Hot Docs 2009 Day 1 - Thursday April 30, 2009

And so it begins! How unfortunately appropriate that the opening night film, Act of God, is about lightning and the zany Toronto weather chimes in to play along giving us a rainy night? I luckily swung by the Wintergarden earlier in the day, hence the rainless photo above.

If you haven't purchased tickets yet for screenings, or are looking to fill up your Hot Docs schedule have a look at the ticketing info to find out availability or to purchase tickets . Many screening are already rush only. Looking for definition of rush and more info? Check out the box office FAQ.

Act of God
Dir: Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes)
Canada, 2009

The festival opens not with a bang but a flash - of lightning. Jennifer Baichwal's Act of God explores the effect of lightning, specifically the emotional impact it has on people. During the film we travel all over the world from home here in Ontario to France to Cuba and beyond, to hear the stories of lightning encounters and how they changed the people involved.

As the film travels the globe, it is amazing to see how cultural tendencies can explain, release or heighten the potency of the experience of the lightning encounter. Is it a way to connect, literally or spiritually? Is it an encounter to cherish, or to fear - or both?

From the title alone you can imagine that it does question whether the lightning encounters are a sign from a or the God? Although this religious angle was presented, I appreciated that it was open enough that different kinds of believers, including non believers, were given presented opinions to react to and resonate with. The amazing achievement here is the film has a way of including different perspectives and places enough information that you can connect to the stories but never makes the viewer feel excluded if they feel differently. Quite an feat when dealing with the spirituality, I was very impressed.

The stories of the people who have had lightning encounters are captivating but also often sad as we can see just how powerful this force of nature is. The footage of lightning itself if phenomenal, seeing the intensity and power of nature at work does make you wonder how it is even possible for a force that strong can exist on this planet. The people it leaves behind are forever changed, for better or worse but never indifferent. The moment that lightning strikes has effects that last a lifetime.



Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival runs from April 30- May 10, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Film Reviews - Norway

Arn: The Knight Templar *
Big John / BLOD & ÆRE
Dead Snow / Død snø
Deliver Us From Evil / Fri os fra det onde *
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The / Män som hatar kvinnor *
Hunting Down Memory / Jakten På Hukommelsen
Imagining Emanuel
Man Who Loved Yngve, The

*indicates co-production

Back to Countries List

Film Reviews - Vampire

30 Days of Night
Black Sunday / La maschera del demonio
Blade
Blade II
Blade: Trinity
Bleeding, The (2009)
Blood & Donuts
Bloodrayne
Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor
Daybreakers
Dracula (1931)
Dracula, Bram Stoker's (1992)
Interview with the Vampire
Let Me In

Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in
Lost Boys, The
Martin
Near Dark
Netherbeast Incorporated
Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979)
Priest (2011)
Queen of the Damned
Rabid
Revenant, The
Shadow of the Vampire
Strigoi
Thirst / Bakjwi
Twilight
Twilight Saga: New Moon, The
Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The
Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl / Kyûketsu Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken
Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Grey
Yanggaw

Back to Genre List

Monthly Wallpaper - May 2009: Animal Actors

With the Calendar Wallpaper for the month of May, Movie Dearest is going to the dogs ... and lions and yearlings and bears, oh my!

That's right, it's a salute to our favorite Animal Actors, including stars both canine (Toto, Asta, Lassie and Old Yeller), equine (the Black and the Pie) and porcine (Babe), plus a whole slew of penguins and even a whale named Willy.

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.

Women We Love: Dixie Carter

This is the first in a four-part salute to the Designing Women We Love, the first season of which finally makes its DVD debutMay 26:

Object of our affection: Dixie Carter, actress.

- Her career began in New York, on the Broadway stage with the musicals Sextet and Pal Joey and on the daytime soap operas One Life to Live and The Edge of Night.

- Primetime called, and she answered by co-starring in such sitcoms as Diff'rent Strokes and Filthy Rich; the latter was created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, which led to Carter's most famous role, that of the strong-willed and outspoken Miss Julia Sugarbaker on our beloved Designing Women.

- Subsequently, she has appeared in the series Ladies Man, Family Law and, in an Emmy Award nominated performance, Desperate Housewives, which was created by Marc Cherry, her former assistant on the set of Designing Women.

- Back on Broadway, she played Maria Callas in Master Class and Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

- Most recently, she co-starred with her husband Hal Holbrook in the film That Evening Sun, which won a special jury prize for its ensemble cast at the SXSW Film Festival.

Favourite Film Characters

I'm a little late to this party of celebrating Favourite Film Characters, but it's such a great topic I couldn't resist playing along. I had a lot of fun coming up with these lists and met with some interesting challenges along the way, such as differentiating characters from performances. One of the most interesting realizations was that often I would pick a man and a woman from the same film, but only once was it a couple and even then they were rarely seen on screen together.

Thank you Trista for tagging me, Film Squish for starting the madness, and also to Bob and Piper whose lists both reminded me to get this out in the world! Here we go.

The Men
Bucking with tradition, I'm gonna let the men go first here. The one challenge I found was needing to resist picking anything and everything from my favourite actors, just because I love them. I had to think long and hard about which characters shone through and why. There certainly were surprizes along the way, in particular to repeating characteristics.

