Reviews
Christmas Eve
T’was the night before Christmas in the Big Apple – NYC. A van struck a hydro box, and made obnoxious people plea.
Cold Deck
By: Shannon Page For anyone who isn’t up on their poker terms, a “cold deck” refers to a deck of cards that has been prearranged in an order that is meant to result in a specific outcome when dealt. In other words, a cold deck has been fixed for the benefit of the player that switches it with the original deck. Unlike a deck that is used for a full game, a fixed deck is…
Hitchcock/Truffaut
By: Shahbaz Khayambashi Hitchcock/Truffaut is a perfect example of a book-to-film adaptation that has been made to relieve viewers from having to read. It’s a SparkNotes version of the eponymous book, taking bits and pieces of the writing and spacing it out with interviews so movie goers will be distracted from the lack of attention in the production.
All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records
All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is as straightforward as a documentary can be. But, to be fair, that’s a given considering this is Colin Hanks’ first foray as a feature-length filmmaker.
A Royal Night Out
By: Shahbaz Khayambashi What do you get when you mix together the worst parts of modern royalsploitation, teenage “girls just wanna have fun” cinema, and a hint of “war is bad, but support the troops”? Julian Jarrold’s insipid A Royal Night Out, the sort of imperialistic romantic comedy that would turn a hopeless romantic into a hardened cynic!
Pete Winning and the Pirates: The Motion Picture
By: Addison Wylie UPDATE: This review was written for the film’s premiere in December 2015. Pete Winning and the Pirates: The Motion Picture hits Amazon Prime and DVD on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. Pete Winning and the Pirates: The Motion Picture receives its Canadian premiere at Toronto’s The Royal Cinema on December 4th. After that, I’m not too sure what the plans are for its open release. I’m hoping it’ll be easy to seek out because, like lost…
Mortdecai
Watching Mortdecai is painful in the same awkward way being an outcast at a shrill party can be. Everyone is having so much fun with themselves that they forget to include you. I can’t say that I was jealous from being left outside Mortdecai’s social circle though – I was too irritated to care.
James White
By: Addison Wylie After accumulating directorial experience with shorts films and serving as a producer on critically acclaimed indies such as Simon Killer and Martha Marcy May Marlene, Josh Mond has taken the leap to feature films with James White. A film that will convince you that Mond has been in this business longer than his back catalogue suggests.
The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young
By: Trevor Jeffery There are some people who do physical challenges for the fun of it, and some people who participate in physical challenges for the accomplishment. Then, there are some people who do physical challenges because of self-loathing, mental lapse or aptitude for enduring pain. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young is a documentary about all of these folks.