Posts Tagged ‘Canada’

  • 25 Aug

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    DVD Review: Polytechnique

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    Polytechnique One Sheet

    Director: Denis Villeneuve (Maelström, Next Floor)
    Screenplay: Jacques Davidts
    Producers: Don Carmody, Maxime Rémillard, André Rouleau, Karine Vanasse
    Starring: Maxim Gaudette, Sébastien Huberdeau, Karine Vanasse
    MPAA Rating: 14A (Canada)
    Running time: 77 min.

    (4.5/5)

    Montreal. December 1989. Students are attending classes at École Polytechnique when a fellow student enters the building carrying a gun and a hunting knife and opens fire on the unsuspecting students. He soon makes his way to a classroom where he separates the women from the men, forces the women against a wall and proceeds to open fire killing them in cold blood before eventually killing himself.

    Polytechnique Movie StillIt’s difficult enough to write those events, never mind watch them unfold but that is the beauty of Denis Villeneuve’s Polytechnique. The film never lets you forget that this really happened. It doesn’t glamorize the assassin, nor does it pass judgement; it simply tells the events as they unfolded but the film’s greatest achievement is that it manages to do so in breathtaking beauty.

    Shot in black and white by multiple Genie Award winner Pierre Gill, Polytechnique is one of the most beautiful films of the last few years and sadly, many have not and will not see it and though that fact is disappointing, it’s not hard to see why the film may be overlooked. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart and though Villeneuve does not linger on the violence, he also doesn’t shy away from the fact that these women were shot for no apparent reason other than the fact that they were women. And yet, the film also doesn’t antagonize the assassin. Though the unfolding events lead the audience to dislike and even hate the assassin, Villeneuve and writer Jacques Davidts go out of their way to provide some insight into his life and his state of mind at the time of the shooting. They don’t apologize or make excuses but seeing the events that shaped him and his state of mind gives the film balance.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 31 Jul

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    McLaren’s Neighbours A World Cultural Treasure

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    Neighbours Movie StillI was in high school in the mid 90s when I first saw Norm McLaren’s short film Neighbours. When the lights came up, the teacher asked us when we though the movie had been made and the median answer was 1975. It’s safe to say that we were all in shock at discovering that the film was over 40 years old.

    McLaren was an animation genius, a Canadian treasure and icon recognized the world over and though we’ll never see a new project from the master and the National Film Board is doing an excellent job of preserving his memory and body of work, it looks like the world will never forget his contribution to the film, animation and culture.

    UNESCO Memory of the World Register aims to preserve and disseminate valuable archive holdings and library collections throughout the world. The registry, which includes includes works such as the Gutenberg Bible and the films Metropolis and The Wizard of Oz, recently added an additional batch of films and among them is McLaren’s classic Neighbours. Not only is this huge news for McLaren and the NFB but for Canada as a whole as this is only the third Canadian entry into the registry.

    If, by some freak disaster, you have never seen the film in question, I’ve tucked it under the seat for your viewing pleasure.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 09 Jun

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    Canadian Film in Revue

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    Vincenzo NataliWhen I see stories like this one, I want to pack-up and move myself across the country. Why? As a film lover, living in Vancouver has some serious disadvantages and though I occasionally think about a move, as soon as I think about leaving the mountains and sea I start to feel green.

    The First Weekend Club has posted some great news about a film series which kicked off in Toronto yesterday (apologies for not picking up on it sooner). Curated by Canadian film blogger Alan Bacchus in partnership with the Revue Cinema, Canadian Cinema in Revue is a screening series of great Canadian films. And we’re not talking your mother’s stuffy Canadian films; we’re talking celluloid awesomeness.

    The series kicked off yesterday with a screening of Vincenzo Natali’s Cube as well as his short film Elevated and if that wasn’t great enough, they also arranged to have Natali on hand via Skype (gotta love technology!) to answer audience questions. If you ask me, this isn’t a shabby start to the series; not one bit! On the slate for the next few months:

    July 13th: Fido with The Big Charade
    August 10th: It’s All Gone Pete Tong with If I See Randy Again…
    September 21st: Six Figures with Still Live

    That’s a great line-up of Canadian film. For more information and to stay up to date with the series, be sure to check out The Review Cinema’s website.

