Better With Time

It's August 31st, and while the calander says otherwise, today might as well be the end of summer. Tomorrow September arrives, and with it the closing of cottages, a continued crispness in the air, and thoughts of classrooms and schoolyards filling for another year.

At the movies, it means the end of popcorn season, and the beginning of awards foddor. Like clockwork every year, giant robots and plucky cartoons give way to thoughtful dramas and Weinstein-approved weepies. I'd wager most of you who read this blog are already sick of the fact that studios save their best stuff for this four month logjam, so I'll spare you that rant.

I actually sat down this morning to complain that this summer felt like it was one of the worst I can remember at the movies. I was all set to point to the '07-'08 writers strike as the cause, and call this summer one of the more forgettable in recent memory. But a funny thing happened on the way to the soapbox - I can't rail against the bad films. The truth is, I saw far more good films than bad.

Between May and September, I saw seventeen films - just shy of one per weekend. Of those seventeen, I was handily impressed by ten. Of those ten, three of them knocked me on my ass (THE HURT LOCKER, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS). So, when the three best movies I've seen this year all drop in the dog days, I can't well cry in my Twizzlers, can I?

If the final summer of the decade did teach me one thing, it's this: summer at the movies doesn't have to be an intellectual wasteland. Indeed, we can all bemoan how insulting to our intelligence films like TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, and THE FINAL DESTINATION are...but it ain't as though we don't have any choice in the matter. The trick is shunning these titles for more thoughtful bits like MOON, COLD SOULS, and PAPER HEART.

And hell, who knows - if we keep going to see these smaller, quirkier, inevitably better movies...Hollywood might even make more of 'em!

Happy Autumn everybody.

My Aim is True

Today, I feel like this...

Everybody's Talkin' 8-28 (Chatter from Fellow Bloggers)

A funny thing happened on the way to this week's ET post...a lot of my fellow bloggers aren't writing about all that much.

For starters, a lot of my usual go-to's haven't written in days - in some cases weeks! There are reviews a-plenty, but I usually only try to include one of those. There are tons of bits about TIFF selections, but that's a tad depressing for me. And there are a small handful of posts about what fall movies people are looking forward to...but I'll be writing about that myself next week.

So what to do???

For something a bit different, I thought about coming back to the big movie of the week for me - INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. Seems as though everyone I read got out and saw it, and many of 'em had rather insightful things to say about it. So, for a switch, here are some other people's take on what happened "Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France..."

So for your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Cinema Viewfinder provided one of the more insightful reviews, even if I didn't agree with all of his points.

Fandango Groovers spots an alusion in the film's final moment.

The Flick Chick earns bonus marks for using a photo of one of my favorite moments in the film in her review.

Finally, a new blog that I came across this week, Movie Mobsters, offers a pretty good review...even if I think she has a knack of giving a lot away.


Enjoy!

Yellow (CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY Poster)

As you may or may not know, I am a conneiseur of movie posters. I studied a lot of art growing up, so from a design angle I find them fascinating. Of course, given that so many studios think that people won't see a movie unless you fill the page with a big 'ol image of the star, I usually find myself less-than-fascinated.

However, sometimes you get a poster that qualifies as "close, but no cigar". For example, the poster for Michael Moore's upcoming movie CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY...



Love the graphic.
Love the bold yellow.
Love everything about it...except Mike.

His body language isn't helping, nor is his facial expression. Basically, everything about his image in this poster completely ruins what could be a fantastic design. Of course now that I look closer, can someone please explain to me why his name appears twice before the title?

Oh well, better luck next time.

Decade pt. vi ( Top Five 00's Movies - 2005 )

Wow - time flies! I'm already in the back nine of my Decade Series, looking back at the best films of the last ten years.

It was the year Catholics mourned the death of a Pope. It was the first time in 86 years that the Stanley Cup wasn't awarded. And it was the year a terrible fate befell the City of New Orleans. It was 2005.

At the movies, 2005 is an especially auspicious year. I've primarily kept the discussion of this decade Oscar-free, but 2005 is a year that merits mention. This was the year that gave us the least deserving Best Picture of the 00's. This was the year that CRASH took home the golden guy over BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, CAPOTE, GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, and MUNICH.

More often than not, The Academy picks the wrong film. However, few years rival '05 where any of the other four nominees were more deserving than the eventual winner!!

Three of the four made my list, and the fourth just barely missed the cut. Take a look after the jump to see which three, and the other two that make up my list for...

Hatter's Top Five Films of 2005

#5. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE... Director David Cronenberg has really had quite a nice decade, with his body of work including SPIDER, EASTERN PROMISES, and this my favorite of his recent films. Viggo Mortensen is chillingly good as a seemingly innocent small town citizen, who gets caught up in a tough situation. It's tense, it's haunting, and yes - it's violent. It's worth a look just to hear William Hurt ham his way through the phrase "Jee-zus Joey!"

