The Man Comes Around ( BOOK OF ELI Trailer )

Mrs. Hatter has a theory - that Denzel Washington can only play cops and soldiers.

Part of me wants to point at this trailer and matter-of-factly say "See!"...but when I watched it the second time, I realized he's kinda playing a soldier.

This blog isn't as fun when it proves Mrs. Hatter right...

Decade pt. vii ( Top Five 00's Movies - 2006 )

With another month gone, it's time for another entry in my Decade Series, with 2006 being the next year up.

This was perhaps the biggest year of the decade for indie titles, with movies like BABEL, THE QUEEN, and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE winning wide acclaim. Unfortunately, it also started a downward slope for indies, as many other titles - like those three - were in fact funded by indi divisions of major studios...and major studios will never understand how to nurture an indie film.

For me it was the year that Superman returned...even if he didn't do so in such a great movie. Luckily and had a lot of other brilliant titles to distract me, and these were the best...

Hatter's Top Five Films of 2006

#5. THE DEPARTED... Because after two attempts at making a Best Picture winner, Martin Scorsese decided to just make a movie...and ended up winning Best Picture. Because it's proof that Hollywood can adapt a foreign film well when they try. Because I believe its destined to join the all-time ranks of the best crime movies. Because it has a kick-ass soundtrack (surprise, surprise). And because for me, it wasn't the best film of the year, but it certainly was one of the coolest.

#4. UNITED 93... In the first five years following 9/11, Hollywood seemed intent on creating over-emotive tributes (read: THE GUYS, WORLD TRADE CENTER, and an unfortunate made-for-tv film also called "United 93"). It's many people's opinion though, that in the years that have followed that world-changing day, no film has served as a better marker than this bit of cinema verité by Paul Greengrass. With a cast filled with unknowns, and photography composed of gritty handheld camerawork, it all feels almost too real. There is no sweeping score, no manipulative monologues. Just the story of 38 ordinary people who took matters into their own hands.

#3. CHILDREN OF MEN... 2006 would be a big year for the three biggest Mexican directors working today, and this was Alfonso Cuaron's contribution. One of the best sci-fi movies of the decade.This dystopian tale about a near future where babies have stopped being born is both chilling and uplifiting at the same time. Perhaps most interestingly, it varies quite drastically from the P.D. James novel on which it's based, but stays every bit as moving as that haunting novel.

#2. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA... There are not nearly enough war films made that tell the tales of the losing side. How is a soldier supposed to fight honourably, when they know the odss are very much against him getting out alive? Such a situation only gets tougher when the soldier in question is Japanese - some of the most honour-obsessed people in all of history. It was hard not to be sad from the opening credits, knowing that the entire mission was futile. Nevertheless, for every second of this grainy, washed out, war masterpiece, the audience's hearts are squarely with the enemy for once.

#1. PAN'S LABYRINTH... Quick - name me another fairy tale for adults. This film is almost in a category all its own. Fusing drama, war, period, and fantasy, this modern parable brings so many elements together to form one of the most unforgettable films ever. This is a feature so filled with unforgettable visuals, that it's difficult to decide where to begin. For starters, I am pressed to think of another film that provides whimsical fancy and brutal violence in such equal measure. Using a drippingly elegant palette of blues, blacks, browns, and golds, it's the sort of film you could watch on mute, and not even notice that you were missing all the words. In a perfect world, director Guillermo del Toro would have won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, but I believe he'll be quite happy with the longevity this film will no doubt achieve. It is viciously elegant. It is truly timeless. It is by far, the best film of 2006.

Others on my shortlist for 2006 include CASINO ROYALE, BORAT, LITTLE CHILDREN, INSIDE MAN, MIAMI VICE, THE PRESTIGE, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, QUEEN, BABEL, STRANGER THAN FICTION, VOLVER, BRICK, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, and A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION.

Check in on October 27th for the next installment, my top five films of 2007.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments with your own favorite movies from 2006, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Review: FAME * *

When forming my overall opinions of the movies I watch, I try to disregard outside influences swaying my reaction. For example, I routinely disassociate movies from the books they are based on. I think such biases can ruin what is otherwise a well made film.

Unfortunately, when I have to disregard moments of my own life, it makes it a little harder to be objective. Such was the fate for FAME.

Like the original film in 1980, and the television show it spawned, FAME is a movie about the lives of students at The High School of The Performing Arts in New York City. Every year, thousands audition for a few hundred spots. For the young actors, vocalists, dancers, and musicians, making the cut is just the beginning of the hard road ahead. Once accepted, they face four years of balancing their full academic course load with an intense artistic incubator. It's a dream come true, and a nightmare all in one go.

