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

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

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 !

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 */

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 */

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

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 */

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 ! */

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

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

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

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

The lucky box is number 50 at 10 am

It has to be

( song of the moment - Joy Division Disorder )

The Lucky Ones

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

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 !

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 */

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age - I am Queen!

Queen Elizabeth is at the height of her power and the Spanish have launched Holy War.

I am assured that the people of England love their queen. My constant endeavour is to earn that love.
- Elizabeth


1585

Elizabeth : The Golden Age is vivid and bold, a visual feast full of pomp and circumstance, ornate costumes and brilliant colours and characters - yet a world full of darkness and deadly plots - romances and dalliances and the eternal power play. The follow-up to Elizabeth succeeds admirably as an intrigue of espionage and love, set in and around the royal court. The first movie was about power, this movie is about Absolute Power and Divinity.

Ten years after director Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth movie which was seen at Toronto Film Festival 1998, Cate Blanchett is back as the Queen - at the age of 52 and the popular defender of her country. Geoffrey Rush returns as Elizabeth's loyal advisor Sir Francis Walsingham working in the background, now older and in ill-health, still ferreting out the schemes and plots against Elizabeth's life and throne, trying to find out the details about "the enterprise."

Kill a Queen and a Queen is mortal

Spain led by the Catholic King Phillip II is the most powerful nation on Earth and has launched Holy War - only England stands alone led by the Protestant Queen Elizabeth - the threat of the Spanish Armada looms on the distant horizon as Spain levels its forests to build a great fleet. Meanwhile, cousin Mary Queen of Scots, played to the seething hilt by Samantha Morton determined in her mindset that she is the usurped Queen, locked away in prison exile with her maids, is conspiring with Philip to return to the English throne. Phillip holds no affection for England or her Queen, calling her a "whore" and a "bastard queen" leading England into hell.

Elizabeth is surrounded by her ladies in waiting, including her favoured, golden-haired Bess/Elizabeth Throckmorton played by the attractive Abbie Cornish [our favourite actress from TIFF back in the days of 2004, Somersault, then A Good Year [2006] and now Elizabeth: The Golden Age]. Elizabeth lives vicariously through Bess who has the figure and the bosom, the looks and the interesting life that the Queen yearns for, but in her position she cannot, she sets the regal example for the country. From the start, Bess shows a less than disinterested glance towards the "handsome" Drake, and Drake is courting Bess to gain the favour of the Queen, as Elizabeth forewarns her. Drake to paraphrase Lady Catherine in Young Bess, "you are not the first man to be in love with two women at the same time."

While England waits for an heir, Elizabeth's virginity and unmarried state is still a source of attraction for foreign suitors who seek marriage and alliances. She at best tolerates all the pomp and circumstance of court, explaining to the German dignitary that "I pretend there's a panel of glass between myself and the people. They can see me but they cannot touch me." A chivalrous and emboldened Francis Drake impresses himself upon the proceedings and banters with the Queen [ while still maintaining cordial respect and love], having returned from his journeys to the New World bearing gifts such as the potato for eating, tobacco for stimulation, native Indians, naming a parcel of land in the New World after the queen, [ and when I am married will it be called Conjulia? And no doubt you will name a city after yourself, she asks pompously ] and Spanish gold. Drake is not popular with the Spanish ambassadors, who call Drake a pirate. Drake in turn says, the more gold he takes from Spain, the better it is for the Queen. Drake as the ever loyal servant of the Queen - with the toothy grin played almost in caricature by Clive Owen who becomes the apple of the eye of Elizabeth. Cate Blanchett effortlessly sinks again into her role as the Virgin Queen - her inner conflicts as a woman balanced with being the dignified ruler of her country. Drake regales a mesmerized Elizabeth with tales of discovering the New World. Drake longs to sail again with her royal warrant back to Virginia, but with the assassination threat swirling about her, the Queen keeps Drake closeby elevating him to Sir and making him the chief of her security. However much she desires him, the relationship is at best hands off, and thus triggers a suiting between Bess and Raleigh. A dangerous triangle ensues between the three - and is delicately negotiated in the movie. In her private mooning for Drake, Elizabeth is almost reduced in character to a simpering woman with a crush, but when she has to defend her country facing the enemy army, and the Armada, she cries out, "By God, England will not fall while I am queen!" Elizabeth comes across as emotional, marching furiously about with her ladies trailing as she a country away waits out the hour of her cousin's execution, and superstitious, asking the tarot card reader John Dee for some measure of hope about the war.