#4. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN... Here's the memory I will forever link with one of this decade's most divisive movies. I was lucky enough to attend the Toronto International Film Fest premiere, where I walked in knowing precious little beyond "Ang Lee...Heath Ledger...Jake Gyllenhaal...ranchers". I can actually remember my exact thought when the house lights came up: "Sweet movie - too bad nobody's gonna go see it". It unfairly got turned into a lightning rod for bigger questions, but politics shouldn't change the fact that it's one of the best cinematic offerings of the decade.

#3. CAPOTE... Phillip Seymour-Hoffman's Best Actor Oscar was richly deserved. Conversely, the moving performance by Clifton Collins Jr would be overlooked. How deep should an artist go in the pursuit of their art? And if they descend too deep, is it possible to get pulled back before all is lost? In the case of author Truman Capote, the answers are "as deep as necessary" and "no". The man was so obsessed with creating the first non-fiction novel, that he thought nothing of using one of the accused killers. The chilling thing about the movie, is that it shows us that before long, the killer was actually using Capote. Sadly, neither of the two would find themselves better off.

#2. EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED... This might well be the most under-rated film of the decade, and it gains bonus points for coming from source material that creeps on being unfilmable. It's quite a personal movie for all involved. While a story of searching for one's heritage is not exactly a new one, I can't remember the last time I saw it with such humour and sweet sorrow. Indeed, seldom does a film start out so funny, and quickly become so very touching. Elijah does his Elijah thing, but watching Eugene Hutz's transformation from wannabe American B-Boy, to the young man learning about the past he never knew makes this movie. Reminding us all that to understand who we are, we first have to understand who we were...that "everything is illuminated in the light of the past".

#1. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK...This is what a movie should be. Beautiful, timely, and to the point. It has aged splendidly over the last four years, so much so that I find myself more a fan of it now than I was when I first watched it! Something I found rather attractive about watching GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, was that it comes it at a lean 93 minutes- proof that you can tell a captivating dramatic story in less that two-twenty. The glorious black and white provides so many beautiful shots, and the acting is flawless. During a time when Americans were often being painted as traitors, who knew that fifty year old quote like "Do not confuse dissension with disloyalty" could once again seem so relevant? Stacked with some of the finest actors this generation has to offer, and perfectly assembled by director George Clooney, GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK is easily the best film 2005 had to offer, and quite likely one of the best of the decade as a whole.

Others on my shortlist for 2005 include SIN CITY, BROKEN FLOWERS, JARHEAD, MUNICH, WALK THE LINE, KING KONG, THE CONSTANT GARDNER, THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, BATMAN BEGINS, MATCH POINT, CINDERELLA MAN, NORTH COUNTRY, WAR OF THE WORLDS, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, JOYEAUX NOEL and SERENITY. (Edit - Many thanks to fellow blogger Bob Turnbull for reminding me of others that would make my shortlist including MURDERBALL, GRIZZLY MAN, BRICK, THE ARISTOCRATS, and ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM

Check in on September 29th for the next installment, my top five films of 2006.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments with your own favorite movies from 2005, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Review: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS * * * *

I'm usually wary of movies that have been knocking around for years. More often than not, there's a darned good reason why they were knocking around - they're unfocused, unfilmable, incomplete, or just plain bad. Quentin Tarantino has had the story for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS sitting on the back burner for around ten years. Ordinarily, this would worry me, but having seen the film I can now say that he couldn't possibly have made this film ten years ago.

He wasn't ready...until now.

We meet the basterds in due time, but first we are introduced to Col. Hans Landa of the SS (Christopher Waltz). By 1941, Landa has been nicknamed "The Jew Hunter" for his amazing talent to locate hiding Jews. He isn't crazy about the nickname, but since he's earned it, he keeps it. When we first meet him, he is searching for The Dreyfus family - a clan of French dairy farmers that have eluded killing and capture.

Proving that his nickname isn't one of irony, he does indeed find them, and kills almost all of them...only young Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) manages to escape.

It's at this point that our story skips ahead three years, and shows us the recruitment of The Basterds. They have been brought together before Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) for the sole purpose of viciously killing every Nazi they can find. Not only are the Nazis to be killed, but they are ordered to be offed in the most sadistic ways imaginable. These killings are not about winning the war - they are about leaving a wake of desecrated bodies to scare whatever Nazis might happen to find them.

It's around this time that Shosanna meets Pvt. Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl). Shosanna is now living under an assumed identity, and running a small movie theatre. He is smitten with her and is trying to humbly play up his status as a war hero. She is still trying to stay alive and wants nothing to do with him.

