Toronto After Dark 2013: Willow Creek (Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DORK SHELF
Straying off California’s “Bigfoot Scenic Byway,” Jim (Bryce Johnson)—an avowed Sasquatch believer—and Kelly (Alexie Gilmore)—his less-than-convinced girlfriend—take in the surreal sights of Willow Creek. The tiny community is a stone’s throw from where the infamous Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot footage was shot in the 1960`s. After lunching on “Bigfoot burgers,” admiring comical murals and listening to balladeers celebrate the ‘squatch in song, the couple embark on an ill-advised venturing into the woods in search of the unknown. When they inevitably find themselves lost the beast of the forest quickly descends upon them.
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Willow Creek is quite the anomaly. The first half of the film is an almost excruciatingly paced examination of Bigfoot culture which features our leads wandering aimlessly performing interviews and filming first hand footage incessantly. No momentum is gained until the pair is in their tent, lost in the woods, and camped for the night. The following 19 minute steadicam shot (with only a single edit in the entire piece) is masterfully executed and directed, and it ranks among the tensest scenes of the year. The performances from Johnson and Gilmore sell the story perfectly here as their work is almost entirely ad libbed and totally believable.
Toronto After Dark 2013: The Last Days on Mars (Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT DORK SHELF
On the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member on Tantalus Base believes he’s made an astounding discovery – fossilized evidence of bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to collect further samples. But the routine excavation turns to disaster when the porous ground collapses, and he falls into a deep crevice and near certain death. And after yet another crew member vanishes, the survivors start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered is not yet dead.
Last Days on Mars is a great looking film that quickly devolves into “28 Weeks Later in space.” It begins with an incredibly slow pace that only picks up once the accident occurs, but it feels like an eternity to get there. Most of the talented cast are wasted in roles that barely give them anything to do, with Elias Koteas and Olivia Williams being the biggest examples, but Liev Schreiber manages to anchor the film with a strong leading performance that keeps things watchable.
Toronto After Dark 2013: The Machine (Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT DORK SHELF
Two computer programmers fall in love creating the first ever piece of self-aware artificial intelligence, designed to help humanity. But things go wrong when the MoD (the U.K. equivalent of the CIA who have been funding their research), decide to alter their breakthrough and teach it to become a robotic weapon.
The Machine benefits from some strong performances from leads Toby Stevens and Caity Lotz. The duo has an evident chemistry that crackles onscreen, especially after Lotz assumes her doppelgänger’s intelligent robot form. Playing the heavy of the piece, Denis Lawson does a very good job as a smarmy and greasy government official who never has anything but destruction on his mind. The film also features a strong look and style, matched with a scientifically intelligent script that sells the neo-futuristic world it takes place in. The pace is deliberate, but never lagging, managing to be enthralling from the outset.
Toronto After Dark 2013: We Are What We Are (Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT DORK SHELF
Recently widowed father Frank Parker (Bill Sage) and his two teenage daughters try to keep their time-honored family tradition a secret from their increasingly suspicious small town neighbours in the wake of a torrential downpour. But as the evidence starts building, daughters Iris (Ambyr Childers) and Rose (Julia Garner) are forced to assume responsibilities beyond those of a typical family.
Director Jim Mickle returns to Toronto, after Mulberry Street opened the 2007 After Dark Festival and following a People’s Choice Award for his follow-up Stake Land at TIFF, with a brooding and character driven piece that features some excellent performances. Sage is fantastically eerie and manipulative as the patriarch of the family, looming like a dark shadow that refuses to let his girls see any literal and metaphorical daylight. Garner and Childers are perfectly cast as put upon teens who desperately want to know what life must be like for others not forced to conform to their family customs.
CONTEST!! WIN African based charmer ‘OKA!’ on blu-ray
Well its contest time again here at the Fix and this time we have a little under the radar charmer up grabs! OKA! has landed on store shelves as of last week, Tuesday October 22nd, and thanks to the amazing folks at Well Go USA we have 3 copies to give away!
Based on the true story of Louis Sarno, an American ethnomusicologist who finds himself trying to record and preserve the music of the Bayaka pygmies, the thoughtful drama OKA! debuts on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD October 22nd from Well Go USA Entertainment. 25 years ago, Sarno traveled from New Jersey to the forests of Central Africa to record the music of the Bayaka Pygmies. He fell in love with the people, their music, their lifestyle – and a local girl. Despite his failing health and the harsh realities of life in the village, he follows the Bayaka into the heart of the forest. Directed by Lavinia Currier (Passion in the Desert, Heart of the Garden), the film stars Kris Marshall (Love Actually, Easy Virtue), Isaach De Bankole (Casino Royale, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Will Yun Lee (The Wolverine, Total Recall) and the Bayaka of Yandombe.
