TIFF. A puzzling movie, Un nuit de chien is ,ore of an art piece than a piece of entertainment that one could keep praying would end any moment. Devoid of any realism, and having pieces of popular classical music such as Air on a G String pitched at high volumes it really begins to tax the patience and the nerves. Very Kafkaesque in its puzzlement at what is going on, a German director with a French cast fighting a Spanish war, a Fellini clown selling balloons at night - the movie only really begins to pick up after the lead Ossorio encounters a young Victoria - the daughter of his comrade Barcala which turns the film into The Professional.

It is odd this movie had the highest ratings on the sites devoted to TIFF reviews because no one came out of this movie seemingly to like it.

/* War is a drug */ - Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker a searing indictment of war

2008-09-08T23:36:00.001-07:00

War is hell - it's a phrase worth repeating over and over again. Kathryn Bigelow's movie with its North American premiere at Ryerson on Monday evening is based upon the stories of an embedded reporter in Iraq. If these stories are any indication, then the war can only be viewed as pointless or unwinnable. Iraq is really a warzone fought in the streets with its mazes of streets and hidden bombs which B Company have to defuse.

DAY 5 - /* Heights, the dark, public nudity */ - all of Zooey Deschanel's fears realized in Gigantic

2008-09-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

Gigantic with its world premiere at Isabel Bader theatre on a rainy Monday night is a very odd, quirky and off-balanced movie but that is a good thing. As Paul Dano's quiet character is about to take a gigantic leap into the unknown all the strangest things surround him or come at him out of the blue. First it might be a homeless deranged man out to get him with an iron pipe, then it might be a study of suicidal rats by his scientist friend, or his eccentric father or brothers - but the weirdest thing to enter his life is the holly-go-lightish Happy character of Zooey Deschanel who really knows how to play directionless.

DAY 4 - /* I'm so scared I can't run away anymore */ - Burning Plain erupts in flame of passion

2008-09-08T04:52:00.000-07:00

/* Who do you want to be ? / - Just Katia's sister

2008-09-06T22:49:00.001-07:00

From the makers of Bluebird comes this grim bout of art imitating life.

With a one camera intimacy the movie dwells on the young unnamed girl in the movie who when asked by her teacher what she wants to be in life replies: "Just". The teacher continues "Just what?" "Just Katia's sister."

Katia is the young beautiful and vivacious sister who has fallen in love with an Italian by the name of Giac. But the movie always constantly follows Katia's sister - there is no definitive plot - it just follows the course of the night and day in her life - that one glimpse of her drawing in class at the beginning of the movie is the only scene with other pupils.

Otherwise, the movie shows her solitary life in the apartment while the mother is out working, and Katia is out. Or the movie follows Katia's sister outside as she socializes with her grandma. The story's background comes out in small dribs and drabs through memories and old pictures. The daughters do not even share the same father. Things are not all peachy keen - given the mother's trade in life and Katia yearning to join her boyfriend in Pisa, Italy. Katia's sister clearly loves Katia and the feeling is mutual. But things deteriorate as Katia in her bid to gather money quickly joins her friend in a stripclub which clearly does not please the mother and arguments abound. Katia's way of coping is to keep colouring on paper or when left alone she has imaginary conversations with her mother and with Katia in an idealized world.

As things move towards their denouement, the ending is revelatory.

/* Where's Fluffy? */ - DAY 3- world premiere of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist in high fidelity

2008-09-06T22:41:00.001-07:00

/* Play ball ! */ -DAY 3 - Un été sans point ni coup sûr hits a homerun

2008-09-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY SEPT 6
DAY 3

Un été sans point ni coup sû
3 pm
Scotiabank 4

The first year of the Expos in Montreal and how it affects a baseball crazed boy and his friends and family

Mother says youth does not realize how lucky it is to be so carefree.

A baseball team is forever.

DAY 3 - /* No Music No Dream */ - It might get loud in Detroit Metal City

2008-09-06T21:51:00.001-07:00

Day 3 is what TIFF is all about

Detroit Metal City absolutely rock'd - No Hit No Run Summer [ French Canadian movie set during the first year of the Montreal Expos in Montreal ] - the crowd went absolutely wild for the world premiere of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - it's not totally unlike a certain high fidelity [ which is still a good thing ] but weirderdifferent - and the last movie was Katia's Sister which was Dutch

Detroit Metal City can be blistering loud yet tempered with the Trendy with Tetrapod Melon Tea

With al its death and references to the underworld DETROIT METAL CITY is amazingly funny

/* Sorry Lucy */ = Michelle Williams is a treat to behold in the quiet of Wendy and Lucy

2008-09-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY SEPT 5
DAY 2

WENDY AND LUCY
7:45 pm
AMC 7

A girl and her dog on a road trip - stuck in Oregon on the way to Alaska.

Which basically sums up Kelly Reichardt's little movie Wendy and Lucy starring a wistful Michelle Williams - a girl on the road travelling with her dog - with no safety net of her own and no direction home, she is heading away from native Illinois for a better life and financial future in the promiseland of Alaska. But while passing through somewhere in Oregon, the car breaks down leading to a string of misfortune which we will leave you to find out for yourself for now

Reichardt indicated the movie is a reflection of post-Katrina America where the poor and misfortunate are still looked down upon and almost seen to be responsible for their own fates - a post Katrina America where the politicians assume those American people are supposed to pull themselves up by their bootstraps - but what bootstraps? And where is the financial aid?

Wendy meets a kindly older security guard who watches over the parking lot at Walgreen and they in a way befriend each other. But in the town she meets people without a heart. Michelle Williams as Wendy takes it all in with a quiet stoicism, mingled with a certain despair yet still buoyed by a hope for the best imparted by her new friend - it is only her determination which keeps her moving forward. When she stops her life gasps for air. By the end she is on the road again - on the road to nowhere? but moving on.

Day 2 - Merry Christmas ≈karaoke √ Mika Kaurismaki's Three Wise Men sing

2008-09-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

\http://www.swengi.fi/

FRIDAY, SEPT 5
DAY 2

THREE WISE MEN
5:30 pm
AMC 5

After a very tough pair of movies on Opening Day of TIFF08 over at Ryerson, it was time to sample the debut of the AMC to the festival. Last year this spot was still a hole in the ground and the fences were featured in the Incredible Hulk movie of the summer.

We had already sampled many movies before at the new AMC and noted its comfy seats and legroom. However, TIFF took things to a different level - it seems TIFF insists on trying to pack every theatre to the gills, so there is actually someone sitting beside you! and on both sides!

After some brief introductory remarks from Kaurismaki himself [ whose brother is Aki by the way ] - he's a very humourous man he is - with a Christmas setting replete with the ham and the Declaration of the Christmas Peace which is the tradition in Finland this could have been a light-hearted film filled with good cheer. There is a lot of cheer, of the liquid time, but the material becomes quite dense with pieces of dialogue verging on Bergman and the situations brimming with danger and irony [ and irony in the correct sense - not the American interpretation of irony as bitter and caustic ]. Santa Claus in Helsinki.

/* You mustn't forget */ - Plus Tard, Tu Comprendras - Opening Day of TIFF08 ! Jeanne Moreau is a gift

2008-09-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY SEPT 4
DAY ONE

PLUS TARD, TU COMPRENDRAS
6 pm
RYERSON

The opening day of TIFF was warmly cheered by the audience as TIFF CEO Piers Handling took the stage to welcome all aboard.

And it was back to same as it ever was - night vision goggles, anti-piracy argh ! and some clever and some not go good promo clips for motoreel and the Cadillac People's Choice Awards.

