Sean Kelly on Movies

My Thoughts on Piranha 3DD

2012-06-01T21:30:00.001-04:00

Two years ago we saw the release of the 3D remake of Piranha. Back then I liked the film because it was exactly what I expected it to be - a fun and campy gorefest.

Piranha 3D was a bit of a surprise horror hit in 2010 and of course that means that they just had to make a sequel. Probably the first sign that this was going to be a more lowbrow sequel was the decision to name the film Piranha 3DD, which places emphasis on the OTHER main element of the film (i.e. gratuitous nudity).

The basic plot outline of the film is pretty much identical to the previous film (except you sub in a waterpark for a beach), however it was devoid of any of the fun. Gone is director Alexandre Aja and a cast that included the likes of Elizabeth Shue, Adam Scott, and Richard Dreyfuss. Instead the film is directed by John Gulager (known for the horror film Feast) and has a much more B or C-level cast, including Danielle Panabaker, David Koechner, and Gary Busey.

While the previous film had something that resembled a story, this film came off as a cut and pasted mess with some pretty atrocious acting. I at least hoped that the carnage would make up for any problems I had with the plot, but oddly the gore was really lacking when compared to the first film. They seemed content to do much of the gore in the form of sick sight gags than anything that was truly horrifying. The film featured a repeat of the previous film's climactic attack sequence, but here it almost seemed like an afterthought. The previous film went crazy with it's gore (to the point that the water was completely red afterwards). Here, I barley noticed a small pool of blood after everything was done with.

While they could not salvage my overall opinion of the film, there were some things that I liked. Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, and Paul Scheer return from the previous film and reminded me about how fun it was. Lloyd's role was nearly 100% identical to his role from the previous film (complete with an emergency phone call at the end), but he was still fun to watch. Rhames and Scheer appeared together in a throwaway cameo and, while fun, it really seemed out of place from the rest of the film (especially since they did not explain how Scheer survived).

However, my biggest kudos for the film will having to go to the one and only David Hasselhoff! Out of everything that was wrong about the film, Hasselhoff was the only thing that they got right. He has a big awesome moment in the film that just had me clapping with joy. If only the rest of the film followed suit....

Overally, Piranha 3DD is a perfect example of a bad horror sequel that takes everything that made the previous film fun (minus Hasselhoff) and just drove it into the ground.

4 | DISAPPOINTED (though Hasselhoff gets a 10)

The Week in Movies - June 1-7

2012-06-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

I definitely have an interesting line-up of films prepared for this first week of June.

New Releases

Piranha 3DD (June 1) - The main release that everyone is likely to see is Snow White & the Huntsman. However, I'm more inclined to watch a film about 3D killer fish. Just shows you what kind of films I like.
Moonrise Kingdom (June 5) - Wes Anderson's latest film comes out in limited release this week and I plan on checking it out on Tuesday.

Repertory

Goonies (June 3) - The Bloor Cinema continues its "Back to the Bloor" series with this classic 1980s adventure film. I missed it when it played at the Bell Lightbox last year, so I'm definitely going to try and check it out.

Revisiting 1982 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

2012-05-31T00:04:00.000-04:00

It is time for the fifth entry in my year-long series in which I revisit some of the most classic films to be released 30 years ago in the year 1982 (the year of my birth).

I'm changing around my plans for this month. I was originally going to do Conan the Barbarian, but, after it was announced that it's screening at the Bell Lightbox in July, I thought I would wait for the chance to see it theatrically. After reshuffling my planned schedule, I have decided that this month's film will be Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. As always, there may be SPOILERS in this discussion.

Let's Begin.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The Wrath of Khan is generally considered to be the best film of the Star Trek film series. It was most definitely a huge improvement from the somewhat lackluster Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.

One of the major themes of this film involves James T. Kirk coming to terms with his age. After trying somewhat to hide William Shatner's age in the first film, in this film they bring it front and centre that Kirk is no longer the youthful captain from the 1960s TV series and is instead a somewhat unhappy middle-aged admiral. The events of the film, which include meeting his son, end up giving Kirk a renewed view of his life and the film concludes with his saying that he feels young.

Then of course there is the major shock of the film in how Spock sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise. While the scene was probably impactful at the time, today you cannot see the scene in the same way, since you know that Spock is ressurected in the aptly titled Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. In some ways, it would have probably been better for the overall story if Spock remained dead. I guess that's what happens when you decide to kill off popular characters.

