2008 Films on Metacritic and IMDb

I always find it interesting to look at the films that make it onto different list. Metacritic gives a score (a weighted average of scores by critics) and IMDb list is based on user votes. So, looking at them together is like seeing the critics vs the average viewers.

Metacritic top score as of Dec 31, 2008:
1. Class, The
2. WALL-E
3. Man on Wire
4. Waltz with Bashir
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. Christmas Tale, A
7. Milk
8. Happy-Go-Lucky
9. Trouble the Water
10. U2 3D
11. Tell No One
12. Rachel Getting Married
13. Dark Knight, The
14. Let the Right One In
15. Wrestler, The

2008 films that made IMDb's Top 250 as of Dec 31, 2008
#4 - The Dark Knight
#34 - WALL-E
#68 - Slumdog Millionaire
#70 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
#78 - The Wrestler
#172 - Milk
#192 - Gran Torino
#224 - Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in
#234 - In Bruges

With 5 films in common: The Dark Knight, WALL-E, Slumdog Millionaire, Let the Right One In and The Wrestler. Fascinating set of 5 films, it really speaks to the unusual year we had.

Happy New Year!

The clock is ticking down on 2008, and as we ring out the old in time for the new, we here at Movie Dearest wish you all a happy and safe New Year's Eve. See you in 2009!

Women We Love: Ethel Merman

Object of our affection: Ethel Merman, actress/singer.

- She was the bold and brassy belter, known as "The Grande Dame of the Broadway stage", who originated such classic musical theater characters as Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes), Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun) and Momma Rose (Gypsy).

- Hollywood never knew quite what to do with her though, and most of her legendary stage roles were given to other actresses for the film versions. However, she did recreate her Tony Award-winning performance in Call Me Madam for the big screen (and won the Golden Globe for it) and starred in such other movie musicals as Kid Millions, Alexander's Ragtime Band and There's No Business Like Show Business.

- Other memorable screen appearances include comedic roles in the all-star in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (a New Year's Eve favorite in my childhood) and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, plus voicing the wicked witch Mombi in the animated Journey Back to Oz and a scene-stealing cameo in Airplane!

- On television, she was Lola Lasagne on Batman, voiced Lilly Loraine in Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July and played Gopher's mother on The Love Boat.

- And of course, who could forget The Ethel Merman Disco Album.

Monthly Wallpaper - January 2009: 2008 - The Year in Film

What better way to start 2009 out right than to celebrate 2008 - The Year in Film all month long with January's Movie Dearest calendar wallpaper.

Twenty-eight of the best and brightest of this past year are represented — see how many you can name in the comments section below. And for more fun, identify the three stars who show up in the collage twice. Plus, bonus points for whoever names the guy who kinda appears twice.

Just click on the picture above to enlarge it to its 1024 x 768 size, then right click your mouse and select "Set as Background", and you're all set. If you want, you can also save it to your computer and set it up from there, or modify the size in your own photo-editing program if needed.

Favourite Films of 2008

Ah, here we are at the grand exit of 2008. I had fun compiling my Favourite Films list this year. I don't feel the need to whittle it down to 10. I don't call it a 'Best of' as I didn't see all of the films released. I did see a fair amount of films though, getting out to see 90 of the 340 releases which is 26.4% (up from 14.6% in 2007). Of those 90 I saw 25/44 of the Canadian release which is 56.8% (up from 30% in 2007). Yes I keep those numbers. I even have a database for easy peasy querying, fun stuff! Anyhow, 2008 has been one heck of a year.

Just to be clear, the number 340 is the total number of films released in Toronto for at least 1 week theatrically. If you are a fan of lists you can check out all the titles either alphabetically or by release date.

We saw quite the jump in total films from 2007 which had 314 films. I think the two theatres we can thank are The Royal and AMC Yonge & Dundas. How different can the two theatres be? Completely! The Royal is a one screen theatre in Little Italy and the AMC Yonge & Dundas is a 24 screen multiplex in the heart of the city, but both show an impressive amount of Canadian, foreign, acclaimed and indie films. We also continued to see limited releases at the Carlton, Varsity and Bloor theatres. I admit when I want to see something on the big screen I do trek to Scotiabank. Yep, I do. A big shout out and thank you to all of the Toronto theatres for providing us with such an excellent selection of films! Three cheers!

Ok, ok but on to the films, no? I've already discussed the trends in film in 2008 but now it's about the faves! Bring out your faves!

The Good - Solid Entertainment
Hancock
Redbelt
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Sisterhood at the Travelling Pants 2, The
Starting Out in the Evening
Toronto Stories
Wanted
Young People Fucking

The Great - Thought Provoking and/or Beautiful
All Together Now
Amal
Global Metal
How She Move
Mamma Mia!
Planet B-Boy
Then She Found Me
Visitor, The

The Exceptional - Films That Go Above and Beyond!
Ashes of Time Redux
Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns
JCVD
Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in
Man on Wire
My Blueberry Nights
Rachel Getting Married
Son of Rambow
Twilight
Up the Yangtze/ 沿江⽽上

There are also a few great 2008 release that I saw in 2007 and that muddles up my lists a little bit. Here are some more stellar releases: Boy A, Encounters at the End of the World, Flight of the Red Balloon / Le Voyage du ballon rouge, My Winnipeg and SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO.