Geser
From: Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor & Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor
Played By: Vladimir Menshov

Quote: "Every Night Watch officers must be proficient in combat. I don't need my people dying or killing anyone else"

The patriarch of the Night Watch, a organization of psychics, seers, shapeshifters and the like who have chosen the way of the light and to watch those who have chosen the dark. Powerful, wise, seasoned and can heal in a pinch. Can we say, awesome? Yes we can.

Bud
From: The Abyss
Played by Ed Harris

Quote: “When it comes to the safety of these people, there's me and then there's God, understand?”

As the head of an underwater oil rig, Bud is one tough cookie. He's got a job to do and a team that will get it done, but a character that can often be portrayed as a shouting, non-caring, all-for-the-money guy we instead get a strong leader and a loyal friend who is just as happy working along side his crew as he is taking charge. For those that know anything of the tarot, I remember my sister Jamie once describing Bud as the King of Cups which is absolutely perfect. Strong, yet caring - not something that is we see successfully done in film. Thankfully Ed Harris brought this to life beautifully.

Maximus
From: Gladiator
Played by Russell Crowe

Quote “I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light.”

Not only is Maximus the definition of Alpha, what is more than that is he maintains his dignity through exceptional circumstances. Plus, he can kick ass.

Léon
From: The Professional / Léon
Played by Jean Reno

Quote: “No discussion.”
Yes, that is an actual quote.

Ah, Léon. Who knew a professional killer could be so kind? And so naive? A character as complex as he is simple, you have to admire his skill, adept intuition and how the blinders are kept completely on.

Scott Hastings
From: Strictly Ballroom
Played by Paul Mercurio

Quote: “I'm just asking you what you think of the steps.”

So, Scott isn't really the nicest of the bunch - but he can dance up a storm and learn more than just new steps. As an outsider of insiders, you just have to cheer for him.

Mirageman
From: Mirageman
Played by Marko Zaror

Quote – ah, Mirageman doesn’t say much

Vigilante with a heart of gold, Mirageman fights evil in a unique and not-always-adept take at crime fighting.

Bors
From: King Arthur
Played by Ray Winstone

Quote “Of course I'm coming! Can't let you go on your own, you're gonna get killed.”

Tough call here, I could have just as easily picked Tristan (played by Mads Mikkelsen) or Dagonet (played by Ray Stevenson), or any of the cast of the 2004 King Arthur. But there is something about Bors that rocks. He can be rude and rash but he always speaks his mind and gets the job done.

John Lee
From: The Replacement Killers
Played by Chow Yun Fat

Quote: “You're safer with me”

I didn't think I would have any hit men on my list, let alone two of them. Skilled, deadpan, cold but with a conscience. Gets me every time.

The Big Kahuna
From: Gidget
Played by: Cliff Robertson

Quote: "Don't you ever give up?"

Kahuna is that guy that everyone looks up to. He's relaxed and accepting, which always gives a calming and cool atmosphere.

Morpheus
From: The Matrix
Played by: Laurence Fishburne

Quote: “What was said was for you, and you alone”

Morpheus represents complete and utter devotion to the quest. He believes, and the power of belief is an amazing thing.

Gabriel
From: Constantine
Played by Tilda Swinton

Quote: “You chose a higher path. Look how well you're doing!”

Ah, Gabriel. Truthteller or naysayer? Someone you aren't ever sure if you really want them around but they always have something important to say, but will you listen to them? Perhaps, or perhaps not.

Hagrid
From: Harry Potter films
Played by Robbie Coltrane

Quote: “I shouldn't have said that. No more questions, don't ask anymore questions!”

How can you not love Hagrid? Bumbling, well-intentioned and sweet as all get out even if he isn't the best wizard or even qualifies as a wizard. He wears his heart on his sleeve, knows how to take care of any creature and doesn't judge anyone (or thing) on how they look. Gotta love him.

The Women
The women fall into completely different categories than the men in terms of favourites. There are the those that would be great to be and those that would be fantastic to be around. There are also a few that are a little volitile but one thing is for certain, they are all women you'd want to have on your side.

One challenge here was that there are more great female characters I considered included, like Ripley from Aliens or Sarah Connor from Terminator but I decided against it as they are characters that went through extreme circumstances and therefore in a different life than the one intended for them. Not wanting to have this be an influence, I decided to go with characters that chose their path, as opposed to make the most of what they ended up with.

Watts
From: Some Kind of Wonderful
Played by: Mary Stuart Masterson

Quote: “Ray, this is 1987. Did you know a girl can be whatever she wants to be?”
and “You want shallow, call Amanda Jones.”

Watts is likely the first female character I wanted to be. A tomboy, a drummer, a tough chick all around. I just never understood what the heck she saw in that Keith dude.

Eowyn
From: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Played by: Miranda Otto

Quote: “The women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain.”

I love the bravery of Eowyn, and how she doesn't give in to fear. Love her character, in the films and the books as well.

Morgana
From: Excalibur
Played by Helen Mirren

Quote: “A nal nath rath, Uth as dey ta, Doth yen pen dray”

Morgana is power hungry, mischevious and shify. She's definitely a troublemaker but you have to admire her drive, craftiness and skill.

Fry
From: Pitch Black
Played by: Radha Mitchell

Quote: “I’m not your captain”

Fry certainly isn't flawless, but that is what makes her so fantastic. Vocal, brave and sometimes rash she's a real 'feel the fear and do it anyway' kinda character.

