Big Hero 6 Review
Big Hero 6 is charming, effective, never dull, and gets by almost on sheer force of will despite a few minor slip ups.
The Dork Shelf Guide to Reel Asian 2014
We kick off our coverage of the 2014 Reel Asian Film Festival.
Reel Asian 2014: Blue Bustamante Review
Blue Bustamante Set in the early 90’s, Blue Bustamante stars Joem Bascon as the downtrodden George Bustamante, a man desperate enough to provide for his family that he leaves the Philippines for Japan in search of a job that will pay him better money. Leaving behind his wife and son, George quickly discovers that engineering […]
Reel Asian 2014: Awesome Asian Bad Guys Review
Awesome Asian Bad Guys The concept behind Awesome Asian Bad Guys may not be new, especially in this post Expendables world, but it seems full of possibility. Gather together some of the famous Asian movie henchmen from the 80’s and 90’s, like the unmistakable Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto (the bad guy from Karate Kid 2) […]
Reel Asian 2014: KANO Review
KANO Chih-Hsiang Ma’s KANO is an exhaustingly sentimental baseball picture that overstays its welcome to a huge degree. An ethnically diverse baseball team from southern Taiwan (what commentators call a “miracle team”) competes for the top prize at Japan’s Koshien baseball championship. Set in 1931, the film is essentially an underdog story, but it lacks […]
Reel Asian 2014: Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll Review
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten The title Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten could be a mantra for third world countries that (having survived decades of colonialism) strive to preserve their national culture. Memory is a major player in constructing history; if a nation or group of people can coherently remember who, what, and where they came from, […]
The Dork Shelf Guide to Planet in Focus 2014
We take a look at ten of the films playing this year's ecologically minded Planet in Focus film festival.
Planet in Focus 2014: On the Trail of the Far Fur Country Review
On the Trail of the Far Fur Country On the Trail of the Far Fur Country shows us the unique qualities of the Great White North while recreating the footage that was thought to be lost a very long time ago. 95 years ago in 1919, a film crew set out to capture the day […]
Reel Asian 2014: The Continent
The Continent From blogger,novelist, and race car driver Han Han, The Continent is a socially interesting, but narratively slight affair about three small town friends hitting the road to find themselves. With a desire to get out and find his long time pen pal, Ma Hoahan decides to leave his small island community with his […]
Reel Asian 2014: Manny Review
Manny Boxing is still one of the most popular sports on the planet, and not since the sport’s heyday has there been a fighter that has captured the public’s interest like Manny Pacquiao. Manny is the chronicle of his life and how he made his from war torn slums to be a champion both in […]
Reel Asian 2014: Mourning Grave Review
Mourning Grave Mourning Grave borrows too much from the Japanese Horror wave of the late 90s and early 2000s – without giving back anything original – to be taken as anything but a dull knock off. In-Su (Kang Ha-neul) has the ability to see ghosts and it has never been a problem. He decides to […]
Reel Asian 2014: The Midnight After Review
The Midnight After It’s important to kick off a film festival with something that makes a hell of a strong statement, and this installment of the Reel Asian Film Festival has done so in spades. The Midnight After is a mind bending tale that evokes a wide array of emotions, and managing to entertain like […]
Planet in Focus 2014: Dark Side of the Chew Review
The Dark Side of the Chew The Dark Side of the Chew, if you couldn’t tell by its title, is a documentary that’s not short on self-aware humour, yet in the process does not undermine the sincerity of its intentions. It explores the impact of chewing gum – yes, chewing gum–on our culture, and its perceived […]
Planet in Focus 2014: Living on the Edge Review
Living on the Edge A collaboration between journalist Susan Woodfine and photographer Joan Sullivan, Living on the Edge takes a look at the effects of climate change via the lives affected in Northern Quebec along the edge of the Lower Saint Lawrence Gulf. Following a massive high tide surge in December of 2010, local residents […]
Planet in Focus 2014: Honour Your Word
Honour Your Word Since 1991, the Algonquin of Barriere Lake (about four hours North of Ottawa) have been fighting a vital battle for their land and their rights, as outlined in Martha Steigman’s slightly overlong, but powerful look at governmental abuse of authority and trust. Forced already into living on a 59 acre reserve and […]
