Hot Docs Review: THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT

The omnibus is an interesting filmmaking format. It allows for many storytellers to provide their own take on a similar tale. Unfortunately the fatal flaw in the omnibus is that the viewer has to travel every peak and valley whether they want to or not, and while some peaks can be gloriously high, some valleys can be gloriously low. Such is the fly in the ambitious ointment that is THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT.

Commissioned by Parks Canada, THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT is a fusion of film and music that has been brought together to celebrate the group's 100th anniversary. The film collects thirteen talented filmmakers plus more than thirty amazing musicians, and turns them loose on Canada's National Parks. The directive is to capture the spirit of the landscape, and to compose melodies that compliment that spirit.

Some of these short films are glorious, presenting the elements in gorgeous, painterly, and abstract ways. The lushness of the forests, the majesty of the glaciers, and the endlessness of the skies are all stunning in the way they are captured. But these moments have to share stage time with perplexing shorts where the parks aren't so much the feature as the people visiting them. On paper that doesn't seem like such a bad approach, but believe me: it's a disservice.

What's likewise perplexing is the fact that so much of the music that accompanies these films is guitar-based. More variety might have better suited the changes from park to park. Such unevenness is a pity too, since the chapters that are good are very very good. I won't soon forget watching the footage of Kluane that was entirely captured upside-down, or the nighttime wanderings through Prince Albert lit entirely by flashlight.

THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT is ambitious, and for that I cannot fault it one lick. Quite often, it is a fitting tribute to the parts of this country we are working to protect and includes visuals that will play wonderfully on a big screen. However, with a two-hour runtime, those chapters that don't work bog down the whole experience.

THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT plays tonight - 9:30 pm at The Lightbox, and again on Monday May 2nd - 9:15pm at The Royal.

Hot Docs Review: RESURRECT DEAD - THE MYSTERY OF THE TOYNBEE TILES

When I think about the best docs I've seen, I find that they all land on a sweet spot for me as a viewer. The very best nonfiction films I've experienced unspool with a perfect blend of interesting subject matter and perfect execution. It's not enough just to fascinate, or look pretty. To be truly great, a doc has to do both at the same time...and that's exactly what RESURRECT DEAD achieves.

RESURRECT DEAD: THE MYSTERY OF THE TOYNBEE TILES introduces us to Justin Duerr, a musician and artist living in Philadelphia. Back in 1994, Duerr began to notice random tiles embedded into the streets and sidewalks of Philadelphia. They all conveyed the same cryptic message:

Toynbee Idea
In Kubrick's 2001
Resurrect Dead
On Planet Jupiter

These pieces are like metaphysical leaflets taped to phone poles. They take public installation art and fuse it with an urgent manifesto. They were showing up in city after city for twenty plus years - even sometimes on lanes of busy highways. And most curiously, their origin and the person responsible, remained a complete mystery for decades.

This film looks glorious, with the tiles getting treated with the sort of reverence one usually associates with Renaissance masterpieces. Just as wonderful are moments the film uses comic book-like animation to illustrate situations being discussed. These moments draw us deeper into the mystery, and honour the philosophical artist at the core of the story...and what a story it is!

We begin to obsess over an obsessive. We get the faintest of clues and listen as some would-be Hardy Boys work to solve a mystery that has never been solved. What makes it so intriguing though, is the impression that these men don't seem completely sure that they want to solve the mystery. The seem to walk right up to the velvet curtain, ready to finally look upon Oz the Great and Powerful in all his glory...but right then they hesitate. It's a puzzle that has stood for years...the subjects and this film want us to think long and hard about whether it really should be solved.

This story of RESURRECT DEAD, the people who tell us the tale, and the pretty packaging that wraps this gift of nonfiction are a rare gift. They represent the best thing about taking you inner-most beliefs and nailing them up for all to read: That moment of pure joy when another person reads them, and believes in them too.

RESURRECT DEAD: THE MYSTERY OF THE TOYNBEE TILES premieres Tuesday May 3rd - 9pm at The Lightbox, again on Wednesday May 4th - 11:45pm on The Bloor, and once more on Saturday May 7th - 9:15pm at Cumberland.

Hot Docs Review: BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN

When I was a young sports fan, I considered stadiums and arenas to be cathedrals. They were places where communities of believers came to worship their heroes, and display a sort of civic pride. It wasn't until I was older that I realized how much building these cathedrals affected me as a citizen. Once I understood that, my faith in these gods I once worshipped faded fast.

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN is about a New York activist named Daniel Goldstein who after much house-hunting finds a great pad in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, mere months after moving into the condo, he learns that the New Jersey Nets have plans to move to Brooklyn and put their new arena on the patch of Gotham where his building currently resides. This doc chronicles his fight to keep his home, and many other Brooklyn homes.

The film is a fascinating look at what happens when the rich and oblivious make decisions that affect the honest working class. As we follow Daniel's fight against The Nets' ultra-wealthy ownership group, we can't help but shake our heads at how many rules get bent or broken, and how much corruption is in play. Then again, should we really be surprised at how these fat-cats act when they didn't even notify residents of the arena plan before it was announced in the press?

Corruption is hard enough to fight when you're the little guy, but it doesn't get any easier when the little guy's house is divided against itself. While a few rally behind Daniel and his call of "Develop - Don't Destroy", many more find themselves on the other side of the line. These residents support the project and its promise of civic pride, revitalization, and jobs. It's a tricky state of affairs for the residents of the borough who want this palace to be built, leaving us to wonder if the promises made to these community supporters can possibly be kept.

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN shows what happens when the wants of few are put ahead of the rights of many. It's the tale of something that could have given Brooklynites something to rally behind for the first time since The Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1958. Instead the move will forever be marred by this rocky start, one that has left a bitter taste in much of its potential fan base.

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN plays tomorrow - 7:00 pm at The Lightbox, and again on Sunday May 1st - 1:30pm at The Cumberland.

Hot Docs Review: NO ENTRY, NO EXIT

There are few things in society that galvanize us more than sex offenders. Without fail, they spark talk of "lock-'em-up, lose-the-key"...they even ignite calls for capital punishment. Oddly, deciding how to punish them is the easy part: what gets tricky is figuring out what to do once they've served their punishment.

NO ENTRY, NO EXIT deals with the ripple-effect when German sexual offender Karl D. returns to a rural German community after serving 14 years for a vicious sexual assault. Upon his release, he moves in with his brother Helmut until he can get back on his feet. The town he returns to is understandably against him being in their midst and has organized daily protests as close to Helmut's house as they can get. Their message is clear: "You are not welcome here".

The story gets elevated in an unexpected way...namely the course of events for the protestors. While Karl and Helmut struggle to keep their family unit together inside the house, things outside are fracturing as well. Anytime you get a group dynamic, you'll get multiple opinions on the best way to do things - even on how to deal with a sex offender. The result makes you wonder just how close-knit a community can be when they are willing to turn on each other, even though at first so united with a common purpouse.

NO ENTRY, NO EXIT wants us to remember a few things. For starters, in life answers are seldom simple - even when it comes to dealing with sex offenders. It also wants to warn us of the dangers of mob mentality, and that the hatred they fuel is never a good thing for the people involved. In society there is a line that divides "us from them", and as the doc points out what ultimately makes "us" better...and able to sleep at night...is not crossing that line. Anytime we think about doing so, the results are never good.