Seeing legend Jeanne Moreau on the screen of Ryerson during TIFF is a gift indeed - and Piers Handling welcomed back Amos Gitai onstage to some introductory remarks for his newest presentation [albeit not his own idea] of Plus Tard, Tu Comprendras. Two years ago we saw his presented by Atom Egoyan before the showing of Free Zone which featured a trio of gifted actresses including Natalie Portman.

Toronto International Film Festival is a presentation ground of tough material - Day One devoted to holocaust and genocide and massacre - but presented in varied and intrestingly lyrical ways.

The compositions within Plus Tard, Tu Comprendras are gorgeous in the tight apartment situations and the acting so sharp and precise with Jeanne Moreau as the commanding mother in her latter years, presiding over her son who is brooding and trying to get to the bottom of a piece of family history that is tied in with the Second World War.

The son gets more wound up and depressed as he tries to pry the story out of his mother about the past which leads his understanding wife to sympathize, saying that the best he can do is "You cannot change the past, you cannot undo history. You mustn't forget."

<... more to come>

/* 26 dogs */ - time is fleeting in Waltz with Bashir on Day ONE of TIFF08

2008-09-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

DAY ONE
Thursday Sept 4, 2008

WALTZ WITH BASHIR
9 pm
RYERSON

Ari Folman is the director of his own personal story of life during wartime doing the Lebanon in 1982 - but the story is universal - this could be any soldier's story - only an animated movie could encompass the wide range of memory loss, the transience of memory, the insanity of war, the pain of lost love, and coming to terms - Waltz with Bashir is therapy. The movie is both funny and poignant but war like life is like that. The music albeit loud in the Ryerson theatre [hopefully they can fix that] scored by Max Richter lends the soignee and melancholy and pulse and drive of the movie. The vibrant Enola Gay adds that 80s touch aboard the "Love Boat", and PIL's This Is Not A Love Song is perfect heartbreak music for a soldier's loss of his girlfriend. This movie whose genesis was back in the Hot Docs competition 3 years ago at TIFF, is slated for release by Seville.

/* Don't panic ! */ - The Hitchhiker's Guide to TIFF08

2008-09-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sick, you're tired
let's dance dance dance
- Metric, Calculation Theme

After your head has exploded after trying to figure out your final schedule - your work has paid off.

The festival is on!

Quick survival tips:
No matter what, bring a light jacket for the times when the sky is dark.
Coffee Crisp makes a nice light snack.
And above all:
Always feel free to kick, throw coffee at or severely injure anyone who tries to talk about a movie you have not seen yet.
Don't forget your towel.

/* Overture dim the lights this is it */ - TIFF starts today !

2008-09-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

We're already feeling nervous again.

There's nothing like first day to set the tone. Last year we were already in our first star sighting with Jodie Foster in black at Ryerson for The Brave One. But no luck in scheduling Persepolis. Two strange movies to start us off this year at Ryerson: Amos Gitai's Plus Tard Tu Comprendras followed by the animated Waltzing with Bashir.

This should be a good day. (But of course we have to survive the daything first).

TIFF08 minus 1 day ! /* Mirror mirror on the wall show me where the bombs will fall */

2008-09-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

With a certain hesitation and regard we await the opening day of TIFF08

Surely there will be gems amongst your choices - and no matter of catty comments or nasty asides should spoil your TIFF experience. Even those terse reviews in your local paper or entertainment weekly should not detract from your ultimate enjoyment.

After all, this is your Toronto International Film Festival.

all the words will lose their meaning
- Arcade Fire Black Mirror

But just in case you forgot why you want to see movies first at TIFF

8/19/2008| Toronto International Film Festival Announces Over 500 Guests For 2008 Event

Toronto - The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival welcomes over 500 international stars and special guests. These filmmakers, actors, and industry insiders, connected to Festival films and other Festival programming, represent the finest in film talent from around the world.

The following guests are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:

