‘The Act of Killing’ is a gut-wrenching 2 hours of cinema
Starting this past weekend at the TIFF Bell Lightbox is one of the most controversial documentaries of the year, “The Act of Killing”. The film follows around a group of killers, that have somehow become revered figures in their native Indonesia, as they relate their stories of death and mayhem with grins and smiles upon their faces as hey reminisce about the ‘good old days’ when they were responsible for the death of thousands.
The Act of Killing
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
After the 1965 military coup against the Sukarno government, Indonesia was overrun by marauding bands of paramilitaries who indulged in the mass murder of more than one million alleged communists. These victims included ethnic Chinese and intellectuals and left behind a horrifying record of atrocities that, ironically, has enshrined these killers in their nation’s history as patriotic heroes. Director Joshua Oppenheimer and his collaborators provocatively explore this dark chapter of Indonesia’s history by enlisting a group of former paramilitaries to re-enact their crimes in the style of the Hollywood films that they love. Gleefully recreating some of the many murders they have committed with the aid of sets, costumes and pyrotechnics, the proud band of killers exhibits a fixation on style over substance — as well as an utter lack of remorse over their actions — that is both monstrous and mesmerizing.
‘Casting By’ is a informative look at a largely unkown Hollywood icon
Starting this weekend at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema is the new documentary about the unsung heroes of the filmmaking process, the casting director, and the impact and evolution of the craft, “Casting By”. The film also serves to tell the story of the most influential and famous members of the casting world Marion Dougherty. In December of 2011, the film industry sadly lost Marion Dougherty and though most film fans would not recognize her by name; her work revolutionized the acting and casting industry.
Casting By
Directed by Tom Donahue
Dougherty began her career as a casting agent in the 50s for a collection of New York based TV shows, including the Kraft Television Theatre, Route 66 and Naked City. During the studio era of film making that lasted into the early 60’s, casting was done by surveying the usual crop of studio-signed actors who were often given roles based upon their looks and personality versus their talent. However, Dougherty recognized that there was a large pool of actors in New York’s off-Broadway productions and acting schools and was the first person to cast unknown actors based upon character instead of appearance. But perhaps the best treat in this revelatory film is the massive collection of footage, screen tests and movie clips featuring legendary actors such as James Dean, Christopher Walken, Jon Voight and Maureen Stapleton, before their fame.
RIPD is dead on arrival
New in theaters this weekend from the director of “Red” Robert Schwentke is the latest multimillion dollar extravaganza vying for your money, R.I.P.D. Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly ‘Rest In Peace Department’ to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side.
R.I.P.D
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, James Hong, Marisa Miller and Kevin Bacon
Written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of R.I.P.D.’s finest must miraculously restore the cosmic balance, or watch the tunnel to the afterlife begin sending angry souls the very wrong way. (more…)
TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
Starting today at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and running through the rest of the summer is the new series based on the resurgence of the raunchy American comedy that was launched back in the 70’s by the now classic National Lampoon’s Animal House, ‘TOGA! The Reinvention of American Comedy’. Filled with special guests and screenings, the series promises to be one of the most hilarious set of films the Lightbox has managed to group together.
TOGA! The Reinvention of American Comedy
Running July 17th – Aug 29th 2013 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
In 1978 a film was launched into theaters that combined the growing movement of improv comedy, the likes of Saturday Night Live and comedy troupes like the Groundlings, emerging director John Landis and the National Lampoon humor magazine entitled National Lampoon’s Animal House. The film went on to shatter box-office records and drag R-rated comedy from its b-movie drive in origins into the mainstream. The film also made “Toga! Toga!” into a generational rallying cry and served as inspiration for many a college drinking night. This film series will screen 27 rude, crude and brilliant movies that changed the face of modern American comedy, all of which owe at least in part a huge debt to Landis’ ground-breaking comedy.
‘Fondi ’91’ – the city of Fondi deserves a much better film
Starting at the Royal this week is the new coming of age story from Canadian filmmaker Dev Khanna and Degrassi graduate Raymond Ablack, Fondi ’91. Pretty early on the audience realizes that we are experiencing something spectacularly bad unspooling in front of our eyes. It’s sad that when we should be celebrating and forwarding Canadian cinema and film makers, director Khanna is Toronto based, that such a sloppy effort is around to help defend the stereotype that all film from Canada is bad.