Mrs. Weasley
From: Harry Potter films
Played by: Julie Walters

Quote: “How about a spot of breakfast?”

If I had to choose any house to live in out of all the fictional worlds it would be the Weasleys. Sure it's no mansion with too many people and craziness but there is always an underlying abundance hidden there and at the centre of it is Mrs. Weasley keeping it all together. Besides, who else would make you a monogrammed sweater Christmas?

Tank Girl
From: Tank Girl
Played by: Lori Petty

Quotes: “Well, that’s a bore!” “It’s been swell but the swellings gone down” “Look at the sheer size of it” “I won”

Tank Girl is possibly the coolest character in the world. She dives in, never gives up and has a good time pretty much anywhere. Plus... great clothes.

Trinity
From: The Matrix
Played by: Carrie-Anne Moss

Quote: “Are there any agents? Goddammit”

Trinity is another one of the characters that is cooler than cool. A multifaceted fighter that kicks butt, online and off. Disclaimer on this one though, I'd have to limit it only the first of the Matrix films.

Vasquez
From: Aliens
Played by: Jenette Goldstein

Quote: “Look, man. I only need to know one thing: where they are.”

The definition of the tough chick, Vasquez kicks a whole lotta butt. Strong, loyal and with a singular vision. I find her character very inspirational, the very definition of 'you can be anything you want to be'.

Selene
From: Underworld
Played by: Kate Beckinsale

Quote: "For those like me, the death dealers, they signal the end of an era. Like weapons of the previous century we too had become obsolete. Pity, because I live for it."

Fearless. Woman. Warrior. Vampire. Selene rocks.

Gidget
From: Gidget
Played by: Sandra Dee

Quote: “All I want to do is surf. That's all."

The enthusiasm and openness of Gidget make her irresistable. She really does go headstrong into getting what she wants and she always believes she'll get it. Imagine that!

Olga
From: Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor & Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor
Played by: Galina Tyunina

Quote: "Nice vampire you've got there"

Wise, assured and unusual, Olga is one powerful woman. She has a powerful calmness and confidence that I don't find we often see in female characters, at least not often enough.

Bridgitte
From: Ginger Snaps
Played by: Emily Perkins

Quote: "United against life as we know it.”

The bond of sisterhood between Emily and Ginger in Ginger Snaps is so strong. Even though the film is a crazy horror film, it really captures how far sisters will to go help each other.

Abigail Whistler
From: Blade: Trinity
Played by Jessica Biel

Quote: "I brought you toys"

What I love about Abigail character in Blade: Trinity is that her physical prowness and strength is never questioned. Never.

Serafina Pekkala
From: The Golden Compass
Played by: Eva Green

Quote: "There are many universes and many Earths parallel to each other. Worlds like yours, where people's souls live inside their bodies, and worlds like mine, where they walk beside us, as animal spirits we call daemons."

I cried a little in The Golden Compass when Serafina Pekkala came on the screen. Oh, what I would give to have been a kid growing up with films with characters like her, powerful, wise, kind and she's a witch. I don't think it gets better than that. Beautiful.

So those are my selections for favourite characters. Continuing with bucking tradition of tagging anyone, I've decided to share some lists of others I've found along with way: Do You Have a Flag?, Film Crack, Cinema Fist and Ferdy on Film, etc. There are a couple fellow rule breakers as well: The Dancing Image and Film of the Year. Please feel free to play along!

Who is Obsessed? Not Canucks who turn to 17, nor UK who takes it to the State: Canadian, North American & UK Box Office April 24, 2009 Weekend

It's another three way split at the box office for the April 24, 2009. Here in Canada the top film for the second week in a row is 17 Again, whereas the UK turns to the BBC series turned film State of Play and North America gets Obsessed. It's nice to see that the enviro-doc earth debuted in the top 5 in both Canada and North America, Fighting chimes in at #3 and The Soloist is not far behind. The UK top ten has include their debuts of The Uninvited and Observe and Report.

Top 20 Movies in Canada for the April 24, 2009 weekend
1. 17 Again
2. Obsessed *
3. Fighting *
4. earth *
5. Monsters vs. Aliens
6. Hannah Montana: The Movie
7. State of Play
8. Fast & Furious
9. The Soloist *
10. Crank: High Voltage
11. I Love You, Man
12. Knowing
13. Observe and Report
14. Met Opera: La Sonnambula *
15. Adventureland
16. The Haunting in Connecticut
17. Duplicity
18. Dragonball: Evolution
19. Tera Mera Ki Rishta
20. Sunshine Cleaning

Top 20 Movies in North America for the April 24, 2009 weekend
1. Obsessed *
2. 17 Again
3. Fighting *
4. The Soloist *
5. earth *
6. Monsters vs. Aliens
7. State of Play
8. Hannah Montana: The Movie
9. Fast & Furious
10. Crank: High Voltage
11. I Love You, Man
12. Knowing
13. Observe and Report
14. The Haunting in Connecticut
15. Sunshine Cleaning
16. Adventureland
17. Duplicity
18. Race to Witch Mountain
19. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
20. Taken

Top 10 Movies in the UK for the April 24, 2009 weekend
1. State of Play *
2. Monsters vs Aliens
3. Fast & Furious
4. 17 Again
5. I Love You, Man
6. In the Loop
7. The Uninvited *
8. Observe and Report *
9. Race to Witch Mountain
10. The Boat That Rocked

* indicates opening weekend in noted location, red text indicates Canadian film release

Source: Canada & North America info, UK info

Reverend’s Reviews: A G’day for Surfing!

