Movie Moxie

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T07:47:00.001-05:00

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 27, 2012! Happy Oscar nominations week! As per tradition I've made my 3 lists for Oscar nominations including a details list, a film list with the details of what it's nominated for and a simple film list with # of nominations (great for printing & highlighting). I'm way behind - I've only seen 13 of the 46 nominated features! I'll get to at least one more this weekend but not sure how many I'll get to by February 26, 2012 for the awards. Here's hoping it's a lot more!

In limited release this week we have three films to choose from including the just nominated Canadian film Monsieur Lazhar, which has also been a part of the Canada's Top Ten 2011 and Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It's from writer/director Philippe Falardeau (C'est pas moi, je le jure! / It's Not Me, I Swear!, Congorama) and stars Fellag, and has inspiring teacher film written all over it. I can't wait to see it. I also am thrilled to see Tyrannosaur hitting a Toronto theatre this week, it's the fantastic directorial debut from Paddy Considine with a story of a hard case man and a strong faith woman who have absolutely nothing in common. One of the best films I saw at TIFF 2011 and features fantastic performances from the cast including Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan. You can hear my review as well as the intro and Q&A with Tyrannosaur director Paddy Considine here on the Movie Moxie Podcast #59. Last up for limited releases we have All's Well That Ends Well, a Hong Kong comedy that hooks up divorcees starring Donnie Yen, it has a really cute trailer showing the 'many different ways to hug' and remake of the 1988 film The Eight Happiness.

In wide release this week we have 5 films in release, first up is The Grey starring Liam Neeson, who I continue to love to see in action-y roles and it's really exciting to see Frank Grillo (Warrior (2011), 'The Gates') in this one as well, it's a survivalist action/thriller that is I understand the premise from the trailer (which is spoilery...), feels a little over the top, but still very interesting. We also have One for the Money, adapted from the book One for the Money by Janet Evanovich and stars Katherine Heigl who is down on her luck and turns to becoming a bail bondsman, and honestly - I think this one looks pretty funny. Also hitting theatres is Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris and looks a mystery/thriller - from a ledge. Also out in release is the animated film Back to the Sea 3D and Bollywood release of Agneepath.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

The 8 Fest Small-Gauge Film Festival
A festival focusing on small-gauge film including 8mm, Super 8, 9.5mm, loops and zoetropes
January 27 - 29, 2012 at Trash Palace in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday January 27, 2012 Releases

Agneepath
Writer/Dir: Karan Malhotra - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Arush Bhiwandiwala, Deven Bhojani, Sunil Chauhan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

All's Well That Ends Well / Baat seng bou hei
Dir: Hing-Ka Chan (La comédie humaine, Poker King)
Cast: Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Lynn Hung, Kelly Chen, Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Chapman To
Hong Kong
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

Back to the Sea 3D
Dir: Thom Lu
Voices: Christian Slater, Tim Curry, Mark Hamill, Tom Kenny, Kath Soucie, John Di Maggio
China
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Grey
Dir: Joe Carnahan (The A-Team, Smokin' Aces)
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Man on a Ledge
Dir: Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Burns, Keira Sedgwick, Ed Harris
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Monsieur Lazhar
Writer/Dir: Philippe Falardeau (C'est pas moi, je le jure! / It's Not Me, I Swear!, Congorama)
Cast: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

One for the Money
Dir: Julie Anne Robinson (The Last Song)
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Sherri Sheppard, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tyrannosaur
Writer/Dir: Paddy Considine - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy
UK
Limited Release
Film 4 Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 27, 2012**

Movie Moxie Podcast 59: Haywire, Underworld Awakening, Tyrannosaur Q&A and Oscars

2012-01-27T07:10:00.004-05:00

On this weeks podcast I talk about the recent Oscar nominations including recommended approaches to how to choose what to see or even the option of seeing everything! Plus I review recent releases of Haywire, Underworld Awakening and share my vlog review of Tyrannosaur as well as share the intro and Q&A from the TIFF 2011 screening with writer/director Paddy Considine. There is a lot of cheering and clapping during the Q&A, as the film received a well-deserved standing ovation.

Time Coding
0:00 - 0:30 Intro
0:30 - 16:45 Oscar Nominations
16:45 - 25:25 Haywire Review
25:25 - 33:00 Underworld Awakening Review
33:00 - 41:30 Tyrannosaur Review from TIFF 2011
41:30 - 55:45 Tyrannosaur Intro and Q&A with writer/director Paddy Considine
55:45 - 1:03:45 DVD Releases
1:03:45 - 1:05:10 Outro

I mention my traditional 3 lists for Oscar nominations including a details list, a film list with the details of what it's nominated for and a simple film list with # of nominations (great for printing & highlighting).
I mention my Facebook Fan Page where I've been Sharing complicated characters who combine charisma and combustion.
See my vlog and review of Tyrannosaur
I mention Oscar Noms Hugo, The Help and Jane Eyre were all part of 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club.
I mention Oscar nominated film Monsieur Lazhur opens January 27, 2012 here in Toronto
See recent Theatrical releases in my weekly Film Fan Fridays & DVD Releases in my DVD Tuesdays Post

Movie Moxie Podcast - A 100% spoiler-free film review podcast
You can also subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Subscribe through iTunes here.

84th Academy Awards Nominations (for 2011 Films)

2012-01-24T23:23:00.000-05:00

It's that magical time! Oscar nomination day. Recently I've mentioned not feeling all on the excitement front of awards announcements, but the tide started to turn last week with the Genie nomination announcement and today I find myself back on the awards train and very excited about this years Oscars.

I could mope about how few nominated films I've seen this year (only 12 so far!), be feign puzzlement over Transformers: Dark of the Moon's 3 nominations (even though the first Transformers also had 3) or even sigh over the repetition of pattern that the films where actresses are nominated often aren't nominated for many awards but the acting awards. I could, but I'd rather celebrate.

Celebrate that Canada's Monsieur Lazhur is nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category (it comes out in Toronto and Vancouver this Friday January 27, 2012). I'm going to celebrate Drive's Sound Editing nomination, and that The Tree of Life getting three prestigious nods for Film, Director and Cinematography. And it's wonderful to see Pina, the 3D dance documentary, be acknowledged with it's nomination in the documentary feature category.

I am also going to do a big happy dance that 3 titles from the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club are among the nominees here: Jane Eyre with 1 nomination, The Help with 4 nominations, and Hugo which leads the race with a whopping 11 nominations. I am just beaming with joy at the recognition given to these films.

I also realize there are many I should really get out to see before the Awards are presented on February 26, 2012. First and foremost, The Artist which came away with an impressive 10 nominations. That's the biggest omission on my list. There are also a few that have either just hit theatres (The Iron Lady, A Separation) or are just about to hit theatres (Monsieur Lazhur, Albert Nobbs), and there actually are quite a few already available out on DVD in a turn of the tide this year.

It's going to be an excited, and busy, month trying to pack more films onto my schedule before the winners are unveiled on Sunday February 26, 2012. Dust off the tiaras, it's Oscar time!

See also detailed film list with nominations listed and film list by number of nominations.

Here are the 84th Academy Awards Nominations

Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film
"A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
"Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction
"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse" Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing
"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran

Makeup
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

The 84th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday February 26, 2012 at 7pm EST on ABC.

84th Academy Awards Nominations - detailed by film, by nomination

2012-01-24T23:21:00.001-05:00

See also full nomination list (and commentary) and film list by number of nominations.

Hugo (11)
Art Direction
Cinematography
Costume Design
Directing - Martin Scorsese
Film Editing
Music (Original Score)
Best Picture
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

The Artist (10)
Actor in a Leading Role - Jean Dujardin
Actress in a Supporting Role - Bérénice Bejo
Art Direction
Cinematography
Costume Design
Directing - Michel Hazanavicius
Film Editing
Music (Original Score)
Best Picture
Writing (Original Screenplay)

Moneyball (6)
Actor in a Leading Role - Brad Pitt
Actor in a Supporting Role - Jonah Hill
Film Editing
Best Picture
Sound Mixing
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

War Horse (6)
Art Direction
Cinematography
Music (Original Score)
Best Picture
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing

The Descendants (5)
Actor in a Leading Role - George Clooney
Directing - Alexander Payne
Best Picture
Writing
Film Editing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (5)
Actress in a Leading Role - Rooney Mara
Film Editing
Cinematography
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing

Midnight in Paris (4)
Art Direction
Directing - Woody Allen
Best Picture
Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Help (4)
Actress in a Leading Role - Viola Davis
Actress in a Supporting Role - Jessica Chastain
Actress in a Supporting Role - Octavia Spencer
Best Picture

Albert Nobbs (3)
Actress in a Leading Role - Glenn Close
Actress in a Supporting Role - Janet McTeer
Makeup

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3)
Art Direction
Makeup
Visual Effects

The Tree of Life (3)
Cinematography
Directing - Terrance Malick
Best Picture

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (3)
Actor in a Leading Role - Gary Oldman
Music (Original Score)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (3)
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects

Bridesmaids (2)
Actress in a Supporting Role - Melissa McCarthy
Writing (Original Screenplay)

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Max von Sydow
Best Picture

My Week with Marilyn (2)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Kenneth Branagh
Actress in a Leading Role - Michelle Williams

The Iron Lady (2)
Actress in a Leading Role - Meryl Streep
Makeup

The Adventures of Tintin (1)
Music (Original Score)

Anonymous (1)
Costume Design

Beginners (1)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Christopher Plummer

A Better Life (1)
Actor in a Leading Role - Demián Bichir

Drive (1)
Sound Editing

The Ides of March (1)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Jane Eyre (1)
Costume Design

Margin Call (1)
Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Muppets (1)
Music (Original Song) - "Man or Muppet"

Rio (1)
Music (Original Song) "Real in Rio"

Real Steel (1)
Visual Effects

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (1)
Visual Effects

W.E. (1)
Costume Design

Warrior (1)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Nick Nolte

Films in categories that are usually 1 nomination per film *

Foreign Language Film
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation*

Documentary (Feature)
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Animated Feature Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Documentary (Short Subject)
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

* This years exception to the rule is A Separation which has 2 nominations: 1 for Foreign Language and 1 for writing - Original Screenplay

84th Academy Awards Nominations - films by # of nominations only

2012-01-24T23:20:00.001-05:00

See also full nomination list (and commentary) and film list with detail of nominations by film.

Hugo (11)
The Artist (10)
Moneyball (6)
War Horse (6)
The Descendants (5)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (5)
Midnight in Paris (4)
The Help (4)
Albert Nobbs (3)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3)
The Tree of Life (3)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (3)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (3)
Bridesmaids (2)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2)
My Week with Marilyn (2)
The Iron Lady (2)
A Separation (2) *
The Adventures of Tintin (1)
Anonymous (1)
Beginners (1)
A Better Life (1)
Drive (1)
The Ides of March (1)
Jane Eyre (1)
Margin Call (1)
The Muppets (1)
Rio (1)
Real Steel (1)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (1)
W.E. (1)
Warrior (1)

Films in categories that are usually 1 nomination per film *

Foreign Language Film
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation*

Documentary (Feature)
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Animated Feature Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Documentary (Short Subject)
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

* This years exception to the rule is A Separation which has 2 nominations: 1 for Foreign Language and 1 for writing - Original Screenplay

DVD Releases for January 24, 2012

2012-01-24T06:59:00.000-05:00

Time to take a look at a selection of DVD releases for Tuesday January 24, 2012!

The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom I absolutely adored this Canadian young coming of age story following a girl who believes that yes, Dolly Parton could be her mom. Lovingly set in the early 70's with a true pulse of what young girls are like, and the strenuous relationships and friendships at a true time of change. Beautiful
Paranormal Activity 3 I was quite impressed with this third installment and prequel in this horror franchise. The storytelling continues to be strong and the scares are still there. I even liked it better than the clever sequel, and there is a fourth film in the makings as well. Fun times.
Real Steel I'm really looking forward to checking out this film starring Hugh Jackman as a fighter / operator during a time or robot boxing, and also has strong vibe of unlikely friendship with a kid that helps him out. Can't wait to watch it.
The Woman With a premise of a family that traps and tries to tame a feral woman, The Woman is not you everyday film and thankfully it's also not one you can pigeonhole into extreme film or over the top for over the tops sake. I was happily surprized that this challenging watch had way more up it's sleeve than I had imagine. And, to top it all off the performances from Pollyanna McIntosh and Sean Bridgers are amazing.
French Immersion follows four Canadian Anglos and one New Yorker who travel to St. Isidore-du-Coeur-de-Jésus in Northern Québec, to learn French where they learn that they will be learning without using any English at all. (not currently available on Amazon.com)
The Whistleblower stars Rachel Weisz as a cop and peace keeper who unveils a scandal, and is based on true events.
Godzilla on DVD & BluRay Criterion If you've never seen this classic Japanese monster movie, than seeing it on Criterion would be a great way to initiate yourself. I only caught up with it a few years ago and it truly is an excellent film
Tales of an Ancient Empire I'm cautiously curious on this one that's got B-Movie all over it plus the description of "A princess is on a quest to unite the five greatest warriors to save her kingdom from a demon sorceress. " It starts Kevin Sorbo, Michael Paré, Melissa Ordway and Whitney Able (Monsters).
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and I'm a little surprized as the entire series is already out on DVD (on 5 discs); but this one season is a 6-Disc set so hopefully it's a really good transfer.
50/50 Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this semi-biographical film about a young man who struggles with cancer. And... it's a comedy. Hmm.
Restless (DVD/Blu-Ray Combo) unconventional romance between two young misfits played by Mia Wasikowska & Henry Hopper; directed by Gus van Sant (Paranoid Park, Elephant).

Titles on Amazon.ca(Canada):

Titles on Amazon.com (US):

Most Anticipated Films for 2012

2012-01-23T07:00:00.003-05:00

It's that magical time of year, time to look ahead and put on our scrying caps to hone in on what films we are most looking forward to. I usually leave my list until February but this year there is not only 1 but 2 January releases that made my list so I decided to hold out no longer and share the whole thing.

I've created my most anticipated lists for three years running now (see 2010 and 2011 lists), and time after time there are titles that don't make it to theatres, which has swayed me to keep the choices with pretty solid releases dates and/or pretty mainstream. That feels slightly against my own instincts, but it's really to keep disappointment to a minimum. It can allow for happy future surprizes as two of the titles from my 2011 list: The Woman in Black & The Apparition look like we will get them this year in 2012. Even with continual tweaking of this list, I actually ended up with the exact same number of films in 2012 as 2011: 26 titles. Bizarre. If it was a perfect world that would be one every other week, but in actuality it looks like I'll have a very busy March, June and August.

I've also discussed many of these titles on a recent episode of Before the Dawn with Marina, where we both share our most anticipated films of the 2012. My list changed just a little bit since then with a few more titles added, but it's very close to this final list below. Now, without further adieu....

Movie Moxie's Most Anticipated Films of 2012

26. Wettest Country
Let's start with the film I know the least about and actually will be the least likely that I'll enjoy. It's from director John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road - both way too dark for me), with a screenplay by Nick Cave (/swoon), and is set in the depression following bootleggers. And it stars Tom Hardy (Bronson, Warrior), Guy Pearce (The King's Speech, Memento), Jessica Chastian (The Help (2011), The Tree of Life), Shia LaBeouf and Gary Oldman. And it's based on the book The Wettest Country in the World by Matt Bondurant. This one gets a nod to Marina as I didn't even know about it until we discussed our picks on Before the Dawn.
Release Date: August 31 2012

25. Dark Shadows
Reduxing of the British supernatural soap opera from the 60's, this one comes to us from director Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green and Helena Bonham Carter. Originally I wasn't super excited about the film until I saw this still, and then I was convinced it would all be gothic and awesome.
Release Date: May 11, 2012

24. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Although this is a 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club Selection, it actually makes the list because it's from director Timur Bekmambetov who brought us the gorgeously stylized urban supernatural films Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor and Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor. And it's a vampire film. And as a side note one of my goals for 2012 is to be able to pronounce Bekmambetov. Thank goodness Night Watch has a commentary!
Release Date: June 22, 2012

23. The Bourne Legacy
I really loved all three Bourne films so far, and am excited they are continuing the series and the only reason this one is so far back is because it doesn't have Matt Damon in it. I love Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) though, so I have full confidence in him, but I have no clue what they are doing with the series. Plus, it also have Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, The Thing (2011)) in is, which makes it a must-see film for me. Be curious to see how this one goes.
Release Date: August 3, 2012

22. Prometheus
This Alien prequel from Ridley Scott pretty much has to be on this list. But, it's this far back because I haven't watch the trailer yet and I'm just ever so leery of prequels (although last year we faired fine with The Thing). But, Ridley Scott is one of my favourite directors ever, so I'm always happy to see his work.
Release Date: June 8, 2012

21. The Amazing Spider-Man
There are not many superhero films on my list this year, although I'm sure I will see most of them this is the one I'm actually looking forward too. I've been a fan of Andrew Garfield for several years now (since Boy A at TIFF in 2007 to be exact), and after supporting roles in Never Let Me Go and The Social Network it's exciting to see him back in the lead saddle. So far the film looks a lot like the 2002 version, but I'm hoping it will be awesome whether it plays the similar game or not.
Release Date: July 3, 2012

20. GI Joe: Retaliation
I can't believe how many sequels are on this list, but seeing as I was a huge fan of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and the trailer for the sequel looks like it has more ridiculous fun in store for us, I had to include this film. I had to. So I did.
Release Date: June 19, 2012

19. Byzantium
This is one I don't know tons about but what I do know is more than enough. Neil Jordon (Interview with the Vampire) directs Gemma Arterton (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) & Saoirse Rosin (Hanna) as a mother/daughter vampire duo. Yep. That's enough. But the fact that it also has Sam Riley (Brighton Rock, Control) locks it as over the top must see film.
Release Date: no confirmed release date as of yet

18. Bel Ami
Finally we have a release date for this 2011 Book to Film Club Selection which we read last April! I was worried this beautiful French novel by Guy de Maupassant might have gotten lost in the distribution shuffle but no, we will be seeing Robert Pattinson in the title role as a penniless soldier who decides to invest in the company of women to make his fortune. It's a fascinating story with a fabulous cast including Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman, Holliday Grainger, Natalia Tena, Colm Meaney, James Lance and Philip Glenister and is the feature film directorial debut from Declan Donnellan & Nick Ormerod. I can't wait.
Release Date: March 2, 2012

17. Anna Karenina
Another 2012 Book to Film Club selection based on the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy, the adaptation is from Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, Hanna), stars Keira Knightly, Emily Watson, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, and well, just and amazing slew of fabulous actors. I'm not usually a period piece person but there is something about this one that is speaking to me, so I'm going to listen.
Release Date: A little up in the air - previously I had seen August release in the UK but now I can only find September 7 , 2012 in Sweden. I'll keep my eye on it though!

