By: Addison Wylie Edet Belzberg’s Watchers of the Sky is built on perseverance. It’s the film’s bread and butter. The doc has stories about those who refuse to give up fighting for change. But, the glue holding these stories together is Raphael Lemkin’s unstoppable mission to invent the word “genocide” and give it a meaning. His sweat and tears worked hard to urge the UN to consider the heinous act of ethnic cleansing as an…
By: Addison Wylie Suburban Gothic is…weird. And, not that good kind of “weird” that Toronto After Dark joyfully uncovers through obscure titles. It’s a movie that makes you ask questions. Questions like: What is Suburban Gothic? Better yet, what genre is Suburban Gothic? Is it a comedy? Is it a horror? Better yet, is it a horror/comedy? If so, how can it be a comedy when it’s this stupefyingly unfunny? How can it be a…
By: Addison Wylie The Asylum and SyFy hit a cult goldmine with Sharknado, a television event with an inane premise and flat production values that point all blame towards budgetary reasonings and its small screen platform. With a solid social media campaign and successful PR, the stars aligned, and out popped a hit! A hit that was “so bad, it’s good”, but a hit nonetheless. I don’t belong in that fanbase. I caught Sharknado after the…
By: Addison Wylie The sporadic weather and the dropping temperature suggests that watching movies at a classy venue is the best way to stay snug. Lucky for you, the Reel Indie Film Fest rolls into Toronto this week. The festival opens Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 pm with Greg Olliver’s Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty and wraps up on Saturday, October 18 at 9:30 pm with the intriguingly titled March of the Gods: Botswana Metalheads….
By: Addison Wylie God Help the Girl matches the sweetness of its leading female Emily Browning. It’s also a film that has allowed the actress to let her hair down, or at least style it into a bob. Browning has shown glimpses of how great of an actress she could become. However, she attracts roles that have her looking forlorn in dreary circumstances. As far as I know, God Help the Girl is her first…
By: Addison Wylie Happy Slapping is a movie that slowly won me over. It’s a film that’s difficult to get used to, but I’m glad I finally did. That said, I am torn. Despite my surprised reaction, Christos Sourligas’ film is something I can’t outright endorse. At least, not without a few warnings and reservations because of how it was conceived and how it ultimately looks on screen. You may have heard of Happy Slapping…
By: Anthony King GOING IN: I think it’s fair to say that any big Movie Buff – or whatever they refer to themselves as – likes all genres of film. They’ll dance during a musical, cry for a rom-com, and even read subtitles for a foreign film. I, for one, consider myself in this category but if I had to pick one genre as my least favourite or the one I tend to avoid, it…
By: Addison Wylie Delivery isn’t funny ha-ha, which you would think would be problematic in a documentary showcasing four levelheaded guys challenging themselves to take a one-night stab at stand-up comedy. However, the film itself is more amusing in an endearing way. Sean Menard, Shane Cunningham, Bert van Lierop, and Mark Myers (who also serves as the film’s writer/director, and may be familiarized by his former Much Music title ‘Mark the Temp’) make a pact…
The Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival is a terrific way for young filmmakers to enter the scene. It’s a festival run by responsible believers who maintain faith in future generations of storytellers. The film festival has also given hard-working individuals a deserving premiere in an appreciated Toronto-bound theatrical venue. The awards ceremony is an added bonus to those seeking genuine recognition, as well as constructive criticism by a panel of educated peers. This year, movie…
By: Addison Wylie In the first Back to the Future film, Marty McFly straps on a guitar, turns to a baffled band, and says, “watch for the changes, and try to keep up, okay?” With Coherence, filmmaker James Ward Byrkit is the rascally McFly, and I’m standing on the stage looking absolutely perplexed. It’s because no matter how hard you try to keep up, Byrkit constantly has us on our toes. Great Scott! Ironically enough,…