NO ENTRY, NO EXIT plays tomorrow - 3:45pm at The ROM, and again on Sunday May 1st - 7:15pm at The Lightbox.

Hot Docs Review: BOY CHEERLEADERS

Kids have wanted to be stars for as long as they've had stars to aspire to be. These days though, the drive to be famous seems to have found a new gear, what with shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance? ready to pluck young talent eagerly awaiting their shot and thrust them into the big time. Thus, anything that could give you a chance at the spotlight is worth a shot - even cheerleading for boys.

BOY CHEERLEADERS follows the DAZL Diamonds - a local youth all-male cheerleading squad from Leeds. This film gives us a look into the lives of the boys, their coach and their families as they prepare for the English national Championships. Their goal is to be the first all-boys team to lift a trophy at the event.

In many cases, the boys' fathers aren't terribly fussed about their sons' choice of activity (this is more of a rugby town). So the comparisons to BILLY ELLIOT are inevitable, especially when one team member even follows Billy's example and tries out for a ballet school. Like that film and the stage production it spawned, seeing such enthusiasm for something like dance in a working class community is a beautiful thing: Like a wildflower blooming through a crack in the sidewalk.

The one question I was left with when the film ended was about the subject of teasing. Kids are cruel, that's an absolute. Within the framework of BOY CHEERLEADERS though, we're never really shown any bullying or torment that these kids have to face for doing something generally considered "for girls". It's possible that they never get picked on in such ways, but given how well-spoken some of the kids are for their age, I would have loved to have heard their side of what they have to endure.

Between the limitless passion of their coach, and the tremendous effort the boys give towards their goal, this film is an inspiration. While they might all harbour dreams of being the next Wayne Rooney or David Beckham, they're also willing to try to be the next Darcey Brussell if it means they can have some fun and be a star for three minutes. The story of their journey to fame is one that shouldn't be missed.

BOY CHEERLEADERS plays tomorrow - 8:00pm at Cumberland, again on Sunday May 1st - 3:30pm at The Lightbox, and once more on Sunday May 8th - 6:45pm at Isabel Bader.

Hot Docs Review: MIGHTY JEROME

I consider myself someone fascinated by history - especially athletic history - and a proud Canadian, so the fact that I knew nothing about Harry Jerome prior to last week was pretty darned shameful. Luckily, MIGHTY JEROME - a fantastic film playing this year's Hot Docs festival - has arrived to take me from the darkness to the light.

In the early 60's, Harry Jerome was one of the top sprinters in the world. While growing up in North Vancouver and training at the University of Oregon, he ran the 100 metre dash in ten seconds flat. He actually ran it in 9.9, but that time was discredited since according to track officials at the time "No Canadian could possibly break ten seconds". The story of his career is one of resilience, determination, and inspiration.

In many ways, this doc wants us to ask ourselves "what if?". What if while training at the Univeristy of Oregon, Harry had bit on the chance to invest in the launch of a sneaker company (some mom-and-pop operation called "Nike")? What if he hadn't overslept on the morning of his event at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and been forced to jog the last three miles to the stadium? What if he hadn't completely torn his quadricep during the Commonwealth games two years later stalling his career at its peak? And perhaps most importantly, what if James had the support of an entire nation...rather than one that seemed to relish in tearing down its heroes?

Gloriously presented in black & white, MIGHTY JEROME is fascinating not only in how it focuses on the athlete, but also in how it focuses on the man. Jerome never had it easy growing up, struggling against racism repeatedly. Things didn't get any easier when he fell in love with his wife-to-be, a white girl named Wendy. Thirty-something years before a prominent basketball player would declare "I am not a role model", Harry was a role model by always doing his best and never failing to speak up with candour when important issues were at hand. Pity Canada didn't seem ready to embrace him as the hero he was.

Assembled with a classiness and power befitting its subject, MIGHTY JEROME is a fitting tribute to a Canadian legend.

MIGHTY JEROME plays tomorrow - 9:30pm at The Lightbox, again on Saturday April 30th - 11:00am at Isabel Bader, and once more on Sunday May 8th - 4:30pm at The Revue.

Midnight Radio: Life in Technicolor 2011 pt 1

We now interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to talk documentaries...

Today begins a special series of my regular Matineecast, talking about all thing festival related. The format will be a little different than usual, namely episodes will be a bit shorter, and sometimes more raw as I won't be finessing all of them through editing the way I do my usual podcasts.

Hopefully though, you fine folks will find them entertaining and informative, and perhaps they will serve to give you a small taste of the festival.

We begin today with a director interview...



(Go here or to iTunes if the embedded player doesn't start)

Here's what's in store in part one...

Runtime
23 minutes, 09 seconds

Up for Discussion

My discussion with director David Weissman on his wonderful film, WE WERE HERE.

If you're interested in seeing WE WERE HERE at Hot Docs, showtimes and ticket info can be found here.

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Stay With Me

I've joked a lot about this over the last few weeks, but I thought i'd actually put out a true plea...

Stick with me through my Hot Docs coverage.

Like many other bloggers I take a look at what my audience is from time to time, and last year during Hot Docs i noticed my audience take a steep dive. I know that documentaries aren't everyone's bag, I know that I'm seeing films you might not see for months (if ever), and I know how tempting FAST FIVE and THOR will be over the next ten days, but again - please stick with me.

If you are into docs, this festival has been a source in years past for some amazing stuff like MAN ON WIRE, GASLAND, SOME KIND OF MONSTER, SUPERSIZE ME, and THE COVE. Likewise, last year a handful of the films that played here went on to play other festivals like IFF Boston and The London Filmfest.

And most of all, it's just a chance to hear about some amazing real-life stories that might interest you. Don't get me wrong, I'm as curious to see what next happens to Jack Sparrow as anyone, but I'd wager that one or two of these films might be dealing with things you really dig, or even things happening in your own backyard.

So I've said it before in jest, but this time I say it with wry hopefulness...

Stick With the Tour.

Sadness Grows

Just over a week ago, while on The Reel Insight Podcast, I was discussing Steven Spielberg's A.I. At the time I mentioned my hang-up with the ending of the film, and specifically griped that the film could end three times before it finally does. As I said on that show, I've long believed that any of the three other "endings" would have been better than the ending Spielberg settled on.

The difference? The other three endings are bummers.

Tonight I rewatched UP IN THE AIR for the second or third time. It reminded me of the conversation I had about it - this time on my own podcast all the way back in episode two. Again, I believe that had the film shorted its ending a tad, and perhaps closed with the shot you see above, I might have liked it that much more. And once again - my proposed ending is a bummer.

What happened here? I grew up as the sort of guy who believed in love, laughter, and happily ever after. Where and when did I start getting drawn to the doom and gloom?

Is it because they feel "more real"? One could make a case for that, but then what does that say about real life? That happt endings don't happen - that life inevitably sucks? That doesn't make sense on a surface level...emotionally investing one's self in a story that promises to end in certain doom. I know everybody loves a train wreck, but still.

I first started watching movies because they left me awe-struck and inspired. I believed in them the way that other kids believed in fairy tales. It was my roadmap on everything from places in the world to see to how to talk to girls. So where did this appetite for pain develop?

The only guess I can make is the schedenfreude I get from watching dreary stories, and how it makes me look at my own life and count my blessings. Heck, Mr. Bingham up there might be able to command a whole room with the way he talks and make a whole lot more cash than me doing it. But he's sitting there alone in a strange town with only a glass of scotch to keep him company. I on the other hand get to turn to my right when I'm done hearing his tale, kiss the woman I never want to be without on the cheek and return to our cozy home.

