Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 9, 2008!

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 9, 2008! It looks like we've finally broken the trend of wallflower releases and have a delightful variety of genres spanning films this week, many of which have been met with critical acclaim or are highly anticipated. I know that I will have to do some creative scheduling to fit in all the ones I want to see!

In limited release this week we have four films including the definitely not for kids release of The Babysitters and haunting The Unknown Woman. Next up are two films I have been looking forward to all year. My Blueberry Nights from Wong Kar Wai, a gifted director who creates very evocative and touching films and Son of Rambow a festival favourite comedy in which two boys set out to create a home made sequel to Rambo: First Blood.

In wide release this week we have five films and I'm very excited to see the theatrical releases of The Stone Angel, I had the opportunity to catch the film during TIFF 07 and I highly recommend seeing this excellent drama. If you are looking for some laughs there is A Previous Engagement which looks funny and touching or there is also What Happens in Vegas with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The more kid friendly release this week is the widely anticipated Speed Racer from the Wachowski's (Matrix trilogy) which is a combination of live action and animation and reminds me of what would happen is Sky High met Hackers. I am surprized that is clocks in over 2hrs though considering it's rating and audience. Next up we have a film I've been looking forward to all year, Redbelt, the latest from David Mamet starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as a martial arts instructor.

Numerous festivals and screenings happening this week and I'm getting back in the festival spirit myself. Be sure to check out my daily coverage of the Inside Out Film and Video Festival here at Movie Moxie from May 15 - 25, 2008.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

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

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

Inside Out
18th Annual Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
May 15 - 25, 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
Continues until May 10, 2008, at the Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RUFF Podcast

Toronto Jewish Film Festival
Continues until May 11, 2008 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Special Screenings

Dark Reprieve
Dir: Richard Boddington - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Janelle Bartosek, Liam Card, Shawn Storer, Sarah Jackson, John Cronk
Canada
Friday May 10 & Saturday 11th, 2008 at 11:00PM at The Royal
Official Film Site & Trailer
Trailer has disturbing images

Maniac
Dir: William Lustig (Vigilante, Maniac Cop)
Cast: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Abigail Clayton
USA, 1980
Wednesday May 15, 2008 at 9:30PM at The Bloor, presented by Rue Morgue
Director William Lustig will be in attendance

Friday May 9, 2008 Releases

The Babysitters
Dir: David Ross - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Katherine Waterston, John Leguizamo, Cynthia Nixon
USA
Limited Release
IMDb Page, Trailer
Trailer gets spoilery pretty quickly

My Blueberry Nights
Dir: Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood for Love / Fa Yeung Nin Wa, Chungking Express / Chung Hing Sam Lam, Happy Together / Chun Gwong Cha Sit)
Cast: Jude Law, Norah Jones, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman, David Strathairn
Hong Kong/China/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Trailer mostly spoiler free, stop before last quarter if super sensitive

A Previous Engagement
Writer/Dir: Joan Carr-Wiggin (Honeymoon)
Cast: Juliet Stevenson, Tchéky Karyo, Daniel Stern, Valerie Mahaffey
Canada/Malta/UK
Official Film Site & Trailer (autoplay), IMDb Page
Trailer has lots of content in it, but looks charming. Only mild spoilers up until halfway point

Redbelt
Writer/Dir: David Mamet (Spartan, State and Main, House of Games)
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emily Mortimer, Alice Braga, Joe Mantegna, Tim Allen, Randy Couture, Ricky Jay, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon, Rodrigo Santoro
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Original Trailer, New Trailer
Both trailers show content pretty quickly, I turned them off as I know I will see this film

Son of Rambow
Writer/Dir: Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
Cast: Bill Milner, Will Poulter
France/UK/Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site (autoplays a trailer), IMDb Page, Trailer
I only watched first half of the trailer - this film looks so good!

