TIFF13 Review: Under the Starry Sky
Dyana Gaye's debut feature Under the Starry Sky is a rich, textured exploration of African diaspora and the fragile hopes of those looking for a new life or revisiting an old one. The drama tracks three separate but intercon...
Four Seasons of Silly Symphonies
There is a season, turn turn turn – Or so the song goes. The changing seasons have always been a source of inspiration for artists, from Antonio Vivaldi to Walter Disney. In 1929 the Disney Studio began a series of cartoons called
TIFF13 Review: Borgman (2013)
The home invasion sub-genre has caught flame recently -think The Purge, You're Next, The Agression Scale - which I assume has something to do with the latent fear of terrorists. In all fairness, I'm an American so I think all trending movie ...
Friday, 6 September 2013
The Netflix Queue: In Time (2011)
In Time is available for streaming on Netflix. Drinking game rules outlined below.
Aren’t we all glad, on some level, that Justin Timberlake went back to singing? However you feel about his musical output, at least it’s kep...
Aren’t we all glad, on some level, that Justin Timberlake went back to singing? However you feel about his musical output, at least it’s kep...
TIFF13: A Grand Canal
In Wim Wenders’ lyrical 1980 film, Lightning over Water, the German director engages in an extended grieving process over the loss of his friend, Hollywood auteur Nicholas Ray. As the film nimbly jumps between its documentary and fictional ele...
TIFF13 Review: Hi-Ho Mistahey!
Alanis Obomsawin has made quite a body of work centered around the rights of Canada's native people and she returns in form with Hi-Ho Mistahey!, a look at the deep disparities in the Attawapiskat First Nation's public educa...
TIFF13 Trends: Everything Old is New Again
There is a film in this year's TIFF programme that I will DIE if I don't get to see - Yurusarezarumono, which is Japanese for Unforgiven. YES! A Japanese remake of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Review: Escape From New York (1981)
Escape from New York airs Friday, September 6 on TCM. Check local listings for times.
In 1981, the idea of retro-fitting New York as a prison unto itself seemed far out, but believable. In fact, thanks to director Neil Bl...
In 1981, the idea of retro-fitting New York as a prison unto itself seemed far out, but believable. In fact, thanks to director Neil Bl...
TIFF13 Review: Parkland (2013)
It's an old question (pretty much 50 years old to be precise): Where were you when J.F.K. was shot? In his new star-studded docudrama Parkland, first time feature director Peter Landesman poses this question. Again. While
TIFF13 Trends: The Toronto International Franco Festival
Here's how I launch TIFF-mas - I sit down with the full programme and I read each and every description of each and every film. And then I make a "short" list of the movies I most hope to see. Then I make complicated graphs, and diagrams, and gantt c...
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Scarlett’s Gowns: Gone With The Wind Costume Restoration
Everything about Margaret Mitchell’s novel and David O. Selznick’s film Gone With The Wind is iconic. Walter Plunkett’s costumes for Vivien Leigh’s character, Scarlett O’Hara, are no exception. In 2010, the Harry Ransom Cent...
TIFF13 Review: Burt's Buzz
Burt's Buzz, from director Jody Shapiro, ends up as the slickest corporate video ever (and only slightly more exciting). The doc tells the tale of Burt Shavitz, former photojournalist (oh, he took that photo of Alle...
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Top 10 Movie Redheads
The red head is often associated with a feisty attitude and fiery temper, but there have been many different forms of red haired women in the history of film. Here's a list of my top 10 movie redheads.
Charley in A Single Man
Sunday, 1 September 2013
Indie Watch: Mario the Magician: Building Magic
Let’s face it, despite their best intentions, most human interest stories are boring, predictable pieces of manipulative feel-goodery. The genre, which mostly finds its home on television fluff-piece segments reminiscent of Bart’s People, is easily o...
Overlooked Gems: Annette (1958)
There are many, many stories in popular culture of “the new kid.” After all, even if you never were that, it certainly did tap into our childhood insecurities of being different. But one you probably haven’t seen or heard of is the second and final...