The only real guess I can hazard is that a bummer of an ending is unexpected, and that it's the unexpected that appeals to me instead of the depressing nature that comes along with.

Maybe that's it - I don't want to actually revel in Sandra Bullock not getting the guy in the end, I just want to be caught off-guard when it happens.

Review: HANNA * * *

"I just missed your heart"

Seldom have the first words spoken in a film been more apropos. In this case, the character is talking to game they have hunted, but what I didn't realize was the way that this line would prophesise the emotional resonance - or lack thereof - that was about to come.

Not that it wouldn't try to hit me in the heart mind you...as it happened, it came damned close. And it even gave me a lot of thrills to soak up along the way.

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a sixteen year old girl being raised to be a well-adapted survivor by a man named Erik (Eric Bana). They live in seclusion someplace wintry, and all we really know about them is that Hanna is training for something - our only clue being her creedo of "Adapt or Die". When she finally convinces Erik that she is "ready", he digs up a transponder and tells her that by flipping a switch, the hunt for her will begin. Sure enough, our restless heroine turns the device on, sending Erik on the lam and sending American forces Hanna's way.

The operatives dispatched to retrieve Hanna are under the command of Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett). We're not entirely sure why she wants Hanna or Erik, but we do see that she tried to kill them both many years prior. With a plan in mind, Hanna surrenders (somewhat) quietly and gets taken into custody and held at an undisclosed location.

After seeing through a Wiegler bluff, Hanna makes a daring move and is able to flee the holding facility. But just how well will this young warrior do in a society that is completely foreign to her sheltered sensibilities? How well can this hunter last, when she is the one being hunted?

The beauty of a film like HANNA is that there's no confusion over what the film is trying to be: It's a chase film. Knowing that, the only elements the film need concern itself with are stakes and execution. Joe Wright has stepped well outside of his comfort zone with this film, and created a cat-and-mouse game that executes beautifully. As we watch how Hanna is trained, we quickly understand what sort of a weapon Erik has moulded her into. Likewise, the touches to the sorts of things she has been denied in her upbringing - music, real nurture - tip us off to what will throw her for a loop once she is exposed to civilization.

With these details in mind, HANNA never betrays itself. When the chase is on, we are thrilled to watch a teenaged girl take a room apart or elude capture in ways usually displayed by characters like Jason Bourne. Likewise, Saoirse Ronan never undersells the sensory overload of adapting to the real world, nor the timidness she would have instilled into her when trying to deal with everyday people in everyday situations.

Where HANNA doesn't commit is with the stakes. Hanna's run from Marissa never seems to come with any real peril. The secret that Erik knows about is only glossed over, and Marissa seems rather intent on keeping Hanna alive (why else would she have hanna interrogated rather than executed?). Once Hanna hits the road, the slimy stooges Marissa sends after her seem to be both inept and disinterested. Considering how far she has to go to rendez-vous with her father, hanna spends very little time in this film in any real danger.

So while the film seems to lack a sense of danger and left me emotionally cold, it is technically proficient. Speaking of that proficiency, one dteail that gives the film an extra bit of kick is the score provided by The Chemical Brothers. Along with intertwining itself into what we are seeing play out before us, it finds ways of defining characters in ways that the script leaves undefined - especially Isaacs the mercenary who gets his very own theme song to whistle. The score gives the film a unique heartbeat, and deserves a spot on the same playlist as daft Punk's score to TRON LEGACY and Trent Reznor's score to THE SOCIAL NETWORK.

As middle-of-the-road as I know this review sounds, I quite enjoyed my time spent watching Hanna make a run for it. It's the sort of movie I think I will enjoy more upon further viewings when I get to examine the pieces a bit closer instead of trying to put the puzzle together. It's a film of it's time - well representing this moment of flux between the dregs of winter and sensory-overload of summer.

And it is one heck of a chase...even if it does just miss my heart.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to HANNA.

Days of The Week (Films Watched 4/16 - 4/22)

Even though I was just short of one-a-day, it felt like a bit of a down week. What can I say, it's fun watching all of these documentaries but I still have to make time to actually write about them.

Next week might be a little on the low side too, what with all the family events I have going on this weekend, and the festival beginning full-out at week's end. Guess we'll have to wait and see how it goes!

Here's what was on tap...

Screenings
ARTHUR - Part of me thinks this film is unfairly getting its butt handed to it.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
THE MIGHTY JEROME - Hot Docs screener: The story of a Canadian athletic legend that I'd never heard of.
BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN - Hot Docs screener: Corruption seems to win more and more often these days

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
OCEAN'S ELEVEN - Thus began a bender...
OCEAN'S TWELVE - ...that my buddy Tunrbull inspired...
OCEAN'S THIRTEEN - ...and I was powerless to stop.

Boxscore for The Year
72 First-Timers, 60 Re-Watched
132 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

Eat Me, Drink Me

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 4 - 22 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

So it's Easter this weekend, right? Got me thinking.

I was having a comment section conversation yesterday about looking back into the back pages of people's blogs. Sometimes it could be thinking back to a post that you want to forward on to someone else, sometimes it could be watching an older film and wondering what a blogger thought of it way back when.

It all reminded me of searching around my parents house for little chocolate Easter Eggs. Thus last night, the great blogging Easter Egg Hunt began. Decided to see what some of my fellow bloggers thought about some of my favorite films. Guess it shouldn't shock me that by and large they dug 'em...they are my friends after all right?

So leave the new posts aside for one week, grab your basket and come with me to search for some goodies.


For your listening and reading fulfillment, I give you...


Not one of my favorite films but certainly one of my favorite episodes of a podcast ever. My introduction to the Row Three Cinecast featured a full-on verbal brawl between two of the hosts, which for some reason still strikes me as friggin' hilarious. Skip forward to the 30 minute mark of Episode 151 to hear Matt and Andrew have it out over Daybreakers.

Univarn from Life in Equinox gave HIGH FIDELITY a 10, and with the rarity that he hands out such a score, that makes this an extra special easter egg!

Whenever one needs inspiration, it's best to reflect on your favorite films. So said Rachel back in 2007 when she wrote about FIGHT CLUB.

Fletch's review of THE DARK KNIGHT takes me back. I too can remember loving that film to death, but I too can remember feeling a little drowned out by the hype (I even did a top five about it). Still, the guy gave it top marks - which is no easy score at the cabin.

A recent addition to my all-time favorites list is (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, and wunderkind Sebastian Gutierrez had a pretty good take on it. Must have been a good take: I commented on it when he originally posted it!

During a recent episode of Filmspotting, they argued the merits of Michael Mann's HEAT. I for one love it immensely, and it looks as though my future co-host Simon Columb does too. Good sign that I chose a good compadre to launch a podcast with, no?

Finally, yesterday The LAMB ran my Lammy FYC poster in a post that also included the FYC spot designed by Alex the Film Forager. I couldn't be more pleased with my FYC roomie as she's quite the creative kitten and always has interesting things to say about many different types of films. Such was the case a year and a half ago when she reviewed what has become a favorite classic of mine, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.


Enjoy!

Late Bloomer (LOVE SHINES Trailer)

In every nowhere town,

There are "somewhere" dreams...

If you're like me, you'd give your right arm to be able to pen something that poetic. Well the man responsible for writing it (who never had to give up his right arm) is the subject of LOVE SHINES, a documentary getting its debut at Hot Docs next week.

