By: Addison Wylie Alias made me frustrated. Watching Michelle Latimer’s documentary provoked me in a way that pushed me to talk back to the screen – something I rarely do. Alias focuses on a small handful of Toronto rappers trying to be heard and to please an audience with their music and lyrics. According to the synopsis, Latimer’s doc “digs deeper than the usual portrait of the rap world as glamour, guns and swagger.” I…
By: Addison Wylie I remember starring in a high school play, a play that shall remain nameless, where I didn’t know what was going on. Not in a way that I was passed out and my body was strung up resembling a Weekend at Bernie’s scenario; I legitimately did not know what the play was about, my character’s motivation, or what it all meant in the grand scheme of things. Being that the play was…
By: Addison Wylie Derick Martini’s Hick reminded me of Deborah Kampmeier’s 2007 indie film Hounddog. Both with it’s Southern setting and the state’s troubled habitants but also because both films took innocent, young actresses and positioned them in harsh adult themes. Hounddog was all the hubbub because of a certain scene involving Dakota Fanning’s Lewellen being sexually assaulted. It easily made people aware of the film because we could never picture the delightful actress from…
By: Addison Wylie Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard. Two respected names and two crazily creative people currently in the film industry. I like these guys so much, but as I try to figure out a way to properly review The Cabin in the Woods (a movie they both wrote), the imaginative team is bugging me and sitting back with crossed arms as they watch critics walk a thin tightrope. These two have written a script…
By: Addison Wylie Everyone is quick to pull the trigger on the “rip off” gun and Warren P. Sonoda’s Servitude is no exception. In fact, if one was to look up the film’s trailer on YouTube, they would see the two top rated comments sarcastically comparing the comedy to Rob McKittrick’s Waiting…. It’s understandable as to why movie goers would jump to this conclusion. The similarity they latch onto the most is that both movies…
By: Addison Wylie When looking at the poster for 21 Jump Street, one could simply label the comedy as “just another reboot” or another example of a mainstream snake eating its own unoriginal tail. However, it’s quite the opposite. In fact, 21 Jump Street is one of the funnier comedies I’ve seen. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish. Many scoffed at the odd pairing of a now skinny Jonah Hill and a hulking…
By: Addison Wylie It’s already March and currently the counter for found footage films released in 2012 sits at three. Out of the three, only one of those has gotten a passing grade. The other two are devoid of any creativity and serve as complete wastes of time. Being that I gushed about how fantastic Chronicle was just a mere couple of weeks ago, I’ll let you connect the dots. Not to derail the review…
By: Addison Wylie Road movies have been done so many times, that they’ve now evolved into their own genre. They follow a similar formula, a straightforward plot, and feature a lot of robust side characters but grounded leads. With any frequent genre, it’s not so much how common those notes are but how the musician plays them. With Moon Point, an independently made Canadian feature, Director Sean Cisterna takes a heartfelt script that has an…
By: Addison Wylie Disney has seemingly hit an oil spring within the past year. As The Lion King’s anniversary was approaching, Disney released a print into theatres where long time fans and youngins new to the film could experience the now-classic tale in a different dimension. Sure, it’s gimmicky but it worked; not only for me but for the movie going public. The Lion King 3D made a boatload of cash. It’s two week engagement…