Mai Mai Miracle Directed by Sunao Katabuchi Mai Mai Miracle is the story about growing up amidst a changing world. Set ten years after the Second World War, life in rural Japan is at a turning point. Inspired by the stories her grandfather tells her, nine year old Shinko, creates elaborate fantasy worlds about the …
The final, complete version of Jorge Michel Grau’s We Are What We Are premiered at the Director’s Fortnight program in Cannes this year and had critics and audiences alike talking. Shocking, bloody and deeply moving are but some of the compliments it revived and now Montreal has the privilege of seeing what all the hype …
No grand achievement, Despicable Me nevertheless proves to be a satisfying hour and a half of fun for the family. Despicable Me Directed by Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud Two supervillains compete for the chance to steal the moon from the sky, but before Gru, the more experienced bad guy and the protagonist, can pull …
A galaxy of intricate geometric patterns floating hypnotically towards you; a grid of horizontal grey lines stabbing across the screen; the figure of Robert De Niro falling through a sheet of flames that segues neatly into a series of dazzling neon backdrops. The opening credits from Vertigo, Psycho and Casino all bear the distinctive hallmark …
——————— The amazing thing about the horror films of Herschell Gordon Lewis is not that they were shocking in 1960s. From what I gather from classic rock radio stations and Partridge Family reruns, vibrantly coloured juice raised eyebrows prior to at least 1975. No, what’s amazing about films like 1963’s Blood Feast and 1964’s Two …
Panorama-cinéma is collaborating with the 2010 edition of the Fantasia Film Festival to present three screenings of Kuroneko (1968), on July 9 (7:45pm, J.A. De Sève Theatre), July 14 (3pm, J.A. De Sève Theatre) and July 15 (6:30pm at the Cinémathèque Québécoise). The intimate experience of a magnificent 35 mm print from Janus Films (distributor …
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) Directed by Tom Six For a movie whose entire premise is more or less spelled out in its title, The Human Centipede is a surprisingly elusive proposition. Despite the sordid particulars, Tom Six’s debut is emphatically not a horror film, at least not in the modern sense. It rejects all …
Telling the story of four drug addicts in Scotland, Danny Boyle’s tri-Oscar nominated adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel, Trainspotting cemented him as one of the leading contemporary British directors. The soundtrack consists of an eclectic, but complimentary cast of British artists, ranging from the pop of Blur to the ambience of Brian Eno and much …
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) production Act of Dishonour has its theatrical premiere this Friday in Toronto. The premiere, which was delayed due to the G20 conference, will be shown at the AMC Yonge and Dundas. The film, a drama, concerns honour killings and a bride-to-be in Afghanistan as she is visited by a …
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has announced a new app for the iPad, available through iTunes. With the app, users can watch over one thousand NFB films for free. It also allows users to store films for up to forty-eight hours, in case the user is away from a WiFi zone. It has …
“Despite the film’s minor problems, Sisters is a film that remains worthwhile for any fan of Hitchcock or horror.” Sisters Directed by Brian De Palma USA – 93 min. Color Criterion Spine #89 One of Brian De Palma’s best known early works, Sisters is draws on both the psychological thriller and the kind of body …
Now in its 11th year, the UK’s premier horror, fantasy and extreme cinema festival is once again destined to bring terror and carnage to London’s West End, the Film4 sponsored Frightfest which runs for five days over the August Bank Holiday weekend at the Empire cinema looks certain to showcase the very best in genre …
13- The Hunger (1983) In his feature debut, director Tony Scott casts David Bowie as centuries-old vampire John Blaylock. A clever hook to lure the MTV audience, but the real stars of his film are Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon, who play predator and prey. A Deneuve and Bowie manhunt in a disco as Bauhaus …
I Spit on Your Grave was originally made under the title Day of the Woman and played some theatre chains and horror festivals under that title in 1978. It didn’t attract much attention until it was picked up for distribution by The Joseph Gross Organization in 1980 and given the luridly exploitative new name. There …
“Controversy, carnage, cannibalism, cutting-edge chills and a clutch of classy special guests await the thousands of fans who will descend on the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square for the annual Film4 FrightFest, now in its eleventh horrifying year.” The UK’s top event for horror fans will unveil 36 films in two screens. There are …
While sloppy at times, Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her is an often delicious trifle, of which the core ingredients are so rich that the film is as much fun as any of Zemeckis’ comedies (if not quite as polished). Death Become Her Directed by Robert Zemeckis Although it managed to walk away with the Best …
More than 30 years after its initial release, Brian De Palma’s Carrie remains the ultimate revenge tale for anyone who wasn’t home-schooled. Carrie Directed by Brian De Palma One doesn’t necessarily have to be a horror aficionado to instantly recognize the monstrous image of Sissy Spacek covered in blood from Brian De Palma’s masterpiece, Carrie. …
Troma Entertainment announces the release of two new DVD’s. First for lovers of heavy metal and heavy violence comes Heavy Mental. Ace Spade, garage band superstar, has just been given the guitar of the late Godfather of Heavy Metal, Eddie Lee Stryker. Eddie’s ghost possesses the instrument and is hell-bent on avenging his death at …
The Last Airbender Directed by M. Night Shyamalan For those unfamiliar with the premise behind the Last Airbender series, here’s a quick summary. Long ago, the four nations of the world lived in peace. Each tribe had a spiritual connection to one of the four elements: earth, fire, water, and air. Only one individual could …
With over 130 feature films over three weeks, Fantasia can be a dizzying prospect even for festival vets. To further complicate things, since we’re dealing mostly with hardcore genre fare, few will agree on what will constitute the fest’s best. With that in mind, here’s a few suggestions for (nearly) sure-fire entertainment to slide into …
Marwencol Directed by Jeff Malmberg One of the more downright inspirational films here is Marwencol, the story of accidental artist Mark Hogencamp. After being targeted and beaten outside of a club one night, Hogencamp came out of a coma with severe physical and mental damage. His personal attempt at recuperation was to construct a 1/6th scale reproduction of a small …
Mandrill Directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza Chilean director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and his action star collaborator, Marko Zaror, are three films deep now, with a fourth (in 3D!) on the way. Clearly they’ve found a formula that works for them, but I’m not as convinced. There’s plenty of buzz around these guys, and they’re hyping …
Production of Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides has begun in Hawaii, and with that more details of the story have been revealed thanks to the lovely folks at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The fountain of youth cannot hide when Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is on the hunt. Joining the crew …