It's a film about Ron Sexsmith; a Canadian singer/songwriter I think is criminally underexposed. The film chronicles Ron during the recording of his most recent album, and also chronicles him searching for that added bit of confidence that might help him reach a whole new level of listeners.

Falling For the First Time (Talkin' SCARFACE with Bob Turnbull)

Something a little different this time around. Thus far, my conversations with other bloggers on neo-classics has leant itself to the light and comedic. Today I figured we'd change gears a little and tackle something badass...and something whose neo-classic status has increased over the last decade or so.

As it happens the power-grab story that is Brian de Palma's SCARFACE has somehow eluded Bob Turnbull all these years. But this week, Bob hunkered down to find out what happens once you get the money

MH: First thing's first: What did you think you were in for?

BT: I thought my eyes would be rolling out of my head...Having seen that "Say Hello to my little friend!" clip a ton of times, I expected the movie to be amped up like that the whole way through and that De Palma wouldn't be able to control himself. I thought every scene would be shouted at top volume and everyone was going to be a cliche character.

MH: Surprised you agreed to actually watch it!

BT: Oh, there's still plenty of yelling and over the top characters (e.g. Robert Loggia as the crime boss), but De Palma contains them early on. The pace of the film and the broadness of the characterizations seems to match the pace at which Tony's cocaine habit increases.

MH: I've got my "You're wrong!" sign all shined up and ready to hoist buddy. Tell me, what did you think of SCARFACE?

BT: This came as a bit of a surprise to me - I had a lot of fun with it. At almost 3 hours in length, I expected a bloated, overwrought and cheesy affair. Now that's exactly what I got, but De Palma manages to just keep everything moving forward constantly (without too many unnecessary camera flourishes) and a heightened level of tension.

MH: Wow, I'm sorta surprised! (Guess I'll put my sign away) I thought you woulda been ready to unload on Pacino for how much he hams it up.

BT: Pacino goes for broke, but it strangely works in the movies favour because you never quite know when he's going to go completely bonkers. The overdone Cuban accents felt like too much at times, but they never pulled me too far out of the movie. It doesn't quite rank as a classic for me (or even as my favourite De Palma), but I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it.

MH: It has a strange legacy. It's sort of an example of a film maligned upon release gaining legs with a new generation of audiences, no?

BT: I can see why it would gain more steam in the 90s - with Pacino going big in all his movies, you could see people wanting to go back and check out other big performances by him. De Palma managed to find a great pace to the movie (much more so than his previous film "Blow Out", which is great in many ways but just has a very odd pace to it), so I could see how it would gain momentum with movie-lovers. Being quite bright and beautifully coloured helps too.

MH: It's also gained a certain caché within the rap communtiy, but I can't really speak all that knowledgeably as to why. What about the downside of it - what doesn't work so well in SCARFACE?

BT: The characters - There's not a lot to them. I enjoyed Tony on screen, but there's not a ton of depth there. Steven Bauer was fine as his right-hand man Manny, but again, he was all surface. The most interesting character may have been Michelle Pfeiffer's Elvira, but she simply wasn't used very much. That might be one of my biggest disappointments actually. Once Tony and Elvira get together, she becomes superfluous. Granted, that kind of makes sense given Tony's lust for power (so once he wins her, he cares less), but I wanted more interaction between them.

MH: Ain't much sadder than an underused coke whore. I seem to remember this film feeling very 80's. Does it play as especially dated?

BT: The club scenes. Oh my, those club scenes...The incredibly cheesy 80s synth music (which was even bad at the time), the, uh, "dancing", the clothing, etc. Oh, and let's not forget Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's hair! If she ever ran out of steel wool for scrubbing her pots, she just had to reach up and grab a clump of it.

MH: Didn't your hair look like that in the 80's? All of that is to be expected though, anything else feel dated?

BT: Of course the drug scene places it firmly in Miami Vice territory, but otherwise the story construction and basic concept still works without the viewer having to think about what things were like in the 80s. Bad guys with guns are bad guys with guns. Speaking of which, have you seen the original 1932 version? It's obviously "dated" in many ways too, but still works like gangbusters.

MH: Fess up - You want that house.

BT: I'll settle for that bathroom...Holy crap, the tub alone is the size of my entire Living Room and Dining Room put together.

MH: What about the violence? When I first saw it at a young age I remember it being a bit much. Did it come off as exploitive?

BT: The film actually shows much more restraint than I expected when it comes to the flowing red stuff, but when he opens the flood gates it comes in waves. And I think that's why it's effective - he goes over the top (as do the best exploitation films), but he saves it for specific instances so he has time to build tension. OK, the chainsaw was a bit crazy, but it sure introduced us to the brutality of the trade early on, didn't it?

MH: You mentioned watching the Howard Hawks original film recently too. How did this one compare as a remake?

BT: The original was violent - apparently taking about a year to get approved and released. Of course, it pales in comparison to what followed 50 years later, but bodies definitely pile up. Hawks used lots of shadows to avoid showing specific gore, but it was still effective and certainly got across the carnage left in the wake of the Capone clone.

I'm not sure saying that it compares favourably makes much sense since the two films are very different, but I very much enjoyed both of them. Paul Muni is just as goofily crazy in the first as Pacino gets, but also brings some real menace and smarts to his climb to the top. De Palma keeps many of the basic plot elements - certainly more than I expected - but changes many around due to the modern setting.

Though the ending of the sister's arc makes more sense in the 1983 version, I kinda preferred how they handled it in Hawks' take on the story. The opening in the original is a wonderful 3 and a half minute long single take that pulls you into a club, introduces you to some crime bosses and then shows the first murder of the film through shadows. It grabbed me right off the bat and sucked me in. But as examples of rises and falls of gangsters, both provide entertaining rides.

MH: Wow man - I never would have guessed you'd have dug it this much.

BT: I did enjoy it quite a bit. I think it's flawed from the point of view of creating fairly unsubtle characters, but not everyone can be in a Mike Leigh film. If you get antsy when Pacino goes BIG, you might have a problem, but otherwise it's a fast 2 hours and 45 minutes of gangster drug lords.

MH: So on a scale of one-to-five?

BT: You know I hate rating films, but I know that you won't let up if I don't (you're pesky that way), so if it's out of 5, I'll give it 3.5 for sheer entertainment value.

(Editor's Note: In case you're keeping score, every movie in this series has landed a score of 3.5 out of 5)

I Get Around: SPEED RACER @ Toronto Underground

Know how I have a tendency to say "Watch It Again"? The folks at Toronto Underground Cinema have taken that to a whole new level. Back in March they began a series called Defending the Indefensible; a screening series where badly received films are given a second go-round. But not without encouraged discussion. After letting gems like ALIEN RESURRECTION, FREDDY GOT FINGERED, and MACGRUBER sail past, I finally decided to bite...on SPEED RACER.

'Course misery loves company, so I was happy to be flanked by Matthew Price and Kurt Halfyard for this litmus test (not to mention my favorite film critics under the age of eight). I also caught up with Sasha the Final Girl before & after the show, but she was too busy sitting with the cool kids to take in the film with dorky 'ol me.

Before the film, a host introduces the film and reminds the audience why it sucks (in this case, Adam Nayman). Nayman reminded us the atrocious amount of money that was spent on this film, how it raised an unusual amount of venom from some usually level-headed critics, and how on the whole it played as though the Wachowski Brothers pinned the audience down and force-fed them the red pill.