Surprized I Didn't See:
Ben X, City of Ember, Elegy, London to Brighton, Speed Racer, Youth Without Youth

Weirdest Occurance:
Seeing Postal in the smallest theatre I've ever seen, literally about 60 seats. I was not the only person there though. It was the most outrageous film I've seen this year.

Films that were challenging to make it though:
Savage Grace and Blindness

Favourite Trailers (both Festival films):
MirageMan - Chilean superhero/martial arts movie. Awesome.
The Good, The Bad, The Weird - I've watched this one more times than I can remember. I have huge regret for not seeing it at TIFF. Speaking of festivals....

Festival Madness!
2008 was a fantastic year for Film Festival here in Toronto. I had the opportunity to check out 9 of the 76 festivals in town during 2008. A lot of the festivals it was my first time going, such as when I went to the Toronto Singapore Film Festival which has a fantastic selection of high quality films, and it is only in it's third year! It was easily one of my favourite festivals. The Images Festival had an eclectic line up of films and performance pieces including one of the most intriguing experiences of the year: The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything a live video creation by Tasman Richardson and Kentaro Taki. The quality and selection of films at Hot Docs is astounding, the crowds at Inside Out are lively and the sheer volume and diversity of films at the Worldwide Short Film Festival is enough to make your head spin - in a good way! It was also great to see so much CanCon represented at the Canadian Film Festival.

This leaves us to the fall festivals, which I happily revisited yet again this year. I was one amongst the masses at the Toronto International Film Festival, which is an experience in it of itself where you just lend yourself over to the madness of 10 days of back to back films. I was thrilled to enjoy the superb quality of films, many with the filmmakers in attendance, at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. That leaves us to the one festival that really hit it out of the park and that was the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, which brought us Swedish vampires, Chilean superheroes, organ repossessing undertakers, Japanese bloodbaths and boatloads of fantastic Canadians shorts including zombie curling. It also brings the funnest, frenzedest, zombiest crowd of them all.

More Highlights of 2008:
Here are a few special moments that don't quite fit into either theatrical nor festival settings.
Heroes of the East screening with Gordon Liu in attendance
Thing-Fest 2008: The Thing in 35mm, gallery & memorabilia and a Q&A with Thomas Waites
Getting scared silly at [REC]
Being a judge for the Toronto 48 Hour Film Project in November
Vlogging like mad through festivals

All That and More:
One of the greatest things about 2008 was meeting awesome film lovers, bloggers, online journalists, enthusiasts and festival guru's (you know who you are). Ok ok, stop pulling my rubber arm, I'll name drop! Here we go: Bob, James, Ryan, John, Kurt, Milton, Richard, Greg & Donna, Chris & Polly, Matt, Steven, Andrew, Trista, Sarah, Sarah's Mom, Rob and Adam. Y'all rock!

What were your favourite films and film experiences of 2008?

I will leave you with two entertaining non-film yet very entertaining moving images from 2008:
I Get On (The TTC) - I Put On (For My City) for us in the T.Dot
The Guild web series for all the gamers out there

Three Way Split for the Holiday Weekend Box Office: Canada, North America and UK

The bucks have been banked and it's a total split for first place over the holiday weekend takings. Here in Canada the number one film was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett where as in North America the top dog was Marley & Me and over in the UK it was The Yes Man that took number one in it's first week.

Top 20 Movies in Canada, December 26, 2008 weekend
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Marley & Me
3. Bedtime Stories
4. Valkyrie
5. Yes Man
6. Seven Pounds
7. The Tale of Despereaux
8. Twilight
9. The Day the Earth Stood Still
10. The Spirit
11. Four Christmases
12. Quantum of Solace
13. Doubt
14. Bolt
15. Slumdog Millionaire
16. Le grand départ
17. Babine
18. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
19. Australia
20. Milk

Top 20 Movies in North America, December 26, 2008 weekend
1. Marley & Me
2. Bedtime Stories
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Valkyrie
5. Yes Man
6. Seven Pounds
7. The Tale of Despereaux
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still
9. The Spirit
10. Doubt
11. Four Christmases
12. Twilight
13. Slumdog Millionaire
14. Bolt
15. Gran Torino
16. Milk
17. Quantum of Solace
18. Frost/Nixon
19. Australia
20. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Top 10 Movies in UK, December 26, 2008 weekend
1. Yes Man
2. Bedtime Stories
3. Australia
4. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
5. Twilight
6. The Day the Earth Stood Still
7. Ghajini
8. Inkheart
9. Four Christmases
10. The Tale of Despereaux

Source: Canada & North America info, UK info

Trending Film 2008 - It's More Than Comeback

This year we were a lucky lot to have 340 films released over 366 days (go, leap year, go!). With such a grand number of films, it is no surprize that there were common threads amongst the films. Here are the trends I found to be most interesting or notable in 2008.

The Year of The Vamp
Be they teenage, Swedish or southern, vampires hit the big and small screen in a big way in 2008. Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in, the Swedish vampire film that hit the festival circuit by storm also graced the regular theatres to many filmgoers delight. We also saw the screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's teen romance vampire novel Twilight which exploded in the theatres in November and was such a success that the next book in the series "New Moon" is going ahead to become a film as well. For more vamp fun, the HBO series 'True Blood' made its restless and racy debut on the small screen. Word is, 'True Blood' has been greenlit for season 2. Personally, this is one category where I loved each and every vampy delight.