Aaron Poole, Aaron Woodley, Abraham Ravett, Adam Del Deo, Adam Garnet Jones, Adolfo Alix Jr., Adria Petty, Adrian Sitaru, Adrien Brody, Agnès Varda, Aida Begic, Akin Omotoso, Akshay Kumar, Alan Alda, Albert Serra, Alec Baldwin, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Flores, Alexander Sebastien Lee, Alexis Alexiou, Alicia Keys, Amariah Faulkner, Amos Gitaï, Amos Kollek, Andrea Zambelli, Andreas Dresen, Anees Bazmee, Angèle Coutu, Ann Marie Fleming, Anna Boden, Anne Anglin, Anne Fontaine, Anne Hathaway, Annie Bradley, Anthony Arnove, Anthony Fabian, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Wong, Antoine L'Écuyer, Anton Yelchin, Antonio Banderas, Antti-Jussi Annila, Ari Folman, Arnaud des Pallières, Arnaud Desplechin, Arne Glimcher, Arsinée Khanjian, Assane Kheiro, Astra Taylor, Astrid Ofner, Atom Egoyan, Augustus Prew, Avital Ronell, Baayork Lee, Babz Chula, Baltasar Kormákur, Barbet Schroeder, Barmak Akram, Barry Jenkins, Beatriz Rico, Ben Barnes, Ben Kempas, Ben Kingsley, Benicio Del Toro, Bent Hamer, Bill Maher, Bill Sales, Bob Martin, Bohdan Sláma, Brad Pitt, Breno Silveira, Brian Goodman, Brian Stockton, Brianna Scarfone, Brigitte Pogonat, Brillante Ma. Mendoza, Brittany Allen, Bruce McDonald, Bruno Barreto, Bryan Brown, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cameron Labine, Camille Sullivan, Candice Day, Carina Caputo, Carl B. Dorvil, Carl Bessai, Carlos Sorín, Carly Pope, Caroline Dhavernas, Carolyne Eisenberg, Caroline Link, Casey Manderson, Chai Vasarhelyi, Charles Martin Smith, Charles Officer, Charlie Cox, Charlie Kaufman, Charlize Theron, Charlotte Legault, Chi McBride, Chick Reid, Chris Chong Chan Fui, Chris Evans, Chris Gehman, Chris McCarroll, Chris Moore, Christian Petzold, Christina Collins, Christine Brubaker, Christophe Barratier, Christopher Walken, Chus Gutiérrez, Claire Danes, Claire Denis, Clark Johnson, Claudel Poirier, Clive Holden, Clovis Cornillac, Colin Farrell, Colin Firth, Constant Mentzas, Cornel West, Costa Tavaroniski, Craig Alan Edwards, Cynthia Nixon, Cyrus Nowrasteh, Dakota Fanning, Dan Popa, Dan Stone, Dana Nachman, Daniel Brière, Daniel Brühl, Daniel Burman, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Daniel Hendler, Daniel J. Gordon, Daniela Thomas, Danny Boyle, Darren Aronofsky, David Gatten, David Huband, David Koepp, David Ludwig, David Oyelowo, David Schwimmer, David Siegel, David Weaver, David Woroner, Davis Guggenheim, Debra Winger, Declan McCarthy, Deepa Mehta, Delphine Chuillot, Denis Villeneuve, Derek Luke, Derick Martini, Des Walsh, Don Hardy, Don McKellar, Donna McKechnie, Dorothee Wenner, Douglas Goodwin, Duane Hopkins, Duraid Munajim, Dylan Everett, Dylan Moran, Ed Harris, Eddie Cahill, Edward Norton, Elena Hudgins Lyle, Elizabeth Banks, Elizabeth Lazebnik, Ella Lemhagen, Emmanuelle Beart, Emmanuelle Devos, Eric Schlosser, Erika Loic, Eriko Sonoda, Ethan Coen, Ethan Hawke, Eva Amurri, Eva Sørhaug, Evan Rachel Wood, Evangeline Lilly, Fabrice Du Welz, Fabrice Luchini, Federico Veiroj, Félicité Wouassi, Félix Beaulieu-Duchesneau, Félix Dufour-Laperrière, Fernando Meirelles, Ferzan Ozpetek, Fien Troch, Frances McDormand, Francesco Munzi, Francis Ducharme, Francis Leclerc, Franck Vestiel, François Dupeyron, François Girard, François Velle, François Verster, Frank Erl, Gabor Csupo, Gabriel Medina,Gbrielle Néron, Gabrielle Rose, Gadi Harel, Gael García Bernal, Gavin O'Connor, Gaylen Ross, Geetika Sharma, Geneviève Ouellon, Geoffrey Rush, Geordie Dobson, Georgina Reilly, Gerard Butler, Gerardo Naranjo, Gick Grewal, Gil Bellows, Gilles Bourdos, Gina Prince- Bythewood, Gina Sylvester, Glenn Ligon, Götz Spielmann, Gracie Otto, Greg Kinnear, Guillermo Arriaga, Guka Omarova, Guy Édoin, Guy Ritchie, Haile Gerima, Hajime Kadoi, Hal Hedley, Hans Steinbichler, Haoua Abakar, Helen Lee, Hélène Loiselle, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Hollman Morris, Howard Zinn, Hrant Alianak, Ian FitzGibbon, Iannis Smaragdis, Inés Efron, Ing K, Ingrid Veninger, Isabelle Blais, Isabelle Huppert, J.T. Petty, Jack White, Jacob Switzer, Jacques-Rémy Girard, James Benning, James D. Stern, James Downing, James McBride, Jamie Jay Johnson, Jamie M. Dagg, Jan Troell, Jason Issacs, Jason Jones, Jason Phin, Javier Cámara, Javor Gardev, Jay Baruchel, Jean-Francois Richet, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Jean-Marc Barr, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Jeff Goldblum, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Reeves, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy Northam, Jeremy Piven, Jeremy Renner, Jerry Zaks, Jerzy Skolimowski, Jessica Biel, Jessica Booker, Jessica Haines, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Jia Zhang-ke, Jija Yanin Vismitananda, Jill Hennessy, Jim Jennings, Jim Sturgess, Jimmy Page, Joan Dupont, Joan Richards, Joana Hadjithomas, Jodie Markell, Jodie Whittaker, Joe Balass, Joe Dinicol, Joel Coen, Joel Thomas Hynes, John Breglio, John Crowley, John Malkovich, John Stockwell, Jon Abrahams, Jon Hart, Jon Hewitt, Jonathan Demme, Jordan Canning, Jorge Luis González, Josef Bierbichler, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Joshua Jackson, Josué Méndez, Juan José Lozano, Juan Pablo de Santiago, Julia Ormond, Julianne Moore, Julie McCarthy, Jung Woo-sung, Juraj Lehotský, Justin Chatwin, Justin Simms, Karen LeBlanc, Karen Oganesyan, Kari Skogland, Karim Dridi, Karin Lernbeiss, Karl Geary, Karl Lemieux, Karoline Herfurth, Kat Dennings, Kate Beckinsale, Kate Mara, Kathryn Bigelow, Katrina Kaif, Kazik Radwanski, K.C. Collins, Keb' Mo', Keira Knightley, Kelly O'Neill, Kelly Reichardt, Kenichi Matsuyama, Kenneth Ward, Keven McAlester, Kevin Papatie, Kevin Rafferty, Kevin Smith, Kevin Zegers, Khalil Joreige, Khayar Oumar Defallah, Kieran Culkin, Kieran Kennedy, Kim Jee-woon, Kiran Bedi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Kornél Mundruczó, Kristen Thomson, Kristian Levring, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kristin Trembinski, Kristine Cofsky, Kristopher Belman, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Lakis Lazopoulos, Lance Daly, Larry Charles, Laura Linney, Lauren Graham, Laurence Carbonneau, Laurent Delbecque, Laytrel McMullen, Laz Alonso, Léa Pool, LeBron James, Lee Byung-hun, Leon Geller, Leonardo de Armas, Liam Neeson, Liane Balaban, Lichuan Yin, Lina Roessler, Lisa Houle, Lisandro Alonso, Liu Fendou, Louise Bourgoin, Luc Bourdon, Luc Dardenne, Lyne Charlebois, Lynn Collins, Mabrouk El Mechri, Macarena Gomez, Macarena Gomez, Madeline Piujuq Ivalu, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Malcolm Rogge, Malgoska Szumowska, Marc Abraham, Marc Bendavid, Marcel Sarmiento, Marco Kreuzpaintner, Marco Pontecorvo, Marcus Vetter, Margaux Williamson, Maria Deschamps, Maria Govan, Maria Heiskanen, Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Marisa Tomei, Mark Doherty, Mark Hartley, Mark Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Van de Ven, Martha Burns, Martha Nussbaum, Martin Provost, Martina Gusman, Marty Montgomery, Mathew Kaufman, Mathieu Bourguet, Matt Aselton, Matt Damon, Matt Dillon, Matt Gordon, Matt Hopkins, Matt Tyrnauer, Matteo Garrone, Matthew Newton, Matthew Rankin, Max Färberböck, Meadow Wells-goudie, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Megan Doneman, Megan Jones, Melanie Schnell, Meredith Bailey, Meredith Cheesbrough, Michael Cera, Michael Ealy, Michael Fassbender, Michael McGowan, Michael Peña, Michael Winterbottom, Michel Gomes, Mickey Rourke, Miguel Martí, Mijke de Jong, Mika Kaurismäki, Mikael Persbrandt, Mike Beaver, Mike Leigh, Mike Maryniuk, Mohammad Bakri, Mozhan Marnò, Nakhee Sung, Nandita Das, Nate Parker, Nathalie Richard, Nathan MacIntosh, Nathaniel Dorsky, Nati Baratz, Neil Burger, Neil Burns, Neil Fraser, Nicholas Pye, Nick Ashdon, Nick McKinlay, Nick Oceano, Nicolas Brault, Nigel Cole, Nik Fackler, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Noah Segan, Noam Jenkins, Ole Christian Madsen, Olivier Assayas, Omar Benson Miller, Oscar Martínez, Pablo Agüero, Pablo Larrain, Pablo Trapero, Pamela Farrauto, Paolo Sorrentino, Pascal Laugier, Pat Mills, Patrice Dubois, Patrick Gambuti, Patrick Gazé, Patrick Goyette, Paul Bettany, Paul Cronin, Paul Dano, Paul Gross, Paul Schrader, Peace Anyiam- Fiberesima, Perla Haney-Jardine, Peter O'Toole, Peter Singer, Peter Sollett, Phawat Panangkasiri, Philip Haas, Philippe Claudel, Philippe Falardeau, Pierfrancesco Favino, Prachya Pinkaew, Prakash Raj, Preity Zinta, Priyadarshan, Queen Latifah, Rachal Blanchard, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz, Rafaël Ouellet, Ralph Fiennes, Ram Bergman, Ramin Bahrani, Randall Cole, Randall Okita, Randy Quaid, Rashid Masharawi, Rebecca Baron, Réjean Lefrançois, Renee Zellweger, Rian Johnson, Richard Eyre, Richard Linklater, Richard Parry, Ricky Gervais, Rinko Kikuchi, Rithy Panh, Robert Carlyle, Robert Joy, Robert Kenner, Robert King, Robert Koehler, Robert Randolph, Robert Todd, Rod Lurie, Rodrigo Santoro, Rodrigue Jean, Romain Duris, Rory Culkin, Roschdi Zem, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ruth Williamson, Ryan Fleck, Ryosuke Hashiguchi, Sabrina Grdevich, Safy Nebbou, Sam Neill, Samantha Bee, Sami Khan, Samira Makhmalbaf, Samuel Chow, Sara St. Onge, Sarah Fortin, Saul Dibb, Scott Campbell, Scott McGehee, Scott Speedman, Scott Wills, Semi Chellas, Semih Kaplanoglu, Sergey Dvortsevoy, Sergi Lopez, Sheila Heti, Sheila Pye, Sherry White, Sherry White, Shiloh Fernandez, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Sholem Krishtalka, Sima Urale, Simon Reynolds, Sir Michael Caine, So Yong Kim, Soledad Porta, Solongo Galbadrakh, Song Kang-ho, Sonja Bennett, Sook-Yin Lee, Sophia Bush, Sophie Okonedo, Spike Lee, Srinivas Krishna, Stefania Hristea, Stefanie Eby, Stephan Elliott, Stephen Belber, Stephen McHattie, Steve Jacobs, Steve McQueen, Steve Zahn, Steven Soderbergh, Sudz Sutherland, Suhail Abdul Hussein, Susan Coyne, Susan Sarandon, Suzanne Clément, Suzie LeBlanc, Sylvie Drapeau, T. Marie, TaeinPark, Tantoo Cardinal, Tatia Rosenthal, Tea Leoni, Tenzin Zopa, Terence Davies, Terry Miles, Thandie Newton, The Edge, Thomas Borch Nielsen, Thomas Woschitz, Thure Lindhardt, Tiffany Lyndall Knight, Tilda Swinton, Tim Braddock, Tim Dowler, Tim Hamilton, Tim Robbins, Tim Roth, Timo Torikka, Timothy Hutton, Tinsel Kovey, Toa Fraser, Tom McCamus, Tom Shu-Yu Lin, Tom Wilkinson, Tony Massil, Toshio Lee, Tracey Heggins, Tracy Wright, Tristan Wilds, Tygh Runyan, Tyler Labine, Uberto Pasolini, Uros Stojanovic, Valdís Óskarsdóttir, Valentina Cervi, Vanessa O'Neill, Vansh Bhardwaj, Vera Farmiga, Vicente Amorim, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Vincent D'Onofrio, Warren P. Sonoda, Werner Schroeter, Willa Holland, William Forrest, Wong Kar Wai, Wyatt Cenac, Yanna McIntosh, Yesim Ustaoglu, Yolande Moreau, Young-seok Noh, Youssou Ndour, Youssouf Djaoro, Yu Lik-wai, Yulene Olaizola, Zac Efron, Zooey Deschanel.