Once the host is done, the presenter comes up and explains why the film is misunderstood (tonight championed by Peter Kuplowski). Peter - decked out like Speed himself - extolled the virtue of a family that had pride in one another. He likewise pointed out that the film was the Wachowskis chronicling the evolution of film beyond celluloid. He noted that the racing tracks themselves were an allusion to film strips, and that by the end those film strips become liquefied under the speed of how far we want to push ourselves.

So after this spirited back & forth the film unspooled before me for the first time, leaving me to wonder...whose camp would I fall into?

The official answer is "somewhere in between" - but if I had to pick a team I'd be siding with Peter and his Racer blue & white over Adam and his Royalton purple.

How is it possible that a sensory-overloading film this maligned hit the right notes for me? Part of it might come down to Peter and his solid salesman ship. Part of it could come down to Kurt's kids belly-laughing their way through every pratfall. Part of it could be chalked up to the very pro-Racer audience in attendance. Those all helped I'm sure, but they didn't put the film over the top.

I think what happened to me last Friday, was that I sat down bracing myself for one of the most critically reviled films of the last five years...and when I started having fun with the storytelling on display, the film sailed above my low expectations and provided a visual delight.

Passion like Peter's for films like SPEED RACER is admirable, and it's actually the reason why I ask return podcasting guests about films they love that most others hate. Hearing people express particular passion, provide context, and just simply providing something to clutch to when the storm clouds of crazy cinema gather is infectious. And while it might not be enough for me to consider something like SPEED RACER a new favorite, it certainly was enough to allow me to enjoy it.

No small feat!

Transatlanticism (Announcing The Film Locker Podcast)

In case you haven't listened to Episode 42 of The Reel Insight Podcast just yet (and if you haven't, shame on you), the cat is officially out of the bag:

Another podcast is coming your way.

On Saturday June 4th, THE FILM LOCKER will burst out of the blocks for a weekly sprint through the summer. The idea is to offer counter-programming, just in case you don't want to subject yourself to transforming trucks, caribbean pirates, or american captains. Instead, dvd's will be taken off the shelf ("out of the locker" as it were) and discussed with the hopes that you'll be tempted to watch them again...or perhaps for the first time!

Oh, and as much as I love the sound of my own voice, I'm not doing this alone.

After what will have been four months sitting on the podcasting sidelines, I have recruited Simon Columb of Screen Insight to co-host this show with me! In many ways we're cinematically sympatico, but I'm sure an argument or two will occur across the Commonwealth before it's all said and done.

Each show will focus on a different director, and zero in on some of our favorite offerings from these talented auteurs. So keep an eye open for more news in the run-up to the premiere, mark off June 4th on your calendar, and get ready to unlock the locker.

Review: ARTHUR * * 1/2

Some people are eccentric just out of oddity. Some have wild imaginations that lend themselves to escapades on a level higher than most. And then there are those that are are nutty because they've never had to evolve and have all the money in the world to keep them just as stunted as they are.

Three guesses which of those options applies to Arthur Bach.

ARTHUR is a remake of the 1981 comedy of the same name. Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) is an insanely rich playboy who lives strictly for wine, women, and song. Well, maybe not song. He is the heir to an immense fortune, but learning about how the money is made doesn't interest him nearly as much as spending it...in monstorous amounts...foolishly. The only thing keeping Arthur from completely combusting is Hobson (Hellen Mirren), his childhood Nanny who acts as maid, cook, confidant and caregiver.

His mother has always been cold and aloof, and inkeeping with that she finally gives him an ultimatum. He can marry Susan Johnson (Jennifer Garner), a bright star within the company and someone who could potentially put a leash on his wild ways, or he can consider himself cut off from the family fortune.

Arthur reluctantly agrees, but is adamant that a marriage that acts as a business arrangement is no match for one borne out of love. That very same day, love takes a train into town in the form of Naomi (Greta Gerwig); an eccentric young lady who leads unlicensed tours of Grand Central Terminal to support herself and her sick father.

Thus Arthur is faced with a classic choice - love or money?

The obvious knock on ARTHUR is that it's an unnecessary remake. There's no denying that it is a remake, but I can't completely fall in line with it being unnecessary. Much of the whimsy and heart of the original is on the screen again in this version, so its heart is in the right place. Admittedly, some elements aren't where they're supposed to be - namely Hobson's role being dialed back a bit and Greta Gerwig not having the spark that Liza Minnelli. That said the core of the film is intact, and presented reasonably well for a new audience.

What gives the film a lot of joy is the performance of Russell Brand. Over his last few films, Brand has tapped into something wonderful: He's a clever guy acting like a nut. Sure he's outlandish at times, and outright wild at others - but through all of this there's a wit to what he says and does that can't be faked. What's really wonderful is seeing what happens when he turns the volume down and that wit gets enhanced with heart and charm. Brand makes Arthur more loveable, turning him from a drunken lout into a stunted man-child.

Where the film falls short is its sense of balance. There are three of Arthur's relationships at play within the film: With Naomi, with Susan, and with Hobson. The relationship with Naomi is given more than its due, and if anything this time around we get an even better sense of why he's willing to risk so much to be with this manic-pixie-dreamgirl. It's the latter two relationships where things fall out of sorts.

Arthur's relationship with Hobson is his only compass, something we truly come to understand in the film's final act. On the road to that final act however, Arthur spends an inordinate amount of time strong-arming Susan and reiterating to her why things between them are wrong. In essence, his relationship with Hobson gets short-changed so Susan can get more screen time to flex her muscles of control, make a power play, and generally act nuts. And as if to illustrate how out-of-whack this is, Arthur's final scenes of the film with each women go so very differently...underlining their importance to him. Or lack thereof.

ARTHUR is messy, but its messiness doesn't knock it all the way down to being a bad movie. The scenes between Mirren and Brand are wonderful...so much so that one wishes there were more of them. Likewise, seeing an wealthy imp like Arthur Bach trying to woo young Naomi by appealing to her passions is pretty darned sweet. Unfortunately, these things are like trying to get out the door of Arthur's penthouse after one of his wild nights of partying. You'll get there, but you have to tiptoe through a lot of rubble to do it.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to ARTHUR.

Days of The Week (Films Watched 4/9 - 4/15)

There was a lot of watching with a purpose this week, with only one of the movies I watched falling under the "just 'cause" banner. That's not to say that I didn't get to see new stuff, just that there was a bit more method to my madness this week.

Many more docs were in the rotation continuing in the run-up to the festival, and that probably won't be slowing down anytime soon...except perhaps to give me time to write about 'em.

Here's what was on tap...

Screenings
SPEED RACER - Weird choice eh? I'll have more about the experience in a few days

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
DUEL - The last Spielberg film that I'd never seen before, and cripes is it ever good!
THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT - Hot Docs screener: Pretty, but spotty
SUPERHEROES - Hot Docs screener: The film I'm championing the most so far.
BOY CHEERLEADERS - Hot Docs screener: Three guesses what it's about.
OLA SVENSSON SUPERSTAR - Hot Docs screener: Another unexpected gem.
NO ENTRY, NO EXIT - Hot Docs screener: A seemingly simple situation gets very complicated


Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD - I seem to be liking it more with time.
SCHINDLER'S LIST - Contrary to recent reports, it does have a plot.
MUNICH - One of Señor Spielbergo's more underrated films
THE TERMINAL - In which I noticed something I never noticed before!