Now, I can't talk about this film without mentioning Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán. I have yet to see the original Star Trek episode "Space Seed," which featured the original appearance of Khan, however the film does feature another background information about the character to bring new viewers up to speed. Khan is arguably the greatest of the Star Trek villains and in this film he has a blind desire for revenge against Kirk for imprisoning him many years ago. The most interesting thing about Khan is that, even though he is one of the most vile villains in the Star Trek film series, he and Kirk never have a face-to-face encounter and instead interact with each other through communicators. He is most definitely a very memorable character.

Before concluding, I would like to briefly talk about a young Kirstie Alley, who plays the Vulcan Lieutenant JG Saavik. This was Alley's first film role, long before she became well known for her role on the TV series Cheer. Saavik returns in the next two Star Trek films, however a salary dispute with Alley resulted in the role being recast.

That concludes my discussion on The Wrath of Khan. I'm excited about the next two months of this series, since I will be seeing my film picks theatrically at the Bell Lightbox. I've already mentioned that Conan's screening in July, but first I will be seeing the debut of John Rambo in First Blood next month. Can't wait.

My Thoughts on Indie Game: The Movie

2012-05-30T10:39:00.002-04:00

I finally managed to catch up with the film I most wanted to see at Hot Docs, but was sadly unable to. Indie Game: The Movie is about the world of independent videogame designers; a sub-industry that as blossomed in the rise of digital distribution platforms, such as X-Box Live Arcade.

The film features three indie games: Braid, Super Meat Boy, and Fez. Braid had the distinction of being one of the most successful indie games and was used as the example that the other developers strive towards. Tracking the development of both Super Meat Boy and Fez makes up the bulk of the documentary, with each story having their own highs and lows.

Other than the videogame element, one thing that stuck out to me about the film was the fact that nearly every one of these indie game developers were a social outcast in someway (I even suspect that at least one of them had full-out Asperger's Syndrome). Developing these indie videogames (which requires a lot of time and work) essentially has taken over all these individual's lives to the point that can't see a life outside of videogame development (one of the developers even says that he would kill himself if wasn't able to finish the game). I was actually surprised at one point when it was revealed that one of the developers was married, since that very same individual said that he purposely avoids social interactions. Go figure.

Overall, Indie Game: The Movie works on multiple levels. On one hand it is an interesting look into the world of independent videogames and helps to support the long-running argument that videogames can be considered an artform in the same way that movies can. On the other hand, it is an interesting sociopolitical commentary in how all these indie developers seem to dedicate their entire lives to these games to the point where they have all but nonexistent social lives.

I should also add that I now have a desire to play the games featured in this film, so it has done its job in that aspect.

9 - 9 | REALLY LIKED IT

Blindspot: Bad Boys

2012-05-28T23:51:00.000-04:00

It's the summer movie season, so why not use the blindspot series to catch up with some mindless popcorn flicks? Since Men in Black III was just released last weekend, I figured that I would hit the rewind button and check out the film that fully transitioned Will Smith from a sitcom star/rapper to a full fledged film star. That of course is Michael Bay's 1995 debut feature Bad Boys.

I couldn't help but notice that the film had a very similar formula to Lethal Weapon (and probably every other buddy cop film out there). Martin Lawrence is playing the overworked family man (ala Danny Glover), while Will Smith is the trigger-happy madman (ala Mel Gibson). Of course, Bad Boys is nothing like Lethal Weapon and it actually turned out to be a quite different film than I was expecting.

For a film called "Bad Boys", you almost expect it to be more bad and less....goofy. One of the major plot elements of the film involves Lawrence and Smith's characters protecting a witness played by Téa Leoni. For reasons too lame to explain, Lawrence spends the bulk of the movie pretending to be Smith's character to Leoni (and vice versa). If that was not bad enough, he also has very contrived marital problems with his wife, who automatically assumes his long work schedule just means he is having an affair.

I suppose that with two actors known for comedy in the leads, I guess that it would be assumed that there would be a fair amount of comedy in the film. However, I would have preferred the comedy to occur more naturally in the film's plot, instead of with events that act as filler.

Despite all the goofiness, the film gets deadly serious for final major action scene of the film, which definitely fills the action and violence quota I was waiting for. It also features all the elements that would become all too familiar in Michael Bay's later films (mostly notably, shots of helicopters against the sunset).

Overall, even though it featured more comedy than I would have preferred, it was still pretty decent once the action started.

7 | FAIR

P.S. I have better films is mind for the other blindspot posts this summer (some of which I might be seeing theatrically).