However, she wins both his favour and that of his superiors. So much so, that they offer her the chance to host the premiere of a propaganda film. At first she resists, but when she learns that many high ranking Nazi officials will attend, she believes she can use the evening as a way to exact revenge in one fell swoop.

As fate would have it, The Basterds find out about the festivities as well, and try to use it to enact a fell swoop of their own.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is one well crafted movie. It takes its somewhat long running time, and completely fills it with nothing but tense scenes loaded with snappy dialogue. Most of the scenes are seperated by a title card (a la KILL BILL), however they proceed to build upon one other. By the time its all over, the audience has a complete nuanced story, as opposed to a series of loosely related vingnettes.

It should surprise nobody that this is a violent movie, but the violence isn't wall-to-wall the way some of the marketing might have you believe. Indeed, the audience spends more time squirming at the anticipation of a gun going off, rather than shielding its eyes from the bloodbath that ensues. The violence is intense, but avoids seeming like some twisted fetish peppered into a film for shock value. But be warned, when the bombs, guns, knives, and clubs do come out - they make the most of their screentime.

The cast is quite a large, but a few of them do stand apart from the heard. First and foremost is Christopher Waltz, who won the best actor prize at Cannes for his role. It isn't difficult to see why, as he constantly carries himself as if he's already figured out what he needs to know, even if he hasn't. The man is so intimidating, he can make you feel uneasy while he joyfully eats a piece of struedel.

As for the good guys, Eli Roth gains the most attention as Sgt. Donny Donowitz, or "The Bear Jew" as he's called. He might well be the most violent basterd in the squad. While he has an all-american boyish look, when he goes to work his expression urns to one of equal measures fear and blood-lust. Then of course there's Mr. Angelina Jolie. He's hamming it up to a degree, but he gets most of the best lines so it all stays fun. It feels a bit like he's doing the same accent he did in KALIFORNIA, but he plays it for laughs - especially when he tries to take that Tennessee accent and speak Italian.

That leaves us with the original rock star director. I count myself as a fan of Tarantino movies, but I must admit that he often seems to be making them to amuse himself and his movie-geek brood. All of his scripts and directorial efforts not named PULP FICTION are less interested in being a stand-alone film, and more interested in being a basin of witty lines and homages to niche genres.

With that in mind, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is a huge step for Tarantino. He has taken what he does best, and used it to build a more cohesive story. While his scenes are still snappy, and bound for the pop culture lexicon, they seem more aware of each other than many of his other movies. It comes together to form his best narrative in fifteen years; one less interested in being a tribute, and more concerned with presenting a compelling story.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is more western than it is war, and every detail of it has been carefully composed. Indeed, it's been constructed in a way that reflects years worth of attention and precision. It's a film less interested in making a statement about the world we live in, and instead wants us to take a moment and play "what if?".

LAMBscore:

Insane In The Brain (INCEPTION Trailer)

I suppose if my posting schedule this week is already thrown off, there's no harm in posting two trailers today huh?

This one I'm looking forward far more than WOLFMAN, since I've found myself to be a big fan of all Christopher Nolan's work. Here's his directorial follow up to THE DARK KNIGHT, take a look below for our first glimpse at INCEPTION...

Bad Moon Rising (WOLFMAN Trailer)

I'm a tad out of sorts this week. Usually I have a review up on Sunday or Monday, a top five up on Tuesday, and a trailer up on Wednesday.

Well I didn't see anything this weekend, so I won't be reviewing anything until tonight (maybe), and I haven't had enough time to put a top five together so that might have to wait until Wednesday (they actually take a while for me to assemble).

Gah! I'm a creature of routine, so I can't stress how much this is screwing me up. I guess the least I can do is post a trailer today, and try to cobble the rest of the week together in whatever haphazard way my increasingly busy schedule allows.

So here's the long-awaited trailer for THE WOLFMAN, staring Benicio del Toro as the legendary lobo. I'm kinda curious about it, since it looks rather cool, but has been mired in production hell for a long time.

All I can hope for at the moment is that it isn't the next VAN HELSING...

Party All the Time

Today, I feel like this...

Blog-a-versary Edition of Everybody's Talkin' 8-20 (Chatter from Fellow Bloggers)

So tomorrow is my blog-a-versary. Another year, another 65 movies seen.

Indeed for two straight years now I've been babbling away hear in my tidy corner of cyberspace, and I'm still humbled that a few dozen of you keep coming back to hear what I have to say. I say it jokingly sometimes, but I always do mean it: Thanks for reading.

The thing is, that I count myself a lucky guy because of all the great people I've met. So what good would celebrating another year's worth of writing be, if I couldn't share the joy with some of my friends out there in the blogosphere.

So again, thanks for encouraging me to keep at it for two years straight now, and for your reading fulfillment I give you...