16. The Raven
I've been quite on the book-connection love going on and as such I'm really excited for The Raven, which is a fictionalized period piece/biopic centred on Edgar Allen Poe (played by John Cusack). It drips of gothic tone and a mystery/suspense spin and a Sherlock Holmes-y feel to it. The film also starts Luke Evans & Alice Eve, is directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin).
Release Date: March 9, 2012

15. John Carter
Why oh why did they take the 'of Mars' off the title of this film? I mean... it has the whole on a red planet feel, why not own it? I don't understand that choice, and I barely know what the film is or will be about. Is it Sci Fi? Fantasy? Sword & Sandals? All three? I don't know. But the old school feel and based on a serial I'm hoping we are in for some HiFi stylings of with LowFi classic storytelling. Fingers crossed.
Release Date: March 9, 2012

14. Paranormal Activity 4
So far the series has proven to be a nice paranormal inclusion and welcome horror choice every October over the years and I'm hoping this one will be too. They've had very creative turns on both sequels so far, so I'm not sure where they are going to go from here but I'm feeling confident it won't disappoint.
Release Date: No confirmed release date yet, but likely October 2012

13. Battleship
Possibly the most ridiculous film on the list (actually, that would be a close battle with GI Joe Retaliation), but this film that looks something between classic military at sea film and then with craziness of Battle LA or Skyline... I can't help but... want to see it! I know it's crazy. But it's also true. Looks like a lot of fun. Here's hoping.
Release Date: May 18, 2012

12. The Expendables 2
It's funny that this one ranks so high on my list and the original Expendables didn't even place on my 2010 list, but that leads me to the fact that seeing The Expendables actually woke me up to the fact that I really love action films. I always knew it, and it never stopped over the years, but I really started to claim it more as of then. Plus, I loved the cast and I was truly the target market. And it made me love Jason Statham again after hating Crank - which is something I never thought would have been possible.
Release Date: August 17, 2012

11. Coriolanus
So many reasons to be excited about this one. First - I missed it at TIFF and now we get it here in Toronto (YAY), second one of my side project called The Mega-List has a challenge I set for myself to #128 Read/Watch all of Shakespeare's Plays and I have already read (and watched a version of) Coriolanus. But this one is Ralph Fiennes directorial debut, and he stars in it alongside Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave & Jessica Chastain. It's also a story that so far I've only started to understand even after all that, so I'm looking forward to seeing this adaptation.
Release Date: January 20, 2012

10. Step Up 4
I'm a big fan of dance films, and honestly was rather distraught that 2011 only had the Footloose reboot for our dancing shoes to tap along with (I wasn't a fan of that original and didn't see the reboot!), but Step Up is a series I've come to enjoy from both the first Step Up and Step Up 3D (#2 was shaky...even for a dance film). I'm ready for more dancing, grooving, stepping and ... well, if pattern holds true likely a different sides of the tracks romance all rolled into for fun too.
Release Date: August 10, 2012

9. Mars et Avril
I know almost nothing about this Canadian films other than setting of a future Montréal, based on the original graphic novels of screenwriter and director Martin Villeneuve (brother of Denis Villeneuve of Next Floor, Polytechnique & Incendies). It has an anti-cybernetic movement, people are about to move to Mars and feels like lots of artistic influences in there as well. Cast includes Caroline Dhavernas and Robert Lepage. I really, really hope this one comes out in Toronto this year!
Release Date: No release date yet, I'm guessing it will be at very least at Fantasia this year

8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Another 2012 Book to Film Club Selection (we are reading it in February), and I actually have never read it before. And I only read The Lord of the Rings in their entirety in 2010 which actually was I believe the start of a journey that eventually became the Book to Film Club. More on the film, I'm more than happy to return to Middle Earth and see what adventures the hobbits, dwarves and other folks get up to.
Release Date: December 14, 2012

7. Snow White and the Huntsman
The ladies really start to take over the list from here on in, especially if wielding weapons. I've very excited for this re-interpretation of the Snow White story with Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman and Charlize Theron as the Queen. It's very wintery-set and looks absolutely beautiful.
Release Date: June 1, 2012

6. Resident Evil: Retribution
I'm surprized at the number of sequels and series pieces on my list, and this one especially as I don't think I've even seen all the Resident Evil films and I know I didn't even love all the ones I saw. BUT, I loved the first one, and even the last one Resident Evil: Afterlife I had a huge technical issue when seeing it but somehow it still holds a special place in my heart. And it's Milla. You have to love Milla.
Release Date: September 14, 2012 (ACK - that's during TIFF!)

5. Underworld Awakening
This is almost a cheat as I am posting this after the film has been released, but I haven't seen it yet so I'm calling that a fine balancing act. I was a huge fan of the original Underworld and although I didn't love the sequel Underworld: Evolution I quite enjoyed the prequel of Rise of the Lycans; either way this one has the series going back to it's roots of Selene (Kate Beckinsdale) kicking butt. As she is one of my favourite film characters of all time, I'm all for that.
Release Date: January 20, 2012

4. Skyfall
Normally a Bond film wouldn't place so high on my list be there is a very particular reason that this one is. I'll be sharing that reason in the spring. Stay tuned!
Release Date: November 9, 2012

3. Brave
Pixar takes a stab at a female protagonist film, and it's an action/adventure/fantasy one with a fiery archer redhead in the lead. Oh yeah. If they can get this right, they really will be unstoppable.
Release Date: June 22, 2012

2. The Hunger Games
Based on the first book in the post-apocalyptic trilogy by Suzanne Collins, I'm very excited to see this female protagonist young adult action film take centre stage with Jennifer Lawrence in the lead. I'm also particularly fond of the film as I called the casting of Josh Hutcherson in the role of Peeta the moment I heard it was being adapted. It's a great story, a highly stylistic world that can be created and has fascinating characters. It's pretty dark though, which poses a bit of a YA challenge, but hopefully they find a way to make it all work. The freaking trailer made me cry so I can't help but place it this high. The second book is already set for an adaptation slated to be released in 2013.
Release Date: March 23, 2012

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2
The vampire/human romance/fantasy saga comes to a close. I've been a TwiFan from seeing the first Twilight on opening night back in 2008, so much so that I have co-hosting a Twilight Podcast Before the Dawn for years now. It has been a bit of a bumpy road walking the parallel journeys of both a fan and someone who writes about film on an ongoing basis. It's be wild to follow both the energy of the fandom and challenge of not loving New Moon and only enjoying Eclipse, but for me it came full circle when I fell in love again with the series though Breaking Dawn: Part 1. It's been a whirlwind and I've very excited to see how the final chapter will play out.
Release Date: November 16, 2012

32nd Genie Award Nominations - film list

2012-01-22T09:21:00.002-05:00

List organized by most nominations, then alphabetical. Documentaries and shorts are categories that lend themselves to only have 1 nomination per film are listed separately at the end.

See also: film list with nominations detailed or full nominations list

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Café de Flore (13)
A Dangerous Method (11)
Monsieur Lazhar (9)
The Bang Bang Club (7)
Starbuck (6)
The Whistleblower (6)
Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster (5)
Funkytown (3)
In Darkness (3)
Snow and Ashes (3)
Bumrush (2)
Jaloux (2)
Marécages / Wetlands (2)
Nuit #1 (2)
Oliver Sherman (2)
Take This Waltz (2)
Afghan Luke (1)
Amazon Falls (1)
Cloudburst (1)
Daydream Nation (1)
French Immersion (1)
Good Neighbours (1)
Keyhole (1)
Son of the Sunshine (1)
The Girl in the White Coat (1)
The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (1)
You are Here (1)

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR LONG MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE - 1 nomination each
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION - 1 nomination each
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

32nd Genie Award Nominations - film list with nominations detailed

2012-01-22T08:54:00.003-05:00

List organized by most nominations, then alphabetical. Documentaries and all shorts listed separately at the end as the categories lend themselves to only have 1 nomination per film.

See also: film list only or full nominations list

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Café de Flore (13)
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - MARIN GERRIER
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - VANESSA PARADIS
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - HÉLÈNE FLORENT

A Dangerous Method (11)
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - MICHAEL FASSBENDER
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - VIGGO MORTENSEN

Monsieur Lazhar (9)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - FELLAG
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - SOPHIE NÉLISSE

The Bang Bang Club (7)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - TAYLOR KITSCH

Starbuck (6)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - PATRICK HUARD
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - ANTOINE BERTRAND
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - JULIE LEBRETON

The Whistleblower (6)
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - RACHEL WEISZ
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - ROXANA CONDURACHE

Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster (5)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - SCOTT SPEEDMAN
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - KEVIN DURAND
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN

Funkytown (3)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

In Darkness (3)
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION

Snow and Ashes (3)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS

Bumrush (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES

Jaloux (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE

Marécages / Wetlands (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE

Nuit #1 (2)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - CATHERINE DE LÉAN

Oliver Sherman (2)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - GARRET DILLAHUNT

Take This Waltz (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - MICHELLE WILLIAMS

Afghan Luke (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES

Amazon Falls (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES

Cloudburst (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

Daydream Nation (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES

French Immersion (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

Good Neighbours (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

Keyhole (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES

Son of the Sunshine (1)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO

The Girl in the White Coat (1)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - PASCALE MONTPETIT

The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE

You are Here (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR LONG MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE - 1 nomination each
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION - 1 nomination each
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Abduction (DVD Review)

2012-01-20T17:52:00.002-05:00

DVD Review of action/thriller starring Taylor Lautner & Lily Cole

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © MMXI Lions Gate Films Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved. © MMXI Lions Gate Films Inc. Tous droits réservés. Distribué exclusivement au Canada par Alliance Vivafilm. Tous droits réservés.

Dir: John Singleton (2 Fast 2 Furious, Shaft (2000), Poetic Justice).
Cast: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist
USA, 2011

Reason to see: As a Twi-fan I'm curious to see Taylor Lautner shapes up outside the Twilight series

Abduction follows teen Nathan (Taylor Lautner of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn: Part I) who appears to have the fun time life of a teen just partying and hanging out with friends, although he gets a sense that maybe he just doesn't fit with his family and his life. Although there are some oddities here and there, they all seem easily explained by a core of supportive adults around him including his parents Kevin (Jason Isaacs of the Harry Potter series) and Mara (Maria Bello of Beautiful Boy, Carjacked). It's odd because there is the air of mystery but also very clearly the being misplaced feeling which give the film a very Bourne feeling. In fact, I keep wanting to call Abduction the Baby Bourne film, even though it's totally out of character for me to review by comparison but in this case it really does fit: questions about identity, intense desire to find the truth, and of course action all around.

It feels like it's a recipe that should work but I felt like the film couldn't decide exactly who it's audience was. In a lot of ways Abduction is decidedly teen: cute young romance angst, insecurity, family focus and although the teens are part of the action it's very much reactionary. Nathan is pretty resourceful and smart, but I didn't really believe that he was going to outwit whoever the 'they' was who were after him. Although the threat felt pretty high stakes, I didn't actually feel that much tension in the film. But above all, the one thing I didn't understand was why there were all these little digs are women and girls, considering Taylor Lautner has first billing, the filmmakers must know that with that the audience is going to be very femme-heavy. Why have these little lines and moments that are off the cuff or overt dissing the female characters? To make it more macho? I think the fact that they made it extremely clear that he did his own stunts is enough for the macho factor. And, to be fair the stunts and action were rather impressive so I will definitely give it credit for the action as it's due.

I found Abduction ending up being somewhere between entertaining and amusing. Does Taylor have the action chops? Yep, he does. Were Jason Isaacs and Maria Bello? Yep, they was. Did I want a more complete and/or interesting story? Yep, I did. Did I want more Michael Nyqvist? Yep, for sure. For me, Abduction fell short in more spots than it shone, although if the film was purely and exercise to see if Taylor can do action - then, it succeeded at what it set out to do.

See also Abduction review on the Movie Moxie Podcast #58

DVD Extras:

Abduction Chronicle: On Camera Production Journal with Taylor Lautner
The Fight for the Truth: Making Abduction
Initiation of an Action Hero: Taylor's Amazing Stunts
Pulled Punches: Gag Reel

Abduction is available on DVD as of January 17, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't love it
I may watch it again
I'd recommend it as a teen action flick

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Karen (Lily Collins) and Nathan (Taylor Lautner) in ABDUCTION. Photo credit: Bruce Talamon

Nathan (Taylor Lautner) and Karen (Lily Collins) in ABDUCTION. Photo credit: Bruce Talamon

Film Reviews of 2012 Releases

2012-01-20T17:33:00.002-05:00

Divide, The

If you are looking listing of 2012 releases you can find them here: by title or by release date.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 20, 2012! We are back up to our regular holy-crap-that's-a-lot-of-films number of releases with a whopping 10 new films hitting Toronto theatres. What will you choose to watch this week?

In limited release this week we have 7 films to choose from including the post-apocalyptic thriller The Divide, and I'll tell you it's one hell of a film. Dark and brutal - but brilliant. It's directed by Xavier Gens and it played at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2011 at which point I had the opportunity to interview stars Michael Biehn and Michael Eklund - you can hear that interview here, or read the transcripts here: Michael Biehn interview and Michael Eklund interview. They are spoiler-free interview so you don't have to wait to see the film to dive in! You can also see my review of The Divide as well as videos from The Divide Q&A and Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund. More limited release awesomeness comes with Ralph Fiennes directorial debut of the Shakespearean adaptation of Coriolanus, the Hong Kong action flick The Viral Factor starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse, the South Korean film The Front Line / Go-ji-jeon from the director of Rough Cut / Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da and the highly acclaimed and much-listed Iranian film A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, all of which I am really looking forward to seeing. We also have Angelina Jolie's directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey and rounding out the limited releases is Not Since You.

In wide release this week we have 3 films to choose from, all of them with action and thrills to enjoy. First up I'm pretty freaking psyched for Underworld Awakening which looks like it's going back to it's vampire action roots with Kate Beckinsale kicking butt, not taking names and looking awesome. There is also awesome Lycan (aka werewolf) action going on and a fantastic cast including Kris Holden-Ried (Dyson on 'Lost Girl') and Charles Dance (Aliens 3, Ironclad, 'Game of Thrones'). For those not counting and not fans of colon usage with multiple sequel'd films, this is #4 after: Underworld, Underworld: Evolution and the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, although in Underworld-verse-time it appears to be most directly post-Underworld: Evolution. Also action-centric is Haywire with a female lead in MMA superstar Gina Carano and we also have Red Tails with a tagline of "Courage Has No Color" and set during WWII and follows African American pilots who have yet to be given the chance to show what they can really do. That's one heck of a week for films! It's going to be a busy one.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Attack the Bloc: Cold War Science Fiction from Behind the Iron Curtain
At TIFF Lightbox from January 19 - April 6, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario Canada

Friday January 20, 2012 Releases

Coriolanus
Dir: Ralph Fiennes - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Divide
Dir: Xavier Gens (Frontier(s), Hitman)
Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, Ashton Holmes, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Eklund, Iván González
Canada/USA/Germany
Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page

The Front Line / Go-ji-jeon
Dir: Hun Jang (Secret Reunion, Rough Cut / Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da)
Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Ko Soo, Lee Je-hoon, Ryu Seung-soo
South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Haywire
Dir: Steven Soderbergh (Solaris, Oceans 11, The Girlfriend Experience)
Cast: Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton
USA/Ireland
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

In the Land of Blood and Honey
Writer/Dir: Angelina Jolie - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Alma Terzic, Rade Šerbedžija, Vanesa Glodjo
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Not Since You
Dir: Jeff Stephenson (Flyerman, Bellini's Drive)
Cast: Desmond Harrington, Kathleen Robertson, Christian Kane, Jon Abrahams, Sunny Mabrey, Will Estes
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Red Tails
Dir: Anthony Hemingway - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, Kevin Phillips, Nate Parker, Daniela Ruah, Michael B. Jordan, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith, Rick Otto, Elijah Kelly
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Writer/Dir: Asghar Farhadi (About Elly, Fireworks Wednesday)
Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat
Iran
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Underworld Awakening
Dir: Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein (Shelter - podcast review)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Viral Factor
Writer/Dir: Dante Lam (Fire of Conscience, Beast Cops)
Cast: Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse
Hong Kong
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 20, 2012**

Interview with Michael Biehn on The Divide

2012-01-20T00:45:00.004-05:00

My most exciting film moment of 2011 was getting to meet and interview Michael Biehn during the Toronto After Dark Film Festival after the screening of the post-apocalyptic thriller The Divide. I was very excited but also extremely nervous and I wanted to maintain professional, which I did but what a challenge when getting to meet someone who is in 3 of my top favourite films of all time (The Terminator, The Abyss and Aliens). I think I did pretty well, although if you listen to the interview on the podcast you'll hear my slip into giggles a little bit. Ah, well - I'm only human! It was a honour to meet him and it was great to get the opportunity to chat about The Divide, plus his upcoming film The Victim and also discuss the challenge of bringing the level of intensity in the characters he plays.

Shannon: What drew you to the project?

Michael Biehn: Well, I get a call from Xavier and they sent me the script. The script was okay it wasn’t great, and I told Xavier that the script needed some work and he said he thought it needed work too.

Shannon: Right.

Michael Biehn: And he asked me to come down to the office and talk to him about it. I went down to the office and talked about the character of Mickey and how I wanted to change the character. He was all ears. He listened to me and said he had a writer that was going to be working with us, and we would be re-writing and changing the script all along. He described to me the way in which we do the project; he wanted to work as an ensemble group of people who were improv-ing different scenes and improv-ing writing scenes. There were scenes he wanted to write and put in, and making up back stories and so on and so forth. It sounded very interesting so I definitely got involved because of that.

Sarah Gopaul: A lot of your career has focused on horror movies, especially in the last 5 years with Planet Terror, Bereavement and this film (The Divide). I was wondering what draws you to the genre?