My Thoughts on Men in Black III

2012-05-27T18:57:00.001-04:00

It would be understandable for someone to be apprehensive about a second sequel to the sci-fi/comedy Men in Black. 2002's Men in Black II didn't have the same charm as the 1997 original and the fact that it took a full decade for a third chapter to be made seemed to hint that people weren't exactly clamoring for a third chapter.

However, when it is all said and done, I thought that Men in Black III was a pretty decent film and a huge improvement from the last one. That said, it was still not on par with the first film.

The standout for the film was definitely Flight of the Conchord's Jemaine Clement as the delightfully evil villain Boris the Animal. He steals the show whenever he's on screen, so it's a shame that he only appears in the film sporadically.

The other standout in the film (who's on-screen for longer) is Josh Brolin as the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones' character Agent Kay. Brolin does a spot-on impersonation of Jones (who is relegated to extended cameo status) and had great chemistry with Will Smith's Agent Jay.

The actual plot of the film has Jay going back in time to 1969 to prevent Boris from killing Kay and altering the timeline. It's probably not the most original plot in the world, but I thought it worked. However, there is an odd supporting character played by Michael Stuhlbarg, who I am sure would annoy some viewers (mostly because he is so odd and childlike). They also decided to tie together the film as the final chapter of a trilogy with a plot revelation that may seem shoehorned to some (though I didn't mind it).

Overall, for a sequel that had low expectations all around, I would say that Men in Black III was worth my time.

8 | LIKED IT

360 Screenings: An Interesting Idea with an Underwhelming Execution

2012-05-26T01:01:00.000-04:00

The goal of the new cinema/theatre event 360 Screenings was to create an immersive experience that would make people feel like they were in the film. People would gather at a mystery location, mingle around actors recreating scenes from a mystery film, and then everyone would go and actually watch the film. 360 Screenings wanted to make the experience of seeing films more than just entering the theatre, sitting in the dark, and leaving right after.

On paper it was definitely an interesting idea. I was curious to check out this event, despite the $60 price tag (through some connections, I managed to get a discount). After checking out the first event, I have to say that, even though it holds promise, I was left somewhat underwhelmed.

I guess I'll begin by talking about the film selection for tonight. There were interviews with the programmers Ned Loach and Robert Gontier in the media and they name-checked films on their shortlist, such as Old Boy and This is Spinal Tap. They also talked about growing up loving The Goonies and Jurassic Park. As a result, I was expecting the film they picked to be awesome.

As it turns out, it was the 1990 supernatural romance/comedy Ghost. Definitely not a film I was expecting.

I admit that, since I hadn't before seen the film, I wasn't at first able to guess the film based on the scenes performed by the actors. That said, I actually thought that the actor interactions started off quite strongly. After some mild theatrics in the line-up, we were treated to a short scene by two actors in the elevator ride up. It really set-up something special and I was really looking forward to what was next. However, once we we left the elevator, things started to go downhill.

I should backtrack a bit and say the location was The Burroughes, which is a historic early 20th century department store, turned event venue, located at Queen and Bathurst in Toronto. The event was held in the upstairs loft, which was essentially one giant room. There were actors scattered around the room and when you came near them, they would act out a scene from the movie for you. There were also some props scattered that were meant to give clues.

Pretty much this section of the evening was a glorified party. The actors and props were interesting, but they got old really fast. I did enjoy the fact that they served catered food, such as grilled cheese sandwiches, mini BLTs and hamburgers, as well as Nanaimo bars for desert. However, despite all this food, they had a cash bar for bottled water or wine (which rubbed me the wrong way, since I already paid quite a bit for the ticket).

The mingling portion lasted for about an hour and a half, which was way too long in my opinion. At the end of the mingling, we were treated to one more final reenactment in the centre of the room, before everyone was ushered into a makeshift theatre (with folding chairs and a small projector and screen), where Loach and Gontier made the formal introductions and thanks before starting the film.

I was really hoping for this event to be special. I recognize all the time and effort that went into creating the event, but in the end, I felt that it was not worth the amount they were charging for it. The event has potential, but if I was seeing Ghost at a proper cinema, it would have cost much less and I would have watched it on a bigger screen with more comfortable seating.

They are promising that the next 360 Screenings event, to be held in August, will be "bigger and grittier" than tonight's event. While it does sound appealing, until I see some signs of improvement, I'm in no rush to purchase tickets.

This Week in Movies - May 25-31

2012-05-25T08:38:00.001-04:00

Thing are really starting to heat up (both figuratively and literally) and the summer movie season is now in full swing. Here's what I have on deck for this week.

