Noah R. Taylor

Noah R. Taylor

Associate Editor
Noah knows film. In addition to Dork Shelf, he has contributed to sites such as Indiewire and Art of the Title. His love of the medium always puts him on the side of the filmmaker when writing his reviews, so they have to go out out their way to get bad one. That being said, Noah’s opinion, while still just an opinion, is an educated one. From working in a video store, to studying film at Concordia University, acting in indie films, writing screenplays, to shooting and editing EPK material, he is a true cinephile who appreciates that when it comes to movies, no one will ever know all there is to know or see all there is to see.

Articles by Noah R. Taylor:


  • Peter Bogdanovich Interview - Featured
    April 3, 2012
    Interview: Peter Bogdanovich

    The words ”nervous” and ”anxious” do not do justice to what I was experiencing as I sat in what is probably the swankiest private screening room in Toronto (located in Yorkville’s Hazelton Hotel) waiting to interview the fantastic Mr. Bogdanovich. Since our camera fell through at the last minute, we were armed only with a Fostex FR-2 sound recorder, a microphone bigger than most modern cameras, and a hope that he’d appreciate the old-school nature of the apparatus.

  • The Odds - Featured
    March 2, 2012
    The Odds Review

    It’s rare that a thriller comes along and pulls you into the world of a movie in a way that really makes you experience the protagonist’s fear. Try as it might, The Odds is not one of those rare exceptions. Set against the oxymoronic backdrop of a ”high stakes high school gambling ring” the story spins a semi-decent mystery but suffers from a lack of logic and sympathetic characters we can identify with.

  • Doppelganger Paul - Featured
    February 24, 2012
    Doppelganger Paul Review

    At one time or another, most of us have heard an acquaintance say ”I swear I saw your doppelgänger the other day, this guy/girl looked exactly like you.” Or perhaps you’ve been that apparent ”doppelgänger” and were mistaken for someone else. However it’s rare that we ever spot someone whom we consider to be our own double, which is the premise of Doppelgänger Paul , an offbeat Canadian comedy with a darkly dry humour that blindsides the viewer at its best moments.

  • Moon Point - Featured
    February 3, 2012
    Moon Point Review

    An underdog story both thematically and in its making, Moon Point has you rooting for the characters and filmmakers alike. Since Canadian features, particularly the independents, usually end up seen by few if any, this one should be considered a victory just by virtue of you reading about it here. Fortunately the film does succeed in that it delivers a bit of fluffy entertainment, which is all most really ask for when going to the movies.

  • The Divide - Featured
    January 23, 2012
    The Divide Review

    The Divide is a psychological thriller about post-apocalyptic survival that is often horrifying and all around nightmarish. From claustrophobia to torture, radiation sickness and murder, this movie is intentionally void of anything that makes an audience feel comfortable or at ease for longer than one or two brief moments. On this level it’s an achievement, but ultimately the story suffers from a shapeless script.

  • December 23, 2011
    Academy Lists 97 Eligible Film Scores

    There are several categories for the Oscars with very particular qualification standards. Original Score is clearly one of them as only 97 films qualify this year. With less than 100 possibilities and the Academy being categorically opposed to surprising people, it shouldn’t be very difficult to pick out the scores that will be nominated (including movies like Chipwrecked in the running also helps narrow the field).

  • The Divide - Toronto After Dark 2011 - Featured
    October 28, 2011
    TADFF 2011
    The Divide Review

    The Divide is a psychological thriller about post-apocalyptic survival that is often horrifying and all around nightmarish. From claustrophobia to torture, radiation sickness and murder, the only thing comfortable about this movie was how snugly it fit into the middle of Toronto After Dark’s line-up.

  • Man of Steel - Henry Cavill - Featured
    August 4, 2011
    First Man of Steel Image

    It’s a spider-man! It’s an iron man! No, it’s a super man! Earlier today Warner Bros. released the first image of Superman from Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel slated for a 2013 release. The image shows Henry Cavill as the titular ‘Man of Steel’ showing off the squareness of his jaw in a suit that replaces the vintage spandex look with the recycled basketball one people seem to really like these days.

  • Pontypool - Stephen McHattie
    November 30, 2010
    Good Canadian Cinema?

    When was the last time you saw a good Canadian film? How many Canadian films can most people even name? Maybe that’s because unlike music and television, there are no government enforced quotas for Canadian content in our movie theatres, allowing Hollywood to dominate our screens. the city’s newest rep theatre, the Toronto Underground Cinema is taking long overdue measures to remedy this. Starting this Thursday, the Underground is dedicating all 8 of its weekend screenings to great Canadian films.

  • Fubar II - Michael-Dowse
    September 29, 2010
    TIFF 2010
    Fubar II Review

    As much as I always loved the first Fubar movie, I was very skeptical when I found out they were premiering the sequel at this year’s festival. To mix metaphors, I thought they were returning to the well to milk a dead cow. Fortunately there was enough water left in the well to keep the cow alive and ready to be milked for our viewing pleasure once again!

  • September 28, 2010
    TIFF 2010
    The Illusionist Review

    The Illusionist is director Sylvain Chomet’s follow-up to the hugely successful The Triplets of Belleville , and while he is able to top his previous efforts’ aesthetic beauty and craftsmanship, the story is perhaps too subtle and minimal to really draw viewers in.

  • Boxing Gym - Frederick Wiseman
    September 21, 2010
    TIFF 2010
    Boxing Gym Review

    It is with a combined sense of shame and excitement when I admit that I had only seen one Frederick Wiseman film in its entirety prior to screening his latest gem, Boxing Gym . Shame because I could name a dozen titles of his recommended by as many people, and excitement because this film has motivated me to finally donate some time to the observational cinema of this true auteur.

  • September 20, 2010
    TIFF 2010
    Peep World Review

    Peep World is about a family full of hatred for one another getting together to celebrate the patriarch’s 70 th birthday. Unfortunately, depicting 24 hours with 14 characters rehashing one family’s entire history is far beyond the scope of this 90 minute film. So many things are breezed over and simplified that the viewer is […]

  • September 17, 2010
    TIFF 2010
    Easy Money Review

    Easy Money ( Snabba Cash ) is easy viewing for anyone who likes a good crime story that examines the relationship between gangs, drugs and big business. Set in Stockholm where organized crime is still relatively young, the film follows three very different protagonists who all become vested in one big drug shipment. Jorge is […]

  • September 9, 2010
    Noah’s TIFF 2010 picks

    Since the 30 films already picked by Will and Shelagh only represent about 10% of what’s shaping up to be another great program at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival , it wasn’t hard for me to find 10 more that I think are worth checking out. The lineups have been crazy and of course […]