Big Mike wondering aloud why many of the better Judd Apatow films aren't actually Judd Apatow films.

Elgringo at deciding to man up and admit some film classics he'd never seen (and likewise got people talking about ones they'd missed).

Some crazy cats started reading my stuff. Two guys named Ross McG and Ross McD run a nifty little space appropriately called Ross v Ross. This week, they argued which Hitchcock film is better, REAR WINDOW or VERTIGO (I vote VERTIGO btw).

Finally, I discovered another a new blog recently called Joel's Ticket Stub. He's from Ottawa, but I won't hold that against him. Inspired by this week's release of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Joel decided to look back at RESERVOIR DOGS.

Enjoy!

Hallo Spaceboy (AVATAR Teaser)

Much has been made about James Cameron's AVATAR...a 3-D IMAX science fiction feature, which is the king of the world's first movie since TITANIC.

For those of us not lucky enough to attend San Diego's Comic Con, this teaser is our first glimpse...



Note: Some cities will be participating in "Avatar Day" tomorrow, where fifteen minutes of footage will be screened for free. Check the movie's website for further info.

Welcome to My Nightmare (Full List of TIFF Titiles Announced)

The full list of titles for the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival have been announced.

Ordinarily, when this bit of news hits I find myself interested in seeing what big titles are on the slate that hadn't been announced already. This year, I'm a bit behind since I haven't been keeping as close an eye on the announcements as they happen.

So while I might see a title on the list and think "Wow cool!", many others might already have known they were coming.

The full list can be found here (including full synopses this year). If any of these jump out as something you'd pick, leave a comment. I'd hate to miss out on something just because I didn't notice it.

As for me, here are some of the titles I'll be trying to choose between when I pick my three screenings...

AGORA
BROKEN EMBRACES
CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY
GOOD HAIR
JENNIFER'S BODY
LIFE DURING WARTIME
[ REC ] 2
THE ROAD
SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
WHIP IT
WHITE STRIPES: UNDER THE GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Spin The Black Circle (Top Five Vinyl Moments)

A day or two ago, Daniel over at Getafilm wondered aloud about a few moments in (500) DAYS OF SUMMER. Specifically, he asked how often in the real world people go vinyl shopping with that special someone...or go about their day wearing giant headphones.

To his I wondering, I can only say "BLASPHEMY!!"

There are still some of us out there, to whom music is an important part of our lives...not just playing in the background during our lives. These are the people who mine through browser racks looking for deleted Smiths singles. These are the ones who wear headphones the weight of earmuffs in the middle of a heatwave. And indeed, every now and then a movie moment comes along to celebrate us, and our refusal to let go of what makes listening to music, such a great part of life.

So let's go old school with this whole thing. In honour of Les Paul who left us for that big guitar circle in the sky. In honour of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this week. And in honour of you Daniel, and your out-loud wonderings, I give you...

Hatter's Top Five Vinyl Moments

#5. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001)... Richie loves Margot, but she is his adopted sister so their love can never be. They steal away for a moment together in Margot's tent, that feels like it should house the side entrance to Narnia. As they take a moment to try and express a few things, Margot drops the needle into The Rolling Stones' "Between the Buttons". The longing waltz of "She Smiled Sweetly" gives way to the hopefulness of "Ruby Tuesday", and it all comes together to suit the scene perfectly. (Bonus points for anyone who can tell me the slight error in the scene).

#4. PRETTY IN PINK (1986)... Ah Duckie, how can someone whose love travels down a one way street throw himself into a dance so completely? Otis Redding's classic has shown up in other films, but this has to take the cake as the most passionate playing of it. As Andie and Iona look on, afraid Duckie's full tilt dancing might knock an entire wall down, The Duck gives one of the most empassioned moments of blue-eyed soul this side of The Commitments. Pity it doesn't help him get the girl.

#3. JACKIE BROWN (1997)... Yeah, I know, I've been coming back to JACKIE BROWN a lot lately, but I've been in a Quentin kinda mood. This is a love scene, but not that sort of love scene. When bail bondsman Max Cherry comes calling early one morning, to retrieve a heisted gun, Jackie invites him in for some coffee and music. As she flips through her record collection (which I'm sure would be loaded with awesomeness), she pulls The Delfonics, and spins "Didn't I Blow You're Mind This Time". By the time that second chime of the french horn blows, it's official - Max is in love...with the song.

#2. SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)... Little known fact - LP's are a handy weapon against zombies. But what to sacrifice from the collection?

