Let's take a look at this weeks DVD releases and see what will be gracing the shelves this week.
Comedies, Docs & Award Winners
We've got a wide variety of interesting titles this week including the historically set graverobber/monster film I Sell the Dead starring Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, "Lost"), Larry Fressenden and Ron Perlman. Staying on the comedy train is the latest Judd Apatow film Funny People, starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan. In the quirky car of comedy comes Rumba that looks like a wonderful blend of oddball humour and dance. In the documentary world we have the highly acclaimed Jesus Camp and The World According to Monsanto that focuses on the production and industry of genetically modified food. Also in release is the award winning films The Edge of Heaven and Gomorrah. We also have a The Vengeance Trilogy from Thirst's director Park Chan-wook that includes Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Old Boy and Lady Vengeance.
Wild Cards
I'm going to go with just one wild card this week as the director is so unique and that would have to be Uwe Boll's action/adventure film Far Cry starring Til Schweiger, Michael Paré and Udo Kier.
You've Heard of 'Em
Well known titles of the week include The Da Vinci Code sequel Angels & Demons, kids adventure/fantasy Shorts (pride rock!), Eddie Murphy's lastest Imagine That and seasonal comedy Four Christmases from The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters director Seth Jordon.
Titles on Amazon.ca (Canada):
Titles on Amazon.com (US) if available:
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Funny People
Writer/Dir: Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin)
Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Torsten Voges
USA, 2009
Seen: November 21, 2009 on DVD
Reason to see: Looked pretty funny from the trailer
The first thing you should know about Funny People is that it's funny, but not always from the humour which is often told in stand up comedy fashion and relies heavily on dick jokes. The second thing you should know about Funny People is it isn't always funny, and that is okay because the obviousness of that is hidden in plain site with the title. It's about funny people, or rather people that are funny. And a lot of them are. Ironically Adam Sandler plays the most serious role here playing a long standing comedian whom gets a scary health wake up and this leaves the big comedy chops to Seth Rogen and his roommates played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman. A lot of the film centres on the concept of humour, coming up with jokes and the experience of life as a comedian.
As much as the film is funny, there is a huge weight of seriousness to it and the balance of the two is maintained it very well. I was surprized that Adam Sandler's character George, wasn't more likable as the big time comedian, but this serves to highlight the the isolation of fame and celebrity, giving it an interesting meta quality. Who is extremely likable is Seth Rogan's, Ira who seemed a genuninly nice person, and serves as a moral compass of the film, which works well but oddly feels reminiscence of a Morgan Freeman voice over in a documentary.
The people that really made me laugh were all in the smaller roles of the film, like the great performance by Aubrey Plaza is great as the 'across the street neighbour' who also does stand up. But the biggest surprize was one of the only non-comedian characters, Clarke, played but Eric Bana completely stole the show because he is freakin' hilarious as the Australian new husband to George's ex Laura played by Leslie Mann.
The huge chunk of the comedy is very crass and it's certainly not that gender balanced, but it's clear that the audience is going for the how-far-can-you-really-take-this with the jokes in particular. That aside, the heart of the film lies not quite in the comedy but the people, their lives and how they choose to live them.
DVD Extras include: Feature commentary with Judd Apatow, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, Unrated version (7 minutes longer than theatrical version), gag reel
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll likely watch it again
I'd recommend it to comedy fans who can enjoy and/or can handle the 'guy' humour
Return to Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Torsten Voges
USA, 2009
Seen: November 21, 2009 on DVD
Reason to see: Looked pretty funny from the trailer
The first thing you should know about Funny People is that it's funny, but not always from the humour which is often told in stand up comedy fashion and relies heavily on dick jokes. The second thing you should know about Funny People is it isn't always funny, and that is okay because the obviousness of that is hidden in plain site with the title. It's about funny people, or rather people that are funny. And a lot of them are. Ironically Adam Sandler plays the most serious role here playing a long standing comedian whom gets a scary health wake up and this leaves the big comedy chops to Seth Rogen and his roommates played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman. A lot of the film centres on the concept of humour, coming up with jokes and the experience of life as a comedian.
As much as the film is funny, there is a huge weight of seriousness to it and the balance of the two is maintained it very well. I was surprized that Adam Sandler's character George, wasn't more likable as the big time comedian, but this serves to highlight the the isolation of fame and celebrity, giving it an interesting meta quality. Who is extremely likable is Seth Rogan's, Ira who seemed a genuninly nice person, and serves as a moral compass of the film, which works well but oddly feels reminiscence of a Morgan Freeman voice over in a documentary.