The constraints of the budget reduce the naval scenes with the Armada which took weeks in history to mere minutes on screen - but the historial truth is maintained. By the end, with Spain fallen with the Armada, she elevated once again is the Queen.

"I am the Virgin Queen, I am unmarried, I am powerless to no man, I am the mother of my country. I am Queen. I am myself."

/* I am Shiva the god of death ! */ - Michael Clayton - sparring with Tom Wilkinson and George Clooney

Responsible for the screenplays of the Jason Bourne movies, Armageddon and Proof of Life, Michael Clayton is the first directorial effort by Tony Gilroy. Gilroy guides the movie through the morass of Michael Clayton's life, through the minefield of choices he has to make, moral or otherwise.

There's no play here. There's no angle, there's no champagne room. I'm not a miracle worker, I'm a janitor. The math on this is simple, the smaller the mess, the easier it for me to clean up.

Tom Wilkinson has already shown his maniacal self in Batman Returns but sustaining this lunacy as the manic depressive Arthur Edens for a role that is the crux of Michael Clayton is sheer genius. Arthur Edens as part of the lawfirm Kenner, Back and Ledeen's, has been has been consumed by the UNorth class action lawsuit worth $3 billion, litigating it for years and years racking up thousands upon dollars of billable hours, and the case has seemingly driven him over the edge. During a deposition recorded on videotape, Edens doffs his clothes while shouting at the top of his lungs, "I am Shiva, the god of death!" and is subsequently arrested in Atlanta for running naked through a parking lot. His strange actions threaten to jeopardize the defence case presented by Kenner, Back and Ledeen's. Michael Clayton is brought into the case of fix things. Imagine Clayton's surprise that in a sparring confrontation between the two in the jail cell, where Clayton is trying to get through to Edens, reminding him he is famous and works for one of the most famous lawfirms in the world, but has just refused to take his medication, when Clayton says, "You are a manic depressive" and Edens retorns "I am Shiva, the god of death!"

Edens has taken to calling the plaintiffs, including a girl he has taken a fancy to and almost makes the case for them. Edens is crazy but still whip smart. In vying with and against George Clooney in Michael Clayton Wilkinson has given the leverage and support for George Clooney to play his role for real - with the compassion, the concern, yet looking out for number one. There is an obvious bond between Edens and Clayton from their years of being in the firm, his admiration for his career and their friendship, their understanding of their role as the janitors. Clayton tries to save Edens from his derangement shown in his blissful state, yet the brilliance beneath surfaces for a moment.

Tilda Swinton gives another immaculate performace as the agricultural giant UNorth's chief counsel Karen Crowder - the corporation has hired Kenner, Back and Ledeen to settle the civil lawsuit over one of its products which is causing cancer in the farm community - a nervous type who seems way over her head - working and practicing her lines in front of a mirror over and over and definitely way beyond her capacity when she decides upon "the other way" when she panics over Eden's actions. She only meets Michael Clayton twice in the pivotal scenes of the movie, but the power of personality of Michael Clayton sways her to less than wholesome decisions and actions. She sets a trail of investigators to monitor Edens and Clayton.

The other way is the other way.