Fondi ’91
Starring: Raymond Ablack, Mylène St-Sauveur, Serena Iansiti, Chris Pereira, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Thomas Wesson, Remo Girone
Written by André Bharti, Lenny Foreht, Dev Khanna, A. Sinha
Directed by Dev Khanna
Set against a background of lost innocence, youthful frivolity and dark moral themes, Fondi ‘91 follows the lustful adventures of a Jersey-based high school soccer team’s two week trip to Europe. Shot on location in Fondi, Italy, the team gets slaughtered during their on field (but not shown) matches as they are too caught up in scoring with the Italian ladies. (more…)
‘Byzantium’ delivers just enough to warrant a check-in
New in theaters north of the border this week is director Neil Jordan’s newest take on the Vampire mythos, Byzantium. Jordan returns to the genre he took on almost 2 decades ago with the Anne Rice penned Interview with a Vampire, but this time around he has a new take on the entire history of the vampire phenomenon.
Byzantium
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley, Caleb Landry Jones and Johnny Lee Miller
Written by Moira Buffini
Directed by Neil Jordan
After fleeing their latest living quarters after an unforeseen attack, two mysterious women seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. Clara (Arterton) meets lonely Noel who provides shelter for her and her daughter Eleanor (Ronan) in his deserted guesthouse Byzantium. Eleanor, an eternal schoolgirl, befriends Frank (Landry Jones) and tells him their lethal secret. They pair are actually mother and daughter, were born 200 years ago and survive on human blood. (more…)
‘Pacific Rim’ Review (Dork Shelf)
Originally Published at Dork Shelf
Director Guillermo del Toro unleashes his long awaited summer blockbuster Pacific Rim on multiplexes everywhere this weekend. It’s by far the biggest film del Toro has undertaken and he’s left all the money on screen. But the story driving the robot and sea monster battling action and the performances, from a cast featuring some recognizable faces and names but lacking a major star, are not without issues sometimes distracts from the amazing effects and action on display.
When monsters known as Kaiju start rising from the sea, the war for our planet begins. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon is devised: massive robots called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge allowing the pair to react and behave as one. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenceless in the face of the relentless Kaiju after initial success. On the verge of defeat following the evolution of Kaiju fighting techniques, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes, a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi), who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past.
‘Deceptive Practice’ immerses us in the magical world of Ricky Jay
Originally Published at DORK SHELF
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay
Deceptive Practice is a journey into the realm of modern magic with the multitalented Ricky Jay, a world-renowned magician, author, historian and actor. Touted as one of magic’s greatest, Jay is dedicated to researching, teaching, performing and perfecting his craft. Magicians would normally be reluctant to let their secrets out, let alone allow a documentary crew to peek behind their velvet curtain, but Jay allows directors Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein to do just that. (more…)
‘Museum Hours’ is a burden to undertake
Starting this weekend at the TIFF Bell Lightbox is the veteran of the TIFF, Locarno and SXSW film festivals that examines the quiet life inside a museum, the people that walk among the pieces of art and their ruminations on their surroundings that comprises “Museum Hours”.
Museum Hours
Starring: Mary Margaret O’Hara, Bobby Sommer, Ela Piplits
Written and Directed by Jem Cohen
When Vienna museum guard Johan (Sommer) befriends an enigmatic visitor, the grand Kunsthistorisches Art Museum becomes a mysterious crossroads which sparks explorations of their lives, the city, and the ways artworks reflect and shape the world.
‘Big Star’ looks to rock the Yonge/Dundas Cineplex starting this weekend
Starting Friday July 5th from Kinosmith at the Cineplex Yonge Dundas cinema in Toronto is the film about one of rock music’s biggest cult heroes, Big Star. The film is filled with great music and interviews from the band members and the multitudes they influenced. The story of the band is also a unique and interesting tale that is told with plenty or archival footage and recording to flesh it out for the audience.
Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me
Directed by Drew DeNicola and Olivia Mori
While mainstream success eluded them, Big Star’s three albums have become critically lauded touchstones of the rock music canon. A seminal band in the history of alternative music, Big Star has been cited as an influence by artists including REM, The Replacements, Belle & Sebastian, Elliot Smith and Flaming Lips, to name just a few. With never-before-seen footage and photos of the band, in-depth interviews and a rousing musical tribute by the bands they inspired, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me is a story of artistic and musical salvation.
‘Despicable Me 2’ is less engaging, but delivers plenty of laughs
The writing and directing teams behind 2010’s smash hit “Despicable Me” have returned, minions in tow, with a follow up that furthers the transformation of former super villain Gru into all around good guy in “Despicable Me 2”. Universal and Illumination studios definitely know what worked best the first time around and have spent the time in the sequel to advance those storylines instead of just rehashing the original’s premise.
Despicable Me 2
Starring the voices of: Steve Carrell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier and Kristin Schaal
Written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
In Despicable Me 2, Gru (Carrell) is recruited by the Anti-Villain League, rather forcibly by agent Lucy (Wiig), to help deal with a powerful new super criminal. The mission has Gru going undercover to find out who has taken a very deadly substance inside a shopping mall. Of course Gru’s minions and girls, Margo (Cosgrove), Edith (Gaier) and Agnes (Fisher), are all back attempting to help him out, and help him find love in the process. Meanwhile, Margo’s first boyfriend has Gru seeing red. (more…)
‘My Brother the Devil’ is perfect counter programming for the summer box office
Starting this weekend at the Cineplex Yonge Dundas in downtown Toronto is perhaps the year’s best feature directorial debut so far from Director Sally El Hosaini, the award winning “My Brother the Devil”. The coming of age story set in the United Kingdom is a harsh and tragic tale centered on some very strong performances and a message about finding your own way without repeating the mistakes of the past.
My Brother the Devil
Starring: James Floyd, Fady Elsayed, Said Taghmaoui
Written and directed by Sally El Hosaini
Mo (Elsayed) is a young boy growing up in a traditional Egyptian household, but beyond the front door of the family’s modest London flat is a completely different world, the streets of Hackney. The impressionable Mo idolizes his handsome and charismatic older brother Rashid (Floyd) and wants to follow in his footsteps. However, Rashid wants a different life for his little brother and will do whatever it takes to put him through college (more…)
‘The Lone Ranger’ arrives guns-a-blazin in theaters
New to theaters today is the latest action opus from the team behind the first 3 “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, director Gore Verbinski and his star Johnny Depp, and the animated “Rango”, “The Lone Ranger”. The iconic figure and his partner Tonto started off as the stars of their own radio show in the 1930’s which morphed to film serials and a TV show by the late 40’s. Now after decades away from any screen, Disney has opted to bring back the pair for a blockbuster summer tentpole release complete with dazzling action set pieces and a star studded cast.
The Lone Ranger
Starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichter, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, James Badge Dale, Barry Pepper and Helena Bonham Carter
Written by Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
Directed by Gore Verbinski
The Lone Ranger is bookend by a story in the 1930’s with a much older Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Depp) recounting the untold tale of the adventure that transformed John Reid (Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice. In the late 1800’s , after his brother (Badge Dale) meets his untimely end at the hands of Butch Cavendish (Ficther), the presumed dead John Reid is nursed back to health by Tonto. Donning a mask to hide his identity, the duo set out upon a path of vengeance that ends up leading them to somewhere unexpected.
No Fire Zone and Sagrada at the Bloor Cinema (Dork Shelf)
Originally posted on Dork Shelf
THIS WEEK AT THE BLOOR 6/28/13
No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka
No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka charts the final weeks of perhaps the most misunderstood and least mainstream covered conflicts of our time, the Sri Lankan Civil War. This war was conducted in secret with the Sri Lankan government booting the UN and foreign press reporters from the combat zone. More than 70,000 civilians lost their lives during this 26-year long war, but most of these deaths occurred during illegal government shelling that took place in its final months. Director Callum Macrae chronicles the final months of the battle with footage and interviews from both sides of the war. (more…)
‘White House Down’ packs a bombastic punch
With his first big budget action film since 2009’s “2012”, Roland Emmerich brings us the second film about the White House being forcibly taken of 2013, “White House Down”. This time around we have Jamie Foxx playing the President and army veteran/secret service wannabe Channing Tatum coming to the rescue as they take on a threat from inside US soil as Tatum’s daughter and others are trapped as hostages.
