Despite its “battle-of-the-sexes” controversy, it was surprisingly easy to stay out of discussions pertaining to Paul Feig’s reinvented Ghostbusters. I had no interest in the film’s politics. It wasn’t because I had strong opinions – I was just indifferent.
Movie theatres have been over-saturated with comic book adaptations, and audiences have been spoiled. “Spoiled” in two ways: studios want to give movie goers more bang for their buck, but by now, just about everyone is burnt out on these action/adventures. Part of the reason Marvel’s Deadpool was such a success is because it wasn’t afraid to make fun of itself and reinvent the formula – people appreciated that breath of fresh air.
I’m catching Life, Animated far into its successful theatrical run, and after it was a hit on the festival circuit (placing sixth on the audience favourites list at Hot Docs, winning an award at the Sundance Film Festival for Roger Ross Williams’ direction and also being nominated for the prestigious Grand Jury Prize). I’m thankful to have seen the documentary, and I’m elated to pay the recommendation forward to anyone who hasn’t yet watched this…
The Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival is still going strong with a total of 44 locally produced films screening over a two-day period (August 5 and 6).