New Releases

Men in Black III (May 27) - While a decade may be a little too long a wait between sequels, I still plan on checking out the third entry in this series (though not in 3D).
Indie Game: The Movie (May 29) - After sadly having to miss out on the film during Hot Docs, I finally get to check out this documentary about independent videogame designers. I'm going to schedule it in for Tuesday.

Special Events

360 Screenings (May 25) - I got a last minute (as in I bought it last night) ticket to the debut of this new immersive cinematic experience. I'll make sure to write a full report afterwards.

My Thoughts on Marley

2012-05-23T23:41:00.000-04:00

As you could probably tell from the title, Marley is a documentary about the life and career of reggae superstar Bob Marley. With a running time of 2hr24min, the film will definitely tell you all that you would ever want to know about Marley.

In some ways, I feel the documentary was a bit too long, especially when it comes to the first hour. I'm a bit sad to say that I found the descriptions of Marley's early life in Jamaica to be a bit on the boring side and it wasn't until the film went full throttle into Marley's musical career (and began showing performance footage) that I began to get interested.

Despite my issues about the film, this is probably as good a document about Marley as there could be. The film is built entirely around talking head interviews with his bandmates and family members. The film also makes use of archived interview clips with Marley at various stages of the film (I should also note that subtitles are often used because of the thick Jamaican accents).

Overall, I would say that Marley is a decent music bio that covers Bob Marley's entire life.

8 | LIKED IT

My Thoughts on Bernie

2012-05-19T16:37:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've seen anything by Richard Linklater, with the last film of his that I saw theatrically being 2006's A Scanner Darkly. However, I would have to that that his latest film Bernie can be included amongst his best.

I knew very little about the film before seeing it, other than the fact that it was a true crime story. In some ways, this was the best way to see the film. However, like all true stories, all the facts can be looked up beforehand, so there can't really be any true spoilers for the film. Since I have to divulge into some of the plot elements (albeit with minimal details) to talk about it, I advise you to proceed no further if you want to remain in the dark.

The films tells the story of Bernie Tiede (Jack Black), a somewhat eccentric funeral director from the small town of Carthage, Texas. He was a well loved member of the community and generally seen as a man who could do no wrong. He is eventually arrested and convicted for murder, for which he is currently serving a life sentence.

The film takes an interesting pseudo-documentary approach to the story. Linklater filmed interviews with many of the real townspeople that knew Bernie, whose recollections formed the basis for the narrative portion of the story. It was actually not until the closing credits that I realized that these were the real people and not actors, so it was definitely a nice touch.

The film is structured as a dark comedy (and shines a sympathetic light upon Bernie), which I have read has actually annoyed some of the people involved in the case, namely District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson (played in the film by Matthew McConaughey), who see nothing funny about a murder.

Controversy aside, I thought that it was a very interesting story. Like Hot Docs fave The Imposter, it is definitely one of those stories that is so unbelievable it has to be true. In fact, I almost wish that Linklater went the full documentary route with the story, even the film does feature some excellent performances by Black, McConaughey and Shirley MacLaine. I also have to add that the final act, which focuses on Bernie's trial, does raise some interesting issues about biases in the legal system (on both sides).

I definitely recommend checking this film out if you can.

9 | REALLY LIKED IT

This Week in Movies - May 18-24

2012-05-18T09:58:00.000-04:00

It's the first major long weekend of the summer in Canada, which often means more people are more interested in heading to the cottage than going to the movies. I'm not sure yet if I'd be heading out to the cottage, but I still have a line-up of the films that I plan to see this week one way or another.

New Releases

Bernie (TBD) - Instead of the mainstream releases of Battleship and The Dictator, I'm going to see this new film by Richard Linklater, starring Jack Black, which I have heard good things about. Still not sure if I'll see it on the weekend or sometime during the week.
Marley (May 23) - The new documentary about Bob Marley opens this week at the Bloor Cinema and I hope to squeeze it in mid-week.

Repertory

Clue/The Fifth Element (May 18) - It's the second anniversary of the Toronto Underground Cinema and they will be having a free double-feature of Clue and The Fifth Element. I'll probably check out one (or both) of the screenings.

My Thoughts on Headhunters

2012-05-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Norwegian action-thriller Headhunters features a relatively simple story. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) is a corporate headhunter, who moonlights as an art thief. He comes across a valuable painting that seems to permanently end his financial woes, however in the aftermath of this latest theft, he finds himself (literally) hunted by the painting's owner Clas Greve (Game of Throne's Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).