TIFF08 minus 2 days - /* it's too quiet Jim */

2008-09-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

As of 7 am on the other side of midnight the rest of the festival is released to the outside world as the individual tickets go on sale.

These are the other tickets the pass holders could not get their hands on - so it is now or never to get that movie you want to see. Mind you those individual tickets are on the order of 25$, and the Gala tickets are $44 [ more or less ]. We used to stand in that line for the three or four hours winding around College Park or going up and down the stairs at the Eaton Centre 2 below. It was simpler back then when all you wanted to see was maybe one or two movies - and even 10 if you could afford it. Then one year we made it all the way up to 13 movies - and this was standing in rush lines outside the Uptown to try to buy tickets for Personal Velocity or Heaven or Secretary, or standing on the last night of the festival outside the Varsity hoping for such exciting titles as being introduced to Vince Gallo's Trouble Every Day, (then later going on to discover Buffalo 66 and the hit of the festival The Brown Bunny on our first fullblown Festival 50 coupon pass). It all starts so simply, then you are hooked. There has to be some reason why we all endure the line-ups that TIFF subjects us to, and besides, they want the line-ups. And we endure because Toronto just loves their movies.

TIFF07 lives on

2008-09-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

While Toronto looks forward to and braces itself for the pending Toronto International Film Festival 2008, last year's 2007 version still lives on in the theatres.

While it may be a pleasurable experience to see a director or a star present at your film of choice at the festival itself, sometimes if you wait long enough the films will come back.

Even now at AMC Yonge and Dundas Boy A from last year is playing along with Up The Yangtze and Mongol and at other repertory theatres such as the Regent The Counterfeiters, Le Balon Rouge which we were delighted with last year with the fabulous Juliette Binoche and of course over at the Carlton where films go to die last year's TIFF sexsation and the PControversial Young People F*(**** [ in YPF it was people acting with their clothes off and a much better viewing than the year before that Shortbus ].

While Hellboy 2 itself was not a TIFF selection, the film continued the strong visual and artistic style that is Guillermo del Toro's present in Pan's Labyrnth.

And if you wait long enough - you might even see an indie movie such as Blindness actually make it to a movie theatre! Imagine that! The trailer for Blindness is already on The Tracey Fragments DVD with the awesome Ellen Page that we are watching to get back into the swing of TIFF while we are wearing out TIFF06 cap - it was either that or Juno again. [And fans of Regenesis should note Showcase is back in the season one Ellen Page Lilith episodes].

TIFF08 minus 3 days - /* 03:24:18 */

2008-09-01T17:54:00.001-07:00

Monday, Sept 1, 2008

Can it be September already?

Usually there is some movie at TIFF where some time of day is in the title that portends something ominous or climactic. Instances include the great movie 11:14 [which never saw the light of day in theatre but in the compact comfiness of the Uptown Bloor 2 everyone in the place was just laughing at the sheer bizarreness of all the antics onscreen - and the comely Rachael Leigh Cook as well - and Hilary Swank ! post Boys Don't Cry ] , or there is the melodramatic high school Australian movie 2:18 [ check title later ] which was a worthy follow-up to the likes of Gus Van Sant's Elephant [ who actually mentored the director ] .

So this year we had our own version of 03:24:18 - the total time from start to finish from when we landed at the end of the line-up to pick up the tickets for TIFF08 to the time we made the last switch of tickets and coupons and resolved all time conflicts and double scheduling and said to ourselves at the food court tables outside the Toronto Life Box Office that at last ! our schedule was done.

Our Final Schedule /* ha ! */

2008-09-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

So here is the schedule we have shaped with much sweat and blood and furrowed brow and hope for the best - and we actually look forward to this. Note of course that not everything was possible to attain or schedule - being in Box 50 did not helpMany thanks to the great site TOFilmfiest which is devoted to getting out the TIFF schedule every year along with star ratings and reviews in advance to make the selection process just that little bit easier.

Just to rewind for a second and first things first: the Festival Lite pass is good for 30 tickets outside the galas - big change from last year - the Festival Lite pass itself is a change from last year when it was not there at all - so it was 50 or 10. So we bought the Festival 50 last year and took the whole festival off from the outside world. However, this year is different - outside world by day - festival by night. This is not going to be pleasant. Nonetheless, we are going to enjoy TIFF08 to our utmost. Sleep? who needs it.