That, essentially, is the plot. I could get into specifics about which student drops out to make a go of being a professional performer, or detail which student narrowly avoids being the subject of a sex tape...but in this incarnation of FAME, none of those kids matter. That is what holds the movie back for me...because, well, I was one of those kids.

I went to a high school for the arts, and there are a lot of moments in FAME that brought back memories. I watched talented classmates get kicked out because they couldn't hack it academically. I know what it's like to feel like you aren't as talented as the person sitting to your right. And yes, on more than one occasion, I saw kids dance on cafeteria tables...I might have even done so myself once.

FAME isn't interested in giving us more than a glimmer of these students, nor the road they will travel. Had the movie focused on six students, we could get deeper into their individual journeys through four years. As it stands, the movie widens the field to twelve, and pays them such lip service, that I barely remembered one of them when she did her closing credits curtain call. Going to a school for the performing arts isn't easy. I apologize for the cliche, but before the four years is over, every student there will have shed a lot of blood, sweat, a tears. However, where this movie is concerned, precious few so much as frown.

I was especially saddened to see the dancers get the short end of the stick, since the dancers I grew up with seemed to have the toughest go of all. They deal with body issues, physical demands, and enough drama to put the theatre department to shame. In the film, only two dancers have lines, and they both get largely ignored until the final year. This is a pity, since these characters likely had to deal with everything I just outlined. Not only that, but the dancers in this film are very talented. So much so, that the dance sequences are one of the best things about this film.

While it isn't as bad as the TV series, it's nowhere near as good as the original film. That's unfortunate, because what the original had going for it was the darkness of what the students had to deal with in their lives outside of school. I'm over ten years gone from my art school days, but I'd wager that what students have to work through now is every bit as difficult as those back in 1980...maybe even worse.

During the opening moments of FAME, the lyric "Remember" is repeated over and over. I might indeed remember this movie...but sadly I doubt I'll remember any one character in it. Singing and dancing might seem like a great thing to stock a film full of, but it shouldn't come at the expense of characters. I couldn't possibly tell you about every song I sang or dance I did twelve years ago...but I could go on for ages about the people I knew.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on FAME.

LAMBscore:

The Boys Are Back In Town

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 09-25 (Chatter from Fellow Bloggers)

I'm starting to see this week that has passed and the week coming up as the spot in between the lightning and the thunder. You know that little delay that occurs between seeing a lightning flash, and hearing the accompanying clap of thunder? that's my life right now. And y'know what? There's not a darned thing wrong with it!

I'm happy for this pocket of peace I'm getting, since it gives me a chance to catch up on a lot of other blogs. These days I seem to be following a new blog every week, so catching up on them is taking longer and longer. But that's part of the fun...keeping in step with this crazy community I find myself a part of.

So while I map out my day of peace and quiet, and anticipate a date night that will involve going to see FAME, allow me to highlight some gems by a few fellow bloggers.

For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Luckycricket at Movie Ghouls - a new addition to my blog-following antics. Cricket took a moment to write about the Coen Brothers movies, and FARGO in particular.

Joel, who went out and saw JENNIFER'S BODY before me and says that he dug it.

Fandango Grovers, who has compiled a dialogue-sparking list of the 10 best sci-fi movies of the post-STAR WARS era.

And why stop at one list when Ross and Ross can make things twice as nice. Please take a moment to consider a top five devoted to Tom Cruise singing.

Enjoy!

Say My Name (Top Five Worst Film Titles)

(Good luck getting that song out of your head today!).

My days have been getting off to a bad start this week. I could blame it on the fact that I've been sleeping through my alarm. I could blame it on the fact that I'm in a post TIFF and post U2 hangover. But nay dear reader, I choose to blame it on a poster.

See every morning, as I wait on the subway platform, I stare across the tracks at this piece of popcorn palace propaganda...


...Now from what gather, this film is pretty good, and I might well see it sometime. But it never fails to ruin my whole morning. Why? Because I think it has to be one of the dumbest friggin' titles for a movie I've ever heard.

It's so bad, that when I recently saw a trailer for it, the audience giggled audibly when the title card splashed at the end. My bride-to-be actually leaned over and said "That's not seriously the title, is it?".

But I refuse to have my morning commute ruined before I even step on the train one day longer. So take a moment everyone, and allow me to remind us all that a title reminiscent of long distance charges might be bad...but there have been worse. This five will be short and sweet, as I believe many of these titles speak for themselves.