Hottie Australian surfers dominate Newcastle (opening in limited release this Friday), a stunningly photographed, well-acted coming of age tale set among the beaches and waves of the port city that lies north of Sydney. Here, 17-year old Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) yearns to win the Junior Surf Pro final and get out from under the shadow of his older brother. Similarly, Jesse’s fraternal twin brother, Fergus (the cute Xavier Samuels), is out to prove himself … and perhaps find first love with another guy, Jesse’s friend Andy.

I saw Newcastle during last summer’s Outfest in LA, and was immediately overwhelmed by how gorgeous the movie is. The underwater camera work during the surfing sequences is amazing, truly putting viewers in the midst of the action. Also, first-time feature writer-director Dan Castle (click here for my interview with him) revels in the unabashedly sexy bodies of his cast members. Newcastle should not to be missed by anyone into surfing and/or beautiful young men.

UPDATE: Newcastle is now available on DVDfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 02: Character Introductions

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 02 is up!

Head on over to Before the Dawn to check out Marina & I's favourite character introductions in both the book and film of Twilight. We also discuss recent news on the upcoming films The Twilight Saga: New Moon & Eclipse and various projects the current cast is involved in.

Star Trek: Insurrection

Dir: Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: First Contact)
Regular Cast: Patrick Stuart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis
Additional Cast: Donna Murphy, F. Murray Abraham, Anthony Zerbe, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Gregg Henry, Michael Welch
USA, 1998

Originally Seen: Like Star Trek: First Contact, this one I first saw from rented it on VHS. 1998 was just before I started getting back into film again, so I wasn't at the theatre much.

Revisited: April 19, 2009

Reason to Revisit: For the Countdown to Star Trek Movie Marathon

I went into revisiting Star Trek: Insurrection thinking it's one of the better films and that I enjoyed it. Then from scene to scene I realized I knew almost every line, every joke, every ditty and every catch phrase. And there are a lot of them. It's strange, as I know I have it kicking around on tape somewhere but I don't remember watching it all that often. It's possible that since it came out when I was an adult that the memories are clearer that that of films like The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country which I first saw as a kid. It made for an odd, but definitely fond, re-watching experience.

The time line that Star Trek: Insurrection is set in is a darker period of the Star Trek universe, one that is inferred to but creatively offset in Star Trek: First Contact, and in Insurrection they have a brilliant way of incorporating the light along with the dark. Although the film certainly has a fair share of action, adventure and cool effects it also works in bringing ideas and ideals to light in a time of conflict which in turn presents a moral struggle. For me, this was a perfect blend of bringing together many different aspects of the Star Trek world together from the action, comedy and camaraderie but also a question to ponder - all in one film sized portion. The crew certainly gets a chance to be a bit more jovial then we usually see in the films, which sometimes works better than others but is an huge improvement over Generations and a nice return from the darker side of First Contact. Donna Murphy is a lovely addition to the film as a part of the supporting cast playing the wise and calm Anij. All in all, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to putting Insurrection back in the regular rotation of films to enjoy over and over again.

Worf, again, steals any scene he is in no matter how briefly. How does he do it? It's a Klingon mystery.

Post film freak out moment: Artim, the kid that befriends Data, is played by Michael Welch whose recent film credits include playing Mike Newton in Twilight. I try not to think about how Insurrection was released when I was in college (the first time).

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, a lot
I'll watch it again
I recommend it to Star Trek fans from casual to die-hard

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

New Moon Monday: Wolf Pack, ET Coverage and Eclipse Director Revealed

Well it's another New Moon Monday here, let's have a look at what new information has been released about upcoming Twilight Saga.

Wolf Pack Pictures
Finally we get the first photo image released to promote The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I found the image first over at USA Today, but you can see it in a larger format at Twilighters Anonymous.

The Wolf Pack picture features from left to right Alex Meraz as Paul, Chaske Spencer as Sam, Bronson Pelletier as Jared and Kiowa Gordon as Embry. Notice anyone missing?

The only previous image we've seen is the title of the film. Notice that both wolf pack & title image embrace a warmer and golden pallette. This is a major change from the colour story of Twilight which was very pale and focused on whites and tints green, grey and blue. It will be interesting to see if this warmer pallette persists for all the imagery or if we will get multiple colour stories for the different character groups.

ET spots
Last week there were two days where ET had New Moon coverage including being on the set and interviews with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and very briefly a moment with director Chris Weisz. Overall, it's only about 6 minutes of coverage from 2 shows and doesn't give us a whole lot to chew. But it's still a first glimpse which is exciting nonetheless. For the spoiler sensitive, take note that the content of the film is discussed as well as creative solutions to the "how will the film that??" moments from the book.

April 23/09 Clip 1 (1m 49s), Clip 2 (2m 10s)
April 24/09 Clip 1 (1m 50m)

Eclipse director confirmed: David Slade
Summit Entertainment has confirmed that the third film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, will be directed by David Slade. There have been rumours galore in the past few weeks on who would be the director of Eclipse, but what a relief that the truth is out and we are now treading in known territory. David Slade is a fascinating choice for the film, his previous works feature films are both dark in nature, Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night.

