Can I just start by saying how metal that title is? What a rockin’ black metal name for a film. I know, I know, it’s just a synonym for one of history’s most infamous plagues, one which only make our excessive paranoia over swine flu and SARS seem like meagre whining (not to mention that […]
When a new film is being made by the same group who gave us the camp hits Tokyo Gore Police and Machine Girl, the purchase of your ticket is like an informal contract that you are basically down with whatever is about to happen for the next feature-length amount of time. No matter what. However, […]
When British director Neil Marshall isn’t making excellent horror films like Dog Soldiers and The Descent, he is making action movies. Fairly mediocre action movies. His last attempt at the action genre, the post-apocalyptic Doomsday, was both a critical and financial failure. Which was why I was skeptical about Marshall’s next crack at the action […]
How often does a film truly deliver on its premise? The very title of Alien vs. Ninja makes a promise to the audience that aliens and ninjas will go head-to-head in the film. Now I know what you’re thinking: this is a Japanese b-movie, surely there is a musical number or some boring melodrama getting […]
Toronto After Dark is always full of pleasant surprises. Having only seen this rather enigmatic trailer for HIGH School, I really had no idea what to expect. I was vaguely aware that the movie had been well received at Sundance earlier this year, but beyond that I knew nothing. That’s probably the best way to […]
Midnight Madness has always been a favourite refuge for dorks at the Toronto International Film Festival. Free from the stuffy attitude that plagues the rest of the festival, Midnight Madness is just about the movies. Awesome, weird and insane movies. The programme is a showcase for the best in sci-fi, fantasy, action, horror, animation and […]
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably seen Drew Struzan’s work. He’s the man responsible for some of the most iconic movie posters in film history. When you think of movies like Back to the Future, The Thing, Star Wars, The Goonies, Big Trouble in Little China E.T. The Extraterrestrial or Harry Potter their […]
Thus far this month Dork Shelf has featured several reviews of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World–you can check them out here. And here. These are excellent reviews, from the non-biased perspectives of writers who were not steeped in the books before watching the movie. This review is the opposite of that. I’ve been reading, collecting, […]
I won’t lie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was practically made for this site. It’s a film adaptation of a video game inspired comic book that is not only set in Toronto, but was filmed here too. We cut our teeth covering various aspects of the film’s casting and production. So—despite the fact I’ve only […]
Thanks to Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, the action film reached its height in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It was a world where a man could battle an army of terrorists single-handedly and not only survive, but slaughter them all; where a man could fire forty rounds from his hand gun—while […]
This Friday (August 13th) Kung Fu returns to the space at 186 Spadina with Son of Kung Fu Fridays! The Toronto Underground and Colin Geddes, curator of Midnight Madness and the original Kung Fu Fridays have teamed up to present the Shaw Brothers classic Mad Monkey Kung Fu. Chen (director Lau Kar-leung) and his sister […]
Last week the Dork Shelf crew hit the red carpet at the Winter Garden for the Toronto premiere of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. There we had a chance to talk with director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley and the cast, including Jason Schwartzman, Mary Elizabeth […]
While shooting Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in our fair city last year, director Edgar Wright made Toronto his home. When Wright wasn’t busy making his movie—which wasn’t often—he was engaging with the local film community. On several occasions he curated his Wright Stuff film series at a local movie house that shall remain nameless. […]
The much talked about trailer for Thor that Marvel screened for fans at the San Diego Comic Con last weekend has unsurprisngly found its way online. The Kenneth Branagh directed film stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god of thunder, Anthony Hopkins as his father, Odin, and Natalie Portman as his love interest, Jane […]
The 2010 Toronto After Dark Film Festival has just announced their lineup of films for this year. The fest runs from August 13 – 20 and features the best horror, sci-fi, action and cult films from around the world. They have some truly awesome, strange and ridiculous films playing this year, so don’t miss it! […]