Plus Tard, Tu Comprendras THU 9/4/08 06:00pm Ryerson

Waltz with Bashir THU 9/4/08 09:00pm Ryerson

Three Wise Men FRI 9/5/08 05:30pm AMC 6

Wendy and Lucy FRI 9/5/08 07:45pm AMC 7

Zift SAT 9/6/08 09:15am Scotiabank 3

Detroit Metal City SAT 9/6/08 12:00pm Scotiabank 2

Un Ete Sans Point Ni Coup Sur SAT 9/6/08 03:00pm Scotiabank 4

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist SAT 9/6/08 06:00pm Ryerson

Katia's Sister SAT 9/6/08 08:45pm AMC 4

35 Rhums SUN 9/7/08 09:15am Scotiabank 4

The Burning Plain SUN 9/7/08 09:45am Scotiabank 2

La Fille de Monaco SUN 9/7/08 12:15pm Scotiabank 1

Is There Anybody There SUN 9/7/08 03:00pm Ryerson

Le Silence de Lorna SUN 9/7/08 06:00pm Scotiabank 1

Genova SUN 9/7/08 08:30pm Wintergarden

The Hurt Locker MON 9/8/08 06:00pm Ryerson

Gigantic MON 9/8/08 09:45pm Isabel Bader

Nuit de Chien TUE 9/9/08 06:15pm Scotiabank 2

The Brothers Bloom TUE 9/9/08 09:00pm Ryerson

What Doesn't Kill You WED 9/10/08 06:30pm Ryerson

Good WED 9/10/08 09:15pm Ryerson

Uncertainty THU 9/11/08 06:30pm AMC 6

Revanche THU 9/11/08 08:45pm AMC 5

Control Alt Delete FRI 9/12/08 06:00pm AMC 1

Deadgirl FRI 9/12/08 09:00pm AMC 6

The Wrestler SAT 9/13/08 09:00am Ryerson

It Might Get Loud SAT 9/13/08 12:00pm AMC 6

Martyrs SAT 9/13/08 04:00pm AMC 3

Once Upon a Time in Rio SAT 9/13/08 07:00pm AMC 3

The Other Man SAT 9/13/08 09:30pm Isabel Bader

Just in from TIFF - Sunday night and back to the drawing board

2008-08-31T11:10:00.001-07:00

Our Schedule (click here) from TIFF came in this weekend - and we were not entirely pleased. 27 out of 30 with 3 duplicate films, 2 time conflicts and 3 coupons to redeem.

Waltz with Bashir THU 9/4/08 09:00pm

Three Wise Men FRI 9/5/08 05:30pm

Wendy and Lucy FRI 9/5/08 07:45pm

Detroit Metal City SAT 9/6/08 12:00pm

Nick and Norah's Infinite... SAT 9/6/08 06:00pm

Katia's Sister SAT 9/6/08 08:45pm

Nick and Norah's Infinite... SUN 9/7/08 09:30am

The Burning Plain SUN 9/7/08 09:45am

La Fille de Monaco SUN 9/7/08 12:15pm

Wendy and Lucy SUN 9/7/08 12:45pm

Le Silence de Lorna SUN 9/7/08 06:00pm

Genova SUN 9/7/08 08:30pm

The Hurt Locker MON 9/8/08 06:00pm

Gigantic MON 9/8/08 09:45pm

Nuit de Chien TUE 9/9/08 06:15pm

The Brothers Bloom TUE 9/9/08 09:00pm

What Doesn't Kill You WED 9/10/08 06:30pm

Good WED 9/10/08 09:15pm

Uncertainty THU 9/11/08 06:30pm

Revanche THU 9/11/08 08:45pm

Control Alt Delete FRI 9/12/08 06:00pm

Deadgirl FRI 9/12/08 09:00pm

The Wrestler SAT 9/13/08 09:00am

Genova SAT 9/13/08 12:00pm

Martyrs SAT 9/13/08 04:00pm

Once Upon a Time in Rio SAT 9/13/08 07:00pm

The Other Man SAT 9/13/08 09:30pm

TIFF08 minus 5 days - shock

2008-08-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

In rehearsal mode for TIFF, descended back into the world of the AMC 24 at Yonge and Future Shop and it was not totally unpleasant. Comfortable seats - good sound system for sure - pristine prints - the downside was the presence of other sapiens sitting in the theatre as well and acting as if they expected to stay here too. This is not the regular home theatre experience - so girls in short skirts and flipflops propping their feet on the chairs ahead of them munching on popcorn which is another thing - some people know how to chew popcorn quietly and others are just plain rude about it.

And the final shock - trailers! trailers for movies that were about to open and we were planning to see at TIFF08 ! Burn After Reading ! An indie Coen brothers movie ! Really ? a movie that would be individually 45 $ for one ticket or one of the 8 for $350 Gala pass ! Appaloosa ! An Ed Harris movie with a trailer ! This was going into shellshock territory. And movie posters ! Rocknrolla ! a gala movie denied to anyone without the Gala pas. The Day The Earth Stood Still ! And finally Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist - the next Michael Cera movie everyone is falling upon as the next Juno for some reason - a movie we picked three times for our TIFF list and hoping for the best. And if you read the freebie magazine you would find out that Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a P*rno would actually be in a movie theatre in October !

So there it is in a nutshell - a movie that you pick at TIFF may actually be seeable in the near future

TIFF08 minus 6 days

2008-08-29T23:26:00.000-07:00

How did it come to all this madness - with its maddening lineups, its maddening scheduling riddled with spacing and conflicts, the maddening days of too little sleep nights, the maddening realization at 3 in the morning that the selections have to be handed in the morning and the realization that those last few picks and desired movies will just not fit or the decision on what those are in the first place ? And because the decision was made to not skip the employment and instead see TIFF at night during weekdays and weekends and purchase the Festival *Lite* package of 30 tickets. Yet it ends up going into work late so that you could [ and see below ] anyway end up on this final day to get the selections in before the 1 p.m. deadline, racing downtown in the morning on The Better Way [ knows as take the car to all the propagandists ] to the box office gives an appreciation to what it is to not to have to make that daily commute downtown. And still the necessity to buy that one more cup of A&W coffee in the Eaton Centre Food Court and open up the advanced schedule book to make the final markings of first and second choice and still taking another hour to complete the book with yellow first choice and green second choice and end up making way too many yellow markings and hoping for the best that the conflicts will play themselves out to a model daily schedule of movie watching perfection then to get to the Toronto Life Building across the scrambled crosswalk and fly past the volunteer pointing up to the escalator to the final destination - only to see another lineup just to drop off the envelope into the dropbox - and to be floored by the sight of people huddling at steel tables in the food area still poring over pieces of paper and now you know the rest of the story.

[ The lineup - at the end of it was a table of more TIFF volunteers to meet and have them ask if any last minute help was needed in going over the book to which the reply was what could possibly go wrong now - and then the envelope is handed over and being told that it is going into Box 50 ]

[ Then the race to get back north up the TTC way to the place that pays for all this movie mania in the first place. Fun? Wow ]

This just in from TIFF - oh oh

Aug 29 - Box #9 has been selected as the first to be processed in the Advance Order Procedure. There were 78 boxes in the draw. Completed orders can be picked up only at our Festival Box Office at Toronto Life Square, starting Monday, September, 1 at 10am.

Lucky 50

2008-08-29T09:29:00.001-07:00

The lucky box is number 50 at 10 am

It has to be

( song of the moment - Joy Division Disorder )

The Lucky Ones

2008-08-28T22:19:00.001-07:00

It seems the lucky ones to see
The Lucky Ones will be the gala types after all.

