By: Addison Wylie I’ve had to alter my evaluating criteria for DisneyNature. It’s clear the sub-studio has no interest returning to the quality of earlier docs like Earth and Oceans anytime soon. Instead, families receive a cutesy story set to live action B-roll of animals in their natural habitats. As someone who appreciates the importance of these wildlife documentaries, I find it tough to embrace this type of manufactured product. DisneyNature’s African Cats left me…
By: Addison Wylie We return to the Short Cuts Canada programmes to take a look at a few films that aren’t afraid to get “real”. Well, “real” in surreal surroundings and under crazy circumstances. These three shorts may be tales out of a book (certainly in the case of The Underground), but the emotion conveyed is what makes these stories come alive. They hit and miss various points, but the risks these filmmakers take are nothing…
By: Addison Wylie Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie is fanfare to its core. It’s also a movie that was funded by fans through a highly successful Indiegogo campaign manned by filmmakers/screenwriters Kevin Finn and the Nerd himself James Rolfe. By avid YouTube subscribers and other online viewers having such an integral role in the making of Finn and Rolfe’s film, I’m not completely surprised to see the finished product completely pander to that crowd….
By: Addison Wylie Wet Bum features a superb performance by TIFF Rising Star Julia Sarah Stone. Her helpless presence draws us in, as if we feel the need to lend her a shoulder to cry on. But, it’s her earnest portrayal of fourteen-year-old outsider Sam that signifies the puzzling phases of fitting in among your peers, and trying to swallow the lump in your throat when you’re singled out for being different. The film that…
By: Addison Wylie The Toronto International Film Festival may be in full swing, but Toronto After Dark shall not fall by the wayside. On September 4, the eclectic festival – known for hosting screenings that would please any sort of genre fan – released their first wave of films. The list has it all: toothy zombies, time traveling, werewolves, Elijah Wood, and two highly anticipated follow-ups to recent cult favourites. The ten revealed titles can be viewed here….
By: Addison Wylie At TIFF ’12, a cold film named Krivina made its mark on the circuit. Directed by Igor Drljaca and produced by Albert Shin, Krivina was a film with a strong, silent lead. It tested my patience with meandering stretches, but halfheartedly won me back with a shocking twist I didn’t see coming. Smashcut to present day and the roles have switched with In Her Place – Shin is now the writer/director and…
By: Addison Wylie TIFF’s Canadian roots are more than prominent in the Short Cuts Canada programmes. Alexander Rogalski and Magali Simard – two of the festival’s programmers – have selected what they feel are the cream of the short form crop. They’ve included filmmakers with impassioned voices and integral visions, and they’ve even included some touched up classics. It’s expected that The National Film Board of Canada would be involved in this showcase somehow. Their…
By: Addison Wylie Filmmaker Naji Abu Nowar marks a departure from short films with Theeb, a gripping slow burn that confidently risks it all to challenge itself with different genres. The boldness often profits this tense flick. At first, it’s a character study ala Beasts of the Southern Wild, albeit told more conventionally. While its composure helps the film with its accessibility towards the audience, it doesn’t contain any stimulating eruptions through its presentation. However,…
By: Addison Wylie Ok, everyone. This way, please. This tour is running behind, and we need to catch up. This next work we’ll be observing is Frederick Wiseman’s National Gallery. This work has been known to carelessly eat up time for those who endure it. The entire canvas – for some reason – takes close to three hours to view. And, even though we’re given too much time to comprehend this lacklustre endeavour, on-lookers will…
By: Addison Wylie The Haunted House films have their haters. But, these comedies also have those happy-go-lucky appreciators who laugh like hyenas with each crass joke. The difference between those two audiences is that the haters will openly vent about how these movies stink, while the others are too embarrassed to admit they chuckled. A Haunted House was a guilty pleasure of mine. It was a minor comedy that found success during its theatrical run,…