Prepare thyself...

Hatter's Top Five Worst Film Titles

#5 ...

(No movie title should evoke visions of a cat leaning on a laptop keyboard)

#4 ...

(I could make a comment, but this is a top five, not tee ball)

#3 ...

(Really?? Was there already a film called PEER TO PEER NETWORK???)

#2 ...

(Hey Hollywood - You know you've screwed up when you're film title sounds like it should be in a pink package in the Feminine Needs aisle)

#1 ...

(Anyone else see this title and imagine that it's about someone groping their way across the entire midwest?)


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

Review: THE INFORMANT! * * * 1/2

Do you work with someone who seems a little off? They have a demeanour that's a tad too pleasant...you might not even be sure quite what they do...and they walk around as if there's music playing in their head that you can't hear?

Mark Whitacre is that sort of person, and THE INFORMANT! is his weird little story.

THE INFORMANT! is about a high level executive at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). They manufacture lysine. 'What's lysine?' you ask? I'm not entirely sure myself, except to say that it is a food additive that comes from corn, and seems to be an ingredient in everything. An odd extortion situation lands in the lap of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), and results in the company contacting the FBI to get involved. When the feds come calling, Whitacre has an absurd moment of blind honesty, and clues them into ADM's price-fixing tendencies.

Why would a person do such a thing? More to the point, why would a person do such a thing unprovoked? To be fair, Whitacre is cajoled into the idea by his wife, but he wanders quite a distance down the path on his own. Partly because he believes what he's doing is a good thing, but also because he thinks when the bad executives are punished, he'll be the last man standing and put in charge. It takes a truly special person to come up with this sort of logic...you have to wonder what colour the sky is in their world.

Director Steven Soderbergh has been following a "one for them / one for me" pattern for quite some time with his work. I don't always care much for his "ones for me", but when he comes back with "ones for them" as good as this, it makes it hard to carry a grudge. THE INFORMANT! is a sad tale, but it's one so full of absurdity and whimsy, that you have no problems going along for the ride.

The cheery music that makes up the score, and the sun-shade tint of the photography really helps you believe you are seeing the world through Whitacre's eyes. What those elements don't sell you, Matt Damon will in what is easily his best bit of acting in a decade. He gets lost in the haplessness of the character, who seems wickedly out of style even by 1992 standards. His oafish mannerisms and random brain droppings all help you believe you are watching the life of this poor chud...not Matt Damon playing this poor chud.

It pains me to admit that I can't get into what makes this movie work so well. What elevates this movie is the ultimate payoff - when the morning comes and we get to see Mark Whitacre in the unforgiving light of day. It takes a one note story and makes it something so much sadder and more complicated. The thing is, I found out about this element of the movie before I saw it, and I wish I hadn't. So if anything, I will restore its place by leaving it out of my review.

Many of us have some small element of self delusion that makes up who we are. The difference of course is that most of us know where the line is that turn those delusions from coping aids into destructive behaviour. For some, like Whitacre, the line isn't quite so clear. While it gives some of us that little bit extra we need to get things accomplished, it's sad to see that for someone like Mark Whitacre, it gets so out of hand that it can ruin many lives. Perhaps even his own.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on THE INFORMANT!

LAMBscore:

One Day I'll Fly Away (UP IN THE AIR Trailer)

I heard a lot of good things about this movie coming out of TIFF, and can't wait to see it. It's a good thing I heard so many good things, as this trailer comes across as slightly cryptic.

Welcome To the Working Week

Why does it feel like I always need a vaction to recover from my vacation? Life will return to normal this week after four days spent running all around this city taking in TIFF, a concert, a wedding, and catching up with neglected family and friends.

I'm also looking forward to catching up with my fellow bloggers. I assure you, I have been reading your stuff gang, I just haven't had the time/energy to comment like I usually do. All of that should change starting today. Before I move On, I want to thank anyone who read about my TIFF experiences - as always, I'm appreciative of the readership.

Before I let TIFF lay for the year, I thought I'd highlight one last bit of news and silliness. This year, The Audience Choice Award was given to PRECIOUS. The silliness that it has sparked is the fact that when some media outlets broke the news of its selection as audience choice, they felt the need to remind people that last year's audience choice winner went on to take the Oscar for best picture.

Thanks for noting the co-incidence gang, but try not to get too hung up on waving any flags. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE did indeed start its run to the big prize with a TIFF Audience Choice win, but it was only the third movie in 30 years of the festival to do so. It's not any sort of indicator so much as it was dumb luck.