This is a reversal of procedure from last year - it seems only the elite few who can shell out the $45 for the gala ticket can enter the Elgin now.

http://tiff08.ca/images/films/luckyones.jpg

/* Here's looking at you kid */ - Casablanca bringing the crowd together at Toronto Life Square

2008-08-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

August 26, 2008

On a perfect cool summer evening in Toronto but still with fashionable strappies and shorts in abundance - and the feel of real downtown - Toronto International Film Festival 2008 opened up for serious business - today was the first day to pick up the big programming books and the schedule is online - and now comes the pondering and the grr-ing as we head towards that Friday at 1 p.m deadline. The evening was jacket and sweater type of cool in Toronto - and down at Toronto Life Square in the outdoors it was a perfect night - standing under the big lit advertising signs - holding the TIFF bag full of all the programming goodies - including chocolates, Starbucks coffee and a box of TARDIS filled with a Stella Artois glass - and a marker pen and a penlight - and the programming book - and the just out Best Buy exclusive Heroes box complete with season 2 and a Kensei helmet ! [ we had to buy that separately - that's not part of TIFF ]

But we digress - for this summer eve was devoted to Summer Romance - on the theatre screen in on the stage at Toronto Life Square - amidst the hubbub of Toronto's busiest tourist intersection that is Yonge and Dundas and the glare and the glow of the overhead billboards lighting the evening - especially one touting the Traveling Pants 2 and the Sisterhood looking so fetch - the screen sprang to life with the story of German couriers in Africa during the Second World War carrying two exit visas - and three people.

It was a perfect day and night - chill in the air - sitting on the ground on a carpet or lucky enough to bring a chair - the people sitting under the stars drawn together by the chemistry of the stars and the on screen magic that is movies.

Have a great Festival !

music of the moment = Trembling Blue Stars Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise

The schedule is up !

2008-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

08TIFF

It's the final countdown

The schedule is online now and out to the world !

Now begins the most hectic 75 hours of your life - trying to juggle all your movie choices into the precious little time that is ten days and nights - and make that schedule.

Good luck!

[ ... more to come ]

/* Are you in or you out? I'm in */

2008-08-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'll go pack my stuff

It's that time of year to dive again into the heady world of Toronto International Film Festival - the 08 edition.

Somehow the thought of those undeserving dimwits at E! Canada et al [ nice guy al but a dimwit ] covering the red carpets while we remained at home just did not sit well in the tummy. Even though it might not be possible this year due to the outside world to attend all 50 tickets on the Festival pass - we still have to be there.

First things first. Where do you buy the pases this year and where do you pick it up?

What are the top 20 fun movies to see for now ? Feel free to let us know - and drop by TOfilmfest '08 - a good place to be.

For relaxing times make it Suntory time

/* Oh Max */ - Would you believe Get Smart is smart fun

2008-08-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

The new 2000s Get Smart movie delivers the spirit of the original television show of the incomparable Don Adams role Maxwell Smart without the original chaos or KAOS. At best Steve Carrell [ from The Office and Little Miss Sunshine amongst other things ] channels the mannerisms of Don Adams without strictly imitating his iconic gestures and Anne Hathaway embodies the independent strength of Barbara Feldon's 99 and is smoking hot to boot. And even she gets to deliver her trademark "Oh Max."

Aside from all that notwithstanding the moving nods to its predecessor, the movie Get Smart really bears little resemblance to a Get Smart episode but gets by on sheer fun and personality. Some new nuances are the duo of Heroes Hiro and a super bad virgin. The Chief's sidekick Larabee was never this annoying or bumbling - played as a Vince Vaughn type wannabee by David Koechner. And Fang was a mutt. The quick backstory is Maxwell Smart is a field analyst in CONTROL who yearns to be an agent in the field - and the day finally comes where he is promoted to Agent 86. There are obviously elements that harken the show: the Cone of Silence is de rigeur and Agent 13 jammed in some tiny nook or cranny - and the passageway of the doors - and that great theme song. Alan Arkin is the put-upon Chief who suffers the slings and arrows of misfortune - sorry about that Chief - but he is no Edward Platt [ yes he of Rebel Without A Cause ] .

Just sit back and enjoy the ride - and follow the development of the chemistry between 86 and 99 onwards to see Get Smart again?

Smart People - smart and witty viewing

2008-08-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

Ellen Page as the arch conservative Republican with the arch wit fits in well with this small ensemble cast of Dennis Quaid who delivers a very curmudgeonly professorial persona which given the circumstances fits him to a T.

/* Unfortunately she drank too much and passed out */ - My Sassy Girl - Elisha Cuthbert sassy to the end

2008-08-15T23:21:00.001-07:00

Write well.

The tale of an accidental prone relationship between Charlie Bellows and Jordan Roark [ with two syllables ] told in narrative by the boyfriend looking back upon his first love.

The movie's charm relies on the cute as a button Elisha Cuthbert - the love at first glance with a sassy spirit and a penchant for aggressive behaviour as she starts drinking too much which is part of her zest for living. Charlie played quite affably by Jesse Bradford who is once caught up in the net of an attractive girl a la Swimfan.

Studious Charlie is trying to follow in his father's footsteps trying to move ahead in the company - only this time by going through college and moving forward through management ranks. But one day in the subway and trying to be gallant and noble, he saves the drunken girl from mishap and the course of his life is changed.

I wish you a story with a happy ending.

Mad Detective

2008-08-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Mad Detective seen at TIFF 2007 is making a slow release in the US at the moment.

A bizarre film of a detective with an unconventional method of "profiling" - without giving the whole story - he gets inside people's heads. Recommended if you have the patience for letting the movie unravel and getting through the plotline and subtitles. The lead is not the nicest character on the block so give the story time.

Let the TIFF madness begin at midnight

2008-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Like whatever

It's been the best of times the worst of times during Midnight Madness at TIFF in the past - from lining up in the frozen cold of September for the *midnight* showing of Underworld - but the good part was having Kate Beckinsale to look at in person. Mickey Rourke "you're the man!" showing up for Spun at the late Uptown Bloor cinema

And now onto 2008 and the recent announcement without further ado:

Down-and-out action star Jean-Claude Van Damme, movies featuring a handful of heroic kids and more than two dozen avant-garde films and videos are among the latest additions to the Toronto International Film Festival bill.

Organizers announced on Wednesday the lineups for three programs: the popular Midnight Madness, the challenging and artistic Wavelengths and the family-friendly Sprockets.

The action- and horror-focused Midnight Madness opens with JCVD (France/Luxembourg/Belgium), starring Van Damme as himself. In director Mabrouk El Mechri's film, Hollywood's faded "Muscles from Brussels" must deal with being an ordinary Joe when caught in the middle of a real-life heist.

