By: Addison Wylie Back when I was writing for Film Army, I would occasionally get requests from filmmakers to review their short films. Davide Melini and Rob Comeau were two of those people, and CrowdFUNding has reunited me with them. Melini – an Italian filmmaker with a fascination for faith – and Comeau – a Canadian moviemaker with an eye for style – strike different chords with their work. It’s awesome to see these two haven’t…
By: Addison Wylie Anthony Powell was finding it impossible explaining to others what Antarctic life is really like. For someone who has spent extended time in the chilly climate, it was truly a daunting task trying to find the right words to describe the torrential winds and the degree of cabin fever. Over the next ten years, Powell has made it his quest to create the ultimate tell-all about Antarctica. He built equipment that could…
By: Addison Wylie The nightlife throbs in Nightcrawler. When the streets are sparse and the air is humid, there’s an electricity in the air. Lou Bloom is a lonely guy who lives off of it. We don’t know much about Jake Gyllenhaal’s lonely Lou. By the end credits, we still don’t know a heck of a lot about him – it’s exactly the point. The film’s title very much fits Bloom’s personality as someone who…
By: Addison Wylie I’ve seen good Christmas movies and I’ve seen bad Christmas movies. But, outside of those schmaltzy TV movies that play in syndication around the holidays, I don’t think I’ve seen a Christmas movie as strange as A Merry Friggin’ Christmas. I would say this means Tristram Shapeero’s film is in a league of its own, but that’d be giving the movie too much credit. A Merry Friggin’ Christmas has been labeled as…
By: Addison Wylie Copenhagen is bound to be compared to Lost in Translation or Cairo Time. A young man (William played by Game of Thrones’ Gethin Anthony) embarks on foreign travels and runs into a young woman (Effy played by Frederikke Dahl Hansen) who becomes very interested in the man’s personal journey. They drink in the scenery, taste the culture, and slowly develop something that’s more than a friendship. However, complications arise – as they…
By: Addison Wylie Stage Fright is a spirited stab to revive the musical genre through comedy and horror. And thankfully, Jerome Sable’s game attempt at directing such a film satisfies his audience. Call it a yuk-yuck sort of flick. If a filmmaker isn’t working with cartoons or with Disney, it’s a daunting task for someone to make a musical from scratch. Musicals are – sadly – a tough sell in this day and age. Even…
By: Addison Wylie Sometimes, films directed at children – very, very young children – can be recommended based on how bright the visuals are. If the entertainment isn’t stimulating through its story, the film will at least stimulate the senses through its colour palette. That’s sort of the case with The Hero of Color City, a mediocre kids film with not a whole lot to offer. Frank Gladstone’s kiddie film is possibly the most literal…
By: Addison Wylie With every review, I try to inject some insight as to how I felt while watching the movie. Sometimes, I use humour and metaphors to get my point across. Writing has allowed my voice to travel along some creative routes in order to express an opinion about the medium. There’s no feeling quite like finding a conscious flow to your thoughts. With Gavin Michael Booth’s The Scarehouse, I have nothing interesting to…
By: Addison Wylie For those looking for a seasonal flick, Getting to the Nutcracker may hit the spot. Serene Meshel-Dillman’s documentary about the conception of The Nutcracker at Los Angeles’ Marat Daukayev School of Ballet is a eloquent film. If you’re a theatre enthusiast and are already humming Tchaikovsky, Getting to the Nutcracker will have you grinning throughout its entirety. Dillman documents each phase as best as possible leading up to the big show (which…
Queen of Blood (DIR. Chris Alexander) By: Addison Wylie Two years ago, Fangoria’s editor-in-chief Chris Alexander rocked the Blood in the Snow Film Festival with his filmmaking debut Blood For Irina. He called it an “experience” and said the best way to view the film is by locking yourself in with it. He was absolutely right. His atmospheric silent film was a masterpiece and a sensory whirlwind; utilizing ominous music and smouldering cinematography to pull the movie goer…