Mama Said Knock You Out

Today, I Feel Like This...

(That'd be me on the right)

TIFF 2009 - Day 10 (THE WHITE STRIPES: UNDER THE GREAT WHITE NORTHEN LIGHTS)

...And all is right with the world again.

Given that it was my only screening of TIFF 2009, this film had a very high "better not suck factor" for me. I'm happy to report, that it made for a great night all around.

The movie itself is spotty. It won't be mentioned amongst the best rock docs, nor the best concert films. While it contains some stunning photography, and many poignant moments, it wanders too far off the path that it has set for itself. It bills itself as a documentary of Jack & Meg's cross-Canada tour, but more than half of the stops they made on that jaunt are either omitted completely or only given a quick nod. It won't win the band many new fans, but for the existing fan base, it's quite a treat.

Speaking of the fan base, they were out in force last night, blanketing the seats of The Visa Screening Room in red, white, and black. They clapped, they cheered, the welcomed their heroes to the stage, and were rewarded by a film rich with original snapshots. Speaking of those snapshots, the best for me had to be a scene where Jack and Meg play for an Inuit elders group at a seniors center in Nunavut. Both the elders and the band seem equally fascinated by the other, and it's a rare moment of true camaraderie.

I'm not entirely sure whether this movie will get any sort of theatrical release, so getting to see it on a big screen in such a gorgeous theatre was worth the ticket price alone. Not to mention getting the full power of The Elgin's sound system behind Meg & Jack performing "Hello Operator", "Icky Thump", and "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" (to name but a few of the tracks).

Perhaps the best moment of the night though, came during the Q&A. Director Emmett Malloy was answering a question about his use of some CITIZEN KANE footage in the film, when Jack White busted onstage from the wings. Jack grabs the mick from Emmett and yells "I'm gonna let you finish! I'm gonna let you finish! But Orson Welles was one the greatest directors of all time man!!". Let it not be said that Jack White doesn't have a sharp sense of humour.

I couldn't have asked for a whole lot more for my only teaspoon of TIFF 2009. I watched artists I love, in my favorite venue, got a unique memory or two, and saw that TIFF audiences don't change all that much from year to year. As for the rest of the festival, I'm actually happy that it's all over. Despite not sitting through screenings, I still find myself rather tired after running from pillar to post for ten days. Though I've kept a brave and optimistic face, I've also realized how much I missed not being a deeper part of it.

That said, I'm sure the first announcements of TIFF 2010 will arrive before I know it.

TIFF 2009 - Day 9 (Wherein We Get Dispatches on a Multitude of Movies)

We've almost reached the end of the yellow brick road my little pretties. Two more days left until we roll up the red carpets for another year.

While the early part of my day today will be spent basking in the goodness that was last night's U2 concert, my buzz won't go away. Today, finally with two days to spare, I get to take a seat for my first - and only - TIFF 2009 Screening! Check back tomorrow for my thoughts.

As for today, I have the skinny on a good handful of films from a pair of fellow TIFF'ers. We'll begin with Shane McNeil (on the left in the photo above), who has been man-about-town for the last ten days. Shane is volunteering this year, working at the Roy Thompson Hall TIFF box office. Impressively, Shane has also found time to catch about 20 screenings alongside his volunteer work. Not too shabby!

Shane has been kind enough to provide little pink spoons on four titles - DEFENDOR, ACCIDENT, BRAN NUE DAE, and THE ROAD.

Then there's miss Franny Glass (Sorry Franny, no picture!). Franny's a TIFF friend - we literally met in line at TIFF '08, and witnessed the launch of the SULMDOG juggernaut sitting side by side.

Franny has taken in a very respectable ten movies this past week, and found they ran they gammut from wonderful to outright dull. She has been kind enough to jot down her reaction to UP IN THE AIR.

So while I send my supreme thanks to Shane and Franny for stepping in and writing about that which I couldn't, please take a look after the jump for their take on five movies from TIFF 2009.

SOUL KITCHEN (Fatih Akin, GER)

I always enjoy when filmmakers do a complete 180. It's too easy for filmmakers to stay in their boxes making variations on the same film time in and time out, so when a filmmaker as accomplished as Fatih Akin decides to go from the desolation of 2007's THE EDGE OF HEAVEN to the pure joy of SOUL KITCHEN, it is- in a word- refreshing. The story goes that a young Greek cafe owner finds his life shaken by the departure of his girlfriend to Shanghai... meanwhile his not-so-faux dive of a cafe becomes a boho Mecca courtesy of a fresh and fiery Spanish chef and the wild antics of his soon-to-be-released convict brother. The film is jammed with good music, good food and sexual tension. Akin said he made a film that he thought no one would truly "get" his film if they lived even 60 miles outside of Hamburg, but the dish Akin serves up is (at worst!) a crowd-pleaser. At best, it may be my early tab for the Viewer's Choice award.