Michael Biehn: The only movie I consider a horror movie is Bereavement, that’s the only movie I thought of that I’ve been in that I consider a horror movie. It’s not really a genre I feel very comfortable with, I’m not a big fan of movies like Saw and I’ve never liked movies like Friday the 13th. It’s a genre actually that I don’t care for very much. It’s a genre that surprizes me why a guy like Rob Zombie, who is such a talented director, would stay in that genre. Usually a lot of times you find that directors will start off in that genre, show that they got something really good like Evil Dead, and then go on and do all sorts of other stuff. It seems to me like a beginning workshop for directors. The movie that I directed, it’s called The Victim, it’s not a horror movie. So, I’m not particularly interested in horror per se. Movies that I think that are the scariest movie that was ever made is Friedkin’s movie, The Exorcist. But it’s not really my genre, I don’t really care for it particularly. It’s odd that my career has kind of swung that way. I don’t think that this (The Divide) is a horror movie, to me it’s more of a psychological horror movie. The Victim is the one that I directed and you’ll see my sensibilities more in it. It’s got a couple of gruesome shots in it and a little bit of torture, but it’s mostly just a straight murder mystery.

Shannon: And that came after The Divide, was being part of that collaborative process, getting to write your own character, did that spin you to wanting to create your own movie?

Michael Biehn: For a long time (James) Cameron has always told me to direct and I worked with Robert Rodriguez on Grindhouse; and when I was doing Xavier’s movie I saw a guy reading Rebel Without a Crew and I was thinking maybe I should just go out there and do one, you know?

Shannon: Yeah.

Michael Biehn: And I talked to Xavier about the first movie he made, and how he made his nights look in his film and he told me he shot it day for night. I knew about a script which is The Victim, that needed a lot of work, but I re-wrote it and we shot it in 12 days.

Shannon: Wow.

Michael Biehn: I’m really happy with how it came out. We are going to release it in college theatres in late 2011/early 2012 and then it will be out on a pay-per-view in spring of 2012 and then eventually it will hit the red station (Netflix).

Sarah Gopaul: Had you actually heard of Xavier’s films before this film?

Michael Biehn: No. I didn’t know Frontière(s). He had done Frontière(s) and Hitman and I hadn’t seen them. I had heard of his name before, but I hadn’t seen his movies.

Shannon: You’ve played a lot of characters with a lot of conflict and torment in them, is it hard to continue to bring that energy?

Michael Biehn: Yeah.

Shannon: Yeah.

Michael Biehn: Yeah, I would say so. You know, I think the older you get the more you realize how difficult life can be. At least that is how it’s been for me. I used to think that when you were young, it was when you get older you’d have all answers and life would open up and start saying “Oh, this is the way it works.” Where for me, it’s been kind of the opposite. I grew up thinking I could do anything I wanted, live the way I wanted and now as I’ve gotten older my father’s died and friends have died and things happen that I can’t control. I think it kind of plays into the fact that where I am psychologically anyway, not like Mickey, but a little bit more solitary. More just with my family, less partying and road trips. Less partying.

Shannon: Well, it was a wonderful performance.

Michael Biehn: Thank you.

Shannon: I really enjoyed the film and looking forward to seeing The Victim.

Michael Biehn: Check us out online.

The Divide opens in Toronto on January 20, 2012.

You can hear the interview on The Movie Moxie Podcast along with my interview with Michael Eklund (transcript of that interview here). See also my review of The Divide and videos from The Divide Q&A and Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund.

See more about Michael Biehn's upcoming feature film debut directorial debut The Victim at the films website here. He also wrote The Victim & co-stars alongside Jennifer Blanc-Biehn. Anchor Bay Entertainment recently picked up the North American rights to The Victim. Can't wait to see it!

This interview with Michael Biehn was done after the Toronto After Dark Film Festival screening of The Divide on October 25, 2011 at the Toronto Underground Theatre. Co-interviewed with Sarah Gopaul.

(Left) Michael Biehn at the screening of The Divide at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011

Michael Biehn, Sarah Gopaul & I. Photo Credit & Thanks to: Scott Chalmers

Interview with Michael Eklund on The Divide

2012-01-20T00:02:00.003-05:00

During the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2011 I had the opportunity to interview actor Michael Eklund of The Divide. I first saw him on the Canadian TV Series 'Intelligence' where he played the shady and elusive character Rene Desjardins with such a subtle brilliance that I’ve jumped at the opportunity to watch anything else he’s in whether it's Hunt to Kill, Tactical Force, and episode of 'Fringe' or 'Alcatraz'. He continues to deliver each and every time giving us great performance after great performance. We can now add The Divide to that long list of great performances with his formidable portrayal of Bobby, one of a handful of survivors holed up after an apocalyptic-level event. It was a joy to get a chance to chat with him in person at the festival about the film, the collaborative nature of the the project and the subtlety of his performances.

Sarah Gopaul:So looking at your IMDb page, you’ve been in about 100 titles between TV and movies; so I was wondering how you go about choosing which roles you play.

Michael Eklund: I’m going to be honest; I’m the kind of actor that doesn’t choose his roles. If I get hired, I do the job. But what I do is I try and play the role in a way that I haven’t played before that role before. If I’m playing something where I’ve re-visiting something similar, then I try to attack it and approach it in a different way. But I’ve never said no to a job. Maybe that’s why I have so many credits, because I’ll do anything

Shannon: And what drew you to this particular project?

Michael Eklund: I remember reading the script and obviously I read it and thought this is going to be interesting. And then I found out we would be shooting in chronological order. And then I found out that Xavier Gens was directing it. And then I heard some of the cast members who were attached, like Michael Biehn, and I said “Sign me up!” But then I had to actually audition for the role and get the job, and I did that. And then by luck Xavier watched my audition and liked it, so I was very fortunate to meet him and we discussed the script some more. I had things I wanted to bring to it and he had things that he wanted to bring to it and then the collaborative process started. And that’s how it started and ended; it was a big collaboration from beginning to end.

Sarah Gopaul: So had you actually heard of Xavier before?

Michael Eklund: Yes, of course. From Frontière(s) and from Hitman, and this movie is very different from either one of those. Yeah, I was in and I knew it was going to be fun.

Shannon: You often bring an amazing comedy and exuberance, but such a subtly to your performances. I was wondering if you could share how you do that.

Michael Eklund: I always think the darker the subject matter is, the more humour it’s going to need; because you need those moments as a breath of fresh air, to take the audience out of how drastic and intense it is. And then the more humorous the project is, the more serious I play it. That’s my trick. Never play the comedy, never play the seriousness; do the complete opposite.

Sarah Gopaul: So after making this film, if the world were to actually end which would you choose: to actually try and survive with a group of people or face the doom and save yourself the trouble?

Michael Eklund: I wouldn’t face the doom. I’ve thought about this for a long time and I think I’d be a fighter. I’d try and survive as long as I could. I don’t know how long I’d last, but I would try and survive as long as I could.

Shannon: Thank you so much, I’m a huge fan.

Michael Eklund: Awesome.

It's really Michael Eklund who is awesome. So awesome that he made my 2011 List of New Faces and Ones to Watch. He truly is a brilliant actor. Now go watch him in The Divide!

The Divide opens in Toronto on January 20, 2012.

You can hear the interview on The Movie Moxie Podcast along with my interview with Michael Biehn (transcript of that interview here). See also my review of The Divide and videos from The Divide Q&A and Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund.

This interview with Michael Eklund was done after the Toronto After Dark Film Festival screening of The Divide on October 25, 2011 at the Toronto Underground Theatre. Co-interviewed with Sarah Gopaul.

(Left) Michael Eklund at the Q&A for The Divide at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011

Sarah Gopaul & I interviewing Micheal Eklund at the Photo Credit & Thanks to: Scott Chalmers.

Movie Moxie Podcast 58: Michael Biehn & Michael Eklund Interviews,The Divide & Contraband

2012-01-19T23:30:00.004-05:00

This is a very special episode of the Movie Moxie Podcast as with the release of The Divide I am also sharing my interviews with actors Michael Biehn and Michael Eklund, whom I spoke with back in October during the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Also check out transcripts of both interviews (Michael Biehn here and Michael Eklund here) as there was background noise when I speak with them. You can also check out my original vlog interview of The Divide as well as videos from the Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund. Also on this episode I review currently theatrical release of Contraband, check out DVD releases for January 17, 2012 and review Abduction on DVD.

There are lots of different audio pieces this week so and I did my best to make them as close to each other in audio goodness so I hope you can hear everything clearly. As currently customary there added background rumbling is my cat purring. I think he likes the whole podcasting thing :)

Time Coding
0:00 - 1:45 Intro
1:45 - 5:45 Awards Talk: Golden Globes Awards & Genie Noms
5:45 - 12:30 Contraband Review
12:30 - 18:00 The Divide Review from TADFF Vlog
18:00 - 21:15 Michael Eklund Interview
21:15 - 28:00 Michael Biehn Interview
28:00 - 32:15 The Divide Introduction from the Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011
32:15 - 53:35 The Divide Q&A from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund
53:35 - 59:40 DVD Releases & DVD Reviews of Abduction
59:40 - 1:01:30 Upcoming Films
1:01:30 - 1:02:30 Outro

Show Notes

Reviews of films mentioned:The Divide, Redline, Hunt to Kill, Tactical Force, The Last Exorcism and Baltasar Kormákur's White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn
Awards talk: Golden Globe Winners and Genie Nominations
I mention the Toronto After Dark Film Festival
My Vlog review of the Divide from Toronto After Dark 2011
Transcript of Micheal Eklund Interview
Transcript of Micheal Biehn Interview
The Divide Q&A and Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund
Both interviews were tag teamed with Sarah Gopaul, find out more about Sarah here
I mention the recent Haywire Passes Giveaway and that if you join any of my email lists you have first chance at any of the giveaways or prizes - sign up here for Film Fan Fridays, Movie Moxie Monthly or the Book to Film Club to hear about prize & giveaway goodness.
I mention that this weeks edition of Before the Dawn Marina & I share our most anticipated films of 2012
See more of the DVD releases for January 17, 2012
See recent Theatrical releases in my weekly Film Fan Fridays & DVD Releases in my DVD Tuesdays Post

Movie Moxie Podcast - A 100% spoiler-free film review podcast
You can also subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Subscribe through iTunes here.

(Left) From the The Divide Q&A at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival with actors Michael Eklund, Milo Ventimiglia, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Michael Biehn and director Xavier Gens

Micheal Biehn posing for a photo at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 (actually during the interview you hear on the podcast - I have recorder in hand on the left!) Photo Credit & Thanks to: Scott Chalmers.

32nd Genie Award Nominations

2012-01-18T00:20:00.003-05:00

The Genie Nominations were announced earlier today and the highly acclaimed Café de Flore leads the way with 13 nominations. Following closing behind is David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method with 11 nominations and then inspiring teacher film Monsieur Lazhar with 9 nominations. There is more multiple nomination love with The Bang Bang Club with 7 nominations and both The Whistleblower & Starbuck with 6. It's quite a balanced set of noms between French and English films for this years best in Canadian film which is exciting to see. And I certainly have many more films to see before the awards are presented on March 8, 2012. I new I should have gone to more of Canada's Top Ten this year - 8 of their 10 films have been nominated, and many of those in multiple categories. The more celebrations of Canadian film, the better!

See also: film list with nominations detailed or full list

Genie32 will be held at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Ontario Canada and will be will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Now let's look at all the nominations.

32nd Genie Award Nominations

BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
A DANGEROUS METHOD - Martin Katz, Marco Mehlitz, Jeremy Thomas
CAFÉ DE FLORE - Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin, Jean-Marc Vallée
MONSIEUR LAZHAR - Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
STARBUCK - André Rouleau
THE WHISTLEBLOWER - Christina Piovesan, Celine Rattray

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
JEAN BÉCOTTE - Funkytown
AIDAN LEROUX, ROB HEPBURN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
JAMES MCATEER - A Dangerous Method
PATRICE VERMETTE - Café de Flore
EMELIA WEAVIND - The Bang Bang Club

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
MIROSLAW BASZAK, C.S.C. - The Bang Bang Club
PIERRE COTTEREAU - Café de Flore
JON JOFFIN - Daydream Nation
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LORD - Snow & Ashes
RONALD PLANTE - Monsieur Lazhar

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
DENISE CRONENBERG - A Dangerous Method
FARNAZ KHAKI-SADIGH - Afghan Luke
GINETTE MAGNY, EMMANUELLE YOUCHNOVSKI - Café de Flore
HEATHER NEALE - Keyhole
MARIE-CHANTALE VAILLANCOURT - Funkytown

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
DAVID CRONENBERG - A Dangerous Method
STEVEN SILVER - The Bang Bang Club
JEAN-MARC VALLÉE - Café de Flore
PHILIPPE FALARDEAU - Monsieur Lazhar
LARYSA KONDRACKI - The Whistleblower

ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BERGERON - The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
MICHAEL CZARNECKI - In Darkness
PATRICK DEMERS - Jaloux
STÉPHANE LAFLEUR - Monsieur Lazhar
RONALD SANDERS, C.C.E. A.C.E. - A Dangerous Method

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
CHRISTIANE FATTORI, FRÉDÉRIC MARIN - Café de Flore
AMBER MAKAR - Amazon Falls
VIRGINIE PARÉ - BumRush
TAMMY LOU PATE - Snow & Ashes
LESLIE ANN SEBERT, DAVID R. BEECROFT - Take This Waltz

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
RAMACHANDRA BORCAR - Jaloux
MYCHAEL DANNA - The Whistleblower
MARTIN LÉON - Monsieur Lazhar
PHILIP MILLER - The Bang Bang Club
HOWARD SHORE - A Dangerous Method

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE
JAY BRANNAN - Cloudburst - My Love My Love
CAROLE FACAL - Starbuck - Quelque part
MALAJUBE - Good Neighbours - Oeil pour Oeil
STEVEN PAGE - French Immersion - A Different Sort of Solitude
JEAN ROBITAILLE, STEVE GALLUCCIO - Funkytown - Waiting for your Touch

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
FELLAG - Monsieur Lazhar
GARRET DILLAHUNT - Oliver Sherman
MICHAEL FASSBENDER - A Dangerous Method
PATRICK HUARD - Starbuck
SCOTT SPEEDMAN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
ANTOINE BERTRAND - Starbuck
KEVIN DURAND - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
MARIN GERRIER - Café de Flore
TAYLOR KITSCH - The Bang Bang Club
VIGGO MORTENSEN - A Dangerous Method

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
CATHERINE DE LÉAN - Nuit #1
PASCALE MONTPETIT - The Girl in the White Coat
VANESSA PARADIS - Café de Flore
RACHEL WEISZ - The Whistleblower
MICHELLE WILLIAMS - Take This Waltz

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
ROXANA CONDURACHE - The Whistleblower
HÉLÈNE FLORENT - Café de Flore
JULIE LEBRETON - Starbuck
SOPHIE NÉLISSE - Monsieur Lazhar
CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
STÉPHANE BERGERON, YANN CLEARY, LISE WEDLOCK - Marécages / Wetlands
PIERRE BERTRAND, SHAUN NICHOLAS GALLAGHER, BERNARD GARIÉPY STROBL - Monsieur Lazhar
JEAN MINONDO, JOCELYN CARON, GAVIN FERNANDES, LOUIS GIGNAC - Café de Flore
LOU SOLAKOFSKI, STEPHAN CARRIER, KIRK LYNDS - The Bang Bang Club
OREST SUSHKO, CHRISTIAN COOKE - A Dangerous Method

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
FRED BRENNAN, JAMES BASTABLE, GABE KNOX, JOHN SIEVERT - You Are Here
CLAUDE BEAUGRAND, OLIVIER CALVERT, NATALIE FLEURANT, FRANCINE POIRIER - Marécages / Wetlands
WAYNE GRIFFIN, ROB BERTOLA, TONY CURRIE, ANDY MALCOLM, MICHAEL O'FARRELL - A Dangerous Method
MARTIN PINSONNAULT, BLAISE BLANCHIER, SIMON MEILLEUR, MIREILLE MORIN, LUC RAYMOND - Café de Flore
JEREMY MACLAVERTY, DANIEL PELLERIN, GEOFF RAFFAN, JAN RUDY, JOHN SIEVERT, JAMES MARK STEWART - In Darkness

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
ANNE ÉMOND - Nuit #1
EILIS KIRWAN, LARYSA KONDRACKI - The Whistleblower
KEN SCOTT, MARTIN PETIT - Starbuck
JEAN-MARC VALLÉE - Café de Flore
RYAN WARD, MATTHEW HEITI - Son of the Sunshine

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
PHILIPPE FALARDEAU - Monsieur Lazhar
RYAN REDFORD - Oliver Sherman
DAVID SHAMOON - In Darkness
STEVEN SILVER - The Bang Bang Club

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
DENNIS BERARDI, MATHEW BORNETT, MIKE BORRETT, WILSON CAMERON, OVI CINAZIN, JASON EDWARDH, OLIVER HEARSEY, JIM PRICE, MILAN SCHERE, WOLCIECH ZIELINSKI - A Dangerous Method
ÉVE BRUNET, JACQUES LÉVESQUE, PHILIPPE ROBERGE - Snow & Ashes
MARC CÔTÉ, STÉPHANIE BROUSSAUD, GARY CHUNTZ, VINCENT DUDOUET, CYNTHIA MOUROU, ERIC NORMANDIN, MARTIN PENSA, LUC SANFAÇON, SYLVAIN THÉROUX, NATHALIE TREMBLAY - Café de Flore
GEOFFROY LAUZON – BumRush
TOM TURNBULL, IAN BRITTON, ROBERT CROWTHER, TONY CYBULSKI - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR LONG MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Poll Results: What January Release Are You Most Looking Forward To?

2012-01-17T23:17:00.003-05:00

The results are in and it's a landside of vampire kick-butt goodness as Underworld Awakening sweeps in with 46% of the votes for What January Release Are You Most Looking Forward To. And I can't argue as it's what got my vote :)

46% - Underworld Awakening
20% - The Devil Inside
6% - 5-way tie between: Man on a Ledge, One For the Money, Pariah, The Grey and The Iron Lady

Thanks for Voting!

DVD Releases for Tuesday January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T05:59:00.002-05:00

Time to take a look at a selection of DVD releases for Tuesday January 17, 2012!