Michael Clayton with his knowledge of the law can fix situations for clients trying to get out of a sticky situation, but he cannot seem to adjust his own life back on track. George Clooney plays it straight, no swagger, embracing all the weariness of a career that has derailed, but his outward charm and assuredness leads his contacts to help him out in sticky situations, and his clients to feel that he can fix anything. His life has gone nowhere with few redeeming features save for a son he is raising on his own who is into fantasy books including Realm and Conquer whose pages of philosophy assauage Edens. Clayton's own nest egg is gone trying to pay off the debts on a restaurant with his brother Timmy who has gone off the rails, shake off a gambling problem, and the firm that is counting on him to fix the mess takes his request for an eighty thousand dollar loan to clear his financial problem as a shakedown by his boss Marty Bach, played superbly by Academy Award winning director and actor Sidney Sheldon. Clayton has been with the Kenner, Back and Ledeen for years, but never made partner, and has been out of the trial court for years. He bears the burden of being a janitor. In the eyes of the bosses of the firm, fixing is what Michael Clayton does best. When he discovers for himself the documents of Arthur Edens, and a legal document numbered #229 that shows the culpability of UNorth, Michael Clayton has to make a choice.

I am not the guy you kill, I'm the guy you hire. I'm the fixer.

This corporate thriller takes place over the short span of four days, but bears the scars that years of being a janitor has taken on Michael Clayton. Michael Clayton is in a world where there is no room for ambivalence - yet the uncertain ending still portrays an ambiguous future for Michael Clayton.

in the mood for love with Lust, Caution - second viewing

from Day 4

Sunday, September 9, 2007

LUST, CAUTION
9:15 A.M.
SCOTIABANK 1

Movies are for people with time to kill

I don't like the dark

This is a rewrite based upon seeing Lust, Caution on Day 4 of TIFF07 and a second screening on Wednesday, October 3. Opening at the Varsity on Friday, October 5.
Sia Jye is set in occupied Shanghai 1942 and going back to their student days before the Chinese war with the Japanese and the resistance movement that arose - a group of idealistic university students plot to assassinate a powerful Chinese turncoat. With more time and the release of the movie at hand on Friday, this is a rewrite of the earlier musings from Day 4 at TIFF07


Ang Lee is no stranger to the Toronto International Film Festival going back to 1993 with The Wedding Banquet, then following up in 1994 Eat Man Drink Woman which was followed in 1999 with Ride With the Devil [ Tobey McGuire and Skeet Ulrich and Jewel in her first role onscreen ] and a little film back with which he won the best director Oscar in 2005 called Brokeback Mountain.

For us, Ang Lee first commandeered our attention at the Toronto International Film Festival 2001 with a little film called Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. It was one of the hottest tickets of the festival, and we had to hit the ticket office three times in one day to finally secure a ticket. Back on that day, we caught the film's second screening at 9 a.m. at the late lamented Uptown 1 theatre. Even from up in the nosebleed seats, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was a true spectacle. The fighting and flying sequences unseen before most North American audiences at the time were breathtaking and dazzling, leading to much applause after many of the scenes came to their finish. Ang Lee was there that morning too, an unexpected event given the time of the morning, very friendly and went on to win the Academy Award afterwards too.

Lust, Caution [ which started off at 9:15 on a Sunday morning !] is an exquisitely beautiful film of intrigue, an audacious, drawn-out affair set in 1942 Occupied Shanghai, which then launches back four years earlier to the impending invasion by the Japanese in 1938 Shanghai and Hong Kong. The music of Lust, Caution is spellbinding - luring the audience into the world of storied espionage, and the singsong cadence of the Chinese language trips lightly on the ear in its many dialects, chiefly Mandarin and Shanghainese.

In Sia Jye, a group of idealistic university students plot to assassinate a powerful Chinese turncoat Mr. Yee played by the meancing Tony Leung [ perhaps best known in Happy Together, 2046 and In The Mood For Love ] who is co-operating and working with the Japanese occupation and the Chinese puppet government.

