Dear Fans of the First Amendment: The Internet, the last free open and diverse democratic medium, is under attack. Net Neutrality, which provides that no content is favored over any other, and that content creators have an equal opportunity to freely disseminate their information, is being imminently threatened by greedy media megaconglomerates and their vassals. …
The Alamo Drafthouse, Fantastic Fest & Fantastic Arcade announced the 2010 “Movies in the Park” lineup of free outdoor screenings in Republic Square today. Check out the fantastic line-up of movies and fun! Bring your family and come enjoy a new twist on Austin night-life. All movies are free. Amusing pre-show antics start at 7:30 …
8: The Mormon Proposition Dir. Reed Cowan, Steven Greenstreet If you are the type of person who watches documentaries like 8: The Mormon Proposition, then it is likely that you already have an opinion on the subject of homosexuality, Mormonism, and California’s Proposition 8. In this case, you are in good company: it is clear …
With the sponsorship and assistance of the UK’s Total Film magazine the Frightfest organisers instituted a new filament to the festival programme last year, the Total Icon event that was awarded to John Landis who hitch-hiked over to London with a sparkling digital print of An American Werewolf in London in tow. This year the strand continued with …
Monsters Directed by Gareth Edwards Monsters begins with a flurry of panicked hand-held night vision shots as troops battle with a looming, Lovecraft-ian creature that towers above them, tentacles rippling through the night sky. It’s an arresting first impression and one whose key tone – realism – is maintained throughout the rest of the movie. …
The Shanghai Gesture (1941) Directed by Josef von Sterberg The unabashed and almost flippant garishness of The Shanghai Gesture is what draws one in immediately. A dress isn’t just a dress, it is a lavish gown hung elegantly on the shoulders of Gene Tierney. A light bulb isn’t just a light bulb, it is one …
According to Filmjunk.com, Dark Sky Films has announced that they are making a pretty risky decision with the theatrical release of Hatchet 2. Following in the footsteps of Anchor Bay’s remake to I Spit On Your, Dark Sky is sidestepping the MPAA entirely by only releasing an unrated version of the film. What this means …
The bad news just keeps on coming for beleaguered movie rental giant Blockbuster, but is anyone really surprised? Yesterday, the LA Times reported that Blockbuster chief executive Jim Keyes was in LA to discuss plans for a possible “pre-planned” bankruptcy in September. Apparently, he met with executives at several studios including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, …
“At eighty minutes, this brisk film never outstays its welcome, and provides some entertaining quips and distressing gore effects that should satiate the gore-hound crowd…”
If I was an envious person, I would envy Sofia Coppola. She is not only the epitome of cool, but has a spirit and intellect about her that emanates and exudes out her persona and completely into her writing and film making. Everything is intricately crafted and relentless tweaked; no detail is spared and the …
For those of you lucky enough to be attending this year’s Fantastic Fest, they’ve released a list of films and descriptions for their second wave of programming – and there are some big ones. (Pro tip: we’ve heard great things about Carancho.) Gala: Stone (2010) US Premiere, USA, director: John Curran Director John Curran and …
————– If you’re facing down the Toronto International Film Fest’s immense schedule and feeling a strong urge to self-harm, you’re not alone. This year’s lineup is densely packed with enough documentaries, Oscarbait, and intriguing foreign features to drive any movie fan who can make it to TO up the wall. To help whittle it down, …
#6 – Paranormal Activity (2009) Directed by Oren Peli The faux-documentary, “cinema verité” camera style is increasingly prevalent in horror flicks these days, mostly because it cuts down on budget-costs for genre filmmakers. Paranormal Activity is a prime example. The film is one of the most profitable movies ever made, based on return on investment. …
Two decades before The Blair Witch Project, the 1980 Italian exploitation film Cannibal Holocaust, directed by Ruggero Deodato, broke traditional cinematic conventions while creating major controversy following its release. Filmed in the Amazon Rainforest, the movie tells the story of four documentarians who journey deep into the jungle to film indigenous tribes. Two months later, …
“Worth recommending to fans of music, whether or not you are familiar with the workings of Broken Social Scene…” This Movie Is Broken Directed by Bruce McDonald Whether or not Bruce McDonald’s experiments in filmmaking are always successful, his passion and continued desire to push the limits of the medium in both form and content …
“If you’re in the mood for some mindless genre affection, for a film whose plot trajectory can be summarized to: revision scene, ‘legend’ episode, characterization sequence and blistering blitzkreig, then Hatchet 2 comes warmly recommended.” Hatchet 2 Directed by Adam Green World Premiere A suitably gloomy, rainswept August pallor ushered in London’s Frightfest film festival yesterday …
“The gothic horror genre has been fairly maligned in cinemas lately – shoddy stories and appeals to the lowest common denominator are largely to blame. Thankfully, Heartless is the movie to buck the trend.” Heartless Dir. Philip Ridley (2009, UK, 114 mins.) Heartless is an uncommon film from an uncommon director. Philip Ridley is, among …
Once more, Toronto After Dark has proven why it stands out in a city full of film festivals. Fans were treated to a wild ride full of Old Ones, exorcisms, ninjas, pot brownies, demons, centurions, robogeisha, and a human centipedes. Here are some notes from the festival: – The horror-comedy is picking up speed and …
“Six adds new life to the traditional ‘kidnap and torture’ genre that we’ve previously seen in such films as Hostel or Martyrs.” The Human Centipede: First Sequence Directed by Tom Six Every once in a while a film comes along that pushes the boundaries of blood and torture unlike anyone has ever seen. When …
There is no harm in further promoting one of my favourite films of 2010 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, especially since it isn’t making much money at the box office. It was reported that Edgar Wright changed the ending from what test screening/preview audiences saw earlier in the year to what we have now in …
Under-appreciated throughout much of his career, with his early work made up of catch-as-catch-can projects, his credits meandering from Westerns (The Beguiled, 1971; The Shootist, 1976) to science fiction (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956), war stories (Hell Is for Heroes, 1962), period pieces (The Verdict, 1946), crime stories (Dirty Harry, 1971; Charley Varrick, 1973), …
“A surprisingly invigorating horror film.” The Last Exorcism Directed by Daniel Stamm Thanks to its wicked humor and unexpected smarts, The Last Exorcism sets itself apart from many recent attempts at faux-documentaries. In the film, documentary filmmakers follow a disillusioned preacher who hopes to expose the danger exorcism poses in the modern age. He attempts …
New York, NY (August 25, 2010) – The Tribeca Film Festival announced today that the tenth annual Tribeca Film Festival will be held April 20 – May 1, 2011. The Festival has also announced a Call for Submissions for narrative and documentary features as well as for short film entries. Deadlines to submit U.S. and …