  • 26 Mar

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    The Vulcan Plea

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    Vulcan Alberta Enterprise ReplicaVulcan, Alberta: population of approximately 2,000 and a town that has become a tourist attraction due to chance and smarts. Latching on to the Star Trek coincidence, the town has embraced its connection with Star Trek fandom (if only in name) and built a solid tourist business but it looks like the town won’t be making any gains from the upcoming Star Trek film.

    The enterprising community put forth a proposal to host the film’s world premiere, a proposal that was eventually supported by Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, and recently rejected by Paramount. There isn’t a single reason for the rejection but there has been speculation that the fact that Vulcan lacks a theatre could have played a major role in the rejection since a custom made screen would have to be brought in. One would think that since the campaign has been active since 2007, the studio would have started planning in advance to accommodate the request which would have been a nice gesture on the film’s behalf but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

    There is a silver lining to this entire thing. Though the premiere will not take place in Vulcan, the studio has asked that representatives of the town participate in a media event taking place in Calgary a few days before the film’s release and if that’s not exciting enough for members of the community, there could be another fannish event on the horizon. The town is in negotiations to become “an officially licensed Star Trek destination”. What that means exactly I’m not sure but I am positive it will mean even more attention for the town.

    For myself, I can’t wait for the next opportunity to drive through Alberta. We missed Vulcan on our last trip but I look forward to rectifying that sooner rather than later. Who knows, maybe by then they’ll be able to stamp my Star Trek passport.

  • 23 Mar

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    Norman Jewison Honored in LA

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    Norman JewisonNorman Jewison is one of those Canadian directors that made such a name for himself in Hollywood that I never thought of him as a purely “Canadian” filmmaker. Truth is, though he worked largely in Hollywood for most of his career, Jewison always had (and continues to have) close ties and support for the Canadian film industry so much so in fact, that in 1988 he founded the Canadian Film Centre. Originally set up as a training centre for film, the CFC has grown over the years to become one of, if not the, largest Canadian institution for training in filmmaking, television and new media. Some of Canada’s best new talents have come out of the CFC and their graduate films are nothing short of spectacular. From the cult favourite Blood & Donuts to Vincenzo Natali’s awesome Cube and last year’s Nurse.Fighter.Boy.

    The CFC is celebrating their anniversary and honouring Jewison by screening two of his classic films, In the Heat of the Night and Fiddler on the Roof, at LACMA. On April 17th, Jewison will be on hand for a conversation on his career moderated by the great Leonard Maltin while the two films will screen on April 18th. Definitely an event to attend if you happen to be in town. I think I’ll celebrate by revisiting In the Heat of the Night.

  • 10 Feb

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    Canada’s Oscars: Genie Award Nominations Announced

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    Genie Awards LogoIt’s been so very busy the last few days that I almost missed some of the big news in Canadian film: the announcement of the Genies but thanks to Movie Moxie, it didn’t slip through the cracks.

    I’m particularly happy to see all the love for Richie Mehta’s Amal and Carl Bessai’s Normal. If that’s not enough, there’s also the wiked documentary category which features Maddin’s My Winnipeg and Yung Chang’s excellent Up the Yangtze. Checking down the list of the nominees, it’s been another banner year for Canadian film! The awards will be handed out on April 4th in Ottawa.

    List of Nominees:

    BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
    Amal – David Miller, Steven Bray
    Ce Qu’il Faut Pour Vivre / The Necessities of Life – Bernadette Payeur, René Chénier
    Normal – Andrew Boutilier, Carl Bessai
    Passchendaele – Niv Fichman, Francis Damberger, Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa
    Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine – Nicole Robert

    ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
    Richie Mehta – Amal
    Lyne Charlebois – Borderline
    Benoit Pilon – Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life
    Carl Bessai – Normal
    Yves-Christian Fournier – Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine

    PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
    Paul Gross – Passchendaele
    Rupinder Nagra – Amal
    Christopher Plummer – Emotional Arithmetic
    Aaron Poole – This Beautiful City
    Natar Ungalaaq – Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life

    PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
    Normand d’Amour – Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine
    Benoit mcGinnis – Le Banquet
    Callum Keith Rennie – Normal
    Rade Sherbedgia – Fugitive Pieces
    Max Von Sydow – Emotional Arithmetic

    PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
    Isabelle Blais – Borderline
    Ellen Burnstyn – The Stone Angel
    Marianne Fortier – Maman est chez le coiffeur / Mommy is at the Hairdresser’s
    Susan Sarandon – Emotional Arithmetic
    Preity Zinta – Heaven on Earth

    PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
    Céline Bonnier – Maman est chez le coiffeur / Mommy is at the Hairdresser’s
    Kristin Booth – Young People Fucking
    Eveline Gélinas – Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life
    Anie Pascale – Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine
    Rosamund Pike – Fugitive Pieces

    The rest of the nominees are tucked under the seat!