White House Down
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Richard Jenkins, Joey King, Jimmi Simpson, Rachelle Lefevre, Matt Craven and James Woods
Written by James Vanderbilt
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Capitol Policeman John Cale (Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Foxx). Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation’s government falling into chaos and time running out, it’s up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country (more…)
Brad Pitt’s ‘World War Z’ is a barely watchable mess with little bite
Brad Pitt teams with director Marc Forster to bring to life the Max Brooks novel “World War Z” to the big screen, at least in title. The film script bears little resemblance to the flashback laden, post war accounts that make up the book, and the infected ‘zombies’ here exhibit a pack mentality and bare a closer resemblance to the rage infected victims of “28 Days Later” than anything George Romero has ever created.
World War Z
Starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox., David Morse, Fana Mokoena, Peter Capaldi and Moritz Bleibtreu
Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof and Michael Straczynski
Directed by Marc Forster
After barely escaping New Jersey alive after a daring rooftop helicopter rescue, former United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt) traverses the world on behest of his former employers to stop a Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. (more…)
Jacques Demy illuminates the TIFF Bell Lightbox
Starting this weekend and running until the 20th of July is the latest retrospective series from TIFF’s cinematheque program, “Bitter/Sweet: The Joyous Cinema of Jacques Demy”. The classic and influential French director gets the full treatment here with a full retrospective of the director’s works along 3 films from his wife, Agnès Varda, and a sidebar series comprised of favorite films that inspired and enraptured Demy and helped form the basis for his own work. The series is entitled Bitter/Sweet because Demy ran the gamut of heart wrenching and breaking stories to the joyous and vibrant tributes to the Hollywood musicals he loved.
Jacques Demy Retrospective
Bitter/Sweet: The Joyous Cinema of Jacques Demy
June 27th – July 20th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
The highlights from the series include the director’s first film “Lola” from 1961 which was shot in black in white , a stark contrast to the vibrant and oversaturation of color that became one of his trademarks, and shows the director starting to piece together his trademark style with characters spontaneously bursting into song along the way. Starring the stunning Anouk Aimée as Lola, a cabaret singer, the film hinted at what was to come with the music and iconic imagery infused into the film.
Monsters University makes the grade but flunks it`s final
New to theaters from Disney/Pixar Studios this weekend is the long awaited follow up to the 2001 smash hit “Monsters Inc”, “Monsters University”. The prequel tale takes us back to the college days of our 2 heroes Mike Wazowski and James P Sullivan and shows us how they become friends and partners in the scaring business.
Monsters University
Featuring the voices of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Dave Foley, Sean Hayes, Joel Murray, Charlie Day, Alfred Molina, Tyler Labine, Nathan Fillion, Aubrey Plaza and Beth Behrs
Written by Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson and Dan Scanlon
Directed by Dan Scanlon
Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University. But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.
With Crystal and Goodman effortlessly slipping back into the characters of Mike and Sully, the biggest obstacle the film faces is trying to revive the charm and heart the original film had in bucket loads, and sadly it falls short. The setting of a University for a children’s film is an interesting choice as most of the target demographic have no idea what the impact of getting booted out of university would be. Despite this the film manages to work fairly well until the final act of the film where the Monsters universe created in the first film comes crashing down hard. A poor choice in story negates the rules of the universe that firmly exist in Monsters Inc, as well as changing the backstory of our two characters so that it no longer matches up. The film also discredits the beliefs of the film’s universe before the story that plays out in Monster’s Inc.
The newer characters add some spark to the story, but are fairly indistinguishable and forgettable in the long run. Having Buscemi return as Randal is a neat twist, but in the end one that is full of missed opportunities as Randal’s appearance becomes more sporadic as the film carries on. But what is missing here is Boo, the little girl from Monsters Inc, as there is nothing added here that comes close to adding the element of heart and engagement that she delivers in spades in the film’s predecessor. The ‘Scare Games’ provide some fun and entertaining settings and environments that are among the film’s highlights, but third act unravels all that goodwill very fast.