The late-night lineup will also include:

The Burrowers (USA) - A recovery troop searching for settlers who have mysteriously disappeared falls prey to the unexpected culprits.
Deadgirl (USA) - The discovery of a naked, presumably dead girl in an abandoned asylum tests the friendship of two teens.
Sexykiller (Spain) - A medical school's attempt to uncover the bloody serial killer within the community leads to victims returning to life.
Detroit Metal City (Japan) - Based on the popular manga, the film follows a bubbly pop musician trying to maintain his own life and woo the girl of his dreams, while maintaining his undercover identity as a death metal rocker.
Not Quite Hollywood (USA/Australia) - A documentary about Australia's maverick filmmakers of the 1970s and 1980s.
Acolytes (Australia) - A trio of high schoolers who decide to blackmail a murder suspect see their scheme go awry.
Chocolate (Thailand) - The director and action choreographer of the martial arts hit Ong-Bak reunite for this film, about a female martial arts savant who decides to collect some long-unpaid debts to help her cancer-stricken mother.
Eden (France) - A sci-fi tale that begins with a man finding himself at the bottom of a cave next to a corpse.
Martyrs (France/Canada) - A woman who, as a child, disappeared for a year seeks vengeance on the family she believes responsible.
Wavelengths will feature 26 films and videos by a host of established and emerging artists, separated into six distinct programs:

Films by Nathaniel Dorsky and Jean-Marie Straub
Lost and Found
Horizontal Boundaries
RR
Trips
When It Was Blue
Finally, a quartet of kids films making their world premieres will make up the Sprockets lineup:

Krabat (Germany) - A 17th century-set film based on the Otfried Preuler bestseller about a 14-year-old miller's apprentice who discovers his master is an evil sorcerer involved in the dark arts.
Mia et le Migou (France/Italy) - A young heroine's decision to rescue her trapped father from a construction site brings her into contact with the Migou, a mysterious species who protect an important tree threatened on the same construction site.
The Secret of Moonacre (U.K./Hungary/France) - A 13-year-old orphan set to live with relatives happens upon an ancient curse and embarkes on a quest to undo it.
Sunshine Barry & the Disco Worms (Denmark/Germany) - An earthworm living a dull existence decides to become a disco music star.
The Toronto International Film Festival gets under way Sept. 4 and runs through Sept. 13.

/* Kill the Batman */ - Batman Returns in The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T21:35:00.001-07:00

no intentional spoilers

The fully expanded Batman returns in this grim reaper follow-up to the beginning.

In the harsh glory of reality if this is the second of any trilogy this is what George Lucas would call the dark episode.

This movie harkens back to comic conventions - there are definite start and end points of each episode of the movie as if in a graphic novel to keep the audience hanging on - and the descent of the dark knight is grim indeed.

This Gotham City is more realistic - seen in the harsh reality of day.

Director Chris Nolan is afforded the time to let the characters have full conversations on screen - not just the short blurb and keep it moving style of Lucas in his Star Wars - and not just with major characters but between lieutenant and mayor for instance.

Joker is the new nemesis in town seemingly wreaking havoc just for the sake of it making him dangerous and unpredictable. Heath Ledger's in his penultimate role as Joker leaves a lasting impression that beckons the call of award recognition.

TIFF FEVER: 2008

2008-07-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

Just a slight tinge of the buzz.

Passes are on sale now as you read this - and the prices for the Festival passes have not gone up - and the Festival Lite 30 ticket package is back.

However, gala tickets are going through the roof. Once upon a time to see the films at Roy Thomson Hall were an exorbitant $18 - but this year it seems $43 is the price to see the red carpet and the attending stars. However, you do not have to pay to get in of course if you choose not to. Lining up across the street with the mob is always fun - and did we mention we were in fear for our mortality during the Orlando Bloom walk along the crowd for Elizabethtown while getting crushed against the fence as arms reached across our neck trying to reach out to him? [ he was really pleasant too during Haven] and in full gaze at Kirsten Dunst too?

Happy Canada Day

2008-06-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

It might be a bit early but

Happy Canada Day to you all !

It has been a while - seen lots and lots of movies but life gets in the way ...

Many movies from TIFF07 have come and gone lately through Toronto - often showing up in the Carlton for all of a week or two - or sometimes like Le Ballon Rouge or Diving Bell and the Butterfly at the Cumberland - but lately with the arrival of AMC 24 finally at Yonge and Dundas there is a new comfy place to see There Will Be Blood or Ironman orThe Incredible Hulk with digital prints - and that's the future. No more trying to poke above or through the heads ahead of you and substandard sound and scratchy prints after the first day. [ The Incredible Hulk was really incredible this time around and it was fun to see Yonge Street get seriously hulk smashed up - even the fencing covering what would be AMC and Future Shop is in there - and The Big Slice ? Ironman was serious fun.]

It has been a good year for Ellen Page and kudos to her. Even at the exalted MTV Movie Awards where she accepted for Juno she was still the same humble girl who was promoting X-Men The Last Stand at MTV Canada. Showcase is back to her episodes of Regenesis and just finished Trailer Park Boys season 2. And there was that Academy Award nomination ...

Now TIFF 08 is just around the corner and seriously considering staying away this year is an option. But who are we kidding ?

We are getting the TIFF buzz

"Did you take the test yourself" - Blade Runner : The Final Cut

2007-12-07T13:54:00.001-08:00

was going to eat this during Blade Runner : The Final Cut yesterday

of course we are not going to "review" Blade Runner now - only to say this film still among the top of my favourite movie list

[ no spoilers here ]

admission: $10
medium popcorn: $4.50 plus 50 cents for *real* butter
chance to see Blade Runner The Final Cut : priceless
the biggest pleasure of seeing Blade Runner on the screen again [ having seen this in rep in original and director's cut version when the *big deal* was the removal of Deckard's voiceover narration ] was actually seeing the film grain - Harrison Ford and Sean Young still look handsome and mysterious respectively - in the final cut [ not being the expert here ] certain scenes seemed to play longer - and some dialogue we do not remember - there was not an over the top addition of any CGI a la Star Wars IV - the biggest enhancement was in the sound - the Vangelis soundtrack even on the Regent theatre sound system [ which is surprisingly good ] was remarkably clear and clean - and we are not giving away any ending details

and as we left the theatre a stunningly handsome lady walked through the entrance

[ possible spoiler question below ]

going to have to check on my Director's Cut to see if Rachel asks Dekkard in that version

"Did you take the test yourself"

Control - he's quite famous - not to me, I still wash his underpants

2007-10-24T19:22:00.001-07:00

Control is Joy Division seen from the women's point of view - taken from the book by Ian Curtis's wife Debbie "Touched from a Distance" it is clear that Debbie Curtis had not the foggiest notion of what Joy Division were. Of course, who might blame her - married at 16 in high school, then having to take care of him and their daughter Natalie in a joyless marriage - the mistake of his life.

Welcome to Barrow - top of the world ! - bloody brilliance in 30 Days of Night

2007-10-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

There's no way out

Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost city in the world - 80 miles away from nowhere - can you say remote and barren? miles and miles away from the closest city.

We live here because we are the only ones who can.

These toughened denizens of this world of cold, snow and ice each year face one month of total dark without a dawn. It is not uncivilized by any means, with a bar, a grocery store, and a power generation station on the edge of town.

30 Days of Night is sheer bloody brilliance - with even more graphic violence that you would expect from a graphic novel [ from Steven Niles ] which is totally shocking in this day and age. Sometimes the sheer violence and the rapidity of it is masked but only sets you up for the next attack. Director David Slade maintains a relentless tension and does not let up on the carnage. The look of the film is surreal with a shaded colour palette which is strong on the red.

It is either get out or stay time as once a year, the 30 days of night approaches, and Melissa George [ as Stella ] is stuck. Trying to get out of Barrow to return home, her car is totalled in an accident. Josh Hartnett and Melissa George as Eben and Stella are the law - they used to be a married couple, but now are on nonspeaking terms in splitsville; but once upon a time they would do anything for each other, and that is the key to the movie. Their thawing iciness towards each other cements the movie and draws the audience into caring what happens to their relationship and the small group of people left trying to stay alive for the duration.

