“The death of the author” is a concept that has become more and more relevant with the advancement of the internet as a platform for artistic expression. In a world where a piece frequently finds itself separated from its creator and spread far and wide without context, there is very little recourse to reconnect one’s name to their creation, let alone decide its direction. Arthur Jones’ documentary Feels Good Man details an extreme example of…
I may have forgotten about 2000’s buddy comedy Ready to Rumble, starring David Arquette and Scott Cann, but it turns out wrestling fans neither forgive or forget.
By: Trevor Chartrand While entertaining and informative, Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story is a documentary with two very different and almost contradictory goals. On the one hand, the film takes a mostly light-hearted look at the making-of a beloved animated series. But on the other hand, however, the doc is also a dark character study featuring the disturbing behaviours of Ren and Stimpy’s show creator, John Kricfalusi.
The first hurdle of any music-centric film is often the most difficult to clear: the music itself. It’s difficult to get the audience to root for the heroes if their band’s sound is cringe-inducing. Or, even worse, if it’s just plain boring.
Never Be Done: The Richard Glen Lett Story is a fantastic example of true documentary filmmaking.
The much awaited and presumably final instalment in the Bill & Ted series, Bill & Ted Face the Music, pulls off the impossible feat of being a faithful and charming sequel to cult classics. For that, the production should be very proud of their efforts and patience. However, the movie itself is neither “excellent” or “bogus”. It’s just, sort of, “chill”.
Lisa Langseth’s Euphoria, which premiered at TIFF three years ago, quietly yet poignantly explores the estranged relationship between two sisters amidst news that one of them is dying. Beautifully written and elegantly directed, Euphoria is as emotionally devastating as it is moving.
The title of Steve-O’s new comedy special Gnarly, as expected, describes the stunt work peppered throughout the show as he raises the bar on his own shock factor with squeamish spectacles. However, the special should almost be titled Mea Culpa considering his stand-up routine, while off-the-wall, is holding his past destructive behaviour in contempt.
I Used to Go Here works as a coming-of-age story, a college comedy, and a self-reflective character piece. While the cast and crew deserve credit for how well the film pulls off this hat trick, writer/director Kris Rey is the glue holding this project together. With her latest film, Rey continues to prove her expertise in characterization and intentionally awkward comedy, and how magic can be made when those two elements are perfectly mixed together. I recently…