Boxscore for The Year
69 First-Timers, 57 Re-Watched
126 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

Shock of The Lightning

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 4 - 15 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

I didn't link her site in this week's entry of E-T, but send happy thoughts to Rachel Thuro. I returned to Reel Insight last night to record a special episode, and without giving anything away...I don't envy the editing job she has ahead of her. Happy thoughts people...happy thoughts.

Lots to see and do this weekend! Along with making my way to two different screenings, I also have a remaining handful of Hot Docs screeners to go through, some coverage to start writing and even an interview or two with directors. In a way I'm trying to savour these next ten days or so because once they're done, things are going to get pretty crazy around here until the end of June. But one day at a time.

For your listening and reading fulfillment, I give you...

MaMo went on a roadtrip to ActionFest in North Carolina. One of the most interesting things they recorded isn't completely film-centric, but is a big part of what makes MaMo MaMo.

One indie film I'm really hoping I can get out to see before it's too late is CERTIFIED COPY. Edgar has seen it and has put together a sweet review.

Kai gets you ready for April 20th next Wednesday with his Top Five stoner flicks.

The Kid in The Front Row finally snapped.

Amir savours some Disney Details as he sings the praises of the architecture in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Last but not least a fellow Toronto blog I've recently started following - The Okinawa Assault - gets you ready for Easter weekend by watching Scorsese's classic, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.


Enjoy!

The First Taste (Announcing...)

I have a surprise in store...
A whole new idea...
And all I will say right now, is that I'm not flying solo this time...

What am I working on?

Tune into Reel Insight episode 42 on Monday to find out.

Au Champs Elysee ( MIDNIGHT IN PARIS Trailer)

I've had a strange relationship with Woody Allen movies lately, which is really to say that i find myself enjoying them more and more. Now sure, I wasn't terribly fussed about YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER. However, along with my love of his classics ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN, I have also really dug what he's done lately with films like MATCH POINT, CASSANDRA'S DREAM, and VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA.

Maybe it's all just one more step on my journey to snobbishness! Here's what he's offering up next...

Bad Selection (Announcing the Titles for The King of Pain Blog-a-Thon...and a Call to Join!)

The votes are in, the beans have been counted, and the hellish progamme has been set. Below, in alphabetical order are the seven films I'll endure this June for the King of Pain Blog-a-Thon. But before that, a call to arms.

Misery loves company gang, so I'm hoping that some of you might join me in taking up this cinematic masochism. Join me in taking one for the team and broadening your horizons. Go to the collections of those you care about...your husbands, your wives, your parents, your boyfriends, your girlfriends, your best friends...find that one title that you can't believe they own. Sit down, get comfy, and watch it in all its glory.

The Blog-a-Thon will begin on Monday June 20th...but I'm hoping to cap it off by linking to as many posts as I can of my fellow bloggers enduring the craptastic film choices of the ones they love on Tuesday June 28th.

As for me, someone hand me a blindfold and a cigarette: Here's what I'll be enduring, in alphabetical order...









...Rounding out the roster for this All-Star Team of Atrocity, The Shelf of Doom Commissioner was allowed to peruse those that didn't make the cut, and add one more title to the line-up as a Commissioner's Choice...

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 32

There's no place like home...there's no place like home...* click click click*...

After six months or so, I finally got one of the locals to swing by the pad and record with me face-to-face. While the MaMo boys reminded me how much more fun this can be working face-to-face, there's a little extra somethin' to be gained from working within the friendly confines.

This week we welcome our first three-time guest...who isn't a three-time guest...but who is a three-time guest...

Here's the Sandy Koufax episode...



(Go here or to iTunes if the embedded player doesn't start)

Here's what's in store in episode thirty-two...

Runtime
66 minutes, 40 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q& A with this week's guest Bob Turnbull from Eternal Sunshine of The Logical Mind (2:58)
3. COME TALK TO ME - Listener messages about recommendations (11:54)
4. THE NEW SLANG - Review and reaction of SOURCE CODE (21:28)
5. THE BEST OF YOU - We discuss our favorite time travel films (37:49)

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Review: PAUL * * *

While I don't exactly dig in to reviews of films I haven't seen yet, it's almost unavoidable to get wind of the overall vibe. Where PAUL is concerned, the general vibe seemed to be humdrum: Nobody was raving, nobody was ranting. However, the one unavoidable element of the general vibe wasn't what people saw in PAUL, but rather what they didn't see. "They" seemed to want a third film to go along with SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ.

PAUL isn't it, which has disappointed some...and that's unfortunate, because PAUL still is something pretty special.

Two English comic book geeks named Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) have already had a memorable vacation in America at Comic Con. But not wanting to squander the opportunity of a lifetime, the two rent an RV and head off down the highway to visit all sorts of American spots with UFO significance.

While on the road, they see a car mysteriously flip in front of them and roll clear off the highway. Once they pull over and get out to offer help, they're met with an even bigger surprise. Indeed, the accident had one survivor: an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) who needs their help.

It would seem as though all their experience with UFO stories has served Graeme and Clive well, because they overcome their initial hesitence with remarkable poise and do indeed agree to hep Paul in his quest to get home. This is no easy feat of course, since they have a mysterious agent named Zoil (Jason Batemen) hot on their heels, and a curious Christian named Ruth (Kristen Wiig) along for the ride. Through it all though, Paul remains laid back, and has nothing but faith in his newfound friends.

What makes PAUL special is how it goes just far enough with a lot of what it wants to do without going overboard. This is no small feat when one realizes that the film not only has moments of slapstick and crude humour, but also takes a moment here and there to debate evolution versus intelligent design. Indeed, at every turn, PAUL seemed rife to fail. Instead, PAUL succeeds since everybody involved seemed to understand exactly what sort of movie they were making.

In amongst all of its geekery, PAUL is very much a road movie, and does a good job of dealing with what happens to relationships when they're tested by the open road. We might feel thick as thieves when we set off from the safe confines towards "parts unknown", but as movies like PAUL remind us, it doesn't take much to upset the order of things. Graeme and Clive are so close that people even ask if they're lovers. However once Paul enters the picture, and bonds a bit more with Graeme than he does with Clive, there's an imbalance - and quite often that's the way.

What's amusing, is that Paul has spent so much time on earth (even if it is in a very familiar warehouse) that he's able to recognize this. Sure he comes armed with Seth Rogen's snark, but it comes from a rather genuine place. He has plenty of moments where he has just the right phrase for just the right situation ("That's Jenga"), but the character also has a great heart. That otherworldly heart goes out to those he has just met like Ruth, Graeme and Clive, but what's more charming is the way that heart doesn't forget about the people he's met through his time on earth.

When we watch Graeme and Clive at Comic Con, it's clear that they're amoung their own. It's a feeling that sci-fi fans will likewise get when watching PAUL it wants us to feel amongst our own. It's stacked with so many 'in-jokes' that I lost count, and every sci-fi hallmark from ALIEN to E.T. gets its moment in the sun. What's all the more impressive about this, is that such a format could easily stumble into parody. But because PAUL comes from a place of love - namely from two big sci-fi nerds - it remains true...and works beautifully.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to PAUL.

Days of The Week (Films Watched 4/2 - 4/8)

It feels like I've been hammer-down for the last two weeks running. But given that I'm back up to a nine-movie week, things couldn't have been that bad, right? Sorta one of those things that puts the days into perspective.