Lee recreates beautifully the era of the Japanese occupation in 1942 - a subterfuge lies beneath the mannered poise of the leading lady Tang Wei playing the role of Mak Tai Tai [Mrs. Mak], a well-dressed lady who speaks politely and with phrased English asks for "coffee, please' from the English waiter, then asks to use the phone and makes a call.

Time goes back to 1938 and the Chinese army is off to stop the impending Japanese invasion. Wong Chia Chi, a young teen, has been left behind with her mother in China by her father who has escaped to live in England with her brother. Her pleasures are for the movies, watching melodramatic American fare such as Ingrid Bergman in Intermezzo and crying in the dark, or Cary Grant in Penny Serenade. At the university in Hong Kong, Wong Chia Chi with her friend meets up with a idealistic visiting student Kuang Yu Min [ Wang Lee Hom ] who is forming a drama group. Kuang lost a brother to the war and his mother will not let him enlist, but he carries on in his spirit.
The obvious attraction between Wong and Kuang are manifested only through fleeting touches and glances. Instead of bourgeois plays such as Ibsen's A Doll's House the group will present patriotic play, one to stir the hearts of the audience against the Japanese. On opening night, Chia Chi's heartrending performance stirs the audience to repeated cries of "China will never fall!" Wang Chia Chi is now the star of the group who are now fast friends, celebrating by drinking and smoking cigarettes together.

Energized by the reaction from the audience and propelled by the play's success, Kuang proposes taking the drama society where away from just producing plays and setting on actually forming a resistance group. The students plan is to rent a summerhouse in Hong Kong and set up an elaborate ruse to kill a man Mr. Yee [ Tony Leung ] they know is collaborating with the Japanese. Bankrolled by the money from one of the group's father, they propose playing out the roles of an import/exporter and his wife along with a driver and servants from Hong Kong. Wang Chia Chi as Mak Tai Tai strikes up a friendship with the man's wife Mrs Yee [ Joan Chen ] with the aim of getting close to the well-protected Yee, and finding the moment for the group to strike. One night Wang Chia Chi succeeds in getting Yee to go out alone then take her home, but on the pivotal night, the ever cautious Yee refuses to come into the house. Subsequently Yee goes back to the mainland and the opportunity for the group is lost. But Tsao, one of Yee's security intrudes upon the aftermath of their plot and in a bloody struggle he is killed, but it clearly demonstrates the drama group are out of their league, and Chia Chi runs away.

Three years later, Wang Chia Chi is back in Hong Kong, back at university, her father not having the means to reunite her with him and her brother. Kwang who has been searching for her, meets up with her again - and introduces her to an even deeper version of the resistance. The new assignment is extremely dangerous, and the still idealistic Wang accepts her mission. The assignment requires an elaborate cover story requiring memorization of the minutiae of her life, and training in arms and fieldstripping a gun with her eyes blindfolded. Once again her target is Mr Yee.

Ang Lee guides this film with an assuredness and elegance, depicting with accuracy the wanton world of the shrewish sharp-tongued women who have little enough to do but to waste the time of day away upstairs with swiftly played games of mahjong and shopping, clothing. As Mak Tai Tai she is at her actress best - she is the polite and well-mannered friend of Yee's wife and her company, and under her role as wife of the importer/exporter, she is always willing to oblige and find scarce goods for them, including Palmers cigarettes, stockings and Western medicines. But she is notoriously bad at mahjong, constanly losing but as she says to Kuang later in a clandestine meeting, she has a lot on her mind while trying to concentrate on maintaining her guise.

She is once again in the grips of Mr Yee, who has risen in rank and become even more fearsome and powerful with an underground police at his command on the Japanese side of the city. He discovers she has returned from Hong Kong, and he is ensnared by her looks and her body.

2B

Their hearts are intertwined, never to be separated - the forbidden relationship between the two builds, reaching its first consummation in an isolated house in room 2B - as she teasingly begins by taking off her stockings under her blue dress, he cannot wait and roughly throws her against the wall and rips away at her clothing - throwing her to the bed and tying her hands behind her with his belt - the lovescene reflects the intensity, savagery and power at play.