Can't get enough of Twilight? Be sure to check out Marina & I's podcast: Before the Dawn.

Cinematic Crush: Evan Marriott

This is the final post in our eight-part look at the Hunks of Reality TV:

Crush object: Evan Marriott, reality TV personality.

- He became famous for starring in the controversial reality dating show Joe Millionaire, the premise of which had him posing as a wealthy bachelor when in fact he was a just a working class guy.

- In "real" reality, he was a construction worker and (as it was discovered later) a former underwear model.

- It was later revealed on Secrets of Reality TV that (no surprise) most of the hit show was fabricated, including the infamous "oral sex in the woods" moment. A second season (without Marriott) titled The Next Joe Millionaire, was a high-profile failure.

- Nevertheless, he parlayed his fleeting fame into appearances on the game shows Hollywood Squares, Family Feud and 1 vs. 100. He also appeared as a contestant on Battle of the Network Reality Stars and hosted of his own dating show, fittingly titled Fake-a-Date.

- He has also tried his hand at acting, usually as a variation of his Joe Millionaire persona, such as on The Simpsons and in the low budget comedy Miss Cast Away.

Vlog - Week in Film & 101 Films - Going Classic

Films Discussed: missed seeing Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (so sad!), but did see Sunset Blvd., The Thing From Another World, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Onibaba and Clash of the Titans.

Notes:
Link to 101 Films List
Clash of the Titans is set to be remade in 2010 by director Louis Leterrier. See more at the films IMDb Page.
Upcoming: Hot Docs 2009!

I may not have seen the film but I did get to see the poster!


Some of this weeks selections:


I saw The Thing From Another World on Scream Television, a channel that has some of the best TV spots, including this one:

Hot Docs 2009 Preview

It is almost upon us, the 16th annual Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival begins this Thursday April 30/09 and runs until Sunday May 10/09. The festival spans 11 days over numerous locations in downtown Toronto and is one of the biggest film festivals of the city. This year brings another stellar line up from homegrown films like the festival opener, Act of God, to films from around the world. This year the the country in focus for the 'Made In' program is South Korea and we have numerous South Korean films to explore and enjoy.

Before you head out to the festival, I recommend planning wisely. There are already numerous screenings that are rush only so to avoid disappointment, plan ahead! Check the online schedule and purchasing FAQ (including rush only explanation) to see how it all works.

When you are putting your schedule together, there are a few things to consider for timing. I recommend that you always give yourself extra time in between films if you are planning back to back screenings, especially if you don't want to be rushed off your feet. All films are listed in the program, but consider that the films are always introduced by festival staff, may be presented with a short film and often have a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening. Q&A's are one of the things that make the festival experience special, so it's well worth planning in some extra time to make sure you get to stay for them.

Another consideration is the distance between the theatres. All the locations are in downtown Toronto, but some are very close but other quite the trek. The theatres that are walking distance from each other are Isabel Bader/ROM/Cumberland, but others it depends on your pace, method of transport and of course the weather how far you consider them from another with Innis on U of T campus, the Bloor at Bloor & Bathurst and the The Royal in Little Italy. Check out full information on venues here.

One important date during the festival to make note of is the last day, Sunday May 10, 2009 is Mother's Day! So, remember to spend some time with your Mom - why not even bring her to a film? This is also a historically busy lunchtime day around town!

One last note before getting to some film choices - always, always, always check the weather. I know it will be May during most of the fest but here in Toronto in the past few weeks we've had snow, thunderstorms as well as beautiful patio like days. Let's hope it's all sunny skies ahead.

This years festival features documentaries of every kind and on the Hot Docs site you can check out the titles by Program Categories. When I was looking through the films, I noticed a few distinct groupings of films. Here are some trends.

For the Genre fans: Zombies, Stunts and Space!

Zombie Girl: The Movie
Dirs: Aaron Marshall, Justin Johnson & Erik Mauch
USA
A 12 yr old girl creates a zombie film. Let's see how.

Best Worst Movie
Dir: Micheal Paul Stephenson
USA
Fan of Troll 2, the notorious Worst Movie of all time? Sure you are! Find out how such a 'bad' film became famous.

Action Boys
Dir: Byung-Gil Jung
South Korea
More behind the scenes film goodness as we get to see inside of world of Seoul Action School.

Another Perfect World
Dir: Joreien van Nes, Femke Wolting
The Netherlands
I'm a sucker for films that explore any kind of gaming, this one looks at the virtual worlds of Second Life and EVE.

Ascension
Dir: Pavel Medvedev
Russia
Montage of previously unseen footage from the archives of the Soviet space program.

Rawr! Films for Sport & Strength Fans

Big John
Dir: Håvard Bustnes
Norway
A father & son, coach & professional boxing life.

Big River Man
Dir: John Maringouin
USA
Chronicle of the attempt of an endurance swimmer to swim the Amazon river.

Strongman
Dir: Zachary Levy
USA
Just as the title says, the story of a Strong Man Stanless Steel.

Animals & The People that Love them

Cat Ladies
Dir: Christine Callan-Jones
Canada
You guessed it, it's all about crazy cat ladies! Meow!

The Tiger Next Door
Dir: Camilla Calamandrei
USA
Following a man who breeds big cats in his backyard.