Comic Book, Superhero and Animated Films Transcend to Legitimacy
Looking back at 2008 it would be amiss to not mention the phenomena that was The Dark Knight. Overall I would say this was the most talked about and most seen mainstream film of the year. It brought people out to the theatre multiple times, set a new precedent from a technological stand point by having action sequences in IMAX format. To top it all off it had one hell of a performance by the late Heath Ledger. It wasn't the only film to make waves though, right from the get go back in June we had across the board acclaim for WALL-E to the point of it breaking out being not only a great animated film but acclaimed to be one of the best film of the year overall. More notable comic book and superhero films from 2008 and the bad boys that are Hancock, Iron Man, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Breaking more walls down in the world of animated film we have the war documentary Waltz with Bashir.

Docs That Rock You
What a year for documentaries. I cried, laughed and cheered my way thought this years fantastic documentary scene. What other year brought us not only one but two documentaries about Antarctica (Encounters at the End of the World and The Last Continent / Le Dernier Continent)? The other documentaries literally rocked out, showcasing artists & performers such as wirewalker Philippe Petit in Man on Wire, Sam Dunn's journey to discover the International heavy metal music scene in Global Metal, breakdancing troupe train and perform in the "Battle of the Year" competition in Planet B-Boy or enjoy time with the iconic Patti Smith in Patti Smith: Dream of Life. We also saw the envelope pushed this year with films that busted through the boundaries of what would be defined as a documentary with the 'docu-fantasia' film My Winnipeg and a rather meta slice of narrative with JCVD. Speaking of JCVD...

The Comebacks Kings (aka the men we secretly never stopped loving)
I don't know anyone who wasn't touched by Jean-Claude Van Damme performance in JCVD, the opening night Midnight Madness film at the Toronto International Film Festival which took people by storm and is one of the few films that was so good I saw it not only at the festival but went again for more at it's theatrical release. Of course the big news of the moment centring on comebacks is all about Mickey Rourke in the recent release of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke is truly astounding in the film, I thought I was seeeing Randy "The Ram" Robinson and not an actor at all. Quite a feat. If you think back to May of this year, you will find that there is one more name to add to this category. The charisma of Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man charmed the socks off of everyone in sight.

And finally, the underlooked trend of 2008:

Plants Gone Wild
Saying no more. That would be telling.

The Latest in Theaters: Last But Not Least

The last two high profile movies of the year — Defiance and Good — have a lot in common. First off, they are both set in World War II-torn Europe. They also star two of our favorite leading men, Daniel Craig and Viggo Mortensen, respectively. Plus, Craig is joined by Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell, while Jason Issacs co-stars opposite Mortensen. Finally, they are both opening this week in limited release, just under the wire in time for award consideration.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

Tune in to TCM: Now That's Entertainment!

It will be all singing, all dancing on Turner Classic Movies this New Year's Eve. The channel celebrates the ringing in of 2009 with a special marathon of all three That's Entertainment! movies, plus That's Dancing! The festivities begin tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST.

And in more Latest on TV news, CBS will broadcast this year's Kennedy Center Honors tonight at 9:00 PM EST. The 2008 honorees, who will be feted by a host of celebrities and entertainers, are acting legend Morgan Freeman, choreographer Twyla Tharp, country singer George Jones, rockers Peter Townshend and Roger Daltrey and the diva herself, Miss Barbra Streisand.

Awards Watch: National Film Registry 2008

You may recall back in June, Movie Dearest ran a poll asking for your votes on which gay-themed movie should be inducted into the National Film Registry this year, and Philadelphia was your choice. Well, the Library of Congress announced today this year's 25 inductees, and alas, the Tom Hanks AIDS drama was not on the list.

However, the NFR's Class of 2008 is not without some queer influences. In addition to the screen version of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and James Whales' The Invisible Man, there's the celluloid closet classic Johnny Guitar, starring Joan Crawford herself and directed by Nicholas Ray. And I suppose you could say Deliverance too ...

Aside from the experimental and amateur works that most people haven't heard of (let alone seen), the NFR's choices for the year (which now brings the total preserved films to an even 500) includes The Asphalt Jungle, A Face in the Crowd, Flower Drum Song, Hallelujah!, The Killers, The Pawnbroker, Sergeant York, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Terminator. See the comments section below for a quick look at all of this year's inductees.

The Latest on DVD: It Takes Two

Bruno Barreto's classic comedy Dona Flor and Her Two Husbandsfinally makes its DVD debut today in its original version. Upon its release in 1976, Dona Flor was the most successful film in Brazilian history, and earned nominations from both the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards.

Sônia Braga stars as Flor, a woman married to a cad (José Wilker) who's good in the sack, but not much else. When he dies unexpectedly, Flor marries a kind but dull pharmacist (Mauro Mendonça) who treats her well ... except in bed. Flor's problem may be solved though when her dead (and nude) first husband begins to haunt her. If this all sounds familiar, Sally Field, James Caan, and Jeff Bridges starred in the Americanized 1982 remake Kiss Me Goodbye.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

My Week in Film

Well here we are with the last Week in Film update for 2008! It's been one heck of a year and I'm still tweaking my favourites lists and thinking of all the awesome films that came out this year.

