Articles by Shannon Page
American Warfighter
Jerry G. Angelo wears many hats in American Warfighter. Not only did he direct the film and write the original screenplay, but he also performs as Rusty “Wolfman” Wittenburg, a Navy SEAL haunted by his experiences of battle. I wish I could say that Angelo’s efforts have resulted in an impressive film, but the truth is that American Warfighter isn’t just lackluster, it’s downright bad.
Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable
Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable is a slow burn. Directed by Sasha Waters Freyer, the documentary focuses on photography legend Garry Winograd whose unique approach to street photography captured the spirit of American life in the 1960s in New York and later, through the 1970s and 1980s, in Texas and California. As the film emphasizes, Winogrand’s method could be considered ahead of his time in that he shot using analogue technology without regard for…
Firecrackers
Jasmin Mozaffari’s first feature length film is aptly named. Firecrackers is an explosive and mesmerizing journey that follows two teenage friends, Lou (Michaela Kurimsky) and Chantelle (Karena Evans), as they attempt to break free of their small town. Their plans to run away from it all are complicated by mundane jobs, poverty, abusive boyfriends, and drug-addicted parents.
Inventing Tomorrow
Inventing Tomorrow, Laura Nix’s uplifting documentary about teenage scientists competing at the Intel ISEF (the science fair to end all science fairs), is a much-needed antidote to the cynicism that seems to be increasingly present everywhere we look.
Almost Almost Famous
Almost Almost Famous is high energy and often kind of cheesy – much like the performers it follows. While the film certainly isn’t terrible and there are a handful of moments that feel honest and genuine, this is a documentary that never quite manages to find its footing.
Maria by Callas
Directed by Tom Volf, Maria by Callas examines the life and art of one of the twentieth century’s greatest opera singers, Maria Callas. Through archival footage of Callas on stage, her personal correspondence to friends, and interviews with the singer recorder at various points throughout her career, the film attempts to show the personal, intimate side of a woman that was the subject of much media attention during her lifetime.
Wylie Writes’ One-On-One with Jutta Brendemühl
The primary of objective of Goethe Films is to bring German cinema and television to Canadian audiences. Though the series is known for showcasing contemporary art house film, the selection this October is of a slightly different flavour. On October 4th, Goethe Films will host the exclusive Canadian premiere of Bad Banks, a co-produced German-Luxembourgish mini-series. I had to opportunity to chat with Jutta Brendemühl, curator of the Goethe Films series, about Bad Banks, and…
Bad Banks
Numbers aren’t my thing; I never enjoyed math in school and thinking about RRSP’s makes me want to take a nap. Yet only two episodes into creator Oliver Kienle’s financial thriller, Bad Banks, I found myself completely immersed in the twists and turns of the high-stakes world of investment banking.
Face of Evil
Face of Evil, the feature-length debut from writer/director Vito Dinatolo, is a poorly paced and unremarkable horror-thriller that is more frustrating than frightening.