April 2019
Hellboy
By: Jolie Featherstone Director Neil Marshall (The Descent) brings his signature blend of murky macabre and blood-soaked adrenaline to Hellboy, the latest cinematic incarnation of the beloved Dark Horse graphic novel series. Starring David Harbour of Stranger Things fame as the titular anti-hero and Milla Jovovich as Nimue (also known as the Blood Queen), Marshall’s Hellboy is a genre-bending departure from the earlier screen adaptations directed by Guillermo Del Toro. This installment does not call…
The Brink
The Brink should be a more controversial movie than it is. For a little over 90 minutes, audiences closely observe Steve Bannon, former chairman of right-wing news outlet Breitbart News and former chief strategist for President Donald Trump. Isn’t it insane for Bannon, a highly criticized public figure, to volunteer himself to be the subject of a documentary?
Wylie Writes on the Red Carpet: ‘Hellboy’
By: Jolie Featherstone Wylie Writes was invited to the hotly anticipated red carpet and Canadian premiere of Hellboy. Hosted at Toronto’s iconic Scotiabank Theatre on April 10th, stars David Harbour and Milla Jovovich were in attendance. The event coincided with David Harbour’s birthday. The theatre was buzzing with the excitement of loyal fans who erupted into a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ when Harbour arrived at the red carpet.
Her Smell
Earlier this week, the ALMA Observatory photographed “the first direct image of a black hole”. The picture glowingly pulsates if you stare at it for too long – it’s actually quite marvellous. What the ALMA Observatory may not know is that I had seen a star collapse the night before – a walking black hole, if you will, portrayed by Elisabeth Moss (The One I Love, Us).
Girls of the Sun
The struggle of the Yazidi people against ISIS is a noteworthy story and one deserving of a sympathetic and heroic cinematic adaptation. Unfortunately, Eva Husson’s Girls of the Sun is just not it. While the film is serviceable, its relationship to its subject matter is somehow mundane and exploitative at the same time.
Missing Link
By: Trevor Chartrand Animation studio Laika Entertainment has a reputation for dark and brooding content with releases like Corpse Bride (2005) or Coraline (2009), but this year’s Missing Link breaks their mold as a fun-for-most-ages adventure story.
Man Running
Gary Burns’ Man Running, which modestly premiered at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival, follows Jim (Gord Rand) as he participates in a 24-hour marathon. The laborious journey he takes is vertiginously interspersed with flashbacks and hallucinations, suggesting a double struggle for the main character: one physical, one emotional.
Sunset
Sunset is a sophomore feature from Oscar-winning Hungarian director László Nemes (Son of Saul). Unfortunately, I haven’t seen Son of Saul, so I can’t compare notes nor can I comment on how the filmmaker has grown. However, I was reminded of another recent period film while I was watching Sunset – Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite.
Acquainted
Acquainted is the type of indie that wants to say something profound about romance. Little does writer/director Natty Zavitz know, dozens of other movies have beat him to the punch.