Speed Racer
Wirter/Dir: Andy & Larry Wachowski (Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions)
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Melissa Holroyd
USA
Official Film Site (autoplays trailer), IMDb Page, Trailer

The Stone Angel
Writer/Dir: Kari Skoglard (Chicks with Sticks, Men with Guns)
Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Christine Horne, Cole Hauser, Ellen Page, Kevin Zegers, Dylan Baker
Canada
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Trailer spoiler free until just after the dance scene

The Unknown Woman / La Sconosciuta
Writer/Dir: Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso, Malèna)
Cast: Kseniya Rappoport, Michele Placido, Claudia Gerini, Margherita Buy, Pierfrancesco Favino
Italy/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page
Trailer way to scary for me, turned off after moments!

What Happens in Vegas
Dir: Tom Vaughan (Starter for 10)
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Lake Bell, Treat Williams
USA
Official Film Site (autoplays trailer), IMDb Page, Trailer
You get the gist of the film by a third of the way in.

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 9, 2008**

Looking Forward To: Global Metal

Of course just days after releasing the Summer 2008 preview I stumble a fantastic upcoming release. Global Metal, and international look at heavy metal culture from the creators of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey will be released June 20/08 (Toronto/Vancouver) and June 27/08 (Montreal). This is thrilling news as the first film was awesome, I was even thinking about it earlier today. I can't wait to see what they have come up with this time. Check out the trailer to see what I mean.

Iron Man

Dir: Jon Favreau (Zathura, Elf, Made)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Leslie Bibb
USA, 2008

Seen: May 5/08 at Varsity

Reason to see: Across the board good reviews and I wanted to see it before I heard all about it.

I'm mystified at the large number of good reviews for Iron Man. Sure, it has action, explosions, gadgets and great production design but that isn't all there is to a film - even an action film. I was disappointed in the simplicity of the plot and the blinders the audience is required to put on with reference to generalized 'bad guys' of non-specified descent. This creates an environment that allows for an almost subversive pro-Americana story which succeeds (in terms of audience reaction) where many current war films fail. I will say that Robert Downey Jr. is excellent in the film and an interesting albeit arrogant protagonist but it is too bad that the rest of the characters, especially the women, were not as flushed out.

Also: at least 4 product placements. Bleh.

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't really enjoy it
I'll watch it again, on cable or tv
I'd recommend it as a brainless action flick

13 minutes of preshow including 4 commercial and 5 previews: The Love Guru, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk

I had to divert my eyes from so many of the previews because I didn't want to see spoilers! An action packed summer is ahead of us.

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2008

Summer Film Preview 2008

April showers bring May flowers and May brings us the beginning of the summer films. Alongside explosions and superheroes we have a healthy dose of compelling films that may tread slightly off the beaten path. Let's keep our eyes open for both, shall we? The season officially kicked off with the release of Iron Man last Friday, which makes it due time for the Summer Preview.

The Stone Angel - May 9/08
Kari Skogland adapts of the bestselling Margaret Laurence novel bringing a compelling story to life. One of the highlights of TIFF 07.

Son of Rambow - May 9/08
Continual festival buzz on this film has me curious to this film set around kids obsessed with Rambo whom decide to make the film themselves.

Redbelt - May 9/08
I was so confused earlier this year when I thought Never Back Down was Redbelt. Both are about fighting, but only one has Chiwetel Ejiofor as an honourable fellow and fighter.

Planet B-Boy - May 16/08
Documentary on B-Boy dancing across the globe, and of course, a competition. I missed seeing this at Hot Docs 08 due to the TTC Strike, and am eagerly awaiting and opportunity to see it now.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - May 16/08
Loved the first film, and recently read this one to prep for the theatrical release. Although I'm not sure how well the story will read to todays audience, but I’m really looking forward to finding out.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - May 22/08
Across the board seems to be the pick for the film of the summer, possibly the year considering Star Trek XI has been bumped to 2009.

Postal – May 23/08
Although I’m sure this will be ridiculously not PC, I just can’t help but be curious about the latest from director Uwe Boll.

