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 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.
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!
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…
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.
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.
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.
By: Mark Barber Jay Roach’s Trumbo resembles so many “awards season” films. It’s a mildly politicized, star-studded historical drama that wants you to think it’s more important than it is. Ultimately, Trumbo lacks ambition and relevance, and feels little more than a weak attempt to pander to Academy voters.
By: Mark Barber Chris Trebilcock’s The Dark Stranger understands that the power of horror is derived in part not from its tonal seriousness but from its ability to confront the issues in ways that are creatively charged. Taking on the issue of depression, The Dark Stranger might take some flak for what at times feels like a facile exploration of depression. However, Trebilcock deserves praise for creatively literalizing the demons we face as a means…
By: Shahbaz Khayambashi Requiem for the American Dream does not have anything new to say if the viewer is familiar with Noam Chomsky’s ideas, but watching one of our greatest minds speak is always a treat.