I think that the film starts off strong in how it introduced all the central characters. However there were some plot decisions in the second act that briefly turned me off from the film (they involve an outhouse, a pitbull, and a tractor). That said, I found myself enjoying myself again once the violence gets turned way up in the great final act.

Overall, I thought it was a decent film.

8/10

My Thoughts on Dark Shadows

2012-05-12T19:47:00.000-04:00

When I heard that Tim Burton's Dark Shadows was based on a 1970s horror-based soap opera, that was the film I was expecting it to be. When the trailer came out, it looked like the film was taking a campy and comedic route, which I'm sure would have excited people who liked Tim Burton's early work, such as Beetlejuice. To my pleasant surprise, the film actually turned out to be closer to the former, which I am sure would have disappointed those expecting the latter (though there's still plenty of campiness in the film).

I actually found that I enjoyed the soap opera/thriller aspects of the film better than the comedic aspects. This tone is set perfectly with what has to be the most subdued opening credits sequence for a Tim Burton film: After a dark prologue for the character of Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), we shown a scene of the character Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) riding into the town of Collinsport, Maine and Collinwood Manor. The credits are shown in plain white typeface and accompanied by the song "Nights in White Satin." It definitely gives a different feel than the typical Tim Burton film with the elaborate Danny Elfman-scored opening (I should note that the film still has an Elfman score, though there are also other songs the the late 60s/early 70s throughout, including an actual appearance by Alice Cooper).

I'm sort of glad that the film is not a full on comedy. Even though, it is nice to chuckle at the "fish out of water" behaviour of Barnabas Collins after he awakes in the year 1972, after a 200 year slumber, I actually like Tim Burton's darker material better than his comedic and I felt that the film came together when it was dark and dramatic and was sort of goofy when it became comedic.

The person that perfectly balanced both halves of the film was Eva Green as the delightfully twisted witch Angelique Bouchard. Green seems to be having a whole lot of fun playing an absolutely sinister character (love that grin) and I feel that she steals the film. All the best scenes of the film are the ones with her in it.

Of course there are some weak links in the film. Chloë Moretz is starting to lose some of the charm she had a couple years ago, as she enters the angsty teen phase of her career. There is a plot development with her character, which, while it does somewhat fit with the overall theme of the film, it kind of comes out of nowhere and seems very cheesy (and not in a good way). I should also add that both Johnny Lee Miller and Helena Bonham Carter could have been written out entirely from the film without much harm to the plot (shame for Miller, not so much for Carter). Rounding out the cast is Michelle Pfeiffer and Jackie Earle Haley, who are both good enough in their roles. Also, watch for a brief cameo by another Burton regular.

In the end, I will say that I enjoyed Dark Shadows. It's far from the best film in Tim Burton's filmography, but I thought it was a competent film that allowed Burton to both try new things (I quite liked that opening credits sequence) and include many of dark and campy elements he is known for (the climax is excellent).

8/10

Consider Me for the Lammys

2012-05-12T14:15:00.001-04:00

Back in November, I joined the Large Association of Movie Blogs. A few days ago, they begun the nomination process of their annual "Lammy" Awards, which awards the best blogs, voted by the other members of the LAMB network.

I thought that that I would throw my hat into the nomination pile, so if you are a LAMB member, consider me for the following categories:

Best Community Building/Networking
I've seen my blog grow in readership over the last few years and its partially due to my efforts at advertising my content over social networks like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Letterboxd. I also consider these networks to be an extension of my writing on this blog, with me often tweeting updates from the events I attend. In addition, I can regularly be seen commenting on other blogs and sharing my knowledge of cinema.

Brainiac Award
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media studies and I've received feedback that my film writing has an academic slant to it. I pride myself with my almost encyclopedic knowledge of cinema and I would like to be recognized as one of the film bloggers who truly knows what he is talking about.

Best Running Feature
Over the last few months I began a new Revisiting Series, in which I revisit a film and write a detailed and in-depth discussion about it. You should also consider me for the Sunday Afternoon Netflix Documentary.

Best Ratings System
While on first look I rate films with a somewhat boring 1-10 scale, however I actually have a clearly defined system on how I choose the ratings I give to films. (Update 5/24: Since this post has been written, I've updated my ratings system to be more colourful and easy to understand)

Best Festival/Awards Coverage
I always consider my TIFF coverage to be quite good, but I think I really outdone myself with my recent coverage for Hot Docs 2012, in which I posted a full review of every film I saw. You also can't ignore the award predictions I do every year. I only expect this to get better.

Best New LAMB
Why Not?

Now you know what to consider me in, why don't you nominate me before May 27?