Mongol – June 6/08
Re-scheduled from winter, this Oscar nominated film is now due to hit the theatres in the summer. An epic tale with beautiful cinematography, I look forward to revisiting it on the big screen.

Young People Fucking - June 13/08
After all the controversy, I can't help but be curious and see this film.

The Happening - June 13/08
Newest film from M. Night Shyamalan starring Mark Walhberg, and keeps the creepy tension as only Shyamalan can. I am going to continue to try and avoid hearing anything about it before it’s released.

The Incredible Hulk - June 13/08
Edward Norton stars in the latest version of the Hulk directed by Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Unleashed). I’m going to wait for the buzz on this before deciding on seeing it.

My Winnipeg – June 20/08
The most bizarre documentary you will ever see, and a quintessential Guy Maddin film.

Global Metal - June 20/08 (Toronto/Vancouver), June 27/08 (Montreal) *newly added
An international look at the culture of heavy metal by the creators of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

WALL-E - June 27/08
Pixar’s summer flick with robot protagonist. I'm curious if anyone involved in the film is old enough to have seen Short Circuit as the resemblance of the 2 robots is so similar.

HellBoy II: The Golden Army - July 11/08
The first Hellboy from 2004 was a suprize delight; funny, touching and great action as well. I hope the second will be just as fun.

X-Files 2 - July 18/08
I believe.

The Dark Knight - July 18/08
There is still tons of buzz on this film but I'm filled with hesitation to see it considering the untimely death of Heath Ledger.

Pineapple Express – August 8/08
David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls) directs a ‘Judd Aptow film' starring some familiar faces from Freaks and Geeks (Seth Rogan, James Franco), as well as Rosie Perez in this crime comedy.

Babylon A.D. - August 29/08
Originally slated to come out in Feb 08, this is the latest from directed Mathieu Kassovitz (The Crimson Rivers) starring Vin Diesel.

Canadian release dates listed, and all release dates are subject to change.

DIY Entertainment Club

Here were my selections for April, which are kinda touchy-feely selections in comparison to what I normally get. I did manage to go with the book, CD and DVD as per my original plan - for the first time!

Once DVD
One of the top films from 2007. I already have the soundtrack, so the film itself was a logical choice. I can't wait to watch it again. (amazon.ca link)

Chronicles Of The Cheysuli V & VI Book
by Jennifer Roberson
This is the 3rd of the 4 omnibus collection and I love both of the books: Pride of Princes and Daughter of the Lion. I'm really looking forward to revisiting there series, it is one of my all time favourites. (amazon.ca link)

Radiohead - In Rainbows CD
I finally got a CD! I don't buy music all that often so this really is a treat. It's pretty quiet so far but I'm looking forward to it growing on me. (amazon.ca link)

Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 2, 2008!

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 2, 2008! Although we have a measly four releases this week they are all interesting films, and there are a number of festivals along with a special screening and a sneak preview to boot! Looks like it is another full week of film fun.

In limited release we have one lone film, Standard Operating Procedure a documentary about the changes that came from and the effects of pictures taken in the Abu Ghraib prison. Although this is an important topic, I don't think I could handle watching this highly acclaimed film.

In wide release this week it's great to see Fugitive Pieces a Canadian film which is highly charged and bridges drama with history. If you are looking for something lighter, Made of Honor is the romantic comedy of the week staring Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. I hate to say it but from the trailer Made of Honor looks pretty funny, although I keep wanting to add a 'u' to the title. Our next release ushers in the season of blockbusters ahead and that could only be one film: Iron Man. There has been so much buzz buzz buzzing everywhere on this and I'm always up for a good comic based film so let's hope it lives up to the hype. I would say it's likely I may be amongst the masses seeing this one, how about you?