Ed: 'Purple Rain'?
Shaun: No.
Ed: 'Sign o' the Times'?
Shaun: Definitely not.
Ed: The 'Batman' soundtrack?
Shaun: Throw it.
Ed: 'Dire Straits'?
Shaun: Throw it.
Ed: Ooh, 'Stone Roses'.
Shaun: Um, No.
Ed: 'Second Coming'.
Shaun: I like it!
Ed: Ahhh! 'Sade'...
Hilarity, and lucky for them, zombies don't move so quick as to interrupt the choosiness.

#1. ALMOST FAMOUS... Come on, you knew this was coming. The mother of all vinyl bequethments. Young William opens a bag, and finds that he has been left an entire pile of the greatest records one could ever want. He's told they will set him free. He's told they will show him his entire future (well, "Tommy" will, anyhow). I could only ever tell such a fortunate soul that he has hit the jackpot.

This one takes top spot, because it actually says a lot about what collecting music is supposed to be about. Try as you might, you can't take it with you. So at some point or another, you need to keep an eye out for a worthy soul, and to them hand over the mother lode. And here's the rub - when such torch-passing occurs, it doesn't have the same lustre if one were to hand over rubber bins of CD's...or a handful of hard drives. No, for this moment of legacy, only milk crates of vinyl will do. For Zooey's act of musical selflessness, ALMOST FAMOUS tops my list.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments naming your favorite vinyl related moments, along with any other musical musings that this post might inspire.

Likewise, feel free to leave suggestions for the next top five.

Review: DISTRICT 9 * * *

I remember a song I used to sing as a kid. It was a round, that included the verse "Don't throw your junk in my backyard / My backyard's full". It's human nature to throw up our hands and say 'I don't care where this goes, but it can't stay here'. It takes some true thought, and effort to come up with a better idea. Even if one can come up with a better idea, more often than not, the better idea never goes to plan - even if it seems like a great idea at the time.

The story begins by combining faux news reports and documentary interviews. Using this rather realistic style, we learn that twenty years ago, an alien ship entered Earth's atmosphere, and came to a stop in the sky above Johannesburg, South Africa. No lights beamed down, no sounds echoed out - it just stopped up there and stayed. After three months, mankind gets curious/frightened/gutsy enough to send a team up to the ship, and try to force it open.

Upon breaking in, mankind is taken aback. There are no warriors in this vessel...no scientists either. What they do find, are scores of malnourished and sick beings. They have no discernible mission, and no apparent leader. It would seem as though the decent thing to do, would be to bring them down to earth, and try to incorporate them into humanity.

This is a great idea in theory, but eventually human nature kicks in. Humans and "prawns" as they're derogatorily called, aren't getting along, so much of the alien population is kept in a secured government camp named District 9. D:9 inevitably turns into a filthy and overpopulated slum. So at this point in time, twenty years after they first arrived, a government subsidiary named Multi National United (MNU), is given the task of moving them down the road to District 10.

Leading the way in this massive project is Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) - a man who looks like he should be fixing your T1 connection. He leads security teams into D:9 to force eviction notices on the prawns. It's at this point, that the entire situation gets quite out of hand, and much more complicated.

DISTRICT 9 is in a class all its own where alien films are concerned. The prawns haven't arrived here to invade, they haven't arrived here to experiment. They're just here, and just trying to survive. The movie isn't interested in turning them into warriors, or mad scientists. Instead, this film wants to examine how we as a society continue to struggle to incorpertae that which is different than us into our world.

After this intriguing opening act, what makes much of the movie work is the acting of Wikus van der Merwe. He looks and acts the part - a field agent who is more parts desk monkey than he is an operative. The situation he gets himself into is terrifying, made all the more so by the continuing stream of symptoms he tries to deflect attention from. Every moment he's on screen, van der Merwe never lets you forget how frightened he really is: both when he's given an assignment far above his pay grade, and when that assignment essentially destroys his life.

My one problem with DISTRICT 9, is that it seems to lose its way towards the end. This is a film that begins as a comment on human rights, and issues facing refugees. In the end though, it gives a great deal of screen time to one long shoot-out. It doesn't exactly drag the movie down...it just feels as though the story took the audience through an unmarked door in a back alley, only to cut through the kitchen and seat them in a prime table at The Olive Garden.

What it all means is that a film that begins as "brilliant", becomes just "very good" by the time the dust settles. Try as it might though, the increase in action cannot sink this well thought out film. Indeed it endures, and leaves you with an experience that is disturbing, sad, and original.

LAMBScore:

Given to Fly

Today, I feel like this...

Don't Let It Bring You Down (or Another TIFF Decision)

It's funny the way things happen sometimes.

Just two days ago, I wrote in this space about how I was slightly bummed by the fact that I'd be missing out on Toronto International Film Fest screenings this year, making it the first time in nine years I didn't get to catch a flick.