Redline Absolutely fantastic Japanese animation film centred on racing. I adored it when I saw it at Toronto After Dark in 2011 and can't wait to see it again. A total thrill ride. Highly recommended.
First Squad: The Moment of Truth I don't normally dig war themed films, but this animated film of Germans vs Russians got me when I read "supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross". Yeah. Gotta see that.
Abduction Taylor Lautner (Twilight, New Moon) takes his first stab at a leading action role and although it's got an interesting premise I think forgot who Taylor's fans are primarily made up of.
Dirty Girl I really want to see this Juno Temple film set in the late 80's and following two friends on a bag 'o' flour.
Life 2.0 A documentary looking at people whose lives are shaped and changed by connection with the virtual world.
Traffic Has it really been 12 years since Traffic? Wow. Then it's well overdue the Criterion treatment!
Mysteries of Lisbon Gorgeous looking historically set multi-country and intertwined relationship film.
Stephen King's Bag of Bones TV miniseries based on the Stephen King novel starring Pierce Brosnan, Melissa George, Annabeth Gish.
Merlin: The Complete Third Season Pretty good timing with this release as Season 4 of this Arthurian-set fantasy series has recently begun to air. This UK series is a lot of fun and I've grown to enjoy it more and more over the years.
Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete First Season This dual female protagonist crime procedual just showed up on Showcase recently and looks pretty interesting.
Eureka Season 4.5 I still keep kicking myself that I've not checked out this science fiction/comedy series that has a strange suburbia feel.
Waking the Dead: The Complete Season Six BBC cold case crime procedural and wow, Season Six and this is only the first time I remember hearing about it!
Courageous Male-centric faith-based drama that's got a religious journey film feel. I think this is actually a new hyper genre as I've seen a few crop up. Wild.
The Ides of March Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in this American political drama, directed by George Clooney.
50/50 Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this semi-biographical film about a young man who struggles with cancer. And... it's a comedy. Hmm. UPDATE: 50/50 will be released on January 24, 2012.
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star Follows the title character in his quest to find his parents and become a porn star... like his parents. Easily one of the oddest plots infilm last year. Stars Nick Swardson, Don Johnson and Christina Ricci.

Titles on Amazon.ca(Canada):

Titles on Amazon.com (US):

Haywire - Movie Passes Giveaway to Advance Screening

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films

Want to attend an Advance screening of upcoming action film Haywire? Here are the details for giveaway for double passes to Haywire:

Where: AMC Yonge & Dundas 24, 10 Dundas Street East in Toronto, ON M5B 2G9
On: Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 7:00 PM

For Haywire Movie Passes Giveaway - Click HERE
PIN for entry: MOVIEHAYWIREMOXIE

It's recommended to arrive EARLY to ensure admittance.
Tickets begin to be handed out one hour before the screening.

Haywire has been on my radar for a while as I'm always up for an action film with a female lead, and this one is none other than MMA superstar Gina Carano. Oh, yeah! Can't wait. Haywire looks like a hell of a lot of fun. It was easily be on my Most Anticipated Films of 2012 list which I'm looking forward to sharing later this week.

From the Synopsis:
"This dynamic action-thriller directed by Oscar® winner Steven Soderbergh (Contagion) boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum (GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra), Ewan McGregor (The Ghost Writer), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Antonio Banderas (The Legend of Zorro), Bill Paxton (“Big Love”), Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Michael Angarano (Almost Famous); and introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive."

See more at the Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Haywire opens in wide release January 20, 2012

Gina Carano stars in HAYWIRE, and Alliance Films release. Photo Credit: Claudette Barius

Gina Carano (left) and Channing Tatum (right) star in HAYWIRE, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit: Claudette Barius

Checking In on 2011 Most Anticipated Films

2012-01-16T07:06:00.001-05:00

I always find it fun to check in on the films I was most looking forward to during the year (from the very beginning of the year as well as the mid year additions) to see how they faired. Often the results end up being very different than expected, although now that I've had that happened several times I wonder if I will expect it next time round! But, I hope I don't let that effect my future casting of my 2012 Most Anticipated Films List which is already in the works. But, before we get there lets take 1 more look back at the year that's passed.

Below Expectations

First up, the sad news. The films that disappointed, were miss marketed, didn't meet their potential or expectations. This isn't always about the quality of the film, but more often matching of expectation to result.

X-Men: First Class (placement on original list: #23)
Seeing as this was only #23 I guess I wasn't all that excited about it but even if it wasn't on my most anticipated list it would have still ended up being the biggest disappointment of the year. How they turned a world of misfit mutants that I've loved for years into a historical set origin story (which is fine) that is filled with gender crap (i.e. intentional imbalance) I'll never understand, and worse I'll never forgive. I mean seriously, in a world of MUTANTS all the women end up being disempowered but their 'powers' and all have moments of full or partial nudity is something that does not represent the world they've build and completely shuts me as a viewer and fan out.

Immortals (placement on original list: #14)
Oh, man I'm almost embarrassed this one was on the list but bear in mind it was before the trailer came out. I loved Tarsem's films to date but this sword & sandals epic was seeped too much in brutality for my tastes and worse yet lacked a very important element: a hero.

Red Riding Hood (placement on original list: #10)
I had high hopes for this Catherine Hardwicke directed retelling of the classic tale and as beautiful as it was the story was very clunky and the acting only okay. I still love many of the actors in it and it had some moments, but overall very disappointing.

The Muppets (placement on original list: #9)
I'm really sad that The Muppets ends up in this spot of the list, I had really high hopes for it and it easily had the best marketing of any film this year. One caveat of that marketing though was that the story of the film itself wasn't very clear outside actually going to it, and I found that it really focused on nostalgia and had a sadder tone than I was expecting. I went to see The Muppets, not to spend more time thinking about wanting to see them. I already had that journey all year waiting for the film.

The Help (mid-year addition)
And this is where I get to say that just because a film was below expectations it doesn’t mean it was a bad film. The Help is a very good film, but the book is excellent and although I found watching the adaptation very emotional and was thrilled to see a female dominate cast, I didn't love how often they chose to go with comedy. I also was disappointed in some of the changes, including how clear cut they make situation and people's experiences, when often it's a more complex, grey beast.

Not Quite Met Expectations

Water for Elephants (placement on original list: #7)
This is a bit of a weird one as I didn't love the film, but I didn't love the book either. However, the film make me appreciate the book more than I had going in and for that it means it gave me something of value so I had to rank it higher than first place. that being said I did still think I would enjoy it more especially considering he period and the circus setting. The changed some of the character complexities too, which I wasn't all that thrilled about.

Warrior (placement on original list: #8)
Now Warrior is a bit of a touchy because it's one where the film just turned out to have a very different focus that I expected as I went in thinking action/fight as it's around a MMA fight where two brothers are in the running, but it's very much a family drama as well as a pulse on trying times and what people are willing to do to work through it. I wouldn’t say it isn't a good film, it's just not the film I thought it would b. I continue to be impressed with both Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy who play the estranged brothers here, and I really enjoyed seeing the fighting. The DVD extras are extensive on this, and I highly recommend checking them out. I was particularly impressed with Philosophy in Combat: Mixed Martial Arts Strategy extra with MMA trainer Greg Jackson & actor Frank Grillo talking about the connection between art and sport which has been a subject on my mind for quite some time.

Met Expectations

This is one of the oddest categories because whether the films were okay or amazing, they could end up side-by-side in these results.

The Eagle (placement on original list: #19)
I quite enjoyed The Eagle, and I think it's important to watch it from the perspective of an adventure story based on a young adult novel that follows young guys who have lived already beyond their years. It's not a story we often see, I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop and the art direction is great.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (mid-year addition)
Wow, this was one of the most fun films of the year and was my yearly reminder that the box office loves family friendly films. It's PG across the board but takes on social commentary like any good Ape movie. The only reason I didn’t rank it higher was the lack of any strong female characters in the mix

Source Code (placement on original list: #17)
It feels odd to put Source Code just at met expectations, but that is likely because after Moon my expectations for Duncan Jones are very high and he delivered yet again in this mind-bending current day science fiction thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (mid-year addition)
Another odd placement for met expectations, but yet again it is because I had high expectations and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was very good. Drives me a little bananas that I've not reviewed it but it came during the end of year windfall of films. Highly recommend checking it out for all espionage film fans and beyond. Fabulous cast who do a great job and it's always nice to see Gary Oldman take centre stage.

Exceeded Expectations

This is by far the biggest return category and it has a very high number of Book to Film Club choices, more book adaptations and a prequel. I guess I don't hold high expectations for those films but we lucked out this year with many great results

The Thing (2011) (placement on original list: #3)
I did two things that I think helped make me really enjoy this film. I steered way the hell away from the trailers and I didn't re-watch the 82 Carpenter version until after seeing this prequel. That made it so I was still aware of the original enough to get the nods and shout outs, but not so much that I was looking for them. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to seeing it again.

One Day (mid-year addition)
This one exceeded my expectations because although I loved the book, I just didn't think it was possible to adapt it in terms of the volume of content and also getting the uniqueness of the relationship but they really nailed it. I think it's great that the screenplay was written by novelist David Nichols, which I'm sure had a lot to do with making it work overall. And I loved the casting - Anne Hathaway & Jim Sturgess were perfect as Emma & Dexter. Loved it.

Hugo (placement on original list: #24)
Another Book to Film Club selection where I only just enjoyed the book, I think the fact that it feels so directly playing to film fans kind oddly pushed me a little away from it. But, the film itself really captures a wonderful sense of wonder in trying times but without removing the element of emotional hardship or pain, and actually dealt with it instead of dismissing or ignoring it.. I also loved the focus and discussion around legacy of work, which really isn't something I got from the book.

I Am Number Four (placement on original list: #12)
This was the first film from the Book to Film Club and for that it will always hold a special place in my heart and I had no idea I would love it so much. I loved the combination of science fiction with a young adult protagonist and the great moments around family in the film which totally aren't the focus but really warmed my heart. Plus, shout out to a blogger character in the film! WOOT!

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (placement on original list: #26)
I think enjoying Breaking Dawn Part 1 might very well be the biggest surprize of the year for me. It reminded me that regardless of the expectation going into a film, you can still end up with something different that you think you will get – even from a series that you may know extremely well. It's a great coming of age film and romance and most importantly a woman’s story.

The Three Musketeers (placement on original list: #21)
I think this is the final Book to Film Club film in the list and I had no idea how they could condense such a huge novel into a film, especially one that obviously was going for a fun action/adventure feel but they pulled it off. I understood the book so much more after seeing the film and I had so much fun watching it.

Fast Five (placement on original list: #25)
I've enjoyed the previous Fast and Furious films I've seen for the ridiculous fun that they are, but when I went to see Fast Five I realized that the franchise much have a fan base because there were all these nods to the other films, strong depth of character moments, awesome character introductions and the like. I felt like I was seeing a fan film from a non-fan perspective, and it actually made me want to go back and see all the films again (or for the first time....damn that Tokyo Drift! How did I miss that one?). But in all honestly I had so much fun watching this film and was grinning like an idiot the entire time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (placement on original list: #1)
What can I say about Harry Potter that hasn't already been said? It truly treaded new ground being a epically long film series based one a fantastic set of books and I am so glad they parsed out the last book into two films, because I loved 7.1 so much, I loved how they took their time with it instead of jumping to the climax of 7.2. It was also wild to realize that for people who hadn’t read the books they didn’t actually know what would happen in this film! I guess that's why it felt slightly anticlimactic, but it was still amazing and I will look forward to revisiting it time and time again.

Far Exceeded Expectations

I find it interesting that this category had films that already were placed very high on my list and that I was expecting a lot from, and even then they delivered more than I could have ever imagined. Amazing. A good reminder that you can keep the expectation bar high and still get wondrous results.

The Adjustment Bureau (placement on original list: #2)
I think this was the first film I really fell in love with of the year, even though it's not perfect it made me realize I don't care about perfect as much as I though. Which, coming from a perfectionist (on many things, not all things...but many things), is quite a feat. Beautiful, brilliant and a unique blend of science fiction and romance wit a dash of dance. Lovely.

Battle: Los Angeles (placement on original list: #16)
I know this is a divisive film for many and I stand firmly on the side of the pro's. I love the heroism and bravery it showcased and I also loved the sound design. Yep. Those are 2 ways to Shannon's heart. Bravery & great sound.

Thor (placement on original list: #5)
I loved Thor on so many levels, from the ability to have high fantasy and current day in the same film, to have a very different but believeable character journey, right down to the markeitng and the trailers which actualy didn't show to much. And yes, for Chris Hemsworth and his amazing arms and amazing acting. It's just goodness all around.

The Tree of Life (placement on original list: #15)
I love when a film can be both ambiguous and clear at the same time; this is one that does it. Somehow allowing the viewer to bring just as much to the film and the film itself brings makes its a truly experiential viewing experience. I loved everything about it.

Drive (placement on original list: #13)
I honestly didn't think I could love a film like I love Drive. I literally felt like it was being spoken in a language in which I needed no translation, I just understood it on a base level. Every moment, every turn, every gaze had a meaning, a purpose and a point. I loved every minute of it and ache to see it again.

And the last little odds & sods...

Not all of the films I had my eye on made it to the screen quite just yet, and there are even a few that did but I didn't get out to see. Here are those last few films.

Still to Come

The Woman in Black #18 - is just around the corner with a February 3, 2012 release date
The Apparition #22 - bumped to 2012 although date not specified.

Still to See

Drive Angry 3D #20 - own on DVD and how to see soon
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows #11 - I just saw it and really enjoyed it
Curling #6 - hope to catch on DVD and am sad I missed it in the theatre
Anonymous mid-year addition - I missed this in the fall releases! I so should have see in over Trespass as my Hollywood film at TIFF this year
Sur le rythme #4 - This Québécois dance film starring So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 1 winner Nico Archambault never came out theatrically in Toronto, but I will catch it on DVD

And that is *really* if for 2011! I hope it was a good year for you :)

69th Annual Golden Globe Winners

2012-01-15T23:01:00.001-05:00

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards just wrapped up and were officially the first awards I wanted of the year. I haven't seen as many of the big films this year but it was clear that The Descendants and The Artist were the big winners on the film side of things and Homeland was the big TV winner. Very interesting year.

69th Annual Golden Globe Winners (for 2011 Film & TV)

FILM

Best Motion Picture - Drama (25th Awarded)
The Descendants

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (23rd Awarded)
Meryl Streep – Iron Lady

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (25th Awarded)
George Clooney – The Descendants

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (24th Awarded)
The Artist

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (11th awarded)
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (22nd Awarded)
Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Best Animated Feature Film (13th Awarded)
The Adventures Of Tintin

Best Foreign Language Film (16th awarded)
A Separation (Iran)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (19th awarded)
Octavia Spencer – The Help

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (1st awarded)
Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Best Director - Motion Picture (20th awarded)
Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (14th Awarded)
Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris

Best Original Score - Motion Picture (8th awarded)
Ludovic Bource - The Artist

Best Original Song - Motion Picture (9th awarded)
"Masterpiece" – W.E. - Music & Lyrics By: Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry

TV

Best Television Series - Drama (7th awarded)
Homeland

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama (17th Awarded)
Claire Danes – Homeland

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama (6th awarded)
Kelsey Grammer – Boss

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (21st awarded)
Modern Family

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (2nd awarded)
Laura Dern – Enlightened

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (18th Episode)
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television (3rd awarded)
Downton Abbey

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television (4th Awarded)
Kate Winslet – Mildred Pierce

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (10th Awarded)
Idris Elba – Luther

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (15th awarded)
Jessica Lange – American Horror Story

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (12th Awarded)
Peter Dinklage – Game Of Thrones

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Morgan Freeman

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards were broadcasted live on NBC on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 8pm EST.

2012 People's Choice Awards Winners (for 2011 Films)

2012-01-15T16:01:00.004-05:00

The People's Choice Awards were broadcasted earlier this week on January 11, 2012. The big winner of the night was definitely musical in nature with Katy Perry picking up 5 awards! Also impressive is the last in the Harry Potter series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 which picked up 4 awards including Favourite Movie and Favourite Book to Film Adaptation. Let's look at the rest of this years results.

38th People's Choice Awards Winners are...

Favorite Movie
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Movie Actor
Johnny Depp

Favorite Movie Actress
Emma Stone

Favorite Movie Icon
Morgan Freeman

Favorite Action Movie
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Action Movie Star
Hugh Jackman

Favorite Drama Movie
Water for Elephants

Favorite Comedy Movie
Bridesmaids

Favorite Comedic Movie Actor
Adam Sandler

Favorite Comedic Movie Actress
Emma Stone

Favorite Movie Star Under 25
Chloe Moretz

Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Animated Movie Voice
Johnny Depp as Rango in Rango

Favorite Movie Superhero
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern

Favorite Book Adaptation
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Network TV Drama
Supernatural

Favorite TV Drama Actor
Nathan Fillion

Favorite TV Drama Actress
Nina Dobrev

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars

Favorite Network TV Comedy
How I Met Your Mother

Favorite TV Comedy Actor
Neil Patrick Harris

Favorite TV Comedy Actress
Lea Michele

Favorite Cable TV Comedy
Hot In Cleveland

Favorite TV Competition Show
American Idol

Favorite TV Crime Drama
Castle

Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show
Supernatural

Favorite Daytime TV Host
Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Favorite Late Night TV Host
Jimmy Fallon on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Favorite TV Guest Star
Katy Perry on How I Met Your Mother

Favorite TV CelebReality Star
Kim Kardashian

Favorite New TV Drama
Person of Interest

Favorite New TV Comedy
2 Broke Girls

Favorite Male Artist
Bruno Mars

Favorite Female Artist
Katy Perry

Favorite Song of the Year
E.T by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West

Favorite Album of the Year
Born This Way by Lady Gaga

Favorite Pop Artist
Demi Lovato

Favorite Hip Hop Artist
Eminem

Favorite R&B Artist
Rihanna

Favorite Band
Maroon 5

Favorite Country Artist
Taylor Swift

Favorite Music Video
Last Friday Night(T.G.I.F.) by Katy Perry

Favorite Tour Headliner
Katy Perry

The Tempest (BluRay/DVD Combo Review)

2012-01-13T18:44:00.004-05:00

DVD/BluRay review of The Tempest from director Julie Taymor starring Helen Mirren

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © Touchstone Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Julie Taymor (Titus, Across the Universe)
Cast: Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Reeve Carney, Tom Conti, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Djimon Hounsou, Felicity Jones, Alfred Molina, David Strathairn, Ben Whishaw
USA, 2010

Reason to see: I read the book as a part of my 2010 Book to Film Challenge and was one my Most Anticipated Films of 2010 Part 2 although it didn't come out the end of year blitz of films.