Wang Chia Chi makes the supreme sacrifice of her body in order to help the cause. Yee is sadistic and rough; the love scenes between the couple are long and explicit - which have propelled this movie towards NC-17 territory. They provide the contrast to the last feelings of affection from Kuang for Wong Chia Chi. Too late Kuang who has always kept his feelings for her at a distancekisses her to which Wang replies, "You could have done this three years ago."

I hate you

Wang Chia Chi's personality is totally subjugated in the bedroom as she is engaged in intense love scenes with Yee [ that conjure the scenes of Jane March in L'amant ], further fuelling his feelings of lust/love for her and breaking down the wall of love and hate between them, demonstrable in his more than token of affection : a diamond ring, a six carat quail egg of incredible wealth and beauty. Even though she is waiting for that moment when the act will come to an end, the change in her at the thrust of his power causes her to question her self. Lust, Caution is a play of dominance and control, love and hate - who has the ultimate power? who is the master?

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is a film for the artset who would hardly bat a prurient eye at the gripping lovescenes, but would be in the mood for a beautiful story of intrigue and wiles between two worthy foes.

from Day 2 at TIFF07 - Love will tear them apart Joy Division

JOY DIVISION
World Premiere
2:45 P.M.
Scotiabank 3

Years ago at at the Rivoli a representative from Factory Records in Manchester U.K. brought over footage - tv and raw live footage - that showed Joy Division in performance as well as New Order and the other Factory labelmates. 24 Hour Party People showed the Manchester scene
that started foremost with the advent of the Sex Pistols and that memorable performance in Manchester in 1976 seen by the future musicians and bands of the Mancunian scene including the Buzzcocks - and Warsaw was born out of the belief that if the Sex Pistols could do it, so could anybody else. Of course 24 Hour Party People was more the story of Granada television personality Tony Wilson and the rise and fall of the Factory scene and the rebirth of Manchester from industrial to modern to the the rave scene cut by the Happy Mondays.

On the other hand, this world premiere documentary is about Manchester and Joy Division itself - which is a good thing. Of course we are watching this with the eye of Joy Division being our favourite band of all time. The author of the movie set out to achieve that for at least 50 minutes that the suicide of Ian Curtis would not be mentioned. And once again the footage is revived, the stark 8 mm concert footage, the Granada tv performances, the two videos, and the music of Joy Division never sounded better than over the massive theatre speakers. All the correct names connected with Joy Division look back at Joy Division and Ian Curtis: the three members of New Order, singer/guitarist Bernard Sumners, bassist Peter Hook, drummer Stephen Morris, the writer Paul Morley who is the Melody Maker journalist and fan from day one; Peter Saville, the influential designer of Joy Division record covers Unknown Pleasures and Closer [ and ultimately become the designer for Manchester the city itself], Ian Curtis's Belgian girlfriend Annik Honore, photographer Anton Corbijn [whose film Control is in TIFF07 as well], P.Orridge from Throbbing Gristle, and others including the early Joy Division managers, and of course, the late Granada Television journalist and entrepreneur Tony Wilson who discovered Joy Division.

Shown singly on screen, the Joy Division mates recount the early stories, where the name came from, the various concert venues and shows, and you cannot talk about Joy Division without talking about the producer Martin Hannett, the smash effect of Unknown Pleasures, the literary influences upon Closer including JG Ballard's Atrocity Exhibition, what sweet Ian was like in the beginning, the epileptic fits that later came on, and those days in May 16th through 18th of 1979, on the eve of the tour of America in 1980 that would have brought Joy Division to The Edge in Toronto on the 25th of May ... and the influence of Joy Division lives on.

Debbie Curtis, Ian's wife is only quoted during the movie because her movie is Closer based upon her book Touching From A Distance, and Joy Division's documenter feels that Debbie did not know Joy Division at all.