Well it seems as though Lady Hatter's younger sister (let's call her "P Diddy") read about my plight and took pity on this humble movie geek. P Diddy called my missus-to-be and suggested that the two of us, along with her and her guy, all divvy up a ten pass! Essentially, she offered Lady Hatter and I an in on three screenings each.

So truly, I must say thanks to P Diddy...both for reading this space (who knew?), and for such an awesome offer. Three screenings is much better than nothing, and I really owe ya big for thinking of it.

Beyond those three flicks, I still plan on being out and about covering the free events and screenings. Of course, now as I cover those events I'll feel a bit more connected to the fest with a few movies peppered in.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (aka A TIFF Decision)

As some of you may know, the biggest event on my movie-going calender is attending The Toronto International Film Festival. I've gone for eight years running and had a lot of fun each time. This year though, things will be a little different.

By and large - I'm not going

There's a bit of twist though. If you're interested, I'll briefly tell the tale after the jump.

So first things first - I'm not going because Lady Hatter and I will be getting married in two short months. So, in the grand scheme of things, it's as good a reason as I can think of to give TIFF a skip. I really can't scratch together the $320 I usually dish out on this wacky week...nor can I even seem to find an extra $160 to give myself a little ten-screening sampler.

There's an outside chance that a single ticket or two might fall into my lap, but I'm really trying to operate outside of that assumption.

But, the cinematic sadness isn't quite as infinite as I had thought...

You see, starting last year, TIFF really made an effort to expand the festival and really make it a city-wide celebration of movies. As such, they added a whole lot of free events...which they have decided to continue, and even expand this year.

There will be event's like a zombie walk in honour of George Romero (who will marshal the whole proceeding), a roller derby expo in honour of WHIP IT, swing dancing, poetry readings, and a lot more. Added to that, every single night, there will be free outdoor screenings...which, if you've read this blog at all in the last month, you know I am all about. In case any Toronto folk wanna get in on it - full details can be found here.

So that's that folks. I'll be skipping the screenings, but still buzzing about the fest. It's a slight bummer, but hey - if anything's worth it, your wedding day has to be. Right?

The Great Beyond (LOVELY BONES Trailer)

So just last week, I was writing about books that may or may not be successful literary adaptations. Right on cue, another one is coming down the pipe. This time courtesy of a man who is no stranger to adaptations, director Peter Jackson.

Below is the trailer for THE LOVELY BONES, a book that a good friend of mine once described as "one of the saddest things she'd ever read". I know it's quite a popular novel, so if it isn't a good adaptation, I think we'll be hearing about it pretty darned quick...

Everybody's Talkin' 8-10 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

I can tell that we're getting into the dog days of summer, since there was precious little in theatres I wanted to see this weekend. I came close to seeing MOON, but decided to leave it for another week instead. Of course, such movie-going inactivity leaves me with precious little to write about. Guess that means it's that time of the week again...the moment to look at what my fellow movie geeks are writing about.

So, for your reading fulfillment I give you...

An amusingly snarky look at FIREPROOF, courtesy of Because I Saw the Film.

Cinema Viewfinder begins to look back on the decade that was, rhyming off its favorite films of 2000.

1416 and Counting took a moment to revisit a classic on dvd, Hichcock's REAR WINDOW.

Finally, At The Scene reported news that leaves me conflicted - El Orfanato, a really creepy Spanish flick is about to be remade for North American audiences.

Enjoy!

I'm Your Villain

Today, I feel like this...

A Night to Remember (Please Weigh In)

Somebody once asked me why I go to screenings of movies I've already seen. They didn't mean it in a "Why did you go see THE DARK KNIGHT three times?" sort of way. No, they meant it more in a "You own THE GREAT ESCAPE on dvd and have watched it about a dozen times...why are you taking time out to see it on a big screen?".

There's the obvious reason, which is that when possible, good movies deserve to be given the theatre experience. I've found that in the dark, with a big screen, and the soundtrack coming from all sides...you lose yourself just *that* much more in the story.

But there's another reason...

I go to screenings - especially screenings of older movies - because I've been witness to communal experiences that heighten the whole show.

Like this week, at an outdoor screening of SAY ANYTHING where some patrons responded to Lloyd Dobler holding up his boombox by firing up some sparklers and holding them aloft in response.

Or last week (at the same venue) where with all the clapping, singing, and dancing, I started to feel more like I was at a Talking Heads concert, and not just a screening of STOP MAKING SENSE.

Then there was the night a truly beautiful theatre in the neighbourhood I grew up in was closing (bound to become a big-box bookstore). As the lights went down and the feature began, an elderly couple in the middle of the house popped a bottle of champagne.

Or a year or two back, when my favorite indie cinema played WHITE CHRISTMAS on December 23rd, and the packed house actually sang along in the final scene.

Stuff like this just doesn't happen in your living room - at least it doesn't happen in mine! This makes me curious folks...