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 20 Jan

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    The NFB Rocks My World (And Yours)

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    National Film Board LogoThe National Film Board has long been known as a staple in Canadian film but the once stuffy identity has been trying to shed its old suit for some hip new attire and doing a good job of it too. Over the last few years they’ve been investing in projects one wouldn’t immediately think of as “NFB Material” and along the way, they’ve also been making their website a hub of information; a hub that’s about to get that much better.

    Though the official announcement won’t take place until tomorrow, the NFB has let it be known that on Wednesday, January 21st, they will be officially launching their “Online Screening Room” which will feature full length feature and short films added every week. The Online Screening Room will highlight and include an assortment of new and classic NFB selections and they’re certainly starting off with a bang offering up Alanis Obomsawin’s classic Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance and one of my favourite films of last year, Murray Siple’s Carts of Darkness (our review).

    Lucky for you, you don’t have to hold your breath until tomorrow as the Screening Room is already in operation (though a little spotty at the moment). Head on over to the NFB for all the goodness. I can’t wait to see what else they’ll be offering up as they have an extensive library featuring some films that can’t be found anywhere else.

  • 13 Jan

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    Trailer for the AWESOME Anvil! The Story of Anvil

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    One of my favourite films of last year, and easily one of my favourite documentaries of the last few, was Anvil! The Story of Anvil (our review) . The film has been touring through various cities since its premiere at Sundance but no distributor to be found anywhere and outside of a few clips tacked together from the festival, there wasn’t even a trailer for the film. That has now changed.

    The film is scheduled to open in the UK on February 20th and I can’t say this enough, if you have the opportunity to see it, SEE IT. Even if you’re not a metal fan, this is will touch your heart (and if it doesn’t then you’re obviously an early incarnation of the android). I hope that the film gets a wider distribution in North America as well – I’d love the opportunity to see it again, this time with a few friends in tow!

    Thanks to Jay at The Documentary Blog for the heads up on the trailer. Rock on!

  • 12 Jan

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    Canada’s Top Ten 2008

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    The Necessities of Life Movie StillI’m a little late considering the announcement was made a while back but Canada’s Top Ten is back and this year’s list of films is as, if not more, impressive than last year’s.

    The panel of judges have, as far as I can tell, outdone themselves with their selections and the list features entries from some of Canada’s most notable filmmakers, a few films that I’d yet to hear anything about and one that I downright despised (though they’re allowed to make mistakes too so we’ll just over look it).

    The list of short films sounds interesting but admittedly, the only film on that list that I’ve even heard of is Denis Villeneuve’s Next Floor, which I posted about a few months back.

    The feature films:

    Adoration – Atom Egoyan
    Before Tomorrow – Marie-Hélène Cousineau & Madeline Piujuq Ivalu
    Ce qu’il faut pour vivre – Benoît Pilon
    C’est pas moi, je le jure! – Philippe Falardeau
    Fifty Dead Men Walking – Kari Skogland
    Heaven on Earth – Deepa Mehta
    Lost Song – Rodrigue Jean
    Maman est chez le coiffeur – Léa Pool
    La Mémoire des anges – Luc Bourdon
    Pontypool – Bruce McDonald

    The short films:

    La Battue – Guy Édoin
    Block B – Chris Chong Chan Fui
    Drux Flux -Theodore Ushev
    Ghosts and Gravel Roads – Mike Rollo
    Green Door – Semi Chellas
    Next Floor – Denis Villeneuve
    Nikamowin (Song) – Kevin Lee Burton
    Passages – Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre
    Princess Margaret Blvd. - Kazik Radwanski
    Mon nom est Victor Gazon – Patrick Gazé

    If you’re not in Toronto, don’t despair. The majority of the films will open across Canada throughout the year, while other will screen as part of the First Weekend Club’s Canada Screens series and a few lucky cities, including Vancouver, will be screening all of the feature and short films as part of Canada’s Top Ten travelling roadshow.