Beginning this week, expect to see a lot of Hot Docs content entering into these posts leading up to the festival which begins in three weeks. I have a very large stack of screeners sitting in front of my TV and have finally begin going through them (I've already watched a handful more just today). I thought about giving them their own little section, but have instead just settled on tagging them.

'Twas a week of goodness all around!

Here's what was on tap...

Screenings
SOURCE CODE - Which I sorta wanna watch again.
PAUL - Which won the Friday night spot over HANNA and ARTHUR, and was a happy surprise.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
DUCK SOUP - My first real experience with The Marx Brothers (and not the last)
RON SEXSMITH: LOVE SHINES - Hot Docs screener: One that really affected my already high opinion of this amazing Canadian singer/songwriter.
WE WERE HERE - Hot Docs screener: I can't remember the last time a doc made me this sad.


Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM - Show of hands; Who remembers Dan Akroyd's cameo?
INDIANA JONES & THE LAST CRUSADE - Sensing a trend yet?
CASABLANCA - "I came here for the waters" "What waters, we're in the middle of the desert? "I was misinformed."
INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL - I still like it. Shut up.


Boxscore for The Year
62 First-Timers, 53 Re-Watched
115 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

The Overload

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 4 - 8 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

Weekend before last, Simon Columb asked me how I find enough time in the day to get to all the shenanigans I get to. I do believe The Brit has hexed me because ever since his question I've continually felt like there aren't enough hours in the day to get to all the shenanigans I get to!

While i'd like to blame the guy, what came back to me is that nothing throws a wrench into how many movies play on my TV like the return of baseball season.

King of Pain Voting Update!!
The update is this - at midnight EST tonight the poll closes. Last call for your part in determining my misery. Further to that, I've actually decided on an extension to the whole caper. Stop by on Tuesday for the line-up and info on the added element.

The brood have been busy this week, take a look won't you?


For your listening and reading fulfillment, I give you...


What happens when a podcast takes a week off? You get two very excited podcasters. Rachel and Jess were alive and kickin' this week for their Joseph Gordon-Levitt episode.

I believe the screening of the week will be ARTHUR, and if Sasha's to be believed it ranks as "passable".

The list I posted yesterday was somewhat of a hit, and for that I must remind everyone that not only was it John's idea, but he's done two of 'em!

Darren reminds us that when it comes to superhero trilogies, history tells us that third chapter makes for one rough landing.

Nothing makes me happier than providing someone with a film they end up diggin'. This week's lucky winner: Nick Jobe.

Ruth is fessing up to some less-than-stellar films that she loves anyway.


Enjoy!

I Got the Goods (100 Things I Love About the Movies)

If there's one things this blog is about, it's the joy that comes from the movies. Thus when I read a post where someone devoted reason after reason to why they loved the movies, I felt a sudden urge to jump aboard this particular bandwagon.

John over at The Droid You're Looking For has twice put together a list of 100 things he loves about the movies, and I thought I could get behind that sort of passion. So hopefully he's alright with me borrowing his idea (Thanks John!), and I give you 100 things I love about watching movies, going to the movies, and all things cinephile related (numbers 11 - 100 are after the jump)...

1. Spouting off random lines from FARGO at work

2. Sitting down close to the screen for a larger-than-life film

3. The use of doves in any John Woo film

4. The constant innuendo that dots a 007 script

5. Any movie where John Malkovich goes "Full Malkovich"

6. The Universal Pictures logo, animation and theme music

7. Films shot in black & white

8. The moment the boulder begins to roll in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

9. Every Cameron Crowe soundtrack

10. "I'm your huckleberry"


11. 2-D animation that shows the art form ain't dead

12. The way Keanu Reeves chews gum in SPEED

13. Great scenes in bad films

14. Any memorable John Williams score (Which is most of them)

15. "Mother's...not quite herself today"

16. Watching a film for the sixteenth time and noticing something I didn't the first fifteen.

17. Concert films.

18. Martin Scorsese

19. The "Falling Slowly" scene in ONCE

20. The way the crew in the OCEAN'S films seem to genuinely love hanging out together.

21. Watching a good comedy in a full theatre

22. The swimming pool scene in LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

23. Films that creep out the audience with what is left unseen

24. The sound of the lightning sending the DeLorean back to the future.

25. The gunfights in Robert Rodriguez's Mexico trilogy

26. Digging a film that few others do.

27. "The greatest trick The Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist"

28. Meeting new people at film festivals.

29. Susan Sarandon

30. Watching NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN when I'm home sick.

31. The TIFF Bell Lightbox

32. The conversations and arguments that happen in bars and restaurants after a movie on a Friday night.

33. "On the run from Johnny Law ain't no trip to Cleveland"

34. Christopher Walken

35. Any film that reminds us to believe in heroes

36. Seeing a foreign film and wanting to visit the country it is set in

37. The theme music to THE GREAT ESCAPE

38. Falling asleep listening to my favorite films on my iPod

39. Seeing classics on a big screen

40. The five notes used to communicate in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

41. Shots that feature a silouette

42. The films that catch you off-guard and make you cry

43. The editing in any Danny Boyle film

44. Watching films outdoors on a perfect summer night

45. "They all adore him: They say he's a righteous dude"

46. HIGH FIDELITY, FIGHT CLUB; Two favorite films based on two favorite books.

47. Hearing "Extreme Ways" kick in at the end of every Bourne film

48. The rare moments in film that make an audience burst into applause

49. Scenes that focus on a character doing something intricate

50. Crash Davis listing off what he believes in.

51. Films from Spain

52. Cheesy 90's action flicks.

53. Movies about the making of movies

54. Movies so good you want to get right back into line when you leave the theatre.

55. 70mm

56. Wall-E doing his little HELLO DOLLY routine

57. Violent gangster films

58. Seeing a classic film for the first time and having it become a new favorite

59. "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you're not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat coming around the corner"

60. Charlie Kauffman

61. A really great musical cue

62. Pixar

63. Watching SUPERMAN and believing a man can fly.

64. Weekday matinees where only a few other people are in the theatre with me.

65. The cinematography in any Ang Lee film

66. Depressing films that make real life seem better by comparison.

67. Sing-a-Long screenings of musicals

68. Dorothy Gale opening her front door and walking out into colour.

69. Films about food that make you hungry

70. "Never get outta the boat!!"

71. Clever scenes where a character declares their love for another character

72. DVD's with great commentary tracks

73. The unappreciated films of DAVID FINCHER (PANIC ROOM, ZODIAC, BENJAMIN BUTTON)

74. A really clever title sequence

75. "Not on Rex Manning Day!"

76. Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle performing "Puttin' On the Ritz"

77. Audrey Hepburn

78. Being the only one laughing at a joke in a full theatre

79. The colour palette in Baz Luhrman films

80. "Even bad men love their mamas"

81. Films about artists

82. Steven Spielberg

83. Hearing an audience gasp at a shocking moment

84. Introducing someone to CITIZEN KANE for the first time.

85. A really great heist

86. Starting a lazy Sunday with a dvd and a cup of tea.

87. Carey Mulligan

88. Skipping from one theatre to another and making a double-feature of the night

89. Films with an unexpected twist that plays

90. The Criterion Collection

91. Mining genres that are out of my comfort zone.

92. Hearing "That Thing You Do" for the ninth time in the film.

93. Marlon Brando

94. Any film that delivers above expectations

95. Bio-pics

96. Playing 'Spot the Neighbourhood' during films shot in Toronto

97. "...and if you ever get lonely, you just go down to the record store and visit all your friends"

98. Robert Downey jr.

99. Watching TOP GUN and feeling fourteen again.

100. Spreading the word of films I love to people like you.

Here It Goes Again (THE HANGOVER 2 Trailer)

While I will certainly be there with bells on for opening weekend, I must ask: Am I the only one leery of comedy sequels?