BRAN NUE DAE (Rachel Perkins, AUS)

"There's nothing I would rather be, than to be an Aboriginee... and watch you take my precious land away" Rocky McKenzie sings in Australia's first-ever all-Aboriginal musical. Apparently, the stage production had been a huge domestic success and the film project has been about 20 years or so in the making. If you're just looking for a good time, this is likely the film for you. It's not groundbreaking cinema and to be honest, some of the plot points (the ending especially) are pretty far-fetched, but I think that's probably the point. We're dealing in fantasies here and a lot of the story, the songs especially, deal in the fantasies of a people that have by and large been shit on for the better part of the last two or three centuries. The musical numbers are engaging (and, often, not too lengthy!) even if some of the songs are not the type of lasting, hummable ditties that you'd hope for. But the joy of the film is there and is overwhelming... and Geoffrey Rush's performance as a singing, dancing, puniching German cleric may be worth the price of admission alone.

THE ROAD (John Hillcoat, USA)

It is so, so dicey to film a book as beloved as "The Road". In addition to this, much like last year's "Blindness" it's not a terribly easy book to adapt to the screen. Not a whole lot happens in terms of story arc. THE ROAD, as a novel and a film, is more about human emotion and what people would be willing to do for love and survival. Unlike Blindness, however, this adaptation is successful. Hillcoat did not get too bogged down in plot points and literary themes and, more importantly, Viggo Mortensen is one of the few superb actors working right now that could carry a film almost on his own. Though, it does beg mentioning that young Kodi Smit-McPhee puts in an incredible performance as 'the boy'. It's a grey film... both in mood and physical tint... but it's the type of rewarding, gut-wrenching cinematic experience that reminds you of what can go right when a filmmaker is brave enough to tackle a masterpiece.

DEFENDOR (Peter Stebbings, CAN)

The streets of Hamilton are safe once again thanks to the efforts of the loveable, bungling vigilante Defendor! Our hero (Woody Harrelson) is a lovable oaf who just wants to clean up the streets to avenge his mother's death by any means necessary... tossing marbles, unleasing mason jars full of angry wasps... you get the idea. It's really a dleightful premise, but the exceution leaves a lot to be desired. Defendor isn't a heart-of-gold, misguided, well-meaning kinda fella, he just comes across as an oaf. The character is uneven, seemingly able to evade the police at will while at the same time running smack into his enemies at every turn. There's definitely some heart in this movie... I just failed to see it. It might amuse superhero fans, but overall, it was just too uneven for my liking. Oh, and did we really need that many scenes of people smoking crack?

ACCIDENT (Pou Soi Cheang, HK)

Is it wrong that saying "this film is destined to be remade for American audiences" is now a compliment? Regardless, in the case of ACCIDENT, it's meant as one. The film focuses on a group of assassins whose M.O. is to make their hits look like freak ocurences that could not possibly be traced to human interference. Now we're not talking a simple car crash, we're talking chains of events that rely on such precision that a second's delay means a failed mission. The action sequences, preedictably, are fantastic but that's not all there is to it. The film shifts gears halfway through and becomes a superbly-crafted paranoia thriller reminiscent of Coppola's THE CONVERSATION. What I loved most about ACCIDENT is that it's not just a vehicle for original cinematic death sequences, the pacing is perfect. You're never too long between talking points and, most importantly, the story never loses its arc. The film is a succinct 90 minutes and as the last shot was about to be held I found myself thinking "it'd be perfect if it ended right. now." Few filmmakers have enough restraint to make such an energetic movie without completely losing the plot. It appears Cheang is one of those few. (Shane McNeil)