Once my holiday 'list of things to do' were done, I did get a few chances to make it out to the theatre to sneak in a few more 2008 films. First up was an advance screening of The Spirit, which is the first time in a long time that I've had to do a bag check. Night vision technology was certainly in effect. I wanted to wave to the security folks, but I have a feeling that would have given the wrong impression. The Spirit has a lot of awesome clothes in it for the ladies, and I certainly enjoyed it more than Sin City. The unique visual style wasn't consistent throughout, leaving long spaces of time with nothing but regular visuals which was unexpected. The audience was interesting though, it was like they didn't know how to react to the film, especially the humour. There was one glaring product placement that really turned me off. It made no sense in terms of the films setting or style, making it stick out like a sore thumb.

The very next day I headed back to the theatre to see Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood's latest film which he not only stars in but directs as well. I knew this film may be challenging for me to watch considering the main character is shown to be very racist, something that I can't stand. Overall it was worth it as the film takes a rather unique look at racism and relationships, although I would forewarn you that there are racial slurs rampant throughout the film used in negitive as well as endearing manners.

The last trip to the theatre I found myself at a jam packed, sold out showing of The Wrestler. I'm talking the front freaking row was full. I'm still processing my thoughts on it, it was a good film and Mickey Rourke was exceptional. There is something about it that I can't quite put my finger on yet though, so that is all I will say on it for now.

Other than that I had a Kung Fu Christmas! Last Christmas I decided to snag and watch a bunch of Bruce Lee films and that was a lot of fun so I decided to keep it up. This year the I went with Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection) one of the Bruce Lee films I hadn't yet seen and it was a lot of fun. Great action, strong story and even a sweet romance subplot. Perfect! Next up was The 36th Chamber of Shaolin which I've been waiting ages to see. I picked it up after going to the Heroes of the East screening back in July with Gordon Liu in attendance. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was awesome, it's jam packed with action and has a beautiful story and message as well.

I also caught up with Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless which I forgot I had already seen. Oops. Still a great film, I love the dialogue in particular. Also chilled while watching Out of Sight, I picked it as it was on some top list of something somewhere. Wow, that was articulate. Anyway, it had some good moments with George Clooney & Jennifer Lopez but the story wasn't all that interesting.

How was your week in film?

Film Festivals in Toronto - 2008

We had 76 film festivals in Toronto in 2008. Here is a complete listing of each and every one!

January 2008

No Festivals

February 2008

1st Annual Toronto-Romanian Film Festival
February 1-3, 2008 at Innis Town Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Reel Paddling Film Festival
Presented by The Complete Paddler, showing films on canoeing and kayaking
February 7th, 2008 at The Bloor Cinema, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reel Politik Film Festival
Showcasing political films that address global concerns
February 7 - 9, 2008 at Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility
1 Devonshire Pl, in the Munk Centre South House, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Canadian Art Reel Artists Film Festival
Film festival focusing on film about visual artists
February 21 - 24, 2008 at various locations, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Small Gauge Film Festival
Super 8 and small gauge films
February 22 - 23, 2008 at Trash Palace, 89B Niagara, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

OzFlix Australian Film Weekend
Showcasing Australian features, documentaries and shorts
February 22 - 24, 2008 at Royal Ontario Museum – Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre
100 Queen’s Park Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

March 2008

Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
Human Rights Oriented films including Taxi to the Dark Side, Chop Shop and others
February 28 - March 5, 2008 at various locations, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

University of Toronto Film Festival
Films made by students for students
March 12 - 15, 2008 at Innis Town Hall, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Banff Mountain Film Festival
Celebrating films about mountain adventures
March 14 - 16, 2008 at The Bloor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Queer 2 Fly Film Festival
Celebrating Canadian queer film
March 22 - 23, 2008 at Innis Town Hall, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Canadian Film Fest
Celebrating exclusively Canadian film
March 25 - 29, 2008 with screenings at The Carlton and Varsity, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie Coverage of the 2008 Canadian Film Festival

Female Eye Film Festival
Film festival of film made by women, seen by everyone
March 27 - 30, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

MPENZI: Black Women's International Film & Video Festival
March 28, 2008
Medical Sciences Building Auditorium at the University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cinéfranco
Annual celebration of international Francophone cinema
March 28 - Sunday April 6, 2008 at the Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

April 2008

Reelworld Film Festival
8th annual festival celebrating diversity in film, video, and new media
April 2 - 6, 2008 with screenings at The Carlton and Scotiabank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival
21st annual Images Festival of independent film, video and other time-based media
April 3 - 13, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie Coverage of the 2008 Images Festival

Toronto Singapore Film Festival
3rd annual festival introducing Singapore film to Canadians
April 4 - 6, 2008 at Innis Town Hall, the University of Toronto's St. George campus
Movie Moxie Coverage of the 2008 Toronto Singapore Film Festival

Sprockets
Toronto International Film Festival for Children
April 12 - 18, 2008, at Canada Square in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hot Docs
Canadian International Documentary Film Festival
April 17 - 27, 2008, at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie Coverage of the 2008 Hot Docs