The Cove
Dir: Louis Psihoyos
USA
Another one of the big buzz films of the festival, The Cove looks at the intervention to end dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan.

The Biggies - The films everyone is talking about:

Act of God
Dir: Jennifer Baichwal
Canada
Opening night selection, explores the experience of those touched by lightning.

Tyson
Dir: James Toback
USA
Portrait with the one, the only, Mike Tyson.

Objectified
Dir: Gary Hustwit
USA
This film has been getting huge hype on the festival circuit already. Documentary examining Industrial Design, from the director of everyones favourite font film, Helvetica.

We Live in Public
Dir: Ondi Timoner
USA
What would it be like to literally, live on camera for 30 days with other people? This film chronicles the experiment.

Prom Night in Mississippi
Dir: Paul Saltzman
Canada
Morgan Freeman offers to fund the first integrated prom in his home town.

These are just a drop in the bucket. Check out the Hot Docs website for info on all titles as well as a Film-by-Subject Guide and Searchable Online Film Schedule. For more information locations and tickets, check out Venue Information, Ticket Information, Box Office FAQ. You can also purchase tickets online or find out more about online ordering at the online ticketing FAQ.

You can also check out the scheduler for Hot Docs from B-side to help organize your films!

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival runs from April 30- May 10, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reverend's Previews: A GLBT Summer at the Movies

Ah, summer. Weekends in the mountains, afternoons at the beach and GLBT Pride festivals beckon. Summer is also the time to enjoy an onslaught of cinematic spectacles in air-conditioned theaters. The following films are those that GLBT moviegoers in particular should be on the lookout for between now and the end of August (please note that all release dates are subject to change):

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (opening this Friday): Gay-friendly star Hugh Jackman returns to his signature role — following interim, song and dance stints hosting both the Tonys and the Oscars — as the indestructible, metal-infused hero.

Little Ashes (May 8): Miss this revealing look at the tortured relationship between writer Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltran) and painter Salvador Dali (Robert Pattinson) at your own peril! It’s one of the best films I’ve seen yet this year.


Star Trek (May 8): This long-running sci-fi series ran out of steam following 2002’s underrated Star Trek: Nemesis, but it’s about to get a re-boot with the help of a hot young cast that includes Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Heroes star Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock and Eric Bana as their formidable adversary.

Angels & Demons (May 15): Does anything scream “gay” more than Vatican intrigue? In this sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Tom Hanks returns (with a more believable haircut) as scholar-adventurer Robert Langdon. The always-watchable Ewan McGregor co-stars as a papal toady with many secrets.


Big Man Japan (May 15): A slacker becomes a super-sized hero following an electrical mishap, and is pressed into protecting the populace from the requisite giant monsters in this hip, very funny import from Japan.

Easy Virtue (May 22): A Jane Austen-inspired romantic comedy, based on a lesser-known play by Noël Coward. The cast includes plenty of eye candy for both the ladies and the men: Jessica Biel, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth and Ben Barnes, the best thing about last summer’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.


Departures (May 29): An attractive Japanese man thinks he’s going to work for a travel agency when he answers a help wanted ad for someone “to help with departures.” Instead, he finds himself a mortician’s assistant handling funerals for, among others, a transgender person. A surprise winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s ceremony, it is a beautiful and moving story with universal appeal.

The Country Teacher (June 5): In this Czech drama, a gifted, gay teacher becomes friends with the mother of one of his students … and finds himself attracted to her son. Winner of the Audience Award at the Cottbus (Eastern European) Film Festival.

Land of the Lost (June 5): This looks to be an enjoyably campy update of the 1970’s Saturday morning kids show about explorers who find themselves in a prehistoric world. It stars Will Ferrell, Anna Friel (of the late, fabulous Pushing Daisies) and a slew of nasty, rubber-suited Sleestaks.


The Art of Being Straight (June 5): Questions of sexual attraction and orientation arise among a group of friends in Los Angeles. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2008 Dublin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Séraphine (June 5): A biopic of the largely-forgotten French painter Séraphine de Senlis. A housekeeper who dabbled in art as a hobby, de Senlis’ creations today occupy some of the world’s most prestigious galleries thanks to Wilhelm Uhde, the gay German art critic and collector who discovered her.

Sex Positive (June 12): Reviewed here, this is an enlightening expose of the three gay men who pioneered the unpopular but life-saving concept of “safe sex” in the early years of the AIDS crisis.


Public Enemies (July 1): Johnny Depp plays notorious bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale (who also stars in this summer’s Terminator Salvation, May 21) leads the manhunt to put Dillinger behind bars. Hopefully, we’ll see some pre-incarceration frisking!

Brüno (July 10): In what promises to be the gayest flick of the summer, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen takes on American attitudes toward homosexuality in the same stealth-subversive way he exposed the US in his hit Borat.


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17): Fresh from his full-frontal turn on Broadway in Equus, the all-grown-up Daniel Radcliffe returns as the perpetually adolescent wizard in his latest adventure, which is also the first film since Dumbledore was "outed".

Lion’s Den (July): A woman serving time in prison for killing her lover gives birth, and subsequently finds herself in a custody battle with her mother. Fortunately, she finds an ally — and perhaps same-sex love — in a fellow inmate.


G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra (August 7): Quit snickering at the subtitle! A cast that includes hotties Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid and Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings the classic boy dolls to big-screen life.