I have a PHd in Loyalty Programs. Last winter I bought $30 worth of Knorr Soup at Sobeys because of the promise of 500 Club Sobeys points. I accumulate Shopper's Optimum Points with the same fervour that pre-Reformation Catholics accrued indulgences. I regularly transact simply to earn reward miles and If I could, I'd probably marry my CIBC Aerogold Infinite card. So imagine my delight when I saw a film at the Toronto International Film Festival which deftly weaves loyalty in its many forms through seven strong subplots. Up in the Air is directed by Jason Reitman (late of Thank You For Not Smoking and Juno) and stars hottie George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing specialist. Clooney is the guy on the other side of the table holding the compensation package that you're getting not because you're "fired", but because you're standing on the precipice of new opportunities. His dispassion for the emotion of his job is turned on its ear when his own high-flying life is threatened...pointedly when he's on the cusp of achieving an incredible frequent flyer milestone. It's almost impossible to separate the cinematic Clooney from his public persona. But make no mistake. He's too good an actor to give a performance that isn't nuanced. He's at his best when matched with strong women. Who can forget his onscreen chemistry with Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton? In Up in the Air, he's at his best with Anna Kendrick as Natalie - the fresh faced new recruit whose hiring stands to ground Bingham -- and Vera Farmiga as Alex, one of the strongest female characters to come along in years. Farmiga is Bingham in female form. She holds up a mirror to his commitment issues. And her independence is to be revered. Up in the Air is worth a viewing. Even multiple viewings. I'd even go so far as to say that Clooney might get a nom for his performance. A film with a script this tight really deserves an audience. Sadly, Clooney was a no-show at the Sunday morning screening of the film. I guess he couldn't commit. (Franny Glass)

TIFF 2009 - Day 8

Tonight I actually took time to see an installation TIFF commissioned as part of their Future Projections programme. If you were anywhere near the corner of King and John last night around eight, I was the dork looking up at the building...the only dork looking up at the building.

The idea of this project is a good one, but its execution is weak to say the least. For starters, two of the three films are actually montages. They are artful montages, but they are still only montages. If you're going to project video over a busy corner, why not commission three original works?

As if that isn't bad enough, much of the second piece, The Shape of Things uses very dark muddy footage, which doesn't translate very well in a dim window on a brightly lit corner.

Finally, am I the only person who finds it mildly amusing that a building that seems to have been in-progress for the better part of the decade is proudly displaying a video called This Transition Will Never End.

Great idea TIFF - maybe next time you can commission some more forward-thinking artists.

TIFF 2009 - Day 7

Tuesday night's TIFF showcase at Dundas Square was my fourth in five nights, and so far, it was the event with the most character. In honour of the Russian film HIPSTERS, Tuesday night was Swing Night in Dundas Square.

We began with some swing lessons, as taught by two friendly and charming instructors Chachi and Caitlin from Toronto's Swing and Tap Academy. This was actually rather sweet to watch, since it began like a high school dance, with wallflowers slowly and timidly mingling together. However it brought a smile seeing the inhibitions fall rather quickly, as the people gathered began to shimmy and jive along showing off what they were learning.

This wasn't a night to stargaze. It wasn't a night to boast about what avant garde cinema you felt richer for having seen. It was a night where a true cross-section were able to come together and have some fun cutting a rug. If there was one downside to it all, it's that we only got to see Chachi and Caitlin perform one number. Trust me when I say that they are fun to watch.

As the program moved to the concert, things got a little interesting for me. There I stood, leaning on the stage barricade, slightly saddened by the fact that my own dance partner was home with a migraine. At this point, a gentleman asked me if I'd be using the Nikon D70s in my hands to take photos of the concert. I told him that I would be, and he told me that he was the singer's manager. Then and there, he asked if we could cut a deal where he could buy some of my shots of his client.

So while listening to some toe-tappin' music, and doing something I was about to do for free anyway, I couldn't help but smile. Between usually being at a screening at this point of TIFF, and intending to have been dancing on this particular night, there was no earthly reason for me to be in the position to make even a little bit of money.

Funny the way things happen, ain't it?


So if you feel like having a zoot suit moment, please take a look after the jump for a lot more photos of Aelita, Ian, and the Galaxy All-Star Orchestra.

TIFF 2009 - Day 6 (Wherin We Get Thoughts on JENNIFER'S BODY and THE WILD HUNT)

I think it was John Lennon who said "You may say that I'm a film geek / But I'm not the only one..."

Nay, not only do I surround myself with one or two dozen other movie geeks, but I also find the sort of movie geeks who go to TIFF as well! The other thing that's good about being bossom companions with such nerds, is that if I must take time away from the movies, they're happy to do some intrepid reporting in my stead.

Allow me to introduce you to Miss B (above left) and Susie Q (above right). They have been TIFF'ing up a storm these past five days, and have been so kind as to jot down a few of their thoughts exclusively for the mad tea party I call this blog.