My Thoughts on Sound of My Voice

2012-05-11T22:41:00.002-04:00

Sound of My Voice is going to be a bit of a hard film to talk about, since I don't want to reveal too much about how it turns out. However, I will try my best.

The film is about a journalist named Peter and his girlfriend Lorna, who infiltrate a cult lead by a mysterious girl named Maggie. Maggie claims that she is from the future and that she is there to spread her wisdom.

Peter is creating a documentary about cults and hopes to expose Maggie for the fraud that he believes that she is. However, as time goes on, Peter begins to feel a deeper connection with the Maggie and begins to become more of a believer, which results in him becoming somewhat estranged from Lorna.

That's pretty much all I will say about the plot of the film. I will say that the film was advertised as being much more of a thriller than it turns out to be, even though I still ended up liking the film.

In the end, whether you like it or not, I am certain that Sound of My Voice will get you thinking and will warrant plenty of discussion.

8/10

This Week in Movies - May 11-17

2012-05-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm fully recovered from Hot Docs and ready to return to my regular movie-going schedule. From the looks of it, it's going to be a busy week.

New Releases

Dark Shadows (May 12) -While it's basically been pre-decided by critics that this would the lesser of the two Tim Burton films this year, I still consider Burton to be one of my favourite directors and I haven't seen a film of his I didn't like.
Sound of my Voice (May 11) - I only first found out about this thriller opening at the Bell Lightbox last week, but the more I find out about it, the more I want to see it. I'll check it out later today.
Headhunters (May 15) - I've been hearing good things about this Norwegian film and I hope to squeeze it in on Tuesday afternoon.

Maybe

The Loved Ones (May 17) - I'm curious to see this twisted-looking Australian horror film, which won the TIFF Midnight Madness People's Choice award in 2009. However, I have a class on Thursday evenings, which may prevent me from making it on time.

Hot Docs 2012: Wrap-Up

2012-05-06T16:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I would say that I had a fulfilling Hot Docs experience for my second year of attending the festival. I ended up seeing a final total of 13 films during the week, which was very good when you consider the fact that I only saw a single film last year.

This year was the debut of the proper home for Hot Docs, in the form of the refurbished Bloor Cinema, and it was appropriately the venue where I saw the most films. However, at the same time, Hot Docs lost a cinema with the Cumberland, which suddenly announced it was closing its doors.

Now's the time I list my favourite films and moments of the festival. I will also include a slideshow of the many photos I took during the festival.

Enjoy.

Top Five Favourite Films

Her Master's Voice
The Imposter
Beauty is Embarrassing
The Queen of Versailles
The Job

Honourable Mentions

Radioman
Herman's House

Least Favourite Film

Francophrenia

Me and Wayne White

Favourite Moments

Meeting Wayne White at Meet & Greet following screening of Beauty is Embarrassing.
Her Master's Voice Q&A, with BOTH Nina Conti and "Monkey"
Getting a free hot dog in the line-up for Finding Truelove

Cringe-worthy Moments

The umpteenth time I had to watch the ultra-cheesy Documentary channel "supports me like a bra" advertisement during the pre-show reel.

Number of Films Seen

Theatre Tally

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema - 6
Cumberland Cinema - 3
Isabel Bader Theatre - 2
TIFF Bell Lightbox - 1
ROM Theatre - 1

Hot Docs 2012 Photo Gallery

Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on The Job

2012-05-06T16:10:00.002-04:00

For my final film of Hot Docs, I saw this French documentary that filmed the recruitment process for an insurance company. Ten job seekers come in for the job, not even being told what it is, and they go through a recruitment process that I can best describe as both shocking and enthralling.

To call this the "job recruitment from hell" would be an understatement. Throughout the two day process, the applicants are told to do many activities, which don't seem to have anything to do with the job. This includes trying to sell the person next to you as being the best applicant and debating why a random role model you've chosen should get the final seat on a spaceship leaving Earth during the Apocalypse (I'm not kidding).

All the candidates give their opinions through talking head interviews and it is apparent that they grow more and more frustrated as the recruitment process goes on. Some of the applicants quit early on, while others are let go at the end of the first day.

On the second day, the individuals on the shortlist are given their one-on-one interviews and this is where things get the most shocking. Not only is the true entry-level nature of the job revealed, but the recruiters come off as being incredible biased, critical, a discriminative in their interviews.

Watching as a Canadian, I'm sure this whole recruitment process would go against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in some way. Also, even though it's a French film, I do think that The Job speaks volumes about how difficult finding a job can be, how job seekers are at the mercy of prospective employees, and that there is really no such thing as the perfect employee that employers are looking for.