I've been looking forward to seeing The Tempest for a long time. In fact, when I look back it's actually just about 2 years now since I included in my 2010 Book to Film Challenge (which was pre-Book to Film Club! That feels like ages ago!) and it also landed on my Mid-Year Additions for Most Anticipated Films of 2010. The pull to the film is an easy draw as Julie Taymor directed, and I have loved her previous work including another Shakespearean adaptation of Titus. Her work always has an intense artistic flair that permeates every level of the films and integrates the story and character on a deeper level, which is what I was hoping for yet again with The Tempest.

I admit that I only grasped the bare bones of the story from reading the play, coming away with shipwreck and father/daughter on an island. The film switches up that dynamic an gives us Prospera (Helen Mirren) as the mother to Miranda (Felicity Jones), which is a welcome change as otherwise the story's only female character is Miranda. I actually quite loved Helen Mirren as Prospera, she was powerful, dynamic, cunning and magical. There is a wonderfully fantastical world that's created and whether or not you'd call it supernatural or fantasy is hard to pinpoint but I felt it resonated most with alchemy and transformation of energy and actual physicality. It crops up in the character of Caliban (Djimon Hounsou), whom I actually loved what they did with his look, with literally looked like he was in or had metaphorphosized which is even more impressive when you consider he's a very tricky literary role.

With the limited location of an island and a magical feel with a stellar cast I thought it would be a sure fire win to love The Tempest. Sadly, that wasn't the case and mostly due to unevenness on several fonts, one being tonally. There were some shifts of tone in conversations that I literally was shocked at, but I can be pretty forgiving about that and there really were only a few. But the more challenging thing though was the different levels that actors could handle the dialogue and it was very unbalanced. Some of the choices felt straight up out of place, like Russell Brand whom I'm actually quite fond of but feels like a caricature here and other actors I just couldn't understand the conversations they were having. That made it tough to love, especially since I only had a sketchy understanding of the story going in. On the flipside there are several brilliant performance including the wonderful Helen Mirren (Red (2010), Brighton Rock, Love Ranch) who purely commands as Prospera. Also flexing their acting muscles here is the amazing and ever-charming Alan Cummings and who really hit it our of the park for me was David Strathairn whom I've loved in everything I've seen him in from My Blueberry Nights to 'Alphas' but there was a wonderful even ease in his performance here, a confidence to not over act that impressed me to no end.

The Tempest has truly gorgeous visuals and wonderful design, and even though I was really rooting for the film I have to admit I was disappointed. Although I did feel that I got a lot of enjoyment from the beauty and artistry of the film, I was expecting and hoping for more. If you are looking for something to wow the senses, and you can put aside the unevenness, than I would definitely recommend checking it out.

DVD Extras:

Feature Commentary with Julie Taymor, Annotated Shakespeare - View The Tempest with audio commentary by Shakespeare experts Virginia Vaughn & Jonathan Bate, Raising The Tempest - Julie Taymor documentary about the making of the movie, "O Mistress Mine" Music Video, Russell BRand Rehearsal Riff

BluRay Only Extras:

Los Angeles Rehearsal with Julie Taymor, Djimon Hounsou, Russel Brand & Alfred Molina

The Tempest is available on DVD as of January 10, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of visually stunning films who don't mind a little unevenness

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Prospera played by Helen Mirren in the TEMPEST. Photo credit Melinda Sue Gordon

Prospera (Helen Mirren), Miranda (Felicity Jones) and Caliban (Djimon Hounsou) in THE TEMPEST. Photo credit Melinda Sue Gordon

2011 Book to Film Club Film: Brighton Rock (DVD Review)

2012-01-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © StudioCanal S.A/UK Film Council/BBC 2010. All Right Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.
Writer/Dir: Rowan Joffe - feture film directorial debut
Cast: Sam Riley, Helen Mirren, Andrea Riseborough, John Hurt, Andy Serkis, Phil Davis, Nonso Anozie, Craig Parkinson, Sean Harris
UK, 2011

Reason to see: The book was the November 2011 Selection for the Book to Film Club

I was very excited to finally get to see Brighton Rock as it was our November 2011 Book to Film Club selection, and although it did release in the UK, New York & LA in 2011 it didn't make up to my neck of the woods here in Toronto. The film is an adaptation of the Graham Greene novel that follows gang activity in Brighton, and specifically hones in on the character of young Pinkie played by Sam Riley (Control, Franklyn). This film adaptation changes the period from the 1930s to the modern 1960s and although I love mods I was a little confused at the switch over, even though the styling is definitely one the things I enjoyed most of the film. The cast of characters is flushed out with young Rose (played by Andrea Riseborough), a mousy girl who becomes inadvertently connected to shady characters and her boss Ida (played by Helen Mirren) who is a sly stickler for the justice that doesn't like to see people go down the right path.

In terms on an adaptation, I was impressed by the overwhelming sense of forces against everyone that they build up through the music, sound and visuals which is very effective. There is definitely a tone of destruction and a force with a huge power behind it. This is nicely contrasted with the vacation-like setting that has its own seedy underbelly that pitches the pretty against the painful. Although there are only some changes in the story from the book, I was mostly okay with them as the often fitting with the time better and helped align some of the characters so I can see why most of those choices were made. I was very surprized and disappointed though in some of the changes or choices with both the Pinkie and the Ida characters. I'll preface this by saying the book was quite a challenge to read and very much outside my comfort zone but what kept me drawn in was the uniqueness of the perspective of Pinkie who in the book we get to see more internally and then with Ida who was brash and bold and didn't have a care in the world to these thugs. With Pinkie they just left out some of the most interesting parts of his character, and although I always found his motivations were clear in the film I couldn't empathize with his character at all and in the book I found a way to. With Ida, they just went a different direction in the film making her more motherly, concerned and womanly which was there in the book but I always felt like she was our of place or against the odds and in the film she felt in her element. It's an interesting choice, and certainly something that I wouldn't question at all had I not read the book.

I enjoyed Brighton Rock for its stylish turning of the times and the story, and it clearly got across the darkness of the journey of a young man craving power and avoiding loss, but I felt it much harder to connect with the characters than I had hoped for. The performances are very good though, and it's a challenging story to tell and I think they made some interesting choices but it made me realize how strongly I felt about different parts of the story were the ones that drew me in. It also reminded me how well I had remembered and understood the book, which honestly was not the experience I was feeling like I was having at the time! That was a fascinating comparative experience for sure.

See also my book review of Brighton Rock by Graham Greene here.

DVD Extras:

Interviews with producer Paul Webster, writer/director Rowan Joffe, actors Sam Riley, Andrea Risenborough, Helen Mirren, Phil Davis, Nonso Anozie, Craig Parkinson, Sean Harris & John Hurt
Featurette
Behind-the-Scenes
Trailer

Brighton Rock is available on DVD as of January 10, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, but wanted to love it
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of period and/or crime films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012

A scene from BRIGHTON ROCK, an Alliance Films release.

Helen Mirren as Ida in BRIGHTON ROCK, an Alliance Films release.

Movie Moxie Podcast 57: The Devil Inside, Sherlock Holmes 2, Melancholia & More

2012-01-13T06:41:00.002-05:00

This week on The Movie Moxie Podcast shannon chats about The Devil Inside,
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Darkest Hour and Melancholia in a
spoiler-free fashion as always!

0:00 - 5:45 Intro
5:45 - 11:40 The Devil Inside
11:40 - 14:50 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
14:50 - 17:00 The Darkest Hour
17:00 - 21:40 Melancholia
21:40 - 26:55 Jan 3, 2012 releases including Don't Be Afraid of the Dark,
The Guard & Shark Night
26:55 - 35:00 Jan 10, 2012 release including Brighton Rock & The Tempest
35:00 - Outro

I mention Book to Film Club for 2012 has begun and our first selection is The Borrowers
I mention The Rite (podcast review), The Last Exorcism, The Guard (podcast review), Antichrist and Fish Story / Fisshu sutôrî
See DVD reviews for films mentioned Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, The Guard, Shark Night, Brighton Rock & The Tempest
See more DVD releases for January 3, 2012 and January 10, 2012
See recent Film Fan Fridays & DVD Releases Posts
I mention that the upcoming Mark Walhberg film is directed by Baltasar Kormákur (White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn).

Movie Moxie Podcast - A 100% spoiler-free film review podcast
You can also subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Subscribe through iTunes here.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T06:39:00.002-05:00

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 13, 2012! Our quiet start off of releases this year is not trend as today we are back up to a whopping 9 films in comparison to last weeks measly 2. Let's have a look at what we have in store here in Toronto.

In limited release this week we have The Swell Season following Once actors/musicians and couple Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová in their post-film tour. We also have the indie sweetheart film Pariah following a late-teen lesbian which I've heard amazing things about. Getting international we have the Beijing-set Red Light Revolution and Nanban from India.

In wide release this week we have David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method starring Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung, Viggo Mortensen and Freud and Keira Knightly as a volatile patient; there is a lot of excitement around this one and it was chose as a part of Canada's Top Ten 2011. This week also brings up Contraband has the 'one last job' heist-film formula written all over it, but considering it's from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur who directed the brilliant White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn I can't wait to see it; and I do also happen to be a fan of Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter). Also hitting theatres but one I only just found out about is Joyful Noise starring Queen Latifah & Dolly Parton and with a tagline of "Dream a Whole Lot Louder" I know I have to check it out, plus it's from Todd Graff the director of Bandslam which coincidentally I'm watching as I write this! What are the chances. Rounding out the wide releases we have The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher and a re-release of the 1991 Disney film The Beauty and the Beast in 3D.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screenings

Full Metal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
Janaury 15, 2012 at 12:45PM and January 19, 2012 at 7:30PM at various locations

Design for Living Trilogy: Gary Hustwit's Design Trilogy
Helvetica, Urbanized & Objectified play January 13 - 17, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox

Shorts Are Not Pants
Friday January 13, 2012 at 7PM at the NFB in Toronto, Ontario, Canad

Friday January 13, 2012 Releases

Beauty and the Beast 3D
Dir: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise (The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Cast: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson Richard White, Angela Lansbury
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Contraband
Dir: Baltasar Kormákur (White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn)
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Caleb Landry Jones, Lukas Haas, Diego Luna, J.K. Simmons
USA/UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

A Dangerous Method
Dir: David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis, Eastern Promises, Naked Lunch, The Fly, The Dead Zone)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Sarah Gadon, Vincent Cassel
Canada/UK/Switzerland/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Iron Lady
Dir: Phylida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Harry Lloyd, Jim Broadbent, Alexandra Roach
UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Joyful Noise
Writer/Dir: Todd Graff (Bandslam, Camp)
Cast: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Courtney B. Vance, Dexter Darden, Kris Kristofferson
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Nanban
Dir: S. Shankar (Enthiran, Sivaji)
Cast: Vijay, Jeeva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz
India
Limited Release
Official Film Wikipedia Page, Film Site & Trailer, Sadly I couldn't find an IMDb Page for Nanban!

Pariah
Writer/Dir: Dee Rees
Cast: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, Charles Parnell, Aasha Davis
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Red Light Revolution
Writer/Dir: Sam Voutas (Shanghai Bride, Crash Test)
Cast: Jun Zhao, Vivid Wang, Xiduo Jiang, Masanobu Otsuka
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Swell Season
Dir: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, Carlo Mirabella-Davis - feature film directorial debuts
Documentary
USA/Czech Republic/Ireland
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 13, 2012**

2011 Cast Awards

2012-01-11T18:59:00.003-05:00

James from Toronto Screen Shots has done it again! After much number crunching he has determined the 2011 CAST Awards as voted by from film lovers in the Greater Toronto Area. It's a two-tiered voting system to go whittles the choices down from all to 100, and then from that determines the top 25 films. I took part in just the first round of voting this year, but you can see many of the final ballots cast by voters here (PDF). If if you want to hear folks chat all about it you can check out the CASTcast podcast (catchy!) with the James, the Mamo boys & some of the folks from Row Three. And now, on to the list!

1. Drive
2. The Artist
3. The Tree of Life
4. Attack the Block
5. Take Shelter
6. Midnight in Paris
7. Melancholia
8. Shame
9. Beginners
10. Martha Marcy May Marlene
11. Hanna
12. Café de Flore
13.The Raid
14. Blue Valentine
15. Bridesmaids
16.The Muppets
17. The Illusionist
18. The Descendants
19. Super 8
20. Contagion
21. The Interrupters
22. Tabloid
23. Hugo
24. The Trip
25. Meek’s Cutoff

DVD Releases for January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T00:29:00.002-05:00

Time to take a look at a selection of DVD releases for Tuesday January 10, 2012!

Brighton Rock (DVD Review) I'm so excited to see that our November 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club selection is not hitting DVD for everyone to be able to enjoy and get a chance to see. It's based on the classic Graham Greene novel which a time period switch up from the 30's to the 60's and stars Sam Riley in the lead as Pinky and also start Helen Mirren, Andrea Riseborough and John Hurt. DVD Extras include featurettes, interviews & more.
The Tempest (BluRay+DVD Combo Pack Review) Julie Taymor's visually stunning take on the Shakespearean play and this one has been on my to see list for 2 years now! I actually read the play in 2010 in anticipation for this adaptation (and I barely understood it from reading). It's a really gorgeous film and I loved the shift of making Prospero to Prospera played by Helen Mirren. Unfortunately it's a bit uneven in terms of the performances, but there certainly are gems in there like the formidable David Strathairn and always cunning Alan Cumming.
Sinners and Saints I absolutely can not wait to get my hands on this cop action/thriller starring Johnny Strong, Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints), Tom Berenger and directed by William Kaufman. Looks like a whole lot of awesome.
Higher Ground Vera Farmiga's directorial debut where she also stars in the lead role following a woman who struggles on the road of faith. This one really stuck with me when I watched it last year in the theatre, it's not very often we hear this story told and I really valued the bravery it took to put it on screen. The film is based on the memoir This Dark World: A Story of Faith Found and Lost by Carolyn Briggs.
Killer Elite action film that stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Yvonne Strahovski, Robert De Niro and Dominic Purcell, and is based on book (although there is a bit of controversy to it on whether it's based on true events or not) that it follows 4 soldiers who are a hit squad known as "The Clinic". I very surprized I didn't see this one in the theatre, it's totally up my alley
Fish Story / Fisshu sutôrî I'm thrilled to see this amazing Japanese verge-of-apocolypse film hit DVD for people to enjoy. I saw it at Reel Asian a few years ago and it was a complete treat of quirky, awesome goodness. I highly recommend checking it out, and I LOVE the title song (listen here).
1911 Historical epic starring & directed by Jackie Chan, also starring Bingbing Li.
Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption I've seen so much promotion for this film I'm actually starting to want to see it, and heck - it's sword & sandals which is usually well more than enough to get me interested. It stars Victor Webster and Ron Perlman.
Gurozuka It's the first I've heard of this one but it's frm The Asian Cult Cinema Collection and that sounds like a freaking good start. As does the tag line: For these Girls, death is the only escape.
Hawaii Five-O: The Complete Original Series (Season 1 - 12) I know I must have watched the original series as a kid but I don't actually remember it, although it looks like bucket loads of fun. Now each and every season is available together at last.
Moneyball Based on a true story baseball flick starring Brad Pitt and this one actually has a lot of Shannon tick boxes from being a sport film, to looking very inspirational (although I think it's unconventional sport flick which makes me think there is a twist there) and it's also based on a non-fiction book. I definitely will get to this one some time.
What's Your Number based on book 20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak and follows a woman's journey as she looks back at her past 20 relationships to see if any of them could have been "The One". Stars Anna Faris & Chris Evans.

Titles on Amazon.ca(Canada):

Titles on Amazon.com (US):

January Book Club Selection: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

2012-01-08T23:41:00.003-05:00

It's so exciting to start the year off with a new book to enjoy. Although I've already announced 8 of the 11 titles for the 2012 edition of the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club including our Winter Reading Selections, I still though January reading should have it's own page. The book section is The Borrowers by Mary Norton and the film is The Secret World of Arrietty, out on February 17, 2012.

January 2012 Reading: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Starting the year off nice & light we begin with a children's fantasy novel about tiny people that live in the floorboards of the houses of humans and borrow little things like sugar and such but need to remain unseen by human eyes. I can't tell you how excited I was to see that this was coming out in February, which is perfect timing for us to read right now. Thank goodness I went to see The Muppets which is where I saw the trailer!

This one actually is the first in the series but the film is an adaptation of the first novel so we just have to read the one. The film adaptation is already completed and has been released in Japan and has won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year for 2010 given out by the Nippon Academy-sho association.

The title of the film adaptation is The Secret World of Arrietty, an animated film from Japan from Studio Ghibli, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Gary Rydstrom which will be released on February 17, 2012.

The film has been known by other names including Kari-gurashi no Arietti in Japan, Arriety the Borrower in the UK and Arriety in Australia, and has had different voice casts in different areas. The voice cast for North American version includes Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett.
See the Disney film site for the trailer and more info on the film and the IMDb Page.

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

2012 Film Release by Date

2012-01-08T08:41:00.011-05:00

Chronological listing of all films released in 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you prefer alphabetical lists check here for list of 2012 by title.

Looking for future releases? Check out the Upcoming 2012 Films Lists

Friday January 6, 2012
Devil Inside, The
Players (2012)

Friday January 13, 2012
Beauty and the Beast 3D +
Contraband
Dangerous Method, A
Iron Lady, The
Joyful Noise
Nanban
Pariah (2012)
Red Light Revolution
Swell Season, The

Friday January 20, 2012
Coriolanus
Divide, The *
Front Line, The / Go-ji-jeon
Haywire
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Not Since You
Red Tails
Separation, A / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Underworld Awakening +
Viral Factor, The

* indicates film as Canadian or Canadian co-pro
** indicates re-release
+ indicates film released included a 3D release

2012 Film Release by Title

2012-01-08T08:41:00.010-05:00

Alphabetical listing of all films released in 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you prefer chronological lists check here for list of 2012 releases by release date. Updated as of January 20, 2012 releases.