So dear friends, allow me to pass the mic for once. Please, I invite you, click on the jump and give a gander to Miss B's thoughts on THE WILD HUNT, and Susie Q's gushing over JENNIFER'S BODY.

THE WILD HUNT was co-written by Alexandre Franchi and Mark A. Krupa; two friends and confessed table-top gamers (D&D). Alexandre directed the film and Mark leads the cast as Bjorn, a man with a fairly mediocre life in search of Glory. He has abandoned his ailing father in order to fight the horde in a LARPing event in the woods - For those who don't know, LARP stands for Live Action Role Playing. It could best be described in layman's terms as a Medieval Re-enactment Group but in essence it's dressing up in costumes and fighting with big foam swords.

Bjorn's absence has caused a gap that his younger brother must fill in caring for their father and making the ends meet. This, in turn, causes a riff between Eric and his girlfriend Lynn who runs off to the wild woods as well, under Bjorn's care, in search of something more. Eric follows her up there in hopes of mending the last remnace of their dwindling relationship once he is informed that she has been "kidnapped" by the evil Shaman Murtagh. Eric is thrust in to a world of cast systems and hierarchy; Knights, Elves, Viking Lords, and Celtic Savages; none of whom take kindly to people entering the game who aren't ready to embrace the world.

Eric reluctantly joins his brother Bjorn in the Viking quest to rescue the Valkarie Evelina (Lynn) from the savage Celts and the power of their leader, Murtagh. He is unprepared at how relentlessly everyone accepts this world as their current reality but finds, as he starts to "play along", that he enjoys the freedom and release that the fantasy holds as much as everyone else. The turn from game to tragedy comes when some of the thwarted Celts push the boundaries of fact and fiction blurring the lines of reality and fantasy. In twists and turns that would make the Bard himself gasp in awe, we watch as each character is forced to face there own marrow and peer into the looking glass to see if there are truly warrior or desk-monkey.

Alexandre and Mark have woven a story of fear, bravery, and revenge in the face of savagery and done it flawlessly. They have also opened a door to a very vibrant and creative international community and shown it in a humorous yet still respective way with profoundly layered characters.

Early on Eric challenges one of the players by saying, "You realize that you're one of the weirdoes right?" to which the player says, "Yeah, but we're the weirdoes having fun." That is the joy of LARP. To leave the dreary 5 day - 9 to 5 and become something more. To live the adventure and get back to the wilderness for a while. (Miss B)

Before I get into the film JENNIFER'S BODY, I want to flash back a couple of years to another TIFF premiere, when a little-known gem called Juno burst onto the big screen, winning rave reviews, and garnering some major awards, thus becoming the Little Movie That Could, and capturing hearts all over the place. I saw Juno premiere at TIFF that year, and had chosen it simply because of its lead actor, Ellen Page. The girl had already impressed the heck outta me in Hard Candy and, though I sort of feared her, I also wanted to see what else she could pull off when she switched to another genre. I wasn't disappointed, to be sure. But that year, that screening, also managed to spark an unexpected love in me for its writer, Diablo Cody.

So when The Hatter told me that Diablo was writing a horror movie, I was instantly on board. Nothing else mattered other than the fact that one of my new favourite writers was writing a script in one of my all-time favourite genres. I was sold from the get-go.

I kept half an eye on the film as it developed, but didn't want to know too much. I wanted to be surprised. The first chance I got, I quickly bought my ticket for the screening, and eagerly awaited the film's premiere as TIFF's opening night Midnight Madness selection this year.

The film centres on odd-couple BFF's who, in addition to being complete opposites in life, also happen to be a little...closer...than most. There's Needy, the mousy, nerdy quiet girl that (with the exception of her boyfriend, Chip) every guy ignores, and Jennifer, the hot, spontaneous, outrageous, confident and rebellious girl that every guy would die for.

And, as it turns out, they get their wish.

Without giving too much away, everything changes for both girls one fateful night at a local bar, where they've gone to watch a 'salty' band from the city perform. Tragedy strikes, suddenly and unexpectedly (as it does), and changes the lives of everyone in their little town. Adam Brody is hilariously self-absorbed, slightly vacuous, and ultimately focused all at once...though with perhaps a mildly creepy fascination with his van...

Anyway.

Aside from the possible crazy circus of having a Megan Fox as the title character (in fact, she actually turned out to be sort of perfect for the role, and pulls it off with a finesse one may not realize she was capable of), and beyond the quiet brilliance of Amanda Seyfried's performance as the lead, and of course not discounting the solid direction of Karyn Kusama bringing out the best in everyone who graced the screen in this film - ALL of that aside, I was really there primarily for Diablo Cody.