I definitely thought it was an excellent doc.

9/10

Farewell to the Cumberland

2012-05-06T11:05:00.001-04:00

It was announced on Friday that the Cumberland Theatre, which at one point was the main arthouse cinema in Toronto, would close its doors at the end of today.

It's definitely sad news, but at least the theatre gets to go out with a bang instead of a whimper. Today is the final day of Hot Docs and eight screenings are scheduled at the Cumberland, including one of the award winners. I myself will be going to the 1:15pm screening of The Job. In addition, there are still the normal screenings of A Separation and Footnote, which will ensure that the Cumberland remains busy until the bitter end.

When I fully embraced my passion for cinema a decade or so ago, I started to become more interested in independent and foreign films, which I found are often much more enjoyable than the disposable mainstream fare that I would see at the multiplex. In 2005, a little film called Brick caught my attention. It was a high school-set film noir, starring a then obscure Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I most definitely wanted to see the film, though it only opened at one theatre in Toronto - the Cumberland. Brick was my formal introduction to this Yorkville cinema and I made it my goal ever since to keep an eye on what was playing at the Cumberland and it return on a periodic basis (I even got an Alliance Cinemas membership for admission discounts).

I was actually already quite familiar with the Cumberland before I ever saw a film there. Whenever I saw a independent film listed in the newspaper, it would nearly always be playing at the Cumberland. I also equated the theatre with the Toronto International Film Festival. When the festival was stationed in and around Yorkville, the Cumberland was one of the central venues (along with the Uptown and Varsity). In fact, I came to think of the Cumberland as the place where I could see festival-type films during the year.

It was obvious for the last few years that the Cumberland was running on borrowed time. The first nail in the coffin was when TIFF started to move further downtown with the opening of the Bell Lightbox and stopped using the Yorkville venues (Cumberland was retired first, followed by the Varsity). In addition, Cineplex took over the Cumberland and decided to remove it somewhat from its arthouse roots and began playing some more mainstream films at the theatre. In addition, the theatre no longer had the cheap ticket prices that made it so enticing in the first place.

I slowly stopped going to the Cumberland over the last couple of years, with me instead seeing arthouse films at either the Bell Lightbox or Varsity. Before going to three films their for Hot Docs, the last film I saw at the Cumberland was The Trip last summer.

It's definitely sad to see the Cumberland go and I'm at least happy that I will get to see one final film at the cinema before it shuts its doors.

Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists

2012-05-06T09:33:00.001-04:00

We Are Legion tells the history of "hacktivism," the recent movement in which activist acts are done by a group of individuals through the internet. The main focus of the film is group "Anonymous."

A very interesting aspect of this history is that Anonymous started out as essentially online pranksters with no political agenda. Eventually they would become more political and participate in true activist causes, always appearing in real-life protests wearing the Guy Fawkes mask from the film V for Vendetta.

The film also goes into how some of the members of Anonymous were identified and arrested for the cyber crimes (most often for "Denial of Service" attacks on websites) and were in danger of receiving prison sentences of up to 15 years, which is longer than what pedophile would spend in prison.

I have to admit that I found some of Anonymous' actions described in the film to be quite humourous. I think that despite doing actions that are technically illegal, they didn't seem interested in doing any permanent damage. However, the film also describes some a rival hacktivist group called LulzSec, which was somewhat more damaging and random with its hacks, which included breaking into the Sony PlayStation Network and stealing user info.

Before concluding, I should also note that the film included interviews with many members of Anonymous, both those whose identities were revealed by authorities and those who are still able to hide who they really are. It's definitely surreal watching talking heads featuring at least three people wearing Guy Fawkes masks.

Overall, while I wouldn't necessarily say that I agree with their actions, the film was definitely a very interesting look at this, still growing, movement.

8/10

My Thoughts on The Avengers

2012-05-06T08:50:00.003-04:00

The Avengers has a lot of set-up. Each of the main members of this superhero team were introduced through their own film over the course of the last 4 years. It's definitely an ambitious plan to release five independent films to introduce the characters before bringing them together in one epic movie.

And the movie is indeed epic. At a running time of 2h22m, the film is definitely one of the longer superhero movies out there. My problem with the running time is that the bulk of the first two hours features even more set-up (after we have already have had five films of it). I definitely wish that the film could have been trimmed down a bit.

The movie becomes worth the price of admission during the climax, which features all the best moments of the film. It was such a joy watching this final half hour, that I almost forgot that the previous two were not up to par.

