It begins around the middle of August, with advertisements in bus shelters and streetcars plastered with logos. September comes, and virtually every store on Bloor Street between Yonge Street and Avenue Road has a movie theme in their window. Mannequins are wrapped in film strips, old televisions play DVDs, and signs welcome attendees of the […]
If you saw director John Hillcoat’s last film The Proposition , then you know that he is perhaps the only man suited to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road . The world as we know it has been utterly destroyed: Society no longer functions and every bit of infrastructure is gone. A father and son […]
I can’t speak for the rest of this town’s cinema lovers, but one of the best parts of our film festival for me has always been the surprises. Not knowing which films I’m going to end up seeing, who’s going to be at the screenings, and which ones I will like. My priorities when choosing […]
Trying to choose films to see at Toronto International Film Festival is often like trying to eat everything at the buffet of the world: every kind of food is offered and it is impossible to eat everything. Choices have to be made, and gems will be missed. But choose I must. Will has already covered […]
The 2009 Toronto International Film Festival starts tomorrow, running from September 10th until the 19th. Featuring over 300 films from over 60 countries, the festival has an amazing lineup of movies this year. That Shelf will be there, giving you all the latest news and reviews from the 34th annual film fest. You can expect […]
The Forbidden Door ‘s protagonist is not a starving artist, but a prosperous one learning that success can be just as torturous. The film opens on him sipping champagne while denying an art collector one of his gallery pieces, as it has already sold. The first few shots inside the art gallery give an initial […]
The Toronto After Dark Film Festival wrapped up this past Friday, the fest played some of the best genre films from around the world. One film in particular seems poised to become the sleeper hit of the fest: Strigoi , the debut film from director Faye Jackson. An eccentric and extremely black comedy, Strigoi is […]
Inglourious Basterds is the latest film from Quentin Tarantino. On the surface, you would think that Tarantino’s filmmaking sensibilities wouldn’t fit with a period setting, but surprisingly they do. The movie has been advertised as a “men on a mission” movie, which it is, in part. But the trailers and commercials don’t reveal what the […]
2009 has been an incredible year for science fiction films. Duncan Jones’ impressive Moon and James Cameron’s super-hyped Avatar can consider themselves in extremely good company with District 9 . Director Neill Blomkamp has a very bright future ahead of him. Based on Blomkamp’s short film Alive in Joburg , District 9 is quite simply […]
People are going to be absolutely blown away when they see District 9 ; the first feature film South African born-Vancouver, BC based filmmaker Neill Blomkamp . With the release of District 9 tomorrow, Blomkamp is sure to quickly become the hot new director in Hollywood. His cinéma vérité style combined with his seamless integration […]
We all know movies put their best foot forward when it comes to poster blurbs. Hollywood blockbusters are quick to use what Roger Ebert or A.O. Scott have to say about a movie, if it makes them look good. But even if Ebert and his posse of real film critics don’t like a film, you’ll […]
Director Duncan Jones had the following conversation with himself. Spoilers ahead. “Okay Zowie , so you want to make a movie, eh?” “Yes, I do.” “Well, what kind of movie do you want to make?” “I don’t know. I really like Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick. Maybe something in the science fiction genre?” “Alright, that’s […]
I had been debating whether or not I should even bother reviewing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ; the new Transformers film has been almost universally panned by critics, but is doing gangbusters at the box office. Should people even try to critique a film like Transformers 2? It is a film almost entirely bereft […]
The Binary Bansai has unearthed a rare hour long interview with Star Wars creator George Lucas from 1971. Filmed hot on the heels of his first feature film THX 1138 , the piece entitled George Lucas: Maker of Films features a 27 year old Lucas discussing the movie industry, film theory and his hopes for […]
When I was 10 years old my mother introduced my brother and me to Ray Harryhausen . We watched Jack the Giant Killer , The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , Jason and the Argonauts and other films featuring Harryhausen’s amazing stop-motion effects. By this point in my life I was already well versed in the […]