Just in passing: while reading the itinerary of the Joy Division tour schedule shown in the documentary, their debut was April 22. A note from the club:

Sun Ra Arkestra 22-Apr-80 Unrelated historical side note: this is the day that Joy Division had been scheduled to make their US debut (at Hurrah on W. 62nd St.). They had to cancel their trip because of Ian Curtis' suicide.

Even more keen is the April 25, 1980 show scheduled at The Edge here in Toronto.

Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division [ remastered ] - Dead Souls brought back to life

And now for something completely different : some musings on music

Photographer and now director Anton Corbijn's film about Joy Division Control and the Russell Gee documentary Joy Division herald the re-release of the original Joy Division discography.

Joy Division, hailing from the industrial heartland of Manchester, were one of the most influential bands of the cutting edge of the late 70s/1980, propelled by the mythos of the singer's Ian Curtis suicide. Their seminal 1979 album produced by the genius Martin Hannett Unknown Pleasures with its trademark cover has been released from its dark murky depths and given a polish that brings it into Closer territory [ which in turn along with Still are getting the remastering treatment. The original mix of Unknown Pleasures is still very listenable by all means - and Robert Palmer of New York Times fame did hail this album]. Along with each of the albums [ Still being a compilation of previously unreleased studio material and live off the floor tracks or soundchecks ] is a bonus concert performance that shows Joy Division at its most powerful and raw, with Unknown Pleasures is a concert from April 1980 at The Factory itself. It is still astounding to hear the power of the band in concert "glory", and makes you wonder after all the other two albums get released how much more material is there still in that Factory vault?

We will leave a note that watch Control and listen to or watch any footage of Joy Division concert recordings [ concerts of Joy Division have been out there in bootleg or domestic release for decades ] the recreated Joy Division in the film does a fine job in their moments onstage.

Disc 1
1. Disorder
2. Day of the Lords
3. Candidate
4. Insight
5. New Dawn Faces
6. She's Lost Control
7. Shadow Play
8. Wilderness
9. Interzone
10. I Remember Nothing

Disc 2
1. Dead Souls [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
2. Only Mistake [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
3. Insight [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
4. Candidate [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
5. Wilderness [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
6. She's Lost Control [Live at the Facory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
7. Shadowplay [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
8. Disorder [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
9. Interzone [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
10. Atrocity Exhibition [Live at the Facory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
11. Novelty [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]
12. Transmission [Live at the Factory, Manchester: April 11, 1980]

Go Ask Alice - hot babes staying alive in Resident Evil Extinction

Staying on the road seemed the only way to stay alive

It feels strange to find oneself back in Resident Evil territory after TIFF - after all Resident Evil is no arty little horror flick with a bunch of unknowns screaming.

Two hot babes kicking butt in the Mexican desert - what is not to like about Resident Evil: Extinction? Milla Jovavich is back as Alice, and Ali Larter is Claire Redfield. Extinction has a more realistic gritty feeling - with less of the slick metallic polish and CGI that pervaded 2 or 1 - which may be ironic given the music video background of director Russell Mulcahy who has directed some of our favourite new romantic videos for Duran Duran, Human League, Spandau Ballet, Buggles and other 80s style bands. Writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson [ not the raining frogs director ] writes the script starring his fiancee Milla Jovovich who is back.

Alice? Good luck

As Alice, Jovovich still kicks zombie butt and remains Umbrella Corporation's greatest hope and fear. The ever-shrewd Dr. Isaacs is still experimenting on Alice, her blood holds the antibodies and a cure for giving the zombies their memories back, and making them suitable for domestication.

Resident Evil: Extinction begins with the near naked Alice in the shower wondering where she is. The iconic red dress. Her fighting prowess. The familiar dining room. The hall of mirrors. The lasers deadly cut.