Ch-Check It Out

"You gotta see this..."

Much like Sam handing Andy her headphones and promising that a song would totally change his life, the odd movie has been pointed out to me over the years. Sometimes I've been told everything except the cameraman's birthday, sometimes I've simply been handed a dvd and told "Just watch it".

Off the top of my head...

Sis-in-Law took me to GARDEN STATE.
Kaiderman mailed me TIME CRIMES.
Kurt talked up DON'T LOOK NOW on his podcast.
My bff Amanda suggested MEMENTO.

And countless, conutless times, my co-horts here in the blogosphere have suggested titles that I'd skipped past, never heard of, or written off.

Much as I pride myself on being in-the-know, there are just moments where I find myself oblivious. I'm either not paying attention and something smaller, older, or smaller and older gets past me. or worse yet, someone has suggested it to me and I've sloughed it off as "Not my thing".

We need our arms twisted sometimes. We need to be dragged out of our comfort zone and give films that look too slight, or too old, or too heavy a chance. We need to trust that our friends know us well and more often than not are truly looking to let us in on something great. It's tricky since many of us feel set in our ways, and - much as we might believe otherwise - unwilling to embrace something different. But if you're like me, then you'll realize that time after time when you do, wonders await.

So, since it's the feedback topic for the episode of The Matineecast I'm recording tomorrow night, I ask you:

What's a film you loved...one you might not have otherwise watched...that was suggested to you by someone you know?

So Real Pt. I (Hot Docs Preview)

As I mentioned two weeks ago, Hot Docs is coming up soon. I'm actually quite excited now as I've finally had a chance to look through the complete schedule and press kit and am starting to see my festival experience take shape. Having given every film listing a once over, I thought between now and the beginning of the festival, I would take a moment once a week to highlight some of the films I'm looking forward to the most. So in no particular order, let us begin!

One of the films I'm looking most forward to takes us behind the scenes of the way a man and his muppet have affected the world. The man is Kevin Clash and he is the puppeteer behind Elmo from Sesame Street. His story comes to light in the Sundance Special Jury Prize winner BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY.

What makes this fascinating for me is the way it illuminates the life of a children's entertainer. Think about the way some of us want to stab ourselves in the ear if we hear particular children's songs and entertainment just one. more. time. Then think about being the person whose life is all about being the source of those songs, voices, and unending happiness.

We can all agree that it takes a certain type of disposition to handle the grizzliest jobs in the world - coroners, EMT drivers, etc. By that measure, we have to realize that it also takes a certain type of disposition to handle the jobs that call for unending enthusiasm. Ever come across a bad Mall Santa? Well imagine your reaction as a parent - or worse, a kid - if you met a surly muppet!

How Kevin Clash came to be who he is, what goes into being a part of the magic that is Jim Henson's workshop, and where they all find that neverending supply of joy is a story I can't wait to dig into.

BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY will screen on Friday May 6th and Saturday May 7th - both days at 7:15pm in the Isabel Bader Theatre. It will also screen once more on Sunday May 8th at 4:40pm in the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Review: SOURCE CODE * * * 1/2

Commute long enough, and it's inevitable that you'll nod off on a train. The strangest part about waking up, is that you can often wake with a start and find yourself desperately spinning the dials to put together where you are and what's going on. How long have you been sleeping? Did you miss your stop? Are you at your stop with seconds to get out the door?

In this way, it's mindset that really sums up the puzzle of SOURCE CODE. Well, at least the first few times we try to put the puzzle together.

SOURCE CODE begins with Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal)awaking suddenly on a Chicago commuter train. He is sitting across from a young lady named Christina (Michelle Monaghan) who is talking to him warmly about some life decisions. Two problems: Colter doesn't know her, and Christina seems to think she's talking to a guy named Sean Fentress. A trip to the restroom confirms what Colter saw in glimpses out the train window - that the body he inhabits isn't his own.

Before he can make heads or tails out of his predicament, a bomb goes off and destroys the train.

Interestingly, Colter wakes up. He's in some sort of close quarters, and is seeing a video feed from some sort of military op named Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). She calms him somewhat and helps him engage his memory, and with the help of Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) gets Colter to understand the situation.

Colter is operating in a program called the Source Code - a program that can send a person into the body of someone who has died and relive their final eight minutes. Colter has been sent into Sean's eight minutes to locate the bomb on the train, and perhaps provide information on the bomb and the bomber since more acts of terrorism have been promised.

The great thing is that if Colter doesn't get what he needs, Goodwin and Rutledege just reset the Source Code and send him back. Again...and again...until he can get what they need.

SOURCE CODE is a puzzle, but for this particular puzzle what's most fascinating isn't just Colter putting together the pieces, but how he puts the pieces together. Just like any big problem, he varies his approach - from urgent, to methodical, to grinning and throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks. We all go about our problem-solving differently: some of us will hypothesize, some will brainstorm, some will use deductive reasoning. Ordinarly tossing out what we've done and taking a different approach takes a great deal of mental adjustment. Colter, on the other hand just has to wait eight minutes.

Ordinarily doing the same thing repeatedly hoping for a different result is the definition of insanity. In SOURCE CODE, it's actually one man getting closer and closer to the truth.

The truth, in this case, is the only absolute. This moment in time that Colter keeps jumping to is fluid...twisted...ever-changing. It's very evocative of the sort of reflections one gets when standing in front of the Cloud Gate in Chicago's Millennium Park - a visual which is glimpsed often in the film and only fully explored during the conclusion.

Everything we see looks like something we know (the ticket being punched, the beverage spilling on the shoes), but Colter can manipulate what he's seeing in different ways. He's changing it, but still not. Thus the result of every jump into the Source Code feels like we're standing in front of that giant shiny bean. We know what's looking back at us, but take one step closer or one step back and it's drastically altered.

Also interesting about the construction of SOURCE CODE is how we're never really meant to take Colter's immortality for granted. He's well aware that he's a walking 'reset' button, but you're not about to see him mowing down pancakes and smoking proclaiming himself a god. While he does up the ante from time to time, it never seems to lower the stakes. Hell, one of his particularly painful decisions is even accompanied by a glorious "crunch" on the soundtrack.

Watching Jake Gyllenhaal navigate this film, we can see a definite evolution to Colter after tackling these events time after time. It's subtle, which makes it feel all the more natural. When he first wakes up in the Source Code, it's all he can do to get a firm grasp on his surroundings. By the time he makes his penultimate run, he's filled with a gentle confidence. He's a pianist playing a song that he's rehearsed a thousand times. What makes his final performance of the song all the more engaging is that he's no longer interested in just playing the right notes. Indeed when Colter plays his song for the final time, he wants to play it with feeling.

On paper, SOURCE CODE looked like a gimmick. It looked like the sort of film an up-and-coming director does when a studio digs their indie breakthrough and drops them into a project as a hired gun. But in execution, SOURCE CODE gives the subtleties and introspection of MOON a broader canvas and a few more players. It puts the pieces of mystery, perception, and desperation together in a very unexpected manner...and perhaps most fittingly, makes you want to get right back on the train for another eight minutes.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to SOURCE CODE.