May 2008

Over the Top Fest
Film, music and art festival.
April 30 - May 4, 2008, film screenings at the Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Contact
Toronto Photography Festival
May 1 - 31, 2008
Films on Photography throughout festival at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Jewish Film Festival
May 3 - 11, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ryerson University Film Festival (RUFF)
5th annual presentation of films by the graduating class at Ryerson University
May 8 - 10, 2008 at the Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2nd Annual OCAD Video Festival
I Made This For Class
May 14, 2008 at 7pm at the Bloor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Canadian Sport Film Festival
May 14 - 17, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Inside Out
18th Annual Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
May 15 - 25, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie Coverage of the 2008 Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival

Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival
Spanish language film festival featuring dramas, comedies, and documentaries from Spanish speaking countries
May 15 - 25, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

June 2008

Luminato
Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity
June 6 - 15, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Worldwide Short Film Festival

June 10 - 15, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie coverage of the 2008 Worldwide Short Film Festival

Toronto Italian Film Festival

10th Annual festival presenting films from Italy and the Italian Diaspora

June 11 - 15, 2008 at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

North by Northeast Music and Film Festival & Conference

June 12 - 15, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ReelHeART International Film Festival
The Filmmakers Film Festival
June 16 - 21, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Queer West Film Fest
June 18, 2008 at Good Catch General Store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Bicycle Film Festival
June 18 - 21, 2008 film screenings at the Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Generation D.I.Y. 'anti-festival' film series

June 19 - 22, 2008 at the Bloor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto International Portuguese Film Festival
June 26 - 29, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Parkdale Video + Film Showcase
June 27 - 29, 2008 at various locations in Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
World Tour website, Toronto specific information
June 27 - 29, 2008 at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

July 2008

Beats, Breaks & Culture
Festival of electronic music and culture and events include dance, music, film and more
July 4 - 6, 2008 at Habourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

CaribbeanTales
Fokus Jamaica: A celebration of film and television from Jamaica
July 10 - 13, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mississauga Independent Film Festival
July 10 - 13, 2008 at various locations in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

3D Fest
Classic 3D films
July 11 - 17, 2008 at the Fox Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Masala!Mehndi!Masti!
South Asian Arts festival
July 25 - July 27, 2008, at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

August 2008

Island Soul
Celebration of Caribbean culture
August 1 - August 4, 2008, at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Filmi
South Asian Film Festival
August 13 - 18, 2008 at the Bloor Cinema and the Royal Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Fan Expo
Includes: Comic Book Expo 2008, SFX 2008 Science Fiction Expo, Rue Morgue Festival of Fear Horror Expo, 2008 CNAnime Expo, GX 2008 Gaming Expo
August 22 - 24, 2008 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ashkenaz Festival 2008
A festival of New Yiddish Culture
August 26 - September 1, 2008, films screenings are from Aug 30-Sept 1/08 at the Studio theatre in Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

September 2008

Toronto International Film Festival
September 4 - 13, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie coverage of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto Urban Film Festival
Collection of 1 minute silent films that will be shown on the TTC
September 5 - 12, 2008

Pomegranate Film Festival
September 25 - 28, 2008, at the Armenian Youth Centre, 20 Hallcrown Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Student Shorts Film Festival 2008
September 26- 27, 2008, at The Bloor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Commffest
Community Film Festival
September 26 - 28, 2008, at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Abilities Arts Festival
Disabilities arts organization, promoting inclusiveness and and diversity
Film Forum Schedule
September 27 - October 10, 2008, at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

October 2008

Indie Can Film Festival
Indie Can is a film festival that screens non-judged independent films
October 1 - 5, 2008

Toronto Japanese Short Film Festival
October 7 - 10, 2008 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
Celebrating works of Indigenous peoples from around the world
October 15 - 19, 2008, at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Est Docs
Estonian Documentary Film Festival
October 17 - 24, 2008 at various locations, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto After Dark Film Festival
Horror, Sci-Fi, Action & Cult Film Festival
October 17-24, 2008 at the Bloor Cinema, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie coverage of 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival

Macedonian Film Festival
October 18-19, 2008 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Planet in Focus Film Festival
International Environmental Film and Video Festival
October 22 - 26, 2008 at various locations, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Palestine Film Festival
October 25 - November 1, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

November 2008

Toronto International Latin Film Festival
October 31 - November 8, 2008 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

International Diaspora Film Festival
Selections from a wide spectrum of diverse ethnicities and cultures from Eastern Europe, North Africa, Latin America and Asia.
November 5 - 9, 2008 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Moving Image Film Festival
This is the festivals first year and the focus of the festival is to welcome fusion and clash of different genres and the experimentation of moving images
November 5 - 9, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Regent Park Film Festival
November 5 - 9, 2008 at the Nelson Mandela Public School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Brazilian Film Festival of Toronto
November 6 - 9, 2008 at the Bloor Cinema, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival
Films focusing on mental health and addiction
November 6 - 15, 2008 at Workman Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
November 12 - 16, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Movie Moxie coverage of the 2008 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

Voices Forward
Film & Culture about people from Israel & Palestine
November 12 - 16, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reel Awareness
Human Rights Film Festival
November 13 -16, 2008 at the NFB Cinema , Toronto, Ontario, Canada

New Serbian Film Festival
November 14 - 16, 2008 at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Eh!U European Film Festival
November 16 - 30, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mobifest
made-for-mobile-movies
November 18-25, 2008

aluCine
Toronto Latin Media Festival
November 20 - 29, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Breast Fest
The World's First Breast Cancer Film Festival
November 21 - 22, 2008 at the ROM in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

December 2008

No Festivals

Cinematic Crush: Montgomery Clift

Crush object: Montgomery Clift, actor.