Resident Evil: Extinction is a lively and exciting film that boldly succeeds its predecessor Resident: Evil Apocalypse. The pace leaves little room for breathing, with an awesome soundscape that keeps the tingles ever tingling. And just when you are ready to breathe, the inevitable strikes with an assortment of deadly zombies just waiting to consume the flesh.

Project Alice: the appetite for flesh is what the Umbrella Corp's Doctor Isaac is trying to combat with his experiments - a process of distillating the blood from Alice to come up with some serum that will give the zombies back their memories or brain function - they may never become human as before but they will become suitable for domestication - the next work force. The side effects of zombie mutation still pose a deadly problem for humans.

Meanwhile, the real Alice is still on the run - lying low below the radar and evading detection from satellites, still monitoring radio broadcasts. She crosses the highways on her motorbike, then just on foot. Survival in the post T-virus world means rolling on the road in a convoy with no direction home in the hot desert highways in the South

The T-virus has spread out of control, drying up the world creating a vast wasteland.
Mutated t-virus zombies abound, a constant reminder of the danger surrounding the remaining uninfected human beings.


People have a habit of dying around me

The convoy led by Claire Redfield [ Ali Larter, Niki from Heroes ] with her cohorts Carlos [Oded Fehr back from Apocalypse], LJ, Mikey and Slater and Nurse Betty drive through the roadways of the hot Nevava desert staying on the move and scavenging for supplies in abandoned towns and waystations, and their number one concern is gasoline [ and evading the zombies ] enters Mad Max territory. The schoolbus is filled with about sixty remaining survivors including children with names such as K-Mart. And their number is constantly dwindling. Trying to stay away from infection, they face not only the threat of zombies, but killer mutated birds which unleash a deadly attack.

Alice meets up with the convoy after the attack but life is far from certain. Thanks to a journal that Alice has found, the convoy decides the only way to survive is to get to Alaska where the pages purport that the infection has not reached there and there are survivors. It is their only hope. Gasoline in the trucks is at fume level, and after trying to figure out where to find the next supply, the logical but dangerous destination is Las Vegas where their future awaits.

Resident Evil: Extinction abounds with kick-ass fighting R rated scenes with Alice transcending even Apocalypse, deadly with her knives, and Claire and crew staving off the evermore dangerous zombies with a barrage of guns and incendiary devices, slices and decapitations with blades and blowing off heads with guns that inevitably run out of bullets ...

My father was an exceptional man - no weddings just Death at a Funeral

DEATH AT A FUNERAL
sneak preview

Death at a Funeral is one of those romps that only the British do well. Despite its funereal pall, Death at a Funeral is a lively farce that takes a while to warm up as the characters get introduced but the twisty tale and plot can leave the audience in stitches. The cast are not topnotch names but all are very adept in going against the grain of the the stiff British upper lip,

Matthew MacFayden [ the most recent Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knighley ] plays the put-upon Daniel and grieving son. Jane, Keeley Smith [from MI-5 and the voice of Lara Croft!], is the insistent wife trying to move out and get a deposit made on a flat for the both of them before it is too late.

While at least trying to maintain dignity and decorum at the funeral, Death at a Funeral delves into some very unlikeable characters, starting with the presence of a lecherous self-centred Ewen Bremner [ from Trainspotting ] trying to rekindle a relationship with Jane and the irritating Troy, a ne-er-do-well drug dealer [ who was the lazeabout son Nick from British tv series My Family with Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wannamaker ] who keeps his hallucinogens in a "valium" bottle he keeps lying about loose or loses, period. His brother Robert - Rupert Graves from 'The Forsyte Saga' and A Room With A View -
is more of the selfish sod who ran off to America to become a successful author, in whose shadow Daniel lives under and tries to follow in his limited way trying to keep family together in England, and write his first novel. Everyone at the funeral is expecting the successful Robert to deliver the eulogy, which gives Daniel no bolster of confidence. As well, Daniel expects Robert to pay for half the funeral expenses, which surprises Robert who despite his success in New York City declares himself skint - [after all Robert has a lifestyle to maintain and flew first-class to get to the funeral].

