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October 2017

Reviews

On Putin’s Blacklist

In this current political climate, Russian president Vladimir Putin – along with his government – has frequently been held suspect for unethical ideologies.  On Putin’s Blacklist, a Canadian-produced documentary directed by Boris Ivanov, exposes more of these unorthodox decisions while also linking these rippling effects to possible ideas of Putin’s personality.

Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2017: ‘Cold Hell’, ‘Eat Locals’, ‘The Endless’, and ‘Lowlife’

Cold Hell (DIR. Stefan Ruzowitzky) Cold Hell is a dark and gritty crime thriller written by Martin Ambrosch and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky.  The film has been deservedly compared to other serial-killer thrillers like David Fincher’s Se7en;  though it doesn’t revolutionize the genre, Cold Hell’s adrenaline-fuelled brutality prove that following the usual formula isn’t always a bad thing.

Reviews

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

By: Jessica Goddard Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris: The New York Public Library is a slow and detailed documentary about the vast institution of the New York Public Library (not to be confused with its famous headquarters in Midtown Manhattan).  The film focuses on the NYPL’s many branches and services and functions, offering long samples of footage of what goes on from day-to-day in different branches, ranging from the micro to the macro.  Famous speakers and…

Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2017: ‘Dead Shack’ and ‘Rabbit’

Dead Shack (DIR. Peter Ricq) Audiences that like their zombies with a healthy side of laughs shouldn’t miss Dead Shack, director Peter Ricq’s dark comedy about three teenagers whose week-long vacation at a cabin in the woods takes a nightmarish turn when they learn that their neighbour in the cabin next-door is feeding unsuspecting young locals to her undead family.

Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2017: ‘Defective’

Filmmaker Reese Eveneshen seems to be his own worst enemy with his latest project Defective.  On one hand, on a limited budget, he’s developed Toronto into a nameless city living in a convincing dystopia.  The visuals are on par with the works of Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium).  However, Eveneshen’s overwritten screenplay becomes so convoluted, it reaches a point of no return.