Julie & Julia (August 7): Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, who were great together in Doubt, join forces once again in a comedy by director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle). La Meryl plays none other than chef-extraordinaire Julia Childs.


Taking Woodstock (August 14): The director and producer of Brokeback Mountain — Ang Lee and James Schamus, respectively — return with another gay-themed movie. This time, they tell the real-life story of Elliot Tiber, the gay Catskills entertainer who inadvertently organized the Woodstock music festival in 1969.

Patrik, Age 1,5 (August): Thanks to a computer glitch, the baby a Swedish gay couple thinks they are adopting turns out to be a homophobic teenager. This crowd-pleasing dramedy had its world premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

I can already smell the popcorn! Here’s to a great GLBT summer at the movies!

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Beatrice Arthur: 1922-2009

The one and only Beatrice Arthur, Emmy Award winning star of Maude and The Golden Girls, passed away today at the age of 86.

For our recent Women We Love tribute to Arthur, click here.

Reel Thoughts Interview: Carrie Preston, Scene Stealer

Carrie Preston ought to be a bigger star than she is, but perhaps she’s like Rachel Griffiths, her co-star in My Best Friend’s Wedding (they played the slutty Newhouse sisters). She disappears into each role so effortlessly; sometimes it’s hard to recognize what a great talent it takes to play the lonely travel agent in Duplicity, the confused mother in Ready? OK! or Felicity Huffman’s sister in Transamerica.

The actress is married to her Ready? OK! co-star, Michael Emerson (Ben Linus on Lost), and in a fun bit of casting, appeared in Lost as his mother (in flashback, of course!). I was excited to ask the multi-talented Preston about her scene-stealing work in Duplicity, and how she’s become such a popular performer in gay-friendly fare:


NC: I am so impressed by your résumé, not only for your acting work, but also in the way you've directed and produced pieces that really mean a lot to the GLBT community. What draws you to work like 29th & Gay, Straight-Jacket and Ready? OK!?
CP: I am interested in telling stories from communities or parts of society that haven't fully been explored. I think the gay and lesbian world hasn't been mined for all the intricate and varied stories that exist there. I consider myself a part of queer culture because I travel in those circles and I'm comfortable there. I'm straight, but certainly not narrow. And frankly, those stories are just interesting to me. And with all three of the movies you mentioned, I got to flesh the woman's roles out in ways that don't generally happen in movies that are predominantly about gay men.

29th & Gay, although I wasn't in it, tells the story of a gay man coming of age for the second time, searching for meaning in his life. And I think being a woman directing that, I was able to put a feminine touch to it. With Ready? OK!, we wanted to concentrate on gender identity, but through the eyes of the mom who is witnessing it. That's a story we haven't seen much of. The mom in those kinds of stories is generally a small role, oftentimes the villain.


And since Straight-Jacket is a comedy, it could have veered into territory where the wife is ridiculed; or worse, is made to be unattractive and repulsive to not just the main character, but the audience as well — the whole "girls are icky" thing that gay boy cinema is sometimes guilty of. But instead, (writer/director) Richard Day and I tried to give her depth and make her intentions clear and her pain even clearer. It complicated a story that could have been cut and dry, which I think is a good thing. And of course, the higher the stakes, the funnier it is. Or at least that's what I think.

NC: Your scenes in Duplicity are fantastic — your interrogation scene with Julia Roberts is a classic. And, trust me, a lot of guys and girls were very jealous of your getting to pose for those “surveillance photos” with Clive Owen. How did you enjoy working on that film? Were there any funny stories from the set?
CP: I was, of course, thrilled to be cast in that film. I was a little nervous, too. I mean, high-powered people there! But Tony Gilroy was completely dreamy to work with. He really set a relaxed and professional tone on the set. The first scene I did was the scene after the bar scene, where we go back to my office. So yes, my first day of work I had to pose for those photos! And yes, I was a little embarrassed. But Tony made sure it was all very comfortable for me, and Clive was of course a sweetheart.


The scene with Julia came a few days later. I had worked with her on My Best Friend's Wedding all those years ago, and she and I had crossed paths a few times over the years. So she was very welcoming when I got on set. Then she said "OK, this is the only time I'm going to be nice to you all day." And sure enough, she was in character the whole time, which helped since I had to cry my eyes out. After we finished the scene, she made the whole crew clap for me, which was the kindest thing and made me feel so relieved! Then the scene with Clive in the bar was a few weeks after that, and it was icing on the cake at that point. I was just so relieved to have had the crying scene go so smoothly that being picked up in a bar was delicious fun.

NC: Ready? OK! is such a big-hearted, funny and warm movie, I think it will touch a lot of people who recognize themselves in Joshua. How did you approach playing his mother and her struggle to understand and accept him?
CP: James Vasquez wrote the role for me, and we worked on the script for several months before going into preproduction. We were able to find the delicate balance of Andrea (my character) being the protagonist as well as the antagonist, with Joshua being the hero. We wanted to make sure people wanted to go on the journey with Andrea, but still have her create enough conflict for Joshua to overcome. It was tricky, but I feel like the key was always making my intention: "to do the right thing for my son." That's not always going to work, and there will be failures and wrong steps along the way, of course. But it's always coming from a positive place.