Peter Vaughan plays Uncle Alfie, the cantankerous old man bound in the wheelchair. However, there are a couple of American turns in the cast with their British accent blending in: Alan Tudyk ['Wash' from Firefly!] and Daisy Donovan [born in New York but with more British background and film/tv roles ] are the couple Simon and Sandra with a huge unexpected turn of events surprising them.

Decorum flies out the window right from the start when the undertaker says "Oh s***, we've taken the wrong one" - they have brought the wrong body to the house for the funeral service to which Daniel understatedly comments: "This is bloody grim."

Zany and indecorous events transpire which lead to a high laughcount, and detailing them would spoil the fun except can you say acid trip, midget and Kensington ? Events finally lead to the heartfelt eulogy that brings off a warm conclusion.

Orange juice and tostitos - the Smiley Face of Anna Faris

How the hell did I end up on a Ferris wheel?

That is the question of Anna Faris's existence in Gregg Araki's latest movie Smiley Face.

After the 1990s My Bloody Valentine laced Mysterious Skin at TIFF 2004[!], Araki just wanted to make a stoner movie. Smiley Face has been making the rounds of the festival movie circuit, debuting at Sundance then SXSW, Cannes, Munich, Deauville amongst others before hitting TIFF07. It's just one of those movies that has to be seen to be believed. Araki dedicated the screening of Smiley Face to Anna Faris, the next Carole Lombard / Veronica Lake of this generation. The dipstick actress in Lost in Translation promoting her new film and singing bad karaoke to Nobody Does It Better, May, Scary Movies galore, but Smiley Face may be her bravest and best performance yet.

Smiley Face is that ubiquitous symbol of happiness, and Jane, our resident stoner, is the epitome of that state of happiness. Always with a smiling face of bliss, Jane is awakened and finds herself on top of a ferris wheel. How did she end up on a ferris wheel ride, how did she get from Point A to Point Z is the question of her existence. The flashback through her day is a hilarious adventure of being high and the low of paranoia. The pace and editing of Smiley Face is fast and furious - zeroing in on Jane's crazed state of mind.

Ultimately Jane has to get herself to the Venice festival in order to payoff her drug dealer, where she finds herself atop the ferris wheel. But before Smiley Face gets rolling, Jane has an acting audition at 11 a.m. her agent had laboured to get for her, so Jane starts her day in the usual way, smoking up. Before that, her roomate [ Danny Masterson ] going out for the day, leaves her with simple instructions to pay the electric bill otherwise he would skull-*** her. However, with a case of the munchies she finds her roommate's icing topped cupcakes clearly labelled "for the convention". Two plus two equals Jane quickly discovers the true nature of the cupcakes.

Then what a long wild journey she goes on. In her wild state, the movie is filled with Jane's mental checklist of things to do and the consequences including the skull***.

She then tries to fix her problems – make more cupcakes but first she has to get drugs which she gets from her dealer, but she has to pay the dealer [ disguised as The O.C.'s dreadlocked Adam Brody ] by 3 pm that day, also pay the electric bill, go to an audition ... Jane is so stoned she cannot even mix the pot into the butter she attempts to melt in order to make the cupcakes and ends up burning the whole mess of butter and pot on the stove. Flash ! To get the money she needs to pay off the dealer by 3 pm that afternoon at the Venice Hemp Festival, Jane goes into her hidden stash of the government weed.

The rest of her day is a nightmare of paranoia making new acquaintances including John Cho the driver of the pork sausage truck she flees in while trying to run away from the many angry men she keeps meeting.

After the long dark journey into the soul that was Mysterious Skin [or Doom Generation or Nowhere for that matter], Gregg Araki in his fifth movie at Toronto International Film Festival, has come up with the perfect laugh-filled escapist movie