Her unique and singular voice can tell a story like no other, and few can touch her in the one-liner department. She's beautiful, quirky, intelligent, unashamed, unapologetic and completely irreverent. Cody has carved out a new voice in the world of horror, simultaneously paying homage to the classics while somehow also managing to create something no one has ever seen before. In a world of Hollywood-ized remakes, where a film's soul can literally get lost in the translation, Diablo Cody and Kusama together have accomplished what horror fans around the world have been aching for, and yet finding so little of, particularly in more recent years. They've created something new.

Written and directed by women, and featuring two strong women in the lead roles, this film is, refreshingly, for everyone. As producer Jason Reitman put it, the film's premiere played like a rock concert. Personally, I can't wait to see it again. (Susie Q)

TIFF 2009 - Day 5

Yesterday's roller derby expo in honour of WHIP IT had the potential to be a great Sunday afternoon in the city. Pity TIFF, Dundas Square, and Toronto Roller Derby managed to screw it up.

First and foremost, I truly have to thank the good people at TIFF for going to the trouble of publicizing events like this...only to get the start time completely wrong. TIFF's website and guide book had the event starting at 4pm - things didn't get underway until 6. Making matters worse, the two hour delay guaranteed that those of us who didn't show up at three got nowhere near the track.

Wanna add insult to injury? Easy! Tell people that (and this is a direct quote) "The bleachers will open at five thirty". Then let all the derby girls fill them with their friends and family, leaving nary a seat for the general public.

This really is a shame, because while I was lucky enough to weasel my way to a spot on the barricade, there were a lot of enthusiastic onlookers - lots of them kids - who really could have had a better time if they were given a seat.
The cast of WHIP IT did show up to say hello, but they made their entrance at eight pm, and did so on the stage...which was a good country mile away from where most of us had collected for the roller derby.

Like I say, it's a pity a little more forethought wasn't put into this because it really could have made for a unique and fun afternoon in the sun.

Lots more derby photos are under the cut. Take a look, won't you?

TIFF 2009 - Day 4

TIFF Fridays are fun, but there's something about that first Saturday that seems to shift the fun into a higher gear. Perhaps this year, it was due to large quantities of the walking dead. More on them in a bit...

Saturday afternoon gave me my first taste of the Dundas Square free screenings. I was curious how they'd work, since I usually associate outdoor movie screenings with night time...not the blaring midday sun. TIFF has done two good things to help make midday movies possible. First is the saddle-shaped tent that gives would-be movie goers some much needed shade. The second is the fact that the movie isn't projected, it's in fact presented on a gigantic LCD. Great colour, great clarity, no dark theatre required!

The downside is that the midday presentation time encourages drop-in's, rather than people making a point to be there. The drop in's are less into the movie, tend to rustle in and out, and can be distracting. Restless natives or no restless natives, it was still a lot of fun to sit in the warm sun under blue skies and watch Jimmy Cliffe in THE HARDER THEY COME.

When Jimmy was done, Dundas Square got turned into stroller central for two hours of kids activities (which was my cue to leave). At 3:30, I returned to get a good spot for author Sapphire's reading from her novel Push. Side note - ever tried to read and mentally block out children's music? If you can do it, you have better concentration than I.

After an introduction by director Lee daniels (pictured above), Sapphire gave us a truly moving reading. Her novel is quite raw, and she really gives the character of Precious a fierce and frightened voice. You could hear a pin drop in Dundas Square as she spoke, which amazed me given the antsiness I'd already put up with during THE HARDER THEY COME.

As Sapphire answered one last question of an impromptu Q&A, and took her final bow, I was left with two thoughts; I'd quite like to read her book, and I'm now genuinely curious to see the film PRECIOUS.

Then for something completely different - namely zombies. Every October, Toronto is the home of a massive Zombie Walk, where hundreds of devoted get themselves all gussied up, and plod their way through the streets dressed as the recently departed.

With director George A. Romero in town to attend the premiere of SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD, organizers of the Zombie Walk staged a special walk just for him. In related news, you haven't truly laughed, until you've watched zombies scare the crap out of unsuspecting hipsters leaving Urban Outfitters. Suffice to say, the master was pleased...


That about sums up day three for me. Sunday will bring more fun and games, including...brace yourself...my first actual screening of the festival! But before I close the book on day three, please take a peek after the jump for another image of sapphire, and lots more zombie fun.