Synopsis:
25 years ago, ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno traveled from New Jersey to the forests of Central Africa to record the music of the Bayaka Pygmies. Falling in love with a Bayaka girl and her forest lifestyle, he decided to stay. “OKA!” tells the adventure of his life in Africa with his adopted family. The Bayaka pygmies maintain a tenuous balance between their traditional forest existence and their increasing dependence on the Bantu villagers. Through the eyes of Larry, the tall, ungainly white man from New Jersey, who in spite of his failing liver accompanies the Bayaka on a journey into the heart of the forest, OKA! offers a unique glimpse into the music, humor, and spirit of the Bayaka people.
This film should charm music and cinema lovers alike with its true and vital story. We have 3 copies to give away this time around, and here’s how you enter to win!
Like the Movie Junkie TO Facebook Page HERE
Follow @moviejunkieto on Twitter Here
Like and Share the contest link on the top of the Movie Junkie TO Facebook Page.
Winners will be picked and notified via message on Facebook after the contest closing date of November 5th!
Hurry up and enter! Good Luck to all.
Movie Junkie TO
Musicwood (Reel Indie Film Fest – Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT DORK SHELF
Musicwood
Musicwood examines the environmental impact that producing acoustic guitars has (focusing mainly on the State of Alaska, since it produces most of the sought after ‘Sitka Spruce’), and the attempt to merge concerned parties like Greenpeace and top guitar makers in the world to preserve those trees. The film follows along as world-famous guitar-makers travel into a primordial rain forest to negotiate with Native American loggers before it’s too late for acoustic guitars.
It’s a methodical examination the story of the Musicwood Coalition from multiple angles. While the attempt to unite all concerned parties under one entity is ideal in concept, actually achieving the ideal is much harder. While the film manages to convey this point effectively, it also includes other issues that occur along the way, like the rosewood from Madagascar that one guitar company is busted buying illegally, that can muddle the story instead of adding to it. While these excursions are brief, they do take its toll on the overall impact of message.
The importance of the story is undeniable. Musicwood manages to put a new spin and face to the cause of preserving our natural resources. It works, yet it could easily benefit from a little more focus. Acoustic musicians (Steve Earle, Kaki King, Yo La Tengo and many more) also provide insight from the musician’s standpoint and supply a moving soundtrack. The result is a complex and heartbreaking battle over natural resources, and a profound cultural conflict.
Till Next Time
Movie Junkie TO
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Satellite Boy (Imaginative Review – Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT DORK SHELF
Satellite Boy
Abandoned as a boy and living with his grandfather, young Pete spends his days dreaming of his mother’s return and getting into all kinds of mischief with his best friend, Kalmain. Not a fan of his grandfather’s outdated ways, Pete bides his time until one day the land he lives on with his grandfather is bought by a mining company. Fearful that his mother will never find her way back to him, Pete and Kalmain undertake an arduous and dangerous bike journey across the western Australian Outback in the hopes of convincing the mining company to change its mind. (more…)
Toronto After Dark 2013: Big Ass Spider
TADFF 2013: Big Ass Spider
A giant alien spider escapes from a military lab, inside a corpse, and embarks on a hellacious rampage of acid venom, digestion and property damage the likes of which the city of Los Angeles has never seen. When Major Braxton Tanner (Ray Wise) and his massive military strike fails, it is up to a team of scientists, the plucky Lieutenant Karly Brant (Kramer) and a clever exterminator (Grunberg) and his new sidekick Jose (Lombardo Boyar) to kill the creature before the city is destroyed.
Big Ass Spider is a film that has no pretense as to what film it wants to be. Light years ahead of films like Sharknado, Big Ass Spider derives it laughs from genuine fun writing and not just stunt casting and goofy one liners. The film features a strong lead performance from the affable Grunberg that is genuine and infectious. Matched in charm by Boyar’s Jose, the duo work extremely well with each other and quickly become the heart of the film. Even Ray Wise gets to have some fun here, and the final mid credit sequence works because of Wise alone.
Toronto After Dark 2013- Top 5 most anticipated!
Top 5 Most Anticipated film at Toronto After Dark 2013
The Toronto After Dark Film Festival (known lovingly as simply TAD to its many fans) starts tomorrow night, October 17th, at its new home of the Scotiabank Theater in the heart of downtown Toronto. As usual the festival features and eclectic mix of films and here’s the rundown of the 5 most anticipated films on my list as I prepare to partake in as many as I can. You’ll be able to find all the reviews here afterwards, but I will be posting on Dork Shelf and Addicted for the festival as well. This year will also mark the return of the now infamous PUBCasts recorded LIVE from the Pub After Dark parties after the films. Jeff Konopka from the Liberal Dead and I will sit down and discuss topics with film makers, critics and industry types, all over a beer or two! But for now, on to the picks.
#5 – WE ARE WHAT WE ARE
The latest from director Jim Mickle is actually a remake of a 2010 Spanish film of the same name and features a family of cannibals dealing with a death in the family and whether to continue their grisly family tradition. Having not seen the original film I am not sure what to expect heading in but after director Jim Mickle’s last film, the Midnight Madness people’s choice award winner StakeLand, I have a lot of time for the Mickle and his work. Add in the work of Stake Land collaborator Nick Damici both in front and behind the camera and I’m sold. The film won raves at Cannes and Sundance and makes it Toronto Debut at TAD.