Much better than the other Pixar sequel audiences were subjected to recently with the abysmal Cars 2, Monsters University sadly does not manage to capture the same magic that made the first film a classic. But up until the 3rd act the film does pack enough laughs and funny sequences
Till Next Time
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The Purge Review (Dork Shelf)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT DORKSHELF.COM
The Purge- Universal Pictures
A horde of upper class, entitled, ne’er do well twenty somethings look to break into the home of Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady in the The Purge. The film attempts to unravel its twists and turns slowly, but things turn to predictable and familiar faster than the story moves, with underwhelming action sequences and any horror and tension getting lost in this uninspiring home invasion tale. (more…)
‘This is the End’ rings in the apocalypse with laughter
The writers behind comedy smashes “Pineapple Express” and “Superbad”, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, are back with a big screen adaptation of the 2007 short “Jay and Seth vs the Apocalypse”, “This is the End”. Supersizing the cast and budget from the original short, Rogen and Goldberg have turned their directing debut into an ego skewering laugh fest that has many of the younger stars of Hollywood taking a shot at their own egos and reputation.
This is the End
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Rihanna, Jason Segel, Mindy Kaling, Martin Starr and many more
Written and Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg based on the short film “Jay and Seth vs the Apocalypse” by Jason Stone.
‘Lore’ takes her journey through the TIFF Bell Lightbox
Starting an exclusive run at the TIFF Bell Lightbox this week is the much anticipated follow up to the 2004 film “Somersault” from Australian director Cate Shortland, “Lore”. The gritty and unnerving tale has the children of Nazi Germany set to have face and deal with the influx of allied troops that are swarming into their now crumbling country. The story is grim and dense, but features a heck of a lead performance.
Lore
Starring: Saskia Rosendahl, Nele Trebs, André Frid, Mika Seidel, Kai Malina, Nick Holaschke and Ursina Lardi
Written by Cate Shortland and Robin Mukherjee
Directed by Cate Shortland
The year is 1945. After their SS Nazi parents are taken into Allied custody, five German children undertake a harrowing journey that exposes them to the reality and consequences of their parents’ actions. (more…)
Inside Out Film Festival Mini Reviews
Starting this weekend and running through June 2nd is the 23rd edition of the Inside Out Film Festival in Toronto. Toronto’s LGBT film festival has grown to become one of the biggest and most attended film festivals in a city jammed packed with them. The festival this year features a diverse blend of narrative and documentary for audiences to enjoy, all hosted in the TIFF Bell Lightbox, many will cause discussion and debate while others strain to merely entertain. (more…)
‘Blancanieves’ enchants the Varsity Cinema this week
Starting an exclusive engagement at the Varsity cinemas in Toronto this weekend from D Films is the captivating black and white Spanish film that won over audiences at TIFF last September, Blancanieves. Spain’s official submission to the 85th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film, Blancanieves is a gorgeous homage to the Golden Age of Europe’s silent cinema. Coming on the heels of 2011’s Oscar winner “The Artist”, Blancanieves had its work cut out for it being another silent film homage trying to establish its own path.
Blancanieves
Starring: Maribel Verdú, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ángela Molina, Pere Ponce, Macarena García and Sofía Oria
Written and Directed by Pablo Berger
Once upon a time there was a little girl who had never known her mother. She grew up in the care of her grandmother until she was a young lady. But after tragedy strikes again she is whisked away to live with her father and treacherous stepmother. After she learns the art of bullfighting from her famous matador father, she is forced ran away with a troupe of dwarves, and becomes a legend. This tribute to silent films is set in southern Spain in the 1920s.
TIFF gets ready for its ‘Picture Day’ (Review)
Starting an exclusive run at the TIFF Bell Lightbox this week is the TIFF 2012 Festival alum, and Toronto filmed Canadian production, starting the breakout star of TV’s “Orphan Black” Tatiana Maslany, “Picture Day”. The film marks the directorial debut of veteran “Degrassi: The Next Generation” writer Kate Melville, who delivers an accomplished and engaging, yet small, story that is enhanced by some great performances.
Picture Day
Starring Tatiana Maslany, Spencer Van Wyck, Steven McCarthy, Susan Coyne, Fiona Highet and Mark DeBonis
Written and Directed by Kate Melville
MOVIE JUNKIE TO'S Entertainment Fix 