By: Addison Wylie Mel Brooks hasn’t directed a film since 1995’s Dracula: Dead and Loving It. After watching the comedy for the first time, it’s quite possible this is where Brooks may have fallen out of love with filmmaking – a tragic end to our coverage of TIFF’s retrospective. Now, of course, I could be speaking out of school. Brooks has served as a producer on numerous projects (including some upcoming work in 2015), and…
By: Addison Wylie Last time we checked in with TIFF’s Mel Brooks retrospective, it was to recover old memories of his classic Blazing Saddles. Another reason why It’s Good to Be the King is a useful look back at Brooks’ filmography is that it allows audiences to see how the filmmaker’s sense of humour has aged. Unfortunately, Robin Hood: Men in Tights isn’t exactly a fond way to remember Mel Brooks’ signature silliness. His love for cinema and poking fun…
As movie goers prepare for the season’s holiday offerings, horror fans buckle up for a round of Canadian talent at this year’s Blood in the Snow Film Festival. The festival, founded by Kelly Michael Stewart, features the cream of the genre crop. Blood in the Snow’s selections range from unsettling slow burns to the visually grotesque. It’s a competently passionate showcase that gives indie filmmakers a fantastic opportunity to premiere their work, and hands audiences a rare…
By: Addison Wylie This November and December, TIFF pays tribute to one of comedy’s most influential talents. Mel Brooks: It’s Good to Be the King gives movie goers the chance to relive Brooks’ hilarious masterpieces through pristine prints. TIFF kicks off the retrospective on November 15 with screenings of The Producers (5:00 p.m. at the TIFF Bell Lightbox) and Young Frankenstein (7:30 p.m. at the TIFF Bell Lightbox). However, I’m going to focus on the…
By: Addison Wylie Wyrmwood charges through our senses. It’s easily the scariest, most effective zombie flick audiences will have seen as of late. Kiah Roache-Turner uses a dangerous form of filmmaking that is rarely seen in modern cinema. Mostly due to the fact that it’s an insane style that could go belly-up if the audience isn’t ready for its shocking invasiveness. Roache-Turner throws movie goers in the centre of the intense life-or-death face-offs. He positions…
By: Addison Wylie A dangerous plague has wiped out most of humanity within wide proximity of Refuge’s main family. The secluded family has stowed themselves away in their crumbling abode as life around them breaks down and dawns a bleak future. Refuge isn’t a film where the infected are on the hunt for the living. Andrew Robertson’s slow burn is a study of survival as the human race turns on each other. Unkempt gangs roam…
By: Addison Wylie With recent horror anthologies, it seems as though the first instalment serves as an extreme experimental period. There’s a foreboding feeling of failure when making a project that draws in different visions from all over a filmmaking pallet, but horror nuts who are true to their craft will let their audacious attitudes plow through anything resembling an obstacle. This was a clear example for the V/H/S series – an easy comparison to…
By: Addison Wylie The manipulation of time can lend itself to enticing stories and conflicted characters. Time Lapse would’ve delivered on both of those, but filmmaker Bradley King’s melodramatic presentation robs the audience of anything intriguing. Time Lapse wisely keeps its narrative between three leads. Those roles are filled out by Matt O’Leary, Danielle Panabaker, and George Finn who all appear and act as if their characters should be a few years older. Those close-knit…
By: Addison Wylie It’s funny to see Entertainment One attached to Wolves. It almost acts as an apology to werewolf fanatics who may have been bothered by the studio’s Twilight series. Even though Wolves wipes our memories of Taylor Lautner and his chiseled abs sprinting through the woods, David Hayter’s toothy flick isn’t anything too special. It’s a serviceable film with pop-up gems. Cayden is at that usual stage a young man hits in his…
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…