#4 –THE BATTERY (more…)
The Claire Denis Retrospective rolls on with the Director herself in attendance
This past weekend the TIFF Bell Lightbox started its 4 week retrospective into the works of director Claire Denis with some of her earliest works, Chocolat, Beau Travail and No Fear, No Die. The retrospective continues into mid-November with more of the director’s works on display, but this weekend marks the biggest weekend for the retrospective as the Lightbox will be graced with the presence of the lady herself.
On Thursday October 17th, Denis will be live and in person at the Lightbox for the presentation of the Carte Blanche selection of Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Touki-Bouki, along with director Mati Diop whose short A Thousand Suns will precede the film. Then the following night, October 18th, Denis will introduce her latest film Bastards, which is currently finishing a regular theatrical run at the Lightbox this week. (more…)
Catch Hellaware at the Revue tonight for FREE (Review)
Hellaware Review
Playing tonight as part of the Refocus series at the Revue Cinema is Michael M. Bilandic’s Hellaware. The film is an almost mumblecore style interpretation of the absurdities that can abound in the art world and how one unmotivated slacker uses the ill-focused energy of a local and group of rappers with dubious talent level for his own financial end.
Nate (Keith Poulson, Somebody Up There Likes Me) is a young photographer who wants to break into the New York City art scene. Yet instead of building a portfolio like other artists in his position he spends his time putting down other artists’ work. After Nate sees a music video called “I’LL CUT YO DICK OFF”, he discovers his new muses—a group of teenaged horror-rappers from Delaware—the Young Torture Killaz (think a young Insane Clown Posse). Soon Nate begins to travel to Delaware and photograph the teens under the guise of wanting to help further their careers, but these kids may not be the dupes he originally made them out to be.
Machete Kills (Guest Reviewer Andrew Robinson)
Opening tomorrow in theaters is the latest blood drenched opus from Robert Rodriguez‘s grindhouse fascination, and sequel to the original “Grindhouse” movie spinoff “Machete”, Machete Kills. Here to tell us all about his love for the Machete madness is friend of the site and proprietor of GMan Reviews Andrew Robinson.
Never has a film had more of a hill to climb than this and at the same time existed in it’s own realm of perfection than Machete Kills.
With the first film I found myself completely and utterly disappointed and I feel it was from a place of lost expectations. A film, based on a joke that was initially meant only to be that encapsulated by a (roughly) two minute trailer, where they decided to do that very narrative promised in the trailer felt like the epitomy of the “all the best parts were in the trailer” complaint that many film fans love to lob at these big dumb films. However, far away from that production process, starting anew Machete Kills has it’s own slew of dumb action gags that are ripe for joyous film lovers to dig deep into. (more…)
CONTEST!! Win ‘Drug War’ on Blu-ray!
Well its contest time again here at the Fix and this time we have one of the year’s best action films up grabs! Yes that’s right Johnnie To‘s masterful “Drug War” is coming to home platforms on Tuesday October 15th and thanks to the amazing folks at Well Go USA we have 5 copies to give away!
From Johnnie To (Life Without Principle, Election), master of the Hong Kong crime thriller, comes the critically-acclaimed, action-packed drama DRUG WAR, debuting on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD October 15th from Well Go USA Entertainment. Cars are crashed, bullets fly, blood spurts, bodies splatter and cocaine is snorted in this high-velocity tale of a drugcartel boss who, after being arrested in a raid, is coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation. The film stars Louis Koo (Triple Tap, Accident), Sun Honglei (A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop), Michelle Ye (Motorway, Once a Gangster), Huang Yi (Legendary, Romancing in Thin Air), Wallace Chung (Forever Young), and Li Guangjie (Motorway, Romancing in Thin Air).
Synopsis:
Manufacturing just 50 grams of meth in China will earn you a death sentence. Timmy Choi (Louis Koo) just got caught making tons. Now he’s in the custody of Captain Zhang (Sun Honglei), and has one chance to avoid execution – turn informant and help the cops bring down the powerful cartel he’s been cooking for. Over the next 72 sleepless hours, the sting spins out of control, the line between duty and recklessness is blurred, and it becomes unclear who actually has the upper hand.
As stated in our review from earlier this year, HERE, the film is a real knockout and features a masterful performance from Sun Honglei.
We have 5 copies to give away this time around, and here’s how you enter to win!
Like the Movie Junkie TO Facebook Page HERE
Follow @moviejunkieto on Twitter Here
Like and Share the contest link on the top of the Movie Junkie TO Facebook Page.
Winners will be picked and notified via message on Facebook after the contest closing date of October 14th!
Hurry up and enter! Good Luck to all.
Movie Junkie TO
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