Looking for future releases? Check out the Upcoming 2012 Films Lists

Beauty and the Beast 3D +
Contraband
Coriolanus
Dangerous Method, A
Devil Inside, The
Divide, The *
Front Line, The / Go-ji-jeon
Haywire
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Iron Lady, The
Joyful Noise
Nanban
Not Since You
Pariah (2012)
Players (2012)
Red Light Revolution
Red Tails
Separation, A / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Swell Season, The
Underworld Awakening +
Viral Factor, The

* indicates film as Canadian or Canadian co-pro
** indicates re-release
+ indicates film released included a 3D release

Movie Moxie Book to Film Club: 2012 Edition

2012-01-07T19:36:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I am so glad that you've stopped by to see all about the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club. I had so much fun reading, watching and sharing in the experience with everyone last year that I've decided to go it all again. We are in for another year of 11 books to read (Jan-Nov) and for as many of the films that are released.

I'm going to make just a few changes for 2012 to have the best alignment in terms to matching up the books to the film, and allow for some ease in case there are shifts in release dates and hopefully not bombard us with a month that has tons of films (although that might be in vain as December is very film heavy!). I hope to have a selection of well written books from variety of genres and include both new books and well loved classics. Like last year I'm also going to do my best to avoid series because they can be quite a big commitment, and I want people to be able to join (or take a break!) at any time.

Now, lets take a look at the titles for the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club!

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Safe Haven by Nicolas Sparks

That's 8 of our 11 titles that have confirmed or very likely film release dates for 2012. If you have any suggestions for the remaining 3, please let me know!

I'll be releasing the reading schedule as the year going on. Right now lets have a look at the first three titles.

January 2012 Reading: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Starting the year off nice & light we begin with a children's fantasy novel about tiny people that live in the floorboards of the houses of humans and borrow little things like sugar and such but need to remain unseen by human eyes. I can't tell you how excited I was to see that this was coming out in February, which is perfect timing for us to read right now. Thank goodness I went to see The Muppets which is where I saw the trailer!

This one actually is the first in the series but the film is an adaptation of the first novel so we just have to read the one. The film adaptation is already completed and has been released in Japan and has won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year for 2010 given out by the Nippon Academy-sho association.

The title of the film adaptation is The Secret World of Arrietty, an animated film from Japan from Studio Ghibli, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Gary Rydstrom which will be released on February 17, 2012.

The film has been known by other names including Kari-gurashi no Arietti in Japan, Arriety the Borrower in the UK and Arriety in Australia, and has had different voice casts in different areas. The voice cast for North American version includes Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett.
See the Disney film site for the film and the IMDb Page.

February 2012 Reading: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I don't think there was any chance I wouldn't include this well loved fantasy novel from J.R.R. Tolkien set in the world of The Lord of the Rings. I actually know very little about it as I haven't read it before, but the casting looks fantastic and there was quite a wave of enthusiasm when the trailer debuted in late 2011. I'm very much looking forward to travelling to Middle Earth and follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins.

The book is being adapted in to 2 films: Part 1 is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and will be released December 14, 2012 and Part 2 is The Hobbit: There And Back Again and will be released next year December 14, 2013

March 2012 Reading: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

This is the book I know the least about, but we've had several genre mash ups recently so why not try one out? It's written in epistolary-style (collection of documents which can include diaries entries, clippings, letters, etc; I had to look that word up!) including the perspective of Abraham Lincoln (yes, the 16th US president), as a vampire hunter.

The film is set to release June 22, 2012 and is directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Day Watch, Wanted).

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T07:29:00.002-05:00

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 6, 2012! It's a really quiet week we have with only 2 releases here in Toronto which means it's great timing to check out Canada's Top Ten 2011, the 10 best Canadian films as decided by TIFF which plays at Lightbox this week and has lots of special guests included.

Our one limited release this week is Players, a Bollywood remake of the 2003 version of The Italian Job, which brings up the interesting question of if it's a remake of a remake, it it not in fact a remake of the original? I'm not sure but it's making my mind really think, which is a good thing

In wide release this week we have 1 film: The Devil Inside. It wouldn't be January without a supernatural film to get the year started, and with The Devil Inside exorcisms are on the menu with a personal history tale of a woman who researches them to hone on the truth of her own family history including her institutionalized mother who was exorcised many years ago.

That isn't much to choose from this week but if you are curious to what else we have at the year ahead I have created a 2012 Upcoming Films list, which pictures, synopsis & trailers to give us a snapshot of what to us for the next little while. And if you are staying in this weekend I'd highly recommend checking out the dark Irish comedy The Guard which made both my Best & Most Enjoyed List of 2011; it was released on DVD earlier this week (see more DVD releases here).

Stay warm, and have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Canada's Top Ten 2011
Celebrate the 10 best Canadian films as decided by TIFF
January 5 - 15, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday January 6, 2012 Releases

The Devil Inside
Dir: William Brent Bell (Stay Alive)
Cast: Fernanda Andrade, Isabella Rossi, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Ionut Grama, Suzan Crowley
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Players
Dir: Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla & Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla (Mr. Fraud, 36 China Town)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 6, 2012**

Shark Night 3D (DVD Review)

2012-01-03T21:20:00.002-05:00

DVD Review of monster-horror film Shark Night starring Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan & Chris Carmack

Image Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: David Ellis (Final Destination 2, The Final Destination (2009), Snakes on a Plane)
Cast: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Joel David Moore, Katharine McPhee, Sinqua Walls, Donal F. Logue, Joshua Leonard, Alyssa Diaz, Chris Zylka
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Shark Movie! I don't know why, but I can't stop watching shark movies. Good thing there are a lot of them to go around.

It may, or may not, be that well know but I have a bizarre love of shark films. From the classic Jaws to the craziness of Deep Blue Sea & Sharktopus, I can't get enough of the scares and screams of shark films. It's lucky that we have lots to choose from! The most recent big screen shark film to hit DVD is none other than Shark Night which fills the bloody waters of the micro-genre well giving us lots of scares, crazy water works and even some new twists and turns following the dead-eyed creatures that chomp.

The film does starts with a well seasoned monster/horror movie premise of college kids going to relax and party on a waterside location, where the locals ain't all that happy to have them around. It's not all strangers in a strange land though they visit Sara's family cabin for the fun times, even if she hasn't been there in a while. I'll leave the rest of the story for you to discover while watching, and for most horror film fans I would definitely say hands-down just watch it & enjoy it. Shark Night happily surprized me on several fronts, first and foremost with the story which is almost embarrassing to admit that it actually surprized me but I'll give that as a compliment not only to the film but also to the marketing for leaving the story of the film... in the film itself. Kudos there for sure. I also was happy that they didn't go over the top with gratuitous nudity here, which may disappoint some horror fans but as a female horror fan I find it often what can turn me off a film. It decides to turn a different cheek here as it's actually Chris Zylka (Kaboom, 'The Secret Circle') who fills out this category the most.

On top of the chomping and the general shark craziness and fun horror spins, what I really enjoyed about Shark Night was the cast. Sara Paxton in particular brought the cute girl who used to be a local to life, and I was happy to see this I saw recently in The Innkeepers where she was positively delightful and it's awesome to see that she can bring that again and again. It was also a treat to see Dustin Milligan (Repeaters) who fills the nice shoes, Chris Zylka (Kaboom) is great at being over the top charmer and Chris Carmack does a great job as the slightly weathered local Dennis.

Overall, Shark Night was a really fun horror flick that keep me guessing and keep on chomping. I'll happily watch it again and think it's a great addition to the fantastic frenzy of shark films.

DVD Extras:

Shark Attack! Kill Machine! (5 minutes) Although it's not explained exactly what this is, I am pretty confident in saying that it's a chronological truncation of just the shark kill clips from the film. Would have been fun if they had a running kill count or crossing off character names; just a little something to add to the fun and cheer along with plus help make it clearer to know exactly you are watching.
Ellis' Island (4 minutes) behind the scenes, interviews with director David R. Ellis on being around sharks his whole life, the shark research involved, having actors doing their own stunts, working in 3D and the challenge of working underwater, plus actors Chris Carmack, Dustin Milligan, Donal Logue, Sara Paxton, Sinqua Walls, Joel David Moore, Alyssa Diaz, Chris Zylka on working with director David R. Ellis, and the process doing their own stunts, working in the water, working in 3D, the importance and balance of character and action.
Trailer
Plus: Be sure to watch until the end of the credits for an awesome cast easter egg

Please Note: Although theatrically known as Shark Night 3D, I viewed this on DVD in 2D.

Shark Night is available on DVD as of January 3, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I strongly recommend it to horror fans & shark-film fans

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Sara Paxton and Dustin Milligan star in SHARK NIGHT 3D. Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films.

Chris Carmack stars in SHARK NIGHT 3D. Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films

Chris Zylka, stars in SHARK NIGHT 3D.Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films.

The Guard (DVD + BluRay Review)

2012-01-03T20:30:00.002-05:00

DVD Review of the amazing dark comedy The Guard starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham & Mark Strong.

Image Courtesy Alliance Films
Legal Line © Boyle Film Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Writer/Dir: John Michael McDonagh - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, Rory Keenan, David Wilmot, Katarina Cas, Michael Og Lane
Ireland, 2011

Reason to see: Highly acclaimed and so far I've loved all the Irish films I've seen (being a wee bit Irish meself likely helps!)

The Guard is a dark comedy following Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) as a Irish policeman in community of County Galway which when a out-of-the-norm crime occurs, outside help arrives in the form of FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle). Although both are officers of the law, their styles and conduct could not be more different from one another if they tried, and they may in fact tie. A unique spin on comedy, this (non) buddy cop film forays into new territory of humour, crime and bizarre circumstance.

I was initially hesitant going into this one not thinking myself a fan of comedy but I am so glad that didn't sway me away as The Guard is brilliant. It left me howling in laughter while also being aghast, with the kind of humour that you don't think it's possible to get away with but works and is funny every, single time. Brendan Gleeson (Perrier's Bounty, Harry Potter series) is formidable in the lead here as the morally ambiguous and often brash Boyle, yet there is also a very sensible and regular folk quality to him as well as a quiet, beautiful kindness. In high contrast we see the straight-shooter, always elegant and proper Everett who brings more formality to every situation. To add to the awesome cast, we have a fantastic set of baddies including two actors I always love to see: Liam Cunningham (Centurion, The Escapist, 'Outcasts') and Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood (2010)). In fact Mark Strong as a British baddie delivers one of my favourite supporting performances of all of 2011. Extremely memorable and hauntingly dark.

The film plays beautiful with juxtaposition, with characters and situations seemingly ridiculous yet always perfect. Great timing, great chemistry, fantastic acting and a pretty freaking impressive story to boot. The Guard easily ranked high on both my Best Films of 2011 and Most Enjoyed Films of 2011. It's funny, and even though it's crass, brash and ballsy, the main characters aren't mean spirited which I think is ultimately what won me over.

The Guard if freaking brilliant. If I swore in my reviews I would swear for emphasis, but since I don't I'll get tell you to go see The Guard. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

DVD Extras:

Feature Commentary with director John Michael McDonagh and actors Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle pretty entertaining commentary although oddly you can 'hear' them watching the film as their is some silence in talk which is okay because the film is really entertaining and it's clear they had a fun time making it and enjoy the jokes and there is lots of interesting commentary about the response to the comedy pluse a fair amount of discussing/notation to the styling and colours of the film, the inspiration behind the film, the laughter to sophistication ratio, the jokes that went over the heads of the audience, things that were cut from the film, actor shout outs, film references, favourite lines, choices on line delivery, lots of notations to what gets a laugh & great reveals, the explanation of few extras, when they did their own stunts, the dynamic between Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle's characters, challenges with the weather, nods to westerns and funny stories from filming.
The Second Death - A Short Film that Inspired The Guard (11 minutes) directed by John Michael McDonagh and starring Liam Cunningham. Moody dark drama that's got a really impressive weight or remorse to it, and the ever-fabulous Liam Cunningham. Great DVD extra, and really happy to have a chance to see the short.
Deleted Scenes & Extended Scenes (20+ scenes, 24 minutes) tons of great scenes are found in this set of extended and deleted scenes including more buddy cop scenes schooling the newbie police officer, crime theories, police procedures, interviews plus family drama & character delvopement and some more great camradarie scenes Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle; great scenes although many it's understandable why they didn't make the final cut as even for this film feel quite controversial and others give some more clear direction when ambiguity served them well.
Outtakes (3 minutes) great moments, physical goofs, line flubs, funny tension and awesome laughter outbursts.
Behind-the-Scenes (18 minutes) behind the scenes of filming scenes including scene set up to filming, clowning around on set as well as interviews with actors Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Rory Keenan, David Wilmot, Katarina Cas, Michael Og Lane,Fionnula Flanagan discussing their characters, the character histories & relationships and often specifically their connection or contrast to The Guard (Brendan Gleeson's) character and working with and impressions of writer/director John Michael McDonagh; as well as the actors on the ending of the film.

The Guard (2011) is available on DVD as of January 3, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I LOVED it - It ranked #5 in my Best Films of 2011 list and #6 Most Enjoyed Film of 2011
I have and will continue to watch it again, repeatedly
I highly & widely recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Brendan Gleeson (left) and Rory Keenan (right) star in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.

Don Cheadle stars in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.

David Wilmot (left), Liam Cunningham (center), and Mart Strong (right) star in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.

DVD Releases For January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T00:35:00.002-05:00

Time to take a look at a selection of DVD releases for Tuesday January 3, 2012! First DVDs of the year, and it's a pretty great bunch to choose from.

The Guard (DVD Review) This dark Irish comedy starring Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle ranked extremely high on my 2011 Best & Most Enjoyed List and I can without a doubt highly recommend it. Funny as hell and clever to boot, plus it has Mark Strong *and* Liam Cunningham who are fantastic in it. DVD/BluRay combo has great extras including outtakes, extended & deleted scenes, behind the scenes, a short film that inspired the film and a commentary with the director and Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle. Pretty freaking snazzy.
Shark Night (DVD Review) It may, or may not, be that well know but I have a bizarre love of shark films and Shark Night fills the bloody waters of the micro-genre well with lots of scares, water works and even some new twists and turns; and loved the cast - especially Sara Paxton (The Innkeepers), Dustin Milligan (Repeaters), Chris Zylka (Kaboom) and Chris Carmack.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (DVD Review) This remake of the 1970s TV movie of the same name goes strongly for the classic horror movie vibe set in a big, beautiful house. I loved that the protagonist was a really strong little girl and that it had very believable yet unconventional family dynamics. DVD has featurettes on the story, the house and the creatures.
Contagion One of the many for 2011 that I wish I hadn't missed (I think it came out around TIFF), and it's a science fiction/disaster/virus starring a whole whack ton of great actors from Matt Damon to Kate Winslet and from Gwyneth Paltrow to John Hawkes. I did feel like the trailers showed to much, but I still really wanted to see it.
Snow and Ashes War drama from writer/director Charles-Olivier Michaud (Sur le Rythme) following a war correspondence who takes on the challenge of recapturing his own escape as his fellow correspondent & photographer has not yet returned. Stars Ryse Corio & David-Alexandre Coiteux.
Pour l'amour de Dieu French Canadian film set in 1959 Montreal following a young girl who falls for religion as well as a young Father in a love & religion drama. Stars Madeleine Péloquin, Victor Andres Trelles-Turgeon.
Mildred Pierce The 5-Part HBO series starring Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, Miriam Shor and Halley Feiffer hits DVD
Red: Werewolf Hunter B-Movie Goodness starring 'The Guild' 's Felicia Day as a Werewolf Hunter. Also stars Kavan Smith ('Eureka'), Greg Bryk, David Reale and Stephan McHattie.
Ice Quake Natural disaster film with a timely winter setting, I watched this one On Demand over the holidays and it was pretty fun B-Movie if you like 'em chilly and science-y. Stars Brendan Fehr, Jodelle Ferland & Victor Garber, directed by Paul Ziller.
Spartacus 2 Pack: Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena Both the original series of 13 episodes plus the Gods of the Arena 6-episode prequel from Starz are hitting DVD in a timely 2-Pack. It's perfect timing to catch up as Spartacus: Vengeance will debut at the end of the month on January 27, 2012.
Justified Season 2 Timothy Olyphant contemporary western from FX hits DVD and it's third season is also just around the corner as it will debut January 17, 2012.
Royal Pains: Season Three Volume 1 I'm surprized this one is already on 3rd season DVD as I only started seeing commercials for it recently. I'm not sure if that is because of Canadian schedule difference or the fact that it's a comedy... hard to say.
I Don't Know How She Does It Sarah Jessica Parker stars as a woman who literally does it all, juggling the many different aspects in her life including work and family, until the possibilities appears to throw her perfection for a loop.

Titles on Amazon.ca(Canada):

Titles on Amazon.com (US):

Snow and Ashes War, Pour l'amour de Dieu and Spartacus 2 Pack: Blood and Sand and God of the Arena are Not currently available on Amazon.com.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (DVD Review)

2012-01-03T00:30:00.002-05:00

DVD of the creepy horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) starring Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce.

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films

Dir: Troy Nixey ("Latchkey's Lament")
Cast: Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Julia Blake, Jack Thompson
USA/Australia/Mexico, 2011

Reason to see: Horror movie

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) is a remake of a 1973 film of the same name, and sometimes I can be harsh on remakes but I thought I would give this one a try. We follow a young girl named Sally who comes to stay with her father (Guy Pearce) who is restoring an old mansion. There certainly was a sense of the house being wounded, like patching over worn out pieces over and over until even the patches are threadbare, and this tone floats through the film giving it a creepiness that really works for horror. So I was feeling like we were off to a good start.

I was actually quite looking forward to Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011), because I'd not seen the original and therefore was looking forward to seeing the story for the first time. That didn’t turn out quite as I had imagined, because I figured out the story pretty early. I know I watch a lot of horror & supernatural films, and lots of film, but it felt too clear to me. Perhaps mystery wasn't the goal. A lot of the scares come across in tone and ideas so there is still that, but even then at times when for really visceral look-away-from-the-screen moments, which wasn’t quite the kind of surprize I was hoping for.

On the flip side, the film definitely had things that I enjoyed. The mansion it is set in is beautiful, it feels so rare to see something of that scale and it has great art direction showing the house in different states of repair and distress. I also loved that it had a young girl as the protagonist and Bailee Madison does a great job at being the sullen Sally. I was also impressed by Katie Holmes, who did a fair amount with a role that wasn't that meaty. I could really feel that her character had a full and complete history and I wanted to know more about it. I also really liked the relationship between their two characters, it felt unique and I really enjoyed that. I’ll look forward to seeing both of their work in the future.