I'll say that I liked the film.

8/10

Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on The Queen Of Versailles

2012-05-05T00:02:00.001-04:00

Even though it was not the original intention of the documentary, The Queen Of Versailles is a very interesting case study about a spoiled rich family and their attempts to cope with the financial crisis.

The main focus of the film is Jackie Siegel, the trophy wife of timeshare king David Siegel. Jackie has seven children (and one niece) and they all live together in this big lavish mansion. The Siegels were in the process of building a BIGGER mansion, styled after the Palace of Versailles, however the financial crisis hit in 2008 and David Siegel's empire was in serious jeopardy.

Watching the life of the super-rich is something that has to be seen to believed. Rich people are able to buy or do whatever they want just because they can. The lifestyle becomes such an addiction that, even when times are tough, it can be hard to stop. It's definitely something when you see Jackie buying three carts full of toys (for Christmas presents) at Toys 'R Us, even though they are struggling to get by.

The real "villain" of the film is definitely David Siegel. It is his own practices of spending money to make money that put him into financial peril to begin with. He desperately wanted to keep his flagship property in Las Vegas, even though foreclosing it would have helped him to secure his future. He also brings out a nasty side of personality, where he seems to care more about finding a solution to his financial trouble than his own family.

It's probably not right to laugh at "rich people problems," but I thought that The Queen Of Versailles was a hilarious sociopolitical commentary that gives an interesting look at the faces behind the "1%."

9/10

Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on My Name is Faith

2012-05-03T23:01:00.000-04:00

My Name is Faith is about a girl named Faith, who suffers from what is called Attachment Disorder. As a very young child, she suffered from the neglect of her birth mother and, as a result, she is unable to trust her new adoptive parents.

The film follows Faith as she goes to a camp for kids with Attachment Disorder in order to attempt to become a more normal and trusting child.

Some of early interviews with Faith and other kids with Attachment Disorder were a little hard to watch, since we had these cute kids essentially describing sociopathic behaviors that they have either done or have thought about doing. At one point of the film, Charles Manson was used as a point of comparison for a case of someone with attachment issues, who ended up a sociopath.

Thankfully, the negative aspects of Attachment Disorder doesn't remain the focus point for long and instead the film focuses on Faith's journey to become a better person. It was definitely a heartwarming documentary that proves the Beatles song right in that All You Need is Love.

8/10

Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on Herman's House

2012-05-03T00:49:00.000-04:00

Herman's House is about two people - Herman Wallace and Jackie Sumell. Wallace was Black Panther member, who was falsely accused of murdering a prison guard and has been kept in solitary confinement at Angola prison for about 40 years. Jackie is an artist and activist, who collaborated with Wallace on an art project in which she would design his ideal house, which kick-starts a friendship and a very touching and sad story.

Throughout the film, Wallace is only heard through telephone interviews, in which he talks about his time in solitary confinement and his dreams about he would do if he was released. The bulk of the film focuses on Jackie and her mission to raise awareness to Wallace's situation by creating her art project, which was shown as an exhibition in over 7 countries. Afterwards, Jackie sets out on a goal to actually build the house she and Wallace designed.

Even though it's not at the forefront of the story, the film does raise some issues about the penitentiary system. It is argued the Wallace's extended time in solitary confinement is cruel and unusually punishment, especially since the prison seems to be purposely keeping him their, without giving his case a proper review.

The film follows Jackie over a number of years and even though she faces some hardships in her goal to both free Wallace and build his house, she refuses to give up on him. It is definitely sad that Wallace, who at the time the film was made was pushing 70, is more likely now to die in prison than see the outside world again.

Overall, I thought it was a decent enough doc. Of course, being a bit of an activist film, viewers are encouraged to visit the film's website and learn more about the cause.

8/10

Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is)

2012-05-02T09:09:00.001-04:00

I am not going to waste too much of my energy talking about this "film," which has ended up being my least favourite of Hot Docs. So, James Franco was shooting a guest role on General Hospital and there was some behind the scenes footage shot. According to the introduction by the co-director, there wasn't really enough footage to create a documentary, so they decided to get experimental.

Oh my God was this film tedious. What they did was take the behind the scenes footage and have Franco do a whispered voice-over of his thoughts, which comes off like a bad Jean-Luc Godard film. In addition, there was some footage from General Hospital was was manipulated, so that it was completely white. That's pretty much what the film was, even though it gets more messed up when the sign on the men's washroom begins speaking.

Waste of time.

3/10