- Beginning his career on the stage, he "trod the boards" on Broadway for ten years, including starring in the original productions of The Skin of Our Teeth and Our Town.

- Hollywood called, and he made his debut in The Search in 1948, earning him his first of four Academy Award nominations. Later that same year, he co-starred in the western classic Red River.

- Following The Heiress, he played George Eastman in A Place in the Sun and Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt in From Here to Eternity, resulting in his next two Oscar nods.

- During the filming of Raintree Country, he was involved in a car accident that would change his looks and his life. But he continued to work, starring in Lonelyhearts, The Young Lions, Suddenly, Last Summer, Wild River and The Misfits.

- His last Oscar nomination came for his riveting 12-minute performance in Judgment at Nuremberg. He did two more films — Freud and The Defector — prior to his tragic, untimely death in 1966 at age 46.

See more pictures of Montgomery Clift in The Back Room (NSFW).

Shop for Montgomery Clift movies, books and more at Amazon.com.

The 2008 Film that *You* Are Looking Forward To: Poll Results

The results are in and it's.... a tie! The 2008 film that people are most looking forward to is either The Curious Case of Benjaming Button or Gran Torino (both at 26%). Ironically taking in next place is The Wrestler at 21%. After that the pickings get a little slim with Marley & Me (8%), followed by The Spirit and Revolutionary Road (bumped to 2009 release) at 4%.

Other than that, 8% are already done with 2008.

Here are the hard numbers:

26% The Curious Case of Benjaming Button
26% Gran Torino
21% Wrestler, The
8% Marley & Me
8% None, I'm done with 2008!
4% Revolutionary Road
4% The Spirit

Thanks for voting! Be sure to check out the current poll on the right hand side of the page.

2008 Releases by Release Date

Total number of films released in Toronto during 2008: 341
Click here to see alphabetical list of titles only

Friday January 4, 2008
One Missed Call
There Will Be Blood
Youth Without Youth

Friday January 11, 2008
First Sunday
For the Bible Tells Me So
Imitation
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Persepolis
Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie, The

Friday January 18, 2008
27 Dresses
Cloverfield
Kurt Cobain: About a Son
Mad Money
Starting Out in the Evening
Steep

Friday January 25, 2008
All Hat
How She Move
Meet the Spartans
Rambo
Rape of Europa, The
Still Life / Sanxia haoren
They Wait
U2 3D
Untraceable
Waiter / Ober

Friday February 1, 2008
Eye, The
Hannah Montana & Mily Cyrus: Best of Both World's Tour
Honeydripper
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
Love and Other Dilemmas
Over Her Dead Body
Strange Wilderness

Friday February 8, 2008
Fool's Gold
In Bruges
Normal
Up the Yangtze/ 沿江⽽上
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Wednesday February 13, 2008
Winter Tale, A

Thursday February 14, 2008
Definitely, Maybe
Jumper
Spiderwick Chronicles, The
Step Up 2 the Streets

Friday February 15, 2008
Ants, The / Ari no heitai
Band's Visit, The
Diary of the Dead, George A. Romero's
Garbage Warrior
Jodhaa Akbar

Friday February 22, 2008
Be Kind Rewind
Caramel / Sukkar banat
Charlie Bartlett
Taxi to the Darkside
Vantage Point
War Dance

Friday February 29, 2008
City of Men / Cidade dos Homens
Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns
Counterfeiters, The / Die Fälscher
Other Boleyn Girl, The
Penelope
Semi-Pro
Viva

Friday March 7, 2008
10,000 B.C.
Bank Job, The
College Road Trip
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Friday March 14, 2008
CJ7 / Cheung Gong 7 hou
Doomsday
Funny Games / Funny Games U.S.
Horton Hears a Who!, Dr. Seuss’
Never Back Down
Sleepwalking

Thursday March 20, 2008
Duchess of Langeais, The / Ne touchez pas la hache
Paranoid Park

Friday March 21, 2008
Days of Darkness / L'Âge des ténèbres
Drillbit Taylor
Grand, The
Married Life
Meet the Browns, Tyler Perry's
Shutter
Snow Angels

Friday March 28, 2008
21
Run Fat Boy Run
Stop-Loss
Superhero Movie
Year My Parents Went on Vacation, The / O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias

Friday April 4, 2008
Kenny
Leatherheads
Nim's Island
Ruins, The
Sex and Death 101
Shine a Light
Under the Same Moon / La Misma luna

Friday April 11, 2008
Bella
Chaos Theory
Persepolis (dubbed in English)
Prom Night
Smart People
Street Kings

Friday April 18, 2008
88 Minutes
Ben X
Emotional Arithmetic
Forbidden Kingdom, The
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
London to Brighton
Young @ Heart

Friday April 25, 2008
Baby Mama
Deception
Forgotten Woman, The
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
It's a Free World
Singing Revolution, The / Laulev revolutsioon
Then She Found Me
Visitor, The
War, Inc.