Ever been there when the crowd is just a little more into the movie than usual? What are some of your favorite movie-going experiences?

When You're Gone ( John Hughes 1950 - 2009 )

Drirector, producer, and writer John Hughes passed away today from a heart attack.

Hughes was an 80's icon, writing and directing THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES, WEIRD SCIENCE, and FERRIS BEULLER'S DAY OFF. He also produced PRETTY IN PINK, SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION, and HOME ALONE.

Hughes was 59 years old.

Creature (THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX Trailer)

So, we have Tim Burton covering Lewis Carroll with ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Then there's Spike Jonze putting a spin on Maurice Sendak's WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

Think that's it for auteurs covering children's literature? think again. Here's Wes Anderson giving the world another dose of Roald Dahl (author of James and The Giant Peach and the Willy Wonka books).

Get ready to be dazzeld by THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX...

Talking Book (Top Five Book-to-Film Adaptations)

I end off my top weekly top fives the same way every time - by asking for other people's additions to the topic at hand, and a call to suggest another top five. Well, lo and behold after almost two years of blogging, someone has finally suggested a five. This one goes out to my good friend Special K (You might remember K as the hipster who suggested I watch BRICK a month or so back).

K is more than a little out of sorts after her recent experience watching MY SISTER'S KEEPER. Seems as though after she watched the film, thinking it was "alright", she picked up the book and tore through it. What was once "alright" has now been dubbed "an abomination" since it is such a terrible adaptation.

This has led Special K to ask her friend The Hatter to compile a five of well executed book adaptations. Who am I to refuse?

So read on for my choices, but do remember that while I am an avid bookworm and movie geek, this list had me handcuffed by titles where I have both watched and read.

Hatter's Top Five Book-to-Movie Adaptations

#5.Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard: JACKIE BROWN (1997)... Of all of Quentin Tarantino's movies, this one is usually treated like the ugly cousin, possibly because it was the wickedly-hyped follow up to PULP FICTION. It was also railed for being Quentin's attempt at Blacksploitation, a genre he probably should have steered clear of. However, it's actually held up as a pretty damned good movie...because we get Elmore Leonard's words put through Quentin Tarantino's direction. If there has ever been a collaboration of two better writers of snappy dialogue, I'm yet to see it. If you haven't seen it in a while, give it another look.

#4.Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk: FIGHT CLUB (1999)... I'll never forget reading this book for the first time, with the movie still a year or so from being released. A college classmate happened upon me reading it in the common area and noticed my quizzical expression. "This is getting really weird" I said. "Keep reading" was all he said, which goes without saying to be great advice. Palahniuk has found an amazing amount of success as a cult writing phenom, however none of his books have caught lightning in a bottle the way this first one did. Perhaps the trickiest thing about adapting his novels, is wondering where to draw the lines...what to leave in and what is clever, but needs to go. Of his ten novels, only two have made the jump to the big screen...here's hoping the next one up is more FIGHT CLUB, and less CHOKE.

#3.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD (1962)... Let's face facts, there's precious little I can write about this book or film that hasn't been said a thousand different times a thousand ways better. What I will say is this - very few times in film history have a an actor and a character come together as wonderfully as what happened here.

#2.The Godfather by Mario Puzo: THE GODFATHER (1972)... I'm bending the rules a little on this one. I read this novel well after having watched the trilogy which it spawned. What I love about the adaptation most is its waste-not-want-not manner. About halfway through the book, we are given Vito Corleone's back story...which of course was cut from the script of the movie it spawned. However, it was kept in mind and provided the backbone for the second movie, helping to make it one of the greatest sequels of all time. It takes some brass ones to make such a daring cut from such a well-crafted story...but true vision to see those cuttings for the basis of something bigger.

#1.The Silence of The Lambs by Thomas Harris: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)... If you've ever read this book, there's one word that could easily describe it - "pulp". It feels like it should live on a shelf, nestled between Sue Grafton and Stephen King. Hollywood even tried to make Hannibal Lecter into a monster with Michael Mann's MANHUNTER. He wasn't so much nightmare-inducing as he was bored braniac. It felt like it was adapted from pulp fiction.

Then came the second film.

Suddenly everything became darker, more blood curdling, and much more vicious. Of course, it didn't hurt that Anthony Hopkins redefined the part in an unforeseeable way. What was once pulp was now cold and calculating, and a character that was once just a peripheral, was now an indelible presence in movie history. And of course, it went on to sweep The Oscars for Best Picture, director, screenplay, actor, and actress - one of only three movies to pull such a feat (and a trick no film has pulled off in the eighteen years since. For these reasons, for it's effort to rise above what had already been, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS takes my spot as the best adaptation of all time.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments naming your favorite literary adaptations, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Review: FUNNY PEOPLE * *

Here's the problem with titling your movie FUNNY PEOPLE - you're almost daring people not to laugh at it.

