By: Trevor Chartrand Irreverent, crude, absurd and insane, Donny’s Bar Mitzvah is a bizarrely entertaining comedy that somehow manages to function coherently – while at the same time doing everything wrong. The film is certainly funny, bordering on hilarious, but incredibly immature. Keep the kids out of the room for this one, folks.
Jeffrey McHale’s documentary You Don’t Nomi dissects 1995’s much maligned racy drama Showgirls in a similar way that Rodney Aster’s Room 237 delved into different theories on Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining. Both films are about how cult interest breathed new life into a filmmaker’s original vision, however the difference between the documentaries stems from their points of interest. Room 237 was about how movie goers have interpreted visual totems within the film. You…
Jokey films like Hobo with a Shotgun, Ghost Beaver Kick, and the WolfCop series should be graded on a scale on whether the movie was able to cash in on its ambitious set-up. Brendan Steere’s The VelociPastor belongs in the same camp, and it measures up quite well. Y’know if you’re expecting an outrageous revenge flick of jurassic proportions.
By: Trevor Chartrand On their anniversary, successful films often get a special edition re-release that includes new bonus features, interviews, and a high-def restoration that celebrates the film’s impact and longevity. With a film like 2009’s After Last Season, however, the tenth anniversary brings us nothing but bootlegs and a handful of rare DVDs that sell for $300 online.
Holy Hell (DIR. Will Allen) By: Shahbaz Khayambashi Cults have almost become a stereotype in our society to a point where anyone can practically spot one on sight. This is one of the main reasons why Holy Hell is so powerful.
British filmmaker Philip Ridley’s The Reflecting Skin hasn’t screened in Toronto since its Canadian premiere at TIFF in 1990. Given its vibrant formalism and unconventional approach to genre, Ridley’s first feature simply may have been unable to find a broader audience. However, the film works well for cult film audiences.
By: Addison Wylie The Sacrament is rightfully a horror movie. A damn unsettling one at that. The problem is the film’s promotional materials may be steering audience expectations in a direction less suited for Ti West’s latest. There’s no camp here. Just tragedies. In my eyes, The Sacrament is much more of a dramatic reenactment than something that is strictly here to spook you. It’s a horror in the same way some movie goers would…
By: Addison Wylie As someone who has never set eyes on the cult television hit Veronica Mars and knows extremely little detail as to what took place on the show, the film puts me in an unusual spot for this detective’s feature film debut. Rob Thomas’ film is bound to please any fan who’s been begging for a Veronica Mars reunion, but the real test is how it stands as its own movie. Can outsiders…
By: Addison Wylie While I try hard not to make the obvious crack at a movie, Hansel & Gretel Get Baked really does feel like a movie that’s been conceived by a bunch of stoners progressively coming down from their rich buzz. It begins on ecstatic notes. For one, Duane Journey’s horror/comedy has some delicious gore that had me squirming. It’s the type of execution that sets the tone for how much of a riot…