Friday May 2, 2008
Fugitive Pieces
Iron Man
Made of Honor
Standard Operating Procedure

Friday May 9, 2008
Babysitters, The
My Blueberry Nights
Previous Engagement, A
Redbelt
Son of Rambow
Speed Racer
Stone Angel, The
Unknown Woman, The / La Sconosciuta
What Happens in Vegas

Friday May 16, 2008
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
Flight of the Red Balloon / Voyage du ballon rouge, Le
S&M: Short and Male
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden

Thursday May 22, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Friday May 23, 2008
Edge of Heaven, The / Auf der anderen Seite
Postal
This Beautiful City

Friday May 30, 2008
Mister Lonely
Planet B-Boy
Sex and the City
Strangers, The

Friday June 6, 2008
Children of Huang Shi, The
Finn's Girl
Go-Getter, The
Kung Fu Panda
Mongol
My Brother is an Only Child / Mio fratello è figlio unico
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Sarkar Raj

Friday June 13, 2008
Dasavatharam
Foot Fist Way, The
Happening, The
Incredible Hulk, The
Irina Palm
When Did You Last See Your Father?
Young People Fucking

Friday June 20, 2008
Before the Rains
Family Motel
Get Smart
Global Metal
Love Guru, The
My Winnipeg

Friday June 27, 2008
Encounters at the End of the World
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Promotion, The
WALL-E
Wanted

Wednesday July 2, 2008
Hancock

Friday July 4, 2008
Brick Lane
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Savage Grace

Friday July 11, 2008
4th Life, The
Alice's House / A Casa de Alice
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Journey to the Centre of the Earth 3-D
Meet Dave
Silent Light / Stellet licht
Wackness, The

Friday July 18, 2008
Dark Knight, The
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Jihad for Love, A
Mamma Mia!
Space Chimps
Stuck

Friday July 25, 2008
Brideshead Revisited
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Just Buried
Last Mistress, The / Une vieille maîtresse
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Step Brothers
X-Files: I Want to Believe, The

Friday August 1, 2008
American Teen
Closing the Ring
Last Continent, The / Le Dernier Continent
Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The
Swing Vote
World According to Monsanto, The / Le Monde selon Monsanto

Wednesday August 6, 2008
Bottle Shock
Pineapple Express
Sisterhood at the Travelling Pants 2, The

Friday August 8, 2008
Amal
Baghead
Jellyfish / Meduzot
Man on Wire
Singh is Kinng

Wednesday August 13, 2008
Tropic Thunder

Friday August 15, 2008
Fly Me to the Moon
Mirrors
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris
Tkaronto
Vicky Cristine Barcelona

Wednesday August 20, 2008
Rocker, The

Friday August 22, 2008
Beaufort / Bufor
Boy A
Death Race
Elegy
Frozen River
Hamlet 2
Henry Poole Is Here
House Bunny, The
Longshots, The
Tuya's Marriage / Tuya de hun shi

Friday August 29, 2008
Babylon A.D.
College
Disaster Movie
Goal II: Living the Dream
Outsourced
Traitor

Friday September 5, 2008
Bangkok Dangerous

Friday September 12, 2008
Burn After Reading
Family That Preys, Tyler Perry The
Righteous Kill
Women, The

Friday September 19, 2008
Appaloosa
Duchess, The
Ghost Town
I Served the King of England / Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále
Igor
Lakeview Terrance
My Best Friends Girl
SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO

Friday September 26, 2008
Choke
Eagle Eye
Lucky Ones, The
Miracle at St. Anna
Nights at Rodanthe
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Shoot on Sight
Tell No One / Ne le dis à personne

Friday October 3, 2008
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Blindness
Drona
Flash of Genius
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Rachel Getting Married
Religulous
Secret of the Grain, The / La Graine et le mulet

Wednesday October 8, 2008
RocknRolla

Friday October 10, 2008
All Together Now
American Carol, An
Body of Lies
City of Ember
Express, The
Quarantine

Friday October 17, 2008
Battle in Seattle
Flow: For Love of Water
Happy-Go-Lucky
Max Payne
Morning Light
Passchendaele
Sex Drive
The Secret Life of Bees
W.

Friday October 24, 2008
Changeling
Heaven on Earth
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
I.O.U.S.A.
Passengers
Pride and Glory
Saw V
Tiger's Tale, The
Towelhead / Nothing is Private
Who is KK Downey?

Friday October 31, 2008
Ashes of Time Redux
Filth and Wisdom
Haunting of Molly Hartley, The
Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in
Made in Jamaica
Other End of the Line, The
What Just Happened?
Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Friday November 7, 2008
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The
I've Loved You So Long / Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Real Time
Role Models
Soul Men
Synecdoche, New York
Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma
World Unseen, The

Wednesday November 12, 2008
Slumdog Millionaire

Friday November 14, 2008
Died Young, Stayed Pretty
JCVD
Quantum of Solace

Friday November 21, 2008
Ballast
Bolt
Growing Op
I Can't Think Straight
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Twilight

Wednesday November 26, 2008
Australia
Four Christmases
Milk
Transporter 3

Friday November 28, 2008
Christmas Tale, A / Un conte de Noël
Killer, The / Le Tueur
Restless

Friday December 5, 2008
Adam's Wall
Down in the Dirt
Frost/Nixon
Nobel Son
Punisher: War Zone
Touch of Spice, A / Politiki kouzina

Friday December 12, 2008
Canvas
Day the Earth Stood Still, The
Delgo
Doubt
Nothing Like the Holidays
Reader, The
Toronto Stories

Friday December 19, 2008
Gran Torino
Seven Pounds
Tale of Despereaux, The
Yes Man

Thursday December 25, 2008
Bedtime Stories
Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The
Ghajini
Marley & Me
Spirit, The
Valkyrie
Wrestler, The

Friday December 26, 2008
Waltz with Bashir

Please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada throughout 2008

Reel Thoughts: Nazis, Nazis Everywhere!