Then there was six

For once Josh Hartnett's closed emotional range was the right tone for the film - just a grim determination to survive 30 days of night until the next dawn against a horde of sharp toothed creatures led by a philosophical speaking fiend who wish to keep their existence a secret and wipe out the town - and Melissa George is cute and tough as all get out [remember her in Alias as Sydney's nemesis? ] - and the story does make you care about the characters so sinking into the bloodfest was as right as a blizzard in Alaska. The band of demonic creatures speak in guttural speech, possessed of sharp teeth, sharp fingernails, and an ungodly speed and strength. The townsfolk become prey and serve as bait for those who lurk and wait.

30 Days of Night is also not just about survival and survival tactics, but about family and friendship, their willingness to sacrifice themselves so that the couple can stay together, that tge others can live while trying to outwait their nemesis and countdown to the last day.

warning: lots of audience participation and shoutouts during the key sacrificial scenes - woohoo!

All you need is love - Across the Universe triumphs

2007-10-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
on fifth watch

Across the Universe is Julie Taymor's vibrant and vividly psychedelic travelogue through the '60s American anti-war movement. Unreserved recomeendation for Across The Universe. In what should be the last take on the Beatles in such a manner, Taymor - responsible for the hit musical The Lion King along with Anthony Hopkins' Titus and Salma Hayek's Frida - presents her bold and colourful musical Across the Universe. It could have been sacrilegious to use Beatles lyrics as narrative, but Beatles fans should breathe easily.

Across the Universe is wonderfully nostalgic, leaving a wistfulness for the music, but it is breathes life back into the '60s as seen and experienced by the people of the time. Across the Universe is well-researched and relives '60s era America and watermark moments of the era, dwelling on how Vietnam affected a generation as seen through two youths Jude and Lucy who hail from opposite sides of the ocean and come together.

Setting a youthful and vivacous cast including the stellar Evan Rachel Wood, the lynchpin for the movie as Lucy in her privileged life in private school at Brookline in Massachusetts, and the charmer Jim Sturgess as the "limey" Jude working the shipyards of Liverpool to support himself and his single mom, Across the Universe is an exuberant and vibrant exploration of the United States in the "gory glory days" in the last years of 1960s. The songs are sung by the actors live as often as possible, but the delivered performances and interpretations that can be seen and heard are entirely novel. There is a division between red and blue period with more leaning towards the blue 1967-70 era with a brief smattering of a surprising choice of early Beatles songs. And the list of songs in the film is not a parade of #1 hits by any means.

The tale of Jude and Lucy starts off on the other side of the ocean in Liverpool as Jude sings a solo version of
Is there anybody going to listen to my story
All about the girl who came to stay?
She's the kind of girl you want so much
It makes you sorry
Still you don't regret a single day

which then jumps to Lucy and her girlfriends on a prom night dancefloor at her high school Brookline - Lucy launches into a remarkable "it feels so right" Hold Me Tight - a song of joyous innocence and bliss where the imagery jumps back and forth between the ballroom floor and the packed interior where Jude is with his girlfriend at the Cavern Club with a leather jacketed Beatles band on stage.

The handsome Jude in Liverpool sets out for America to find his father who abandoned his mother after a relationship during the second world war, leaving his girlfriend and mother behind. At Princeton, Jude bumps into Max, a student more dedicated to diversions and fun than books, and Jude finds out his real father instead of being the "next Einstein" actually works as a maintenance person. Jude stays with his father in the basement and become close friends with Max, indulging in a bit of "i get by with a little help from my friends" and partaking in night golf on the roof. Max takes Jude home for Thanksgiving weekend, a tradition not known in England, along the way they pick up Lucy from high school and Jude meets Lucy for the first time. Jude witnesses firsthand at the dinner table the source of familial fighting between Max and his relatives, Max himself, and the proverbial what are you going to do with the rest of your life? whereupon Max announces he is dropping out of school. But on that night, all go out for a spot of fun and bowling during a rousing high-energy I Just Met A Girl routine with Jude singing, and all the others bowling and sliding down the slippery bowling lanes.

Max and Jude set out for New York City that night leaving academia and parents behind.

The irony of nothing's going to change my world is reinforced by the shattering of Lucy's life as her boyfriend Dick is killed heroically in action. Lucy sets out for New York City to stay with her brother for the summer instead of going to Europe with her parents and there she gives Max, no longer a student, the dreaded draft notice. Across the Universe explores the world of Lucy and Jude in New York City, as she becomes increasingly political - joining the anti-war movement Students for Democratic Revolution, while Jude turns his artistic bent to designs for Rat magazine, drawing cartoons and posters, and then a logo for Strawberry Studios.

The anger and violence of the ever increasing radical anti-war movement is the background to Across The Universe - the madness of the war is seen through the eyes of Max while in America there is chaos, the calling out of the National Guard at the race riots in Detroit set to a haunting black choral version of Let It Be where Jojo's brother, a young boy is shot to death, and the references to the Weathermen ...

Max, Lucy and Jude become part of the Village nightlife, their landlord is the sexy Sadie who has a burgeoning career as a club singer - and into town comes JoJo - a Hendrix-style singer and guitarist who prowls the streets of pimps and ladies of the night on his first time in town while Joe Cocker delivers the earthy growls of Come Together. Sly Beatles references abound, for instance, the outsider Dayton Wildcasts high school cheerleader Prudence comes through Sadie's bathroom window one rainy night. The bohemian village holds the Psychedelicatessen which was actually part of Julie Taymor's world and the What, Huh? club where Sadie sings at night. Jojo auditions for her band and becomes the guitarist of Sadie and the Poh Boys.

A protest march down Fifth Avenue brings back the days of the Bread and Puppet theatre and the loud chants.

They are all introduced to the counterculture by Sadie's manager at publisher Luna Park's hosted party for Doctor Robert and his book, the lizardking Bono singing I Am The Walrus and the young kids drink the pink lemonade - and set out Flying on a psychedelic magical mystery tour and wake up to find themselves wondering where they are 3000 miles later to find themsleves somehow at the home of a Doctor Geary and his League of Spiritual Development. Max, Jude and Lucy part ways from the bus as it heads back to California. Then they hear the music in the distance and come face to face with Eddie Izzard as Mr Kite and in turn find Prudence again.

Because which follows is another psychedelic experience taking place underwater as the bodies of Lucy and Max intertwine, and other cast members floast about, the whole of which merges into the experience of Max in the war.

A rift comes between Lucy as she becomes more involved and radicalized with many late nights and Max becomes jealous of Paco, the leader of the Students for Democratic Reform. Unable to cope with Max's disdain for Paco and after a angry tirade of Revolution at the SDR offices, boy loses girl and Lucy packs up and leaves Max. As Sadie's career climbs to the top with a dynamite Janet Joplin style Oh Darlingperformance at the Fillmore East, her own personal life hits the skids when JoJo walks out on her to go solo. Max later returns from the war a shell of what he once was.

The star-crossed story of Lucy and Max is seemingly doomed after Jude trying to rescue Lucy from armed arrest at the Columbia protest is taken to jail as well. While Jude's natural father after a call from Lucy tries to unsuccesffully keep Jude in the country, Jude is deported. Jude finds himself back in the shipyards of Liverpool, while Lucy stays committed with the SDR. She discovers one night the militant nature of the friends as Weathermen style. "I thought the other side were the ones who dropped bombs."

Liverpool newspaper headlines blare the news of the explosion in a apartment building and Jude instantly thinks of Lucy. He returns to New York and again meets up with Max.

The had to be finale of the movie conjures the last nostalgic memory of the Beatles together on that rooftop but Across the Universe demands it and pulls it off with joyous triumph for that last Max and Lucy moment - because as you know All You Need Is Love.