TIFF Kids ’18: Next Door Spy
Next Door Spy is this generation’s Harriet the Spy. At least, that’s what it’s aspiring to be. Unfortunately, this competently animated Danish film isn’t ready to play.
Animated
Window Horses
Window Horses, Ann Marie Fleming’s feature adaptation of her graphic novel, is an evocative stream of consciousness through history, art, and culture.
The Red Turtle
By: Nick Ferwerda As a huge fan of Studio Ghibli’s catalogue, it’s hard not to go into their latest co-production The Red Turtle with very high hopes. I am happy to report that this film does not disappoint.
Sausage Party
Sausage Party is a shock comedy that’s heavy on “shock” and light on “comedy”. The film is supposed to subvert clean-cut animated films with inappropriate dialogue and black humour, but ends up becoming a crass and awkward in-joke between the comic cast.
Norm of the North
Norm of the North will certainly appeal to the two-to-five-year-old crowd (aka. the “too young to realize how terrible this movie is” demographic).
The Animation Show of Shows
Toronto audiences will be able to catch the “cream of the short film crop” at Carlton Cinema with this year’s Animation Show of Shows courtesy of the program’s curator/producer Ron Diamond. As much as movie goers should always show support for short films, this year’s showcase (consisting of eleven international films) ranges from ingenious to pointless.
Cheatin’
By: Addison Wylie Legendary animator and filmmaker Bill Plympton explores the human condition to hurt what we love in his latest poignant piece, Cheatin’. It’s full of emotional fervour and sensitivity while coming equipped with the filmmaker’s signature brand of off-beat humour. It all starts at a carnival during an amusing, scary bumper car ride – of course, it does. Ella is gawked at by the fair’s male population, and is seen as an obvious…
Planes: Fire & Rescue
By: Addison Wylie The Planes franchise is not for me. However, I’m not a seven-year-old boy who’s obsessed with airplanes and other miscellaneous aviary vehicles – the demographic these films are so clearly for. That’s not to snub the seven-year-old boy who likes to play with toy airplanes in his parents’ living room. Being a kid is a great time and should be cerished. There’s a lack of responsibilities, you have no dire worries, and…
Wylie Writes’ 2014 Mid-Year Report
By: Addison Wylie As much as I would like to believe that 2014 has proven to be a great year for movies so far, I can only instantly recall the films that have underwhelmed or flunked altogether. There’s been a steady flow of mediocrity, which isn’t exactly something to celebrate. I suppose matters could be much worse, but those flatlining flicks have left me in a state of trapped befuddlement while I watched them. These…
Wylie Writes @ TIFF Kids 2014: A Day With the Industry
By: Addison Wylie I’ve enjoyed covering the TIFF Kids International Film Festival in the past, but this year was especially cool. This marked the first year for any festival where I obtained an industry pass. The TIFF Kids Industry pass entitled you to sit in on exclusive conversations, workshops, keynotes, and Q&A’s. The team behind the festival made sure they delivered on guests who could provide truthful insight about the world of filmmaking and…