No fewer than seven films out now feature Holocaust or Nazi atrocities, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Defiance, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and now Valkyrie and The Reader.

Despite all the negative publicity surrounding Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, Bryan Singer’s film manages to be a taut history lesson about a group of Germans who conspired to kill Hitler. Cruise plays Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg, whose love of Germany brought on a hatred of Hitler and the Nazis. The supporting cast, playing men who aided or tried to stop the plot to kill der Fuhrer, includes wonderful performers like Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Bill Nighy and Eddie Izzard.

History buffs already know about this plot to take down the Nazis, and I was familiar enough with it (as is everyone who knows what happened in Hitler’s bunker) to know how it turns out, but it was still enthralling to watch how the event unfolded. Cruise handles himself well, never seeming like a little boy playing dress-up, while his British costars give uniformly excellent performances. If you enjoy espionage films done with Singer’s particular flair, you might want to take a ride to Valkyrie.

Based on the acclaimed novel, The Reader features Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet in an Oscar-worthy performance, as well as an extraordinary young man named David Kross. Kross plays Michael, Fiennes’ younger self, a fifteen year-old German schoolboy who falls in love with an enigmatic transit worker (Winslet). The two have a passionate affair, augmented by the woman’s constant desire to have the boy read to her. Years later, Michael is studying law and is shocked to find Hannah (Winslet) the main defendant in the trial he’s studying. How do you reconcile loving a person who is capable of inhuman acts? How do new generations of Germans overcome the horrors their elders allowed to happen?


The Reader has a wonderfully literate script by playwright David Hare and director Stephen Daldry does a wonderful job of keeping his audience off balance. Winslet, more so than in the depressing Revolutionary Road, gives a frighteningly complex performance, as a woman who committed vile acts in the name of honor and yet is sympathetic. Kross is engrossing as he portrays Michael’s sexual awakening and schoolboy heartbreak. Fiennes is given less showy work to do, and yet manages to explain with his performance what kind of a man Michael became. He is shut-off and distant, but finds himself forced to confront buried feelings.

The Reader is one of the best films of the year, and I think it will affect you profoundly if you let it.

UPDATE: The Reader and Valkyrieare now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Film Art: Samuel L. Jackson Edition

Wow, it's true ... he is in every movie.

"Bad Mutha Wizard", acrylic painting by Dave MacDowall.

In Memoriam, 2008

With 2008 coming to a close, it is time to take a look back at those we have lost in the past year. And, as always, Turner Classic Movies presents a classy, moving tribute to the many and varied talents whose work on the silver screen will always be cherished.

Reel Thoughts: Button It

If you ask yourself who directed Brad Pitt’s new film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher wouldn’t be the first name on anyone’s lips. The sprawling, melancholy tale of a man who ages backwards over seventy years looks and feels like something Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard or even Robert Zemeckis could have directed.

It is a moving and meditative story about a man who craves affection his whole life, but is dealt such a perverse hand by fate that it is virtually impossible for him to find lifelong love and happiness. At the same time, his warm and positive spirit makes a profound impact on everyone he meets. It doesn’t hurt that he looks like Brad Pitt for a lot of the film, either.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie full of magical scenes and performances that only drags in the middle of its 167-minute length. Benjamin Button was born on Armistice Day, 1918, to a mother who died in childbirth and a father who was so repulsed by the shriveled, ancient looking baby, he abandoned him on a stranger’s steps. Queenie (played the amazing Taraji P. Henson), who runs an old folk’s home in New Orleans, becomes his surrogate mother and gives him a loving foundation for the rest of his life.

One day, Benjamin meets a girl named Daisy (first played by Elle Fanning and then Cate Blanchett), and they form a lifelong bond, even when apart. Pitt gives a great performance, especially early on, through his affair with Tilda Swinton as a lonely diplomat’s wife. Blanchett is even more amazing, playing her character at all stages from youthful narcissism to end of life clarity, and she deserves an Oscar nomination.


Fincher has created a breathtakingly beautiful film, and is ably assisted by composer Alexandre Desplat, whose gorgeous score elevates every scene and deserves to win the Academy Award. Toward the middle of the film, when Benjamin goes out to find himself, the momentum lags and I found myself wondering, “How many years are left until we’re back in Hurricane Katrina-whipped Louisiana?” (where the story’s framing device takes place). The last portion of the film, featuring Blanchett’s finest work, is almost beyond sad but a very satisfying movie-going experience.

I don’t feel that the film gave enough justification for being set during Katrina, and its episodic nature sometimes felt like a less-contrived Forrest Gump, which isn’t surprising since Eric Roth wrote the screenplays for both. Still, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a haunting cinematic experience that is equal parts romance and wistfulness. Its lasting message is to enjoy every wonderful moment life gives you and not to settle for less.

UPDATE: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.