Sadly, the film has more than a few conveniences that are jammed into the story to make later things work, and you can feel they are devices. Horror is a challenge that way, you really need to be able to establish that with subtly because it certainly needs to be there, but it also needs the logic for us to believe it at all times. It also like it wanted to be set in the past not the present but it ...was in the present. Why not just set it in the past? It's already got the nostalgia of the dilapidated house; I could have seen it in the past. Perhaps that would be too much given that it’s a remake. Overall, I liked the idea of the story and the tone that it set, but I didn’t always believe what was happening. From the conveniences to the characters moments, there were too many things that didn’t quite work which is really too bad. A few tweaks here and there would have had us twitching in our seats.

Warnings: Disturbing imagery & ideas and some gore

DVD Extras:
Don't Be Afraid... Documentary of 3 Featurettes:

The Story (6 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes and interviews with director Troy Nixey, executive producer William Horberg, producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and actors Guy Pearce & Katie Holmes on making a classic horror film, bringing the film to life, on the original film and how scary it is, the 15+ year process of bringing the film to life, the crossover of ideas/themes between this film and other del Toro films, the updating of the character of Sally to a more currently believable character, the relatable family dynamic and struggles, the films connection to stories and folk lore.
Blackwood's Mansion (5 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes, concept art and interviews with director Troy Nixey, production designer Roger Ford, executive producer Stephen Jones, cinematographer Oliver Stapleton and actor Katie Holmes on historical architecture, the design of the Blackwood house, the colour palettes in the film, the contrast between the inside & outside worlds in the film, how they created the house for the film, the choice to work against a 'scary looking' house, the stages construction for the film and the creepy feel texture created for the film.
The Creatures (9 minutes) concept art, creature sculptures, previsualization, behind the scenes, film clips and interviews with producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro, visual effects producer Iloura Digital Ineke Majoor, visual effects producer Scott Shapiro, director Troy Nixon, lead VFX supervisor Iloura Digital Glenn Melenhorst, executive producer Stephen Jones on the question of to show or not to show the monster in monster films, the characters of the creatures, what they wanted the creatures to look like and their histories, the visual nod/connection of the creatures to the original film, the inspiration for the movement of the creature, discussion and example of previsualization, the onset filming, mapping & techniques done to incorporate them with the visual effects done; plus young actor Bailee Madison on working with not actually seeing anything.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) is available on DVD as of January 3, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, but wanted to enjoy it more
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it for people that like drama-centric creepy films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011 - 2012
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - September 8, 2011

Guy Pearce stars in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit Carolyn Johns

Bailee Madison stars in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit Carolyn Johns

Katie Holmes (left) and Bailee Madison (right) star in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, an Alliance Films release. Photo Credit Carolyn Johns

Upcoming 2012 Releases

2012-01-02T19:00:00.020-05:00

Here's a look at upcoming 2012 titles, and as the page is heavy with trailers & images I'm keeping it quarterly starting off with January - March 2012. If you have details on upcoming titles, especially if they are being released in Toronto feel free to contact me Shannon Ridler, the Movie Moxie by email.

Friday January 27, 2012 Film Releases

The Grey

Right: Liam Neeson stars in the survival thriller, THE GREY. Images courtesy of eOne Films.

The Grey
I love that we get to continue to see Liam Neeson again and again in action-y roles. I will never, ever get tired of it. Plus, really exciting to see Frank Grillo (Warrior (2011), 'The Gates') in this one as well.
Dir: Joe Carnahan
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo
From the press release: "In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders"
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Grey opens nationwide Jan 27, 2012

Man on a Ledge (2012)

Right Image: SAM WORTHINGTON stars in MAN ON A LEDGE, Photo by Myles Aronowitz; Couresty of eOne Films.

Man on a Ledge
Dir: Asger Leth
Cast: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Burns, Keira Sedgwick, Ed Harris
From the press release: "An ex-cop and now wanted fugitive (Sam Worthington) stands on the ledge of a high-rise building while a hard-living New York Police Department negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge,
the more she realizes that he might have an ulterior objective."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Man on a Ledge Nationwide Jan 27, 2012

Monsieur Lazhar

Right Image: Fellag in MONSIEUR LAZHAR; Courtesy of eOne Films.

Monsieur Lazhar
Included as a part of the Canada's Top Ten 2011 and Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

Writer/Dir: Philippe Falardeau
Cast: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart
Adaptation of the stage play Bashir Lazhar by Evelyne de la Chenelière
From the press release: "Bachir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant, is hired to replace an elementary school teacher who died tragically. While the class goes through a long healing process, nobody in the school is aware of Bachir's painful former life."
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page
Monsieur Lazhar opens in Toronto and Vancouver on January 27th, 2012

One for the Money

Right: Katherine Heigl stars in ONE FOR THE MONEY. Images courtesy of eOne Films.

One for the Money
Dir: Julie Anne Robinson
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Sherri Sheppard, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds
Adapted from the book: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
From the press release: "A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company...as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli - yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school. Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback - and a hefty payday - but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger, a hunky colleague who's the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn't airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself...well, suddenly Stephanie's new job isn't nearly as easy as she thought."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
One for the Money opens nationwide on January 27th, 2012

Tyrannosaur

Tyrannosaur is the fantastic directorial debut from Paddy Considine with a story of a hard case man and a strong faith woman who have absolutely nothing in common. One of the best films I saw at TIFF 2011 and features fantastic performances from the cast including Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan.

Writer/Dir: Paddy Considine - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy
Synopsis: "Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an unemployed widower with a drinking problem and a violent temper. When he meets Hannah (Olivia Colman), a devout Christian who works at a charity shop, the two form an unlikely bond where secrets are revealed and salvation is found in dark places. With striking performances and a deeply moving story, actor-turned-writer/director Paddy Considine's film is a stunning debut about the emergence of grace and redemption from the least likely of places. Winner of the Sundance Film Festival's World Cinema Jury Prize for Breakout Performances and the World Cinema Directing Awards."
UK
Film 4 Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tyrannosaur opens in Toronto on January 27, 2012.

Friday February 3, 2012 Film Releases

Albert Nobbs

Right Image: Mia Wasikowska and Glenn Close in ALBERT NOBBS Photo credit Patrick Redmond. Courtesy of eOne Films

Albert Nobbs
Dir: Rodrigo Garcia
Cast: The film stars Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Aaron Johnson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

From a press release: "A witty Irish-set period drama about the lives of staff at Dublin’s most luxurious hotel: the illegitimate child of a maid, a beautiful couple’s impossible love, and Albert…a woman who pretends to be a man to survive.
Nineteenth century Ireland: for a woman to be independent and single, she must deceive everyone – by pretending to be a man. Albert, a shy butler who keeps to himself, has been hiding a deep secret for years – he is a woman who has had to behave as a man all her life in order to escape a life of poverty and loneliness. When a handsome painter Hubert Page arrives at the hotel, Albert is inspired to try and escape the false life she has created for herself. She gathers her nerve to court beautiful, saucy young maid Helen in whom she thinks she’s found a companion – but Helen’s eye is on a new arrival: handsome, bad-boy Joe, the new handy-man. As Albert dares to hope that she might one day live a normal life, we catch a glimpse of a free-spirited woman who is caught in the wrong time."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Albert Nobbs opens nationwide February 3, 2012

The Woman in Black (2012)

The Woman in Black
2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club Selection, a supernatural historical story following Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe of th Harry Potter series), a young lawyer to settle the affairs of an eccentric client after their passing.

Dir: James Watkins
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Liz White
From the synopsis: "In this supernatural thriller, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a widowed lawyer whose grief has put his career in jeopardy, is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric. But upon his arrival, it soon becomes clear that everyone in the town is keeping a deadly secret."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Woman in Black opens in wide release on February 3, 2012

Friday February 10, 2012 Film Releases

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Right Image: Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. Courtesy of eOne Films

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Dir: Lynne Ramsay
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly
Adapted from the novel We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
From a press release: "A suspenseful and psychologically gripping exploration into a parent dealing with her child doing the unthinkable."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Friday February 24, 2012 Film Releases

Gone (2012)

Right Image: AMANDA SEYFRIED stars in GONE Photo by Saeed Adyani. Courtesy of eOne Films

Gone (2012)
Dir: Heitor Dhalia
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Carpenter, Daniel Sunjata, Wes Bentley
From the press release: "When her sister disappears, Jill is convinced the serial killer who kidnapped her two years ago has returned, and she sets out to once again face her abductor."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Gone opens nationwide on February 24th, 2012

Goon

Right Image: Seann William Scott as Doug Glatt and Richard Clarkin as Gord Ogilvey in GOON. Photo courtesy of Alliance Films

Goon
Dir: Michael Dowse
Cast: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Liev Schreiber, Marc-André Grondin, Eugene Levy
From the synopsis: "Doug Glatt, (Seann William Scott) the black sheep of an illustrious medical family is working as a bouncer when he gets roped into going to a local hockey team’s game by his hockey fanatic pal, Pat (Jay Baruchel). When Pat incites the opposing team’s enforcer to climb out of the penalty box and into the audience after him, Doug steps in and to everyone’s surprise, especially the local team’s coach, quickly puts the player down."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page
Goon opens in wide release on February 24, 2012

Additional February, 2012 Film Releases- specific date TBC

Le Vendeur / The Salesman

Le Vendeur
Included in the Canada's Top Ten 2011
Dir: Sébastien Pilote
Cast: Gilbert Sicotte, Nathalie Cavezzali, Jérémy Tessier, Jean-Francois Boudreau, Pierre Leblanc
From the press release: "Marcel Lévesque, a savvy, quick-witted car salesman nearing retirement, lives for just three things: his work, his daughter, and his grandson. He has been salesman of the month for years at the dealership where he has spent his whole career, in a fading one-industry town. One endless winter, while the pulp and paper mill lays off more workers, Marcel has only one thing on his mind: getting his beloved American cars off the snowy lot. One day he sells a brand new truck to François Paradis, a laid-off worker from the mill, leading to repercussions Marcel never imagined, in this film about alienation, humanity, religion and the art of selling cars."
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page
Le Vendeur opens nationwide on February 2012.

W./E.

Andrea Riseborough and James D'Arcy in W.E. / Images courtesy of eOne Films.

W./E.

Dir: Madonna (Filth & Wisdom)
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D’Arcy, Oscar Isaac

From a press release: "Madonna's W.E. is a beautifully crafted, passionate tale about the search for true love in the modern world, viewed through the prism of one of history's most fabled romances. The year is 1998, and Manhattan is abuzz with anticipation about the upcoming auction of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But the auction is far more than a diversion for Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a transplanted Southerner trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Transfixed by the exquisite artifacts of the Windsors' lives, Wally becomes obsessed with the love story of Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough), the chic, charismatic American who captured the heart of King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy). As she learns more about the sacrifices Wallis made in choosing
to be with Edward, Wally finds the courage to follow her own heart and create her own happiness."
IMDb Page, Trailer
W./E. nationwide on February 2012.

March 16, 2012 Film Releases

Mirror Mirror (2012)

Mirror Mirror (2012)
A new take on the Snow White story (not to be confused with Snow White & The Huntsman), with a comical feel and storybook setting and keeping true to the evil queen being jealous of the new answer from her mirror of who is the fairest one of all.

Dir: Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall, Immortals)
Cast: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Mirror Mirror opens wide on March 16, 2012

March 16, 2012 Film Releases

The Hunger Games

Right Image: Jennifer Lawrence stars as 'Katniss Everdeen' in THE HUNGER GAMES.

The Hunger Games
Honourary Selection for the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club
Based on the fantastic book (first in trilogy) by Suzanne Collins and the story follows young and resourceful Katniss, a hunter who provides for her family during trying times. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where areas are sectioned off into districts and Tributes are chosen from each area for a yearly fight to the death.

Director: Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit)
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci,
Adapted from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the first book in a trilogy; the second book is already in the works for a film adaptation (Catching Fire) to be released November 22, 2013.
From the synopsis: "Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains."
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Hunger Games opens in wide release March 16, 2011

My Year in Film: 2011 Movie Memories & Insights

2012-01-01T14:43:00.005-05:00

Above: Nowhere near my fave film of the year - but one of the the few pics I have of me at the theatre!

As we turn to the new year I want to take one final look back at 2011 and some of the very interesting, important and light bulb moments and realizations of the year.

Perfect Isn't Everything
Every year I make a list of films, be it favourite, bests, moments, memories, or a combination of all. I thought I would prefer consistency in this list year after year and at the end of 2010 I thought I had cracked the nut: Perfect Films. Films where there is nothing that needs to change about them and I could recommend widely. And last year I came up with The Perfect List and kept my eye out for them. But this year, I found a wrench thrown into that works with a film called The Adjustment Bureau. I LOVED this movie. But it wasn't perfect. That left me conflicted, because I wanted to give it the highest accolades but it didn't meet the definition I created to litmus test films as a way for ranking. Ah, well. I tried but it just reminds me that matching movies to audience is more clear & helpful than 'defining'.

I Saw Myself In Film
This was likely the biggest revelation I had this year, in film or our and happened in what felt like the most unlikely of place, while watching Soul Surfer. Yes, the film is a biopic on Bethany Hamilton, a teen surfer girl who lives in Hawaii and has some huge challenges to face. I went into this film because I like water movies, but I had no idea what a deep, relating experience it would be. I really 'got' her story. But more than that I felt it was my story too as I went through something similar and seeing it was like seeing a reflection of my own experience. It was a huge revelation not just the experience but that it was so unusual for this to *be* an unusual experience as many people see films to see just that - their experience be it past, present, or future/hopeful on screen. But until then, I never had. In fact, the only other character I've seen in film that I'd say was pretty spot-on like me (when I was a kid) is Lucy Pevensie from the Narnia films. It was really wild, and I can see why people are drawn to films where they see themselves as it's a very powerful experience.

Book to Film Club
One of my biggest endeavours of the year was running the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club where we read 11 books that were being turned into film adaptations, and 7 of them were released in 2011 with another 1 on DVD and at least 1 being released in 2012. I would have loved for them have all to be released, but sometimes it's hard to gauge! But it was 4,318 pages of book goodness and many insights along the way. I certainly enjoyed some books more than others but overall it was an enlightening, enriching and fun experience and I loved hearing peoples impressions of the books and films. I'll definitely be doing the Book to Film Club again 2012.

Let's hear it for FUN films
I think us film folk can often get tunnel vision focus of 'serious' films, sometimes even leaning on them so hard that we forget films have value for many different reasons. I realized this while in the theatre during 2011 while grinning ear to ear and laughing from deep in my belly. Films like Fast Five, The Three Musketeers (2011), Fright Night (2011), Kung Fu Panda 2 and I Am Number Four. Those were all really fun films that I really enjoyed this past year.

Incomplete Challenges, No Marathon, Wha?
One of the oddities of the year was that I didn't have a marathon, like in previous years when I ran the Vampathon, Wolfathon, Sword & Sandals marathon or even Harry Potter and Star Trek countdowns. I was this close to doing the Summer of SciFi but had to pass on it when I unexpectedly had to move, and I completed an exploration of 33 genres through the Movie Moxie Podcast but I didn't think of that as a marathon (although it was an epic endeavour!). My second 101 Films in 1001 Days came to a bleak close with only seeing 2 of those films in 2011 and only knocking back 71/101. I did pretty well with my Owned/Unseen Challenge and am giving myself the rest of the weekend to knock off the final 3 titles. Looking back though, I realize that the big marathon was the Book to Film Club, it took up the energy and format I used for marathons. Perhaps I also kind of forgot about it because I had 2 planned for 2012 from way early in 2011 that I forgot to do one! It's a mystery.

Above: all the boxes on the floor are boxes of movies

Checking in on the Numbers
I often gripe on the ones that got away, or than one more review that I want to do, but I have to say that I'm pretty happy that come the end of the year I've seen 101 of the 400 theatrical releases, and reviewed 82 of those films (plus an additional 23 straight-ish to DVD), and plan on having another 10 reviewed by the end of the month which will be a 90% review rate (or 80% if I don't do those 10!). Yep. I'm happy with that number. Plus as we turn to 2012 I'm at a total of 999 Reviews. What will be 1,000?

I Felt Like I Was The Audience
When you see as many films as I do, it almost goes without saying that they aren't all 'for you', or in this case 'for me'. Like I noted with Soul Surfer, I'm very used to not having my own experience reflected but that doesn't mean I don't love an appreciate seeing and learning about other ideas and experiences. Sometimes that can be a lot of work, and sometimes it's an idea or point of view I'm neither interested in or care to understand. But on occasion, something beautiful happens and I feel I was actually the intended audience. That I understand the language in which the film is speaking, and that it's speaking directly to me. This year the film that spoke to me was Drive. I understood every moment of that film on a visceral, direct-to-my-heart level. It was very powerful.

So, Yeah... I Don't Really Dig Drama or Comedy.
Another odd revelation for going through the genre analysis, was that these two HUGE genres are never my go to genres. Thankfully we live in a time with enough variety that I can work through almost every other genre before getting to straight-up dramas or comedies. But I will give that for performances, it's hard to beat drama and I found further clarity that with comedy I enjoy Canadian, British & some foreign comedies but given a choice I'll always go for action, art house, dance, martial arts, sport, sword & sandals, vampires, horror, supernatural, fantasy and especially science fiction first. Every time. I still get odd looks when I share this realization with people though, and have run into a few road blocks of possibly not being taken 'seriously', but in a time of films like The Tree of Life, Another Earth and TrollHunter / Trolljegeren I think that's just not the reality.

Monster Movies & B-Movie
Another great revelation this year was realizing a love of B-Movies, especially monster movies. From Sharktopus to Dinoshark to Mega Python vs. Gatoroid to Dinocroc vs Supergator I was all over these crazy movies. They are so much fun, even if they aren't 'good'. Actually, sometimes they are better if they aren't good - but not always. I think one of the things I love about them is that you know what you are getting into. There is a monster/crisis/natural disaster and then the challenge to defeat it and on that journey there will be many one liners, possibly familiar faces and many casualties and screaming along the way. I love them. Best watched with popcorn, and almost always exactly 90 minutes long. Fun times!

Elsewhere
This year I've also been hanging out outside the Movie Moxie mostly in the podcasting realm with Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast which is now at 118 episodes going strong since 2009 and Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural will have it's second anniversary soon - who knew there would be so much paranormal TV to talk about? I've also done several guesting on the Saturday B-Movie Reel over at Tuning into SciFi TV which has been a lot of fun. I love chatting about film (and TV!).

