Our film editor was asked to contribute to a list of dozens of "sleeper hits" that can currently be rented free of charge from Bay Street Video in Toronto. Given the vague definition of the term, here is why he chose his films on the list and gives recommendations for other films to pair alongside the free rentals.
While it has some enjoyable moments, a complete lack of character development and an unsure storyline make George Clooney's latest directorial effort, the all star World War II period piece The Monuments Men, a bit of a ponderous disappointment.
Directors Joel and Ethan Coen and actor Oscar Isaac work together in the 1960s New York folk music scene set Inside Llewyn Davis to craft one of the most emotionally affecting works to date in a fictionalized tale of a talented obstinate that feels as powerful as the best non-fiction.
As far as Pixar movie standards go, Monsters University is a bit of a mess with sloppy plotting and and unclear motives as to who the movie is actually made for... and yet, it's still extremely endearing and funny getting a solid B- for its efforts overall.
Dork Shelf talks with the one and only Billy Crystal about returning to school as Mike Wazowski in Disney Pixar's Monsters University and how the themes of his recent film still pertain to his life today, what his grandkids think of the him, what scares him, how his university days differed from his younger, more diminutive altar ego, what serves as a source of friendship and strength to him, and much, much more
We talk to Canadian comedy icon Dave Foley to talk about coming back to work at Pixar for Monsters University, why it’s great to have a film to show to his kids, rumours of Kids in the Hall getting back together, how KITH was a lot like the fraternity at MU, and if he ever had any roommate troubles of his own.
Check out a CANADIAN EXCLUSIVE clip from Disney Pixar's Monsters University, only here on Dork Shelf.
Monsters, Inc. solidified the Pixar formula and proved that clever, emotionally rich, and technically stunning work could be produced by the CGI dream team at will. Now that the film is (get ready to feel old) 11-years old and sliding back out into theaters in 3D, it’s clear just how special of a family flick it was. The movie remains just as funny and warm as ever, with a rather ingenious central concept strong enough to make the upcoming sequel something to look forward to.
Despite an excellent leading performance from Denzel Washington, Robert Zemeckis' Flight is an odd duck of a movie, lurching wildly between crowd pleasing Oscar bait and an intense and far better look at the nature of addiction.
In Argo, the exciting and fast paced third feature for actor Ben Affleck as a director, a silver screen scam job comes to actual theatres with the filmmaker starring as Mendez, whose best plan to rescue the trapped diplomats comes in the form of bringing them together as a fake movie crew under the guise of being location scouts for a big budget sci-fi epic.
The Trouble With the Curve isn't the worst movie ever made, nor is it even close to the weakest movie of Clint Eastwood’s career. It might be dull and old fashioned, but I suppose it's perfectly watchable for passive viewers who like baseball or the aging movie star. It's just instantly forgettable and brings nothing new to the baseball movie genre that’s already overstuffed with these cliched entries.
Day four of our TIFF 2012 coverage rolls on with the festival's second day and looks at Argo, The Company You Keep, West of Memphis, At Any Price, Berberian Sound Studio, Imagine, and All That Matters is Past.
From top to bottom, ParaNorman is a little genre gem for longtime fans and pint-sized newcomers. This is an animated film that refuses to talk down to children, packs in more entertainment value than should be legally allowed, and actually has something to say to the impressionable viewers.
In the age of the omnipresent CG animated film and vapid big budget spectacle, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a lovingly handcrafted stop-motion animated movie like ParaNorman come along. We had a chance to speak with directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell earlier this year, and talked about the talented young cast of the film, the directors' own experiences with bullying, ParaNorman's relationship to the horror genre, the importance of zombies, and much more.
In the age of the omnipresent CG animated film and vapid big budget spectacle, it's incredibly refreshing to see a lovingly handcrafted stop-motion animated movie like ParaNorman come along. We had a chance to speak with directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell earlier this year, and talked about the "John Carpenter meets John Hughes" origins of the film, how technology has helped make stop-frame animation more practical, and much more.
