By: Addison Wylie For better or for worse, Algonquin is unpredictable. What starts as Canada’s independent answer to last year’s Academy Award nominee Nebraska finds unique footing after a detour in its narrative. I suppose any film related site listing the synopsis for Jonathan Hayes’ feature film debut would give away this major turn. Because I certainly didn’t see it coming, I’ll back away from that specific spoiler. It’s an example of how Hayes isn’t…
By: Addison Wylie William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg return to TIFF Kids. This time, they’re not here to make me blubber like a baby (see: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore). The filmmakers are here to make me laugh and impress me with wit. Based on an iTunes app also called The Numberlys, the short film features five employees who are fed up with creating the same boring numbers at their factory job. One…
By: Addison Wylie I’ve always seen a bright future for actor James Evans. James and I attended the same high school and we were fortunate to take part in a few stage productions together. He’s a really sharp and talented guy who – to my memory – does a spot-on Don Knotts. Where James and I differ is with Shakespeare. I’ve always had a difficult time grasping onto William Shakespeare’s writing. Evans not only…
By: Addison Wylie Mike Flanagan’s off-shoot elaboration of his short film Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan turns into a movie where things happen. Things that aren’t really interesting or thrilling. Just a lot of stuff that may or may not be real. This is because Oculus is a horror film with no tension. Oculus is a movie that makes me appreciate Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. It’s a sequel that…
By: Addison Wylie There’s this strange little number named Mistaken for Strangers that has me all around impressed. The documentary is a peculiar one because it plops the audience in a position that automatically has us feeling very skeptical moments out of the gate. We’re quickly introduced to the film’s focus – the rock and roll band The National – and shown the key element all five musicians have in common. Each member has a…
By: Addison Wylie Documentarians Daniel Geller and Danya Goldfine have a fascinating story on their hands with The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden. It’s a real-life murder mystery that took place in the 1930’s within the secluded collection of islands located near Ecuador. In the late 20’s, a couple seeking independence and an escape from civilization took to Floreana to start a new life. Surrounded by tortoises and iguanas, Friedrich Ritter and Dore Strauch…
By: Addison Wylie Knight Rusty is a terribly hard movie to warm up to. Mostly because it comes across as a padded-out episode of a television cartoon that would barely have enough steam to punch out at 22 minutes. What’s worse is that Knight Rusty plays as one of the weaker adventures during one of the final seasons when the creators have started recycling ideas and effort. Right off the bat, moviegoers are thrown into…
By: Addison Wylie At first, it’s a riddle to figure out what actor Jason Bateman would gain from directing a dark comedy and playing the film’s anti-hero. After watching Bad Words, it’s clear to me why the film would be an enticing challenge. It’s a chance to go against the grain of Bateman’s nice guy image to whom he’s been typecast for multiple times. Not to mention a chance for the actor to not conform…
By: Addison Wylie Afflicted isn’t a found footage film, but rather a mockumentary documenting Derek Lee and Clif Prowse’s year long trip around the world. The film does, however, use the same techniques we’ve seen in previous found footage horrors. Luckily, the filmmakers in charge of this creature feature know what they’re doing. In fact, there are a lot of things filmmakers/co-stars Lee and Prowse do brilliantly in Afflicted. Firstly, the duo cover their asses extremely…
By: Addison Wylie In Bad Johnson, heartthrob Cam Gigandet plays Rich, a womanizing jackass who finds himself in predicaments when pleasing his manly needs. He cheats on girlfriends, checks out T&A, and forgets women he’s gone to bed with. According to the film, some of this is charming – usually when Gigandet is smirking and trying to woo. Alas, Rich’s mojo becomes too much of a burden. In frustration, he wishes away his penis. The…