Writing Writing Writing
It's also been a big year of writing for me, and I've done tons of reviews, festival coverage, journalling and planning but I've also been writing a memoir-like something that I don't even really know what it is but it really shifted my thinking on things and led to many interesting realizations, many of which I've discussed here in this post. It's pretty rough and very much about the process over the product, but I would like to keep it up and hopefully have more of the thoughts and ideas translate into the written word here on the site. I guess that is where my 2012 year will begin.

TV on DVD Reviews

2012-01-01T14:01:00.001-05:00

Being Human Season 1 (North American)
Durham County Season 1 & 2
Haven: The Complete First Season
Walking Dead: The Complete First Season, The

See more DVD Reviews Here

Done & Incomplete: 101 Films to See

2011-12-31T18:52:00.005-05:00

Last bow to tie for 2011 is checking in on my 101 Films to See (Part 2!) list. I actually didn't complete this one, which makes me pretty sad. I did my first 101 Films I Can't Believe I Haven't See in tandem with my 101 Things in 1001 Days, and oddly at that point I was very adamant about not committing to another 101 in 1001 until I had tried it, and then ... I did another film 101 in 1001!

I think my initial instinct was spot on as the second time round I didn't have as much excitement over the challenge, plus the films tended to be less known and/or less available which I thought would be a fun challenge but made for a lesser chance of success.

I did manage to get through 70 of the 101 titles, and I did some shifting after trying a few films that were 'must-see's' on so many lists, but I had no actual interest in due to context or content. That was some really good learning, that I really do know my own tastes and interests for film and as wide as they may be, I'm not willing to watch films I don't actually want to see. The other thing that changed during the time of the challenge was I started reviewing DVDs, which literally took the timeslot of when I would watch the films on my 101.

I did make it through a fair number of the films, and the ones that are left mostly remain as ones I want to see and I did see many great films. So to end on a high(er) note, I'd like to say I'm really happy to have seen the following:

Films that I really do think that film fans just have to see: Day for Night, Eraserhead, Belle et la Bete, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Persona, Yi Yi, Eraserhead and Farewell My Concubine.

Great horror films that I'm thrilled I saw: Dracula (1931), The Ghost and Mrs Muir, (technically supernatural/fantasy...but good enough!), Godzilla / Gojira, House of Wax (1953), Onibaba and The Thing from Another World.

And a film with a cult following that I didn't really expect to enjoy but ended up loving was The Boondock Saints.

The best experience seeing a film was watching a 35MM print of The Brood at The Bloor as a part of a curated series by Edgar Wright, who was in attendance at the screening along with actor Art Hindle. That was pretty freaking amazing.

I'm really not a fan of not completing things and would have strongly preferred to have watched all the films but I am happy to have made it though the 71 and continued to expand my film horizons.

Metacritic Top Lists 2011

2011-12-31T18:00:00.004-05:00

Last list before the New Year, the Metacritic check in! And they must have changed their site format because previously I got 200 results and now I find 99 per search! Bizarre! Only 3 titles cracked their all time reviewed list (and only one of those came out here in Toront: My Perestroika), but there are lost of interesting titles to peruse from their 2011 list including lots of documentaries. Man, now I have even more films to add to my to see list!

See also the IMDB Top 250 list at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 Movies on the Metacritic Top List as of Dec 31, 2011
39. We Were Here
44. A Separation
95. My Perestroika

Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2011 as of Dec 31, 2011
1. We Were Here
2. A Separation
3. My Perestroika
4. Poetry
5. The Artist
6. The Arbor
7. I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You
8. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
10. Moneyball
11. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
12. 13 Assassins
13. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
14. Of Gods and Men
15. Children of Hiroshima
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
17. The Interrupters
18. City of Life and Death
19. Nostalgia for the Light
20. Take Shelter
21. The Tree of Life
22. Meek's Cutoff
23. Position Among the Stars
24. The Descendants
25. Project Nim
26. Hugo
27. Le Havre
28. Incendies
29. The Trip
30. Certified Copy
31. To Be Heard
32. Mysteries of Lisbon
33. The Inheritors
34. Beginners
35. Weekend
36. Kati with an I
37. Thunder Soul
38. Melancholia
39. Midnight in Paris
40. Tuesday, After Christmas
41. The Mill and the Cross
42. The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte)
43. Senna
44. Coriolanus
45. Drive
46. The Soft Skin (1969)
47. My Joy
48. Putty Hill
49. Foreign Parts
50. The Guard
51. The Yellow Sea
52. The Princess of Montpensier
53. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
54. Benda Bilili!
55. Bill Cunningham New York
56. Circo
57. Louder Than a Bomb
58. Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
59. El Sicario: Room 164
60. Rebirth
61. Jane Eyre
62. Buck
63. Inni
64. Martha Marcy May Marlene
65. World on a Wire (1973)
66. Margin Call
67. Bobby Fischer Against the World
68. A Dangerous Method
69. Submarine
70. Love Exposure
71. Rango
72. Silent Souls
73. Attack the Block
74. Win Win
75. Bridesmaids
76. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
77. The Muppets
78. Pariah
79. The Desert of Forbidden Art
80. Caterpillar
81. Point Blank
82. Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
83. Pina
84. The Woodmans
85. Tabloid
86. Into the Abyss
87. The Time That Remains
88. Winnie the Pooh
89. Higher Ground
90. Dark Days
91. How I Ended This Summer

Metacritic Top Reviewed Films All Time as of December 31, 2011
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
4. The Godfather
5. The Leopard (re-release)
6. The Conformist (re-release)
7. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
8. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
9. Superman II
10. Seven Samurai (re-release)
11. Shoah (1985)
12. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
13. Army of Shadows
14. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
15. Pan's Labyrinth
16. Metropolis (re-release)
17. Rififi (re-release)
18. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
19. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
20. The Producers (re-release)
21. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
22. The French Connection (re-release)
23. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
24. Ratatouille
25. Modern Times (re-release)
26. The Social Network
27. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
28. Days of Heaven (re-release)
29. The Manchurian Candidate
30. Spirited Away
31. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
32. Pulp Fiction
33. Killer of Sheep
34. The Hurt Locker
35. Sita Sings the Blues
36. WALL-E
37. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
38. Sideways
39. We Were Here *2011 Film
40. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
41. Carlos
42. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
43. Reversal of Fortune
44. A Separation *2011 Film
45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
46. Schindler's List
47. Taxi Driver (re-release)
48. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
49. Frantic
50. Amadeus
51. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
52. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
53. The Class
54. Raging Bull
55. 35 Shots of Rum
56. Umberto D (re-release)
57. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
58. There Will Be Blood
59. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
60. Toy Story
61. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
62. Werckmeister Harmonies
63. Toy Story 3
64. Moolaadé
65. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
66. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
67. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
68. The Triplets of Belleville
69. The Queen
70. Repulsion (re-release)
71. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
72. Children of Tokyo
73. Beau travail
74. Do the Right Thing
75. Waltz with Bashir
76. Secrets & Lies
77. Patton
78. No Country for Old Men
79. Raiders of the Lost Ark
80. After Hours
81. The Crying Game
82. Ran (re-release)
83. Saving Private Ryan
84. A Prophet
85. Winter's Bone
86. L.A. Confidential
87. Bloody Sunday
88. Apocalypse Now
89. My Voyage to Italy
90. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
91. La commune (Paris, 1871)
92. Solaris (re-release)
93. The Sweet Hereafter
94. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
95. My Perestroika *2011 Film
96. Topsy-Turvy
97. Being John Malkovich
98. Before Sunset
99. The Incredibles

IMDB Top 250 in 2011

2011-12-31T17:36:00.003-05:00

Every year on the last day of the year I do a check in on the IMDb Top 250 List, to see how many new of the year have been added. This year we only had 5, and to compare you can see 2010 with 7 titles and 2009 had 6 titles. It's noted that its calculated from regular voters, which is interesting as IMDB list often feels like it has more fandom picks over highly acclaimed and exceptional films, but this year I would say it feels like it's here those two meet. I also like to check in on this list as it's a dynamic one that ebbs and flows over time, so having a snapshot of what the year was like, at the end of the year, is something like I like to see. Speaking of seeing it appears I will have to see A Separation at some point as it is appearing all these year-end lists! Hopefully it will come out in Toronto in 2012.

See also the Metacritic Best Reviewed Films at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
108. A Separation (2011)
146. Warrior (2011)
193. Drive (2011)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
201. Hugo (2011/II)

IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2011)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Inception (2010)
13. Fight Club (1999)
14. Seven Samurai (1954)
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
18. City of God (2002)
19. Casablanca (1942)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. The Matrix (1999)
22. Rear Window (1954)
23. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. The Usual Suspects (1995)
26. Psycho (1960)
27. Se7en (1995)
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
30. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. Memento (2000)
32. Leon: The Professional (1994)
33. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
36. American History X (1998)
37. North by Northwest (1959)
38. Citizen Kane (1941)
39. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
40. American Beauty (1999)
41. Toy Story 3 (2010)
42. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
43. Taxi Driver (1976)
44. Alien (1979)
45. Spirited Away (2001)
46. City Lights (1931)
47. Vertigo (1958)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Paths of Glory (1957)
50. Amélie (2001)
51. The Pianist (2002)
52. M (1931)
53. WALL·E (2008)
54. The Departed (2006)
55. Double Indemnity (1944)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
58. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
59. Aliens (1986)
60. Modern Times (1936)
61. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
65. Back to the Future (1985)
66. Das Boot (1981)
67. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
68. The Third Man (1949)
69. The Prestige (2006)
70. L.A. Confidential (1997)
71. Chinatown (1974)
72. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
73. The Green Mile (1999)
74. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
75. The Great Dictator (1940)
76. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)
77. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
78. Rashômon (1950)
79. Gladiator (2000)
80. Raging Bull (1980)
81. Amadeus (1984)
82. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
83. Some Like It Hot (1959)
84. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
85. All About Eve (1950)
86. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
87. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
88. Braveheart (1995)
89. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
90. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
91. Metropolis (1927)
92. Oldboy (2003)
93. The Apartment (1960)
94. Unforgiven (1992)
95. Downfall (2004)
96. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
97. The Sting (1973)
98. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
99. Princess Mononoke (1997)
100. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
101. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
102. The Elephant Man (1980)
103. Up (2009)
104. On the Waterfront (1954)
105. Die Hard (1988)
106. Gran Torino (2008)
107. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
108. A Separation (2011)
109. The Seventh Seal (1957)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Rebecca (1940)
112. The Lion King (1994)
113. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
114. Batman Begins (2005)
115. Yojimbo (1961)
116. Sin City (2005)
117. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
118. The General (1926)
119. Heat (1995)
120. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
121. Blade Runner (1982)
122. Fargo (1996)
123. Snatch. (2000)
124. Ran (1985)
125. Black Swan (2010)
126. Wild Strawberries (1957)
127. Jaws (1975)
128. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
129. The King's Speech (2010)
130. Touch of Evil (1958)
131. No Country for Old Men (2007)
132. Toy Story (1995)
133. The Big Lebowski (1998)
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. The Sixth Sense (1999)
138. It Happened One Night (1934)
139. Strangers on a Train (1951)
140. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
141. Annie Hall (1977)
142. Scarface (1983)
143. Ikiru (1952)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. High Noon (1952)
146. Warrior (2011)
147. Donnie Darko (2001)
148. Into the Wild (2007)
149. Trainspotting (1996)
150. The Gold Rush (1925)
151. The Kid (1921)
152. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
153. The Wages of Fear (1953)
154. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
155. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
156. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
157. Notorious (1946)
158. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
159. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
160. Gone with the Wind (1939)
161. There Will Be Blood (2007)
162. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
163. The Thing (1982)
164. Amores perros (2000)
165. Groundhog Day (1993)
166. Casino (1995)
167. Life of Brian (1979)
168. Ben-Hur (1959)
169. Finding Nemo (2003)
170. The Terminator (1984)
171. The Big Sleep (1946)
172. Les diaboliques (1955)
173. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
174. The Graduate (1967)
175. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
176. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
177. Stand by Me (1986)
178. District 9 (2009)
179. V for Vendetta (2006)
180. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
181. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
182. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
183. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
184. Good Will Hunting (1997)
185. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
186. Network (1976)
187. Gandhi (1982)
188. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
189. The 400 Blows (1959)
190. Mary and Max (2009)
191. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
192. The Wrestler (2008)
193. Drive (2011)
194. 8½ (1963)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
196. The Princess Bride (1987)
197. Dial M for Murder (1954)
198. The Killing (1956)
199. Persona (1966)
200. Ratatouille (2007)
201. Hugo (2011/II)
202. The Hustler (1961)
203. La Strada (1954)
204. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
207. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
208. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
209. Star Trek (2009)
210. The Wild Bunch (1969)
211. Avatar (2009)
212. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
213. Stalag 17 (1953)
214. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
215. Barry Lyndon (1975)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
218. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
219. The Truman Show (1998)
220. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
221. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
222. Infernal Affairs (2002)
223. Mystic River (2003)
224. Let the Right One In (2008)
225. Roman Holiday (1953)
226. Festen (1998)
227. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
228. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
229. In Bruges (2008)
230. Magnolia (1999)
231. The Incredibles (2004)
232. Rope (1948)
233. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
234. Big Fish (2003)
235. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
236. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
237. Manhattan (1979)
238. Harakiri (1962)
239. Ip Man (2008)
240. Ed Wood (1994)
241. Tokyo Story (1953)
242. Stalker (1979)
243. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
244. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
245. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
246. Shutter Island (2010)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Three Colours: Red (1994)
249. Nosferatu (1922)
250. Castle in the Sky (1986)

The Best Films of 2011 & The Films I Enjoyed The Most in 2011

2011-12-31T15:01:00.006-05:00

When 2011 I started writing a memoir like fashion about the films I saw and each month I would tally up the films in terms of which I thought were the best, and which films I most enjoyed. They had very different results from the get go, and I've long been a supporter of acknowledging and embracing films you enjoy, even if they aren't perfect, or 'important' or meaningful or touchstones, revolutionary, etc. Those are all great marks in film, but how much YOU enjoy a film is important too. The reverse logic held up because one of the early theatrical releases of 2011 was the brilliant yet brutal Incendies, and as much as I can acknowledge it as a formidable film, I got zero enjoyment from watching it. So, in an effort to acknowledge and support both the films I think are formidable as well as the ones that warmed my heard and made me light up, I'm writing 2 lists the year; and here are in my opinion The Best Films of 2011 (I saw 100/400 released) and the Most Enjoyable Films (to me) of 2011:

Movie Moxie's The Best Films of 2011:

These are the films that I think are hands-down brilliant films on all levels.

1. Drive (2011)
2. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
3. The Tree of Life
4. Small Town Murder Songs
5. The Guard (2011)
6. Four Lions
7. Melancholia
8. Incendies
9. In a Better World / Hævnen
10. Beginners
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Meet Monica Velour
13. Pina
14. One Day (2011)
15. Thor
16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
17. Beautiful Boy
18. Familiar Ground / En Terrain Connus
19. Another Earth
20. The Adjustment Bureau

Movie Moxie's Films I Most Enjoyed in 2011:

These are the films that made me laugh, smile, cry and giggle. They are the films where I felt that the film was speaking directly to me, and I wanted to hear what it had to say.

1. Drive (2011)
2. Soul Surfer
3. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
4. The Adjustment Bureau
5. The Tree of Life
6. The Guard (2011)
7. Thor
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9. Fast Five
10. The Three Musketeers (2011)
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Small Town Murder Songs
13. I Am Number Four
14. Super 8
15. Country Strong
16. Another Earth
17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1
18. Kung Fu Panda 2
19. One Day (2011)
20. Melancholia

Special shout out to both Rubber and Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, which would have made both my lists but I saw them prior to 2011 therefore they don't meet my own parameters!

I'll be writing more about the particular films and their impact in a separate post about my movie memories of the year.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 30, 2011

2011-12-30T07:15:00.003-05:00

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 30, 2011!

We have a bit of an oddity this week in Toronto with film, likely the rarest thing when it comes to film and that is a week with no new release. Not one! But, the happy flip side to that is that we know all the films that came out and this year that is 400 titles, which is a huge jump from last years 353 titles. Out of those 400 titles, we had 63 Canadian Films (up from 50 in 2010), 37 films released in 3D (also up from 25 in 2010) and 1 re-release. Every once in a while I think of trying to see *all* of the films that come out, and what a feat that would be ...400 films in 365 day! But I'm pretty happy with this years results, as I've seen 100 of those 400 and hoping to catch at least 2 more over the weekend.

Although there are no knew releases to look at, it is the time of year to check in and look back, I've been doing just that and on the latest Movie Moxie Podcast I did a check in on how my Most Anticipated List of 2011 Films faired when all was said and done, as well as reviewing recent releases of Pina and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. And I've been busy listing with writing about New Faces and Ones to Watch from 2011 & Favourite Trailers of 2011. There will be more lists to come, including my favourite films and moments of 2011.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Friday December 30, 2011 Releases

No releases

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 30, 2011**

Movie Moxie Podcast 56: Pina, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2011-12-30T06:43:00.003-05:00

As we near to the very end of the year of 2011 it's time to see review a few more releases of the year including Pina and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as well as checking in to see how the films on my Most Anticipated Films of the Year faired now that the year has mostly played out. I also caught up with more on my owned/unseen list and chat DVD releases of the week.

0:00 - 2:00 Intro
2:00 - 10:30 Pina + Lightbox Tangent
10:30 - 15:00 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
15:00 - 19:30 Owned/Unseen Update: Moonlight & Open Hearts
19:30 - 44:45 Checking in on my 2011 Most Anticipated Films
44:45 - 49:30 DVD Releases for December 27, 2011 include review of Apollo 18
49:30 - 50:25 Outro

Show Notes

I mention the films of Susan Bier including After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet, Brødre, In a Better World / Hævnen, & The Things We Lost in the Fire when discussing Open Hearts
I mention 2011 lists including my Most Anticipated List, My Summer Check in on Most Anticipated List, Ones to Watch List & Favourite Trailers List
I also mention that last year I checked in on my most anticipated films 2010
DVD releases for December 27, 2011 and review of Apollo 18

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I'll be back with a new podcast next Friday checking in on a few more titles and lists from 2011. Until then - have a Happy New Year!