Adding insult to injury, is the fact that this movie isn't exactly a comedy. One can be excused from going in thinking that it is a comedy, given that it stars Sandler and Rogen, and is directed by the Hollywood's current reigning king of comedy.

No folks, this is a story about the tears of a clown, and what that clown does when the laughter stops...at least, it starts out being about that.

FUNNY PEOPLE is the story of George Summers (Adam Sandler), a comedian who has all the showbiz success one could ever want. Sadly, one day George is diagnosed with a very rare blood disorder which seems to be untreatable. George doesn't really know what to do with himself, but believes he might find the answer by going back to his roots and doing a set or two at L.A. comedy clubs. It's here, after an especially melancholy turn at the mic that he meets Ira Wright (Seth Rogen).

Wright is trying to make it as a comic, and gets a lot of support from his roommates Leo (Jonah Hill) and Mark (Jason Schwartzman). Leo and Mark are both doing better than Ira is - for instance, they don't have to spend weekdays working the deli counter at a grocery store. Ira's luck turns around though, when George reaches out to him. Shaken by how badly he bombed right before Ira, he believes he'll need some writing help if he really wants to do this farewell tour. Thus, he hires Ira as a writer and personal assistant.

The experiment works, giving George a new level of success, and providing Ira with some unexpected mentoring. However, the entire dynamic is upset when George finds out that his experimental drug plan might have worked, and the disease has been held at bay. With this new lease on life, George ratchets up his efforts. His work hits a high he hasn't had in ages, and he takes all that momentum and directs it towards re-connecting with the girl who got away, Laura (Leslie Mann). It doesn't seem to matter a bit to him that she's married. With two kids.

It's a pity that the story didn't stick with the theme of the sad jester, because when it wanders toward trying to re-connect with a long lost love, the movie is ultimately done in. In the beginning, knowing who Laura is and how George screwed things up between them just adds to the sadness of his story. But Apatow wasn't satisfied with that, and instead pulled Laura's entire home and family into the spotlight. It brings the story to a screeching halt, and destroys all the momentum built up in the opening ninety minutes.

Perhaps, what really knocks the wind out of the movie's sails, is that the audience spends the opening two acts sympathizing for a lonely millionaire, only to watch him go out and do something really selfish. He willingly wants to overturn not just Laura's life, but Clarke's life and the childrens lives too. It seemed a cold course for a man just given a new lease on life. Furthermore, Laura seemed too intelligent a character to go as far down the road to divorce as she did. This is a movie based on three principle characters, and when audiences find themselves not liking two out of three, that ain't a good sign.

In a lot of ways, much of the movie's success, or lack thereof, comes back to Sandler. By casting sandler as George Simmons, Apatow inadvertently waved a flag keeping audiences away. Those that don't like Sandler, probably didn't realize that this time wasn't a typical "Adam Sandler Movie". Those out there who are Sandler fans don't like seeing him in something this high brow, as was the case with PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. Putting a cherry on it all, is that Sandler is playing a bit of a looking-glass version of himself. As unbelievable as it might seem, Apatow has finally miscalculated.

Comedians are complexed people, often unhappy people too. Watching them work, both successfully and unsuccessfully is fascinating. I've often found it cool that one comedian can give another the framework of a bit, and without even cracking a smile, the other will respond with "Yeah, that's funny". Pardon? If it's funny, why aren't you laughing? Such is life for those whose job it is to make the rest of us laugh. It's a mindset that we aren't a part of, and that's what separates us from them. A movie about comics working, failing, succeeding, and living would be one I'd love to watch...but this movie isn't it.

Everybody's Talkin' 8-2 (Chatter from Fellow Bloggers)

Its a long weekend again here in Canada, which gives us lots of time to get out and enjoy some sunshine...catch up on things around the house...and, y'know, not blog!

Works out nicely since I don't have a whole lot to write about today anyhow, though a matinee of FUNNY PEOPLE should go a long way towards fixing that. However, in the meantime, I thought I'd link to some of what my fellow movie geeks are writing about.

So, for your reading fulfillment I give you...

The Rest Is Cream Cheese went out and saw FUNNY PEOPLE before me. Here's what she thought.

Fandango Groovers Movie Blog takes a moment or two to reconsider this decade's Best Actor Oscar winners.

Bike Mike swims upstream and argues in defense of BRÜNO.

Finally, The Flick Chick reviewed THE HURT LOCKER this week, which think is especially important since it is rolling out to more screens this weekend, and for my money is the best movie in theatres right now.


Enjoy!

Life in Cartoon Motion

Today, I feel like this...