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Over the Top Fest
Film, music and art festival.
Continues until May 4, 2008, film screenings at the Royal 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
RUFF Podcast

Sneak Preview

The upcoming comedy What Happens in Vegas directed by Tom Vaughan (Starter for 10), starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher has a sneak preview this Saturday May 3, 2008 at 10pm at Scotiabank, Silvercity Yonge & Eglinton and The Queensway theatres. See the trailer here, you get the gist of the film in the first third. What Happens in Vegas regular release date is May 16, 2008.

Special Screening

Zombie aka Zombie 2
Dir: Lucio Fulci
Thursday May 8/08 at 9:30PM at the Revue Cinema, Toronto, Ontario Canada
This unofficial Italian sequel to Dawn of the Dead will be presented in 35mm for the first time in Canada
See more about the screening here, including trailer
Co-presented by: The Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Vagrancy Films (site has sound), Rue Morgue, Daniloff Productions and Ultra 8 Pictures

Friday May 2, 2008 Releases

Fugitive Pieces
Writer/Dir: Jeremy Podeswa (The Five Senses)
Cast: Stephen Dillane, Rosamund Pike, Rade Serbedzija, Ayelet Zurer
Canada/Greece
Official Film Site (autoplays trailer), IMDb Page, Trailer
Trailer spoiler free for first third, I stopped watching at the halfway point

Iron Man
Dir: Jon Favreau (Zathura, Elf, Made)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Leslie Bibb
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The trailer noted is spoiler free til about the half way point, I stopped watching there

Made of Honor
Dir: Paul Weiland (Sixty Six, Roseanna's Grave)
Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
You get the gist of the film by the halfway point.

Standard Operating Procedure
Dir: Errol Morris (The Fog of War, A Brief History of Time, The Thin Blue Line)
Documentary
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site (autoplays trailer), IMDb Page, Trailer
Trailer has disturbing images, spoiler free for first third

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 2, 2008**

My Week(s) in Film

I've spend the majority of my time in the past two weeks covering Hot Docs 08, which has been an exciting and informative film festival but left me with little time to see any other films. I did not get out to any theatrical releases, but did catch a few on TMN and caught up with a few from the library.

I mentioned on my last Week in Film that I had started watching Caché, and I did finish watching it. Quite an interesting film although I was left with thinking that I should be thinking about something. My initial overall reaction was confusion, until research unveiled it is a Michael Haneke film whom is known for both versions of Funny Games a controversial film noted to question our reaction to it. I do think that was the intent with Caché as well, and I think across the board viewer reactions would not be consistent in terms of what the film was about.

Next up is The Searchers, which I finally got from the library and had hoped to watch it last November when my film focus of the month was westerns and this film is always ends up on favourites lists. Although I did enjoy this film, I don't think I would put it with my favourite westerns. This is mostly due to the nature of the film being a 'cowboys and Indians' western and I don't enjoy seeing cultural stereotypes. It does have an epic quality to it even though it clocks in around 2 hours, it has quite a few nicely woven story lines excellent cinematography and the always entertaining John Wayne. A solid film.

Now we turn to Groundhog Day, the 1993 Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell comedy directed by Harold Ramis about reliving the same day over and over. This film is another reminder to me that comedies do not always stand up to the test of time. Although it had funny moments and a great side role by Chris Elliott it just didn't strike a chord with me. The humour was not unfamiliar from that of Stripes and overall it really reminded me of Scrooged in a bizarre way. I think if I had seen it in '93 I likely would have found it charming and over time nostalgic.

Last up is low and behold a documentary. I believe this made my list as it was nominated for an Oscar, as I'm not sure what would prompt me to see Deliver us From Evil a documentary about sexual abuse by figures in power of the Church to children. That being said it is an excellent documentary that presents footage from not only the survivors but also one of the offenders, as well as commentary from the Church itself (via archived court footage). It's hard to say which of all of those if more alarming to see. It is very tactfully done, and I hope provides closure for all of the survivors.

Upcoming Films on the radar: The Visitor, Fitzcarraldo, The King & I