  • 22 Dec

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    Joshua Jackson in One Week Trailer

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    One Week Movie StillRoad trips. In movies, they tend to be metaphors for change and personal growth and the majority of the time, the use of “the road trip” is usually cheesy and ham fisted. On occasion, a film comes along that actually makes good use of the metaphor but for the most part, it’s a cause for eye rolling. I’m not quite sure which camp One Week falls into but I’m willing to find out.

    Directed by Michael McGowan, One Week stars Vancouver native Joshua Jackson as Ben who, weeks before his wedding, decides to take a motorcycle trip from Toronto to Tofino, stopping at landmarks that are “both iconic and idiosyncratic” on a road trip which, he hopes, will help him find meaning in his life. Same old story, I know but there’s something about the fact that Ben’s trip takes him across Canada that really appeals to me. It seems like such a Canadian thing to do (just look at the number of commercials that make use of road trips: NHL, Tim Hortons, Molson Canadian; it’s a theme man, it’s a theme) and considering I’ve never done it (I’ve seen more of the American coast than of Canada), I’m looking forward to the opportunity to check out some of these “iconic” locales.

    If that’s not enough, I’m really looking forward to seeing Joshua Jackson on the big screen again. Though he’s shown up in a number of supporting roles since his days on “Dawson’s Creek”, it was this year’s crummy horror film Shutter which brought him back into the mainstream and though the movie was awful, Jackson was surprisingly good. I’m hopeful that between this new film and “Fringe”, Jackson will make a splash; he’s certainly talented enough to crack the list of hot New Hollywood.

    Mongrel will open One Week across Canada on March 6th.

    Trailer is tucked under the seat!

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 14 Nov

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    Review: Anvil! The Story of Anvil

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    Anvil One Sheet

    Director: Sacha Gervasi
    Producer: Rebecca Yeldham
    MPAA Rating: NR
    Running time: 90 min

    My parents always said that if I had passion, worked hard and made sacrifices I could do anything I wanted to. The so-called “American Dream” is fairly universal and perhaps it is that universality that has seen the saying and belief proliferate beyond America’s borders to enter the subconscious of the human race. For some, the dreams are small but for others, they are grandiose: become stars. But working hard doesn’t always translate into success and for many, a large part of success is also dependent on luck. Being at the right place, at the right time, knowing the right people and in the case of musicians, being heard.

    Anvil Movie StillMTV and VH1 only show the stories of the successful, the ones that made it. But what about the rest? In 2004 director Ondi Timoner followed two promising American rock bands, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, for her excellent documentary DiG!. One became successful (the Warhols) and the other not so much (Jonestown). It was interesting to see the derailment of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and from early on it was clearly apparent why that band would never hit the big time but watching Anvil! The Story of Anvil, the derailment isn’t apparent. This isn’t even a derailment; it’s simply a case of talented guys who never caught a lucky break.

    Directed by Sacha Gervasi, former band roadie and long-time fan, the documentary tells the heartbreaking story of Toronto metal demi-gods Anvil. The band, which originally formed in the late 70’s, has released thirteen albums and after thirty years of hard work, remain largely unknown. How did this happen to a band that in 1984 played the Super Rock Festival in Tokyo with the likes of then up-and-comers Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Scorpions (all of whom went on to huge success)?

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 28 Oct

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    Colore Non Vedenti Teaser Trailer Goes Live

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    Earlier this year I was pretty impressed with Jay Cheel’s dramatized documentary The Goblin Man of Norway (which you can see in its entirety at the NFC).

    Jay has been working on a new short film titled Colore Non Vedenti and documenting the steps using a very good production blog and now, the film has its first teaser trailer (of sorts).

    There appears to be a bit more work to be done on the film itself (approximately 1/3rd still to be shot) and as far as I can tell from this teaser, it’s looking pretty sweet. The title, which my vague Italian translation puts at something like Colour Not Seen combined with the green jelly certainly suggests something weird going on but what I love most about Jay’s films are the aesthetics and the music and both are pretty stunning in this short clip.

    At some point we’ll likely get another trailer (and perhaps a synopsis) but for the time being, you can revel in the greatness of the teaser clip which below.

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