Since I was also the executive producer, I had to do all of my homework and discussions with James before we started shooting. Once we were in production, I was literally going from acting in a scene to making a phone call to make sure we had crew for the next day to talking with the caterer about lunch. So, in a way, that got me into character just as much as anything!

NC: Your theater work is also really impressive, which is not surprising given your Juilliard pedigree. Do you get more of a charge working in front of an audience or in front of a camera?
CP: For the last three years or so, I have pretty much solely been doing camera work, mostly in front of the camera, and sometimes behind it. Once Michael became a series regular on Lost, I knew LA would have to figure prominently in my life if I was ever going to see him. Plus, I wanted to concentrate on film and TV more, anyway. So it worked out. I directed a play in LA a couple of years ago, and that was really rewarding.


NC: You and your husband, Michael Emerson, have worked together a number of times. You even played his mother on Lost, and now he plays your gay neighbor (and voice of reason) in Ready? OK! What is the best and worst part of working with your spouse?
CP: There is no worst part. I adore working with Michael. With Ready? OK!, it was comforting to be able to have the history and trust already present when we did scenes together. I just had to be in the moment and look in his eyes and listen to what he was saying, and it was enough. For him, I think it was a little alarming and disconcerting to have me running around producing and acting at the same time. He took on stresses that he thought I had, but didn't. I think he was more concerned about me than I was for myself. It was pretty cute, actually.

NC: Since a lot of your work appeals to gay audiences, including True Blood and Ready? OK!, what kind of responses do you get from GLBT fans?
CP: Well, most of them don't realize that the same woman with the long red wig in True Blood is the mom in Ready? OK! and the ’50s housewife with the platinum wig in Straight-Jacket, not to mention the caustic and sarcastic sister to Felicity Huffman in Transamerica. No one at all recognizes me from True Blood. But the audiences who have seen Ready? OK! have been very supportive and moved by the movie, which is really rewarding. I guess I'm pretty different role to role, so it's not like I stick out to any one audience. Honestly, the GLBT audience recognizes me for Sex and the City or My Best Friend's Wedding more than the others.


NC: What are you passionate about in your life? What gives you the most satisfaction?
CP: I'm passionate about my nephews, Mac and Milo, and my family — my brother John (who plays my brother in Ready? OK!), my sister Leslie, my Mom, my Dad. I'm passionate about being creative and making things happen out of nothing. I'm passionate about writers. I'm on the board of the New Harmony Project, a new play development workshop that takes place in southern Indiana two weeks each summer. I spend a great deal of time working on making that happen, which makes me happy.

NC: What are your feelings on Proposition 8? Has it affected any of your friends personally?
CP: I think it is shocking that the same state that voted for Obama also voted yes on Prop 8. I have friends who were going to get married before the election but thought, "Why rush it. It won't pass." But I honestly feel that it won't be long before we figure out a way to amend the Constitution again. Since the vote was pretty narrow, I think the combination of people passing away and other people being persuaded to change their minds will hopefully bring a different vote next time.

NC: What is your dream role? Are there any characters you just wouldn't play?
CP: In my career, the roles that I have relished have come out of left field — ones I could have never dreamed of. I always try to find a way to make them all feel dreamy.

UPDATE: Duplicity is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

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

Reverend's Reviews: Found and Lost

From any perspective — gay or straight, black or white — Finding Me (newly released on DVDby TLA Video) can't be judged a very good movie. The photography is amateurish, the script inconsistent and the acting mixed. But it gets points for its noble goal of bringing greater awareness to the coming-out struggles of young African-American gay men, which can be more difficult than for white gay men due to unique and enduring cultural taboos.

Finding Me focuses on Faybien (RayMartell Moore), who lives with his homophobic, immigrant father in a Jersey City housing project. Both are still grieving the death of Faybien's mother three years earlier. Faybien longs to find a better job and a loving man, but continuously misses job interviews and is too afraid to say "hello" to the hot guy he keeps spying at a nearby bus stop.


After intense encouragement from his friends, Faybien finally breaks the ice with Lonnie (Derrick L. Briggs, who delivers the best performance in the film). Despite seeming bound together by little more than their good looks and mutual admiration for the 1997 movie Love Jones, Lonnie and Faybien embark on a rocky affair that is repeatedly undermined by Faybien's self-acceptance issues. Why the more mature Lonnie continually puts up with Faybien's refusal to return his phone calls or be seen in public with him is only one of the script's head-scratching mysteries.

Written and directed by Roger S. Omeus Jr., Finding Me has occasional snippets of insightful dialogue, refreshing humor and romantic/sexual heat. The film meanders, though — not unlike its protagonist — and fails to be truly satisfying.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Out in Film: Silvio Horta

Idol worship: Silvio Horta, writer/producer.

- He is best known for creating the American version of the South American telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea, better known as Ugly Betty.

- In addition to executive producer, he serves as head writer on the award-winning Movie Dearest fave, which not only will return early from its spring hiatus next Thursday, it has also been renewed for a fourth season.

- His first produced screenplay was for the cult horror flick Urban Legend, in which he also has a cameo. His other unproduced screenplays including Even Exchange and The Furies (with Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy).

- Prior to Betty, he also created two short-lived science fiction series for television, Jake 2.0 and The Chronicle: News from the Edge.

- He is the founder of the production company "Silent H Productions", so named because he found that Americans always pronounced the silent H at the start of his last name.