The people that really made me laugh were all in the smaller roles of the film, like the great performance by Aubrey Plaza is great as the 'across the street neighbour' who also does stand up. But the biggest surprize was one of the only non-comedian characters, Clarke, played but Eric Bana completely stole the show because he is freakin' hilarious as the Australian new husband to George's ex Laura played by Leslie Mann.
The huge chunk of the comedy is very crass and it's certainly not that gender balanced, but it's clear that the audience is going for the how-far-can-you-really-take-this with the jokes in particular. That aside, the heart of the film lies not quite in the comedy but the people, their lives and how they choose to live them.
DVD Extras include: Feature commentary with Judd Apatow, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, Unrated version (7 minutes longer than theatrical version), gag reel
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll likely watch it again
I'd recommend it to comedy fans who can enjoy and/or can handle the 'guy' humour
Return to Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
Wild Child
Dir: Nick Moore - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Linzey Cocker, Kimberly Nixon, Juno Temple, Sophie Wu, Georgia King, Alex Pettyfer, Aiden Quinn, Shirley Henderson, Nick Frost
USA/UK/France, 2008
Seen: November 22, 2009 on DVD
Reason to see: Female centric teen comedy, yep I'm there.
It is so refreshing to see a teen comedy with a female protagonist, especially one whose life doesn't revolve exclusively around 'getting the guy'. Poppy (Emma Roberts of Nancy Drew) isn't perfect by any means, she can smack talk her way through any scenario and of course being 16 and living in Malibu she's obsessed with clothes, avoids carbs but is also entertaining to boot.
The previous mentioned smack talk and wild behaviour get her sent away from pools and sunshine to the British boarding school. The chaos begins as this fish out of water has a unique take on how to deal with her new scenario, which is one of the great things about the film. It isn't always predictable and it doesn't always take the easy route. Poppy has he own fair share of problems but tries to come to terms with them, sometimes with the the help of her new roommates and sometimes just one her own. It really is great to see a film about a girls journey, where the majority of the characters are girls and women, and although there is a romance angle the overall themes are about friendship and finding yourself.
The film has a great supporting cast, although I would have loved to see more Shirley Henderson (Moaning Murtle from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets & Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as the uptight Matron, and there is a great cameo from Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz).
I'm very curious who to what age group they are targetting for this one as they main character is 16, and it feels like it's probably targetting a younger crowd than that but there certainly are a few more adult references. Usually this kind of teen school story is either played super light for younger audiences, or much more raunchy and adult with a possible horror angle. In fact, watching it highlights that so rarely to we see a film centred on teen girls just being teen girls. Any adult behaviour is cleverly masked so that younger audiences will not get the references, which is pretty ingenious as it expands the possible target audience quite a bit.
DVD Extras include: The Making of Wild Child, deleted scenes, head girl tour, school memories and more
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it as fans of school dramas & teen comedies
Return to Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
Cast: Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Linzey Cocker, Kimberly Nixon, Juno Temple, Sophie Wu, Georgia King, Alex Pettyfer, Aiden Quinn, Shirley Henderson, Nick Frost
USA/UK/France, 2008
Seen: November 22, 2009 on DVD
Reason to see: Female centric teen comedy, yep I'm there.
It is so refreshing to see a teen comedy with a female protagonist, especially one whose life doesn't revolve exclusively around 'getting the guy'. Poppy (Emma Roberts of Nancy Drew) isn't perfect by any means, she can smack talk her way through any scenario and of course being 16 and living in Malibu she's obsessed with clothes, avoids carbs but is also entertaining to boot.
The previous mentioned smack talk and wild behaviour get her sent away from pools and sunshine to the British boarding school. The chaos begins as this fish out of water has a unique take on how to deal with her new scenario, which is one of the great things about the film. It isn't always predictable and it doesn't always take the easy route. Poppy has he own fair share of problems but tries to come to terms with them, sometimes with the the help of her new roommates and sometimes just one her own. It really is great to see a film about a girls journey, where the majority of the characters are girls and women, and although there is a romance angle the overall themes are about friendship and finding yourself.
The film has a great supporting cast, although I would have loved to see more Shirley Henderson (Moaning Murtle from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets & Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as the uptight Matron, and there is a great cameo from Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz).
I'm very curious who to what age group they are targetting for this one as they main character is 16, and it feels like it's probably targetting a younger crowd than that but there certainly are a few more adult references. Usually this kind of teen school story is either played super light for younger audiences, or much more raunchy and adult with a possible horror angle. In fact, watching it highlights that so rarely to we see a film centred on teen girls just being teen girls. Any adult behaviour is cleverly masked so that younger audiences will not get the references, which is pretty ingenious as it expands the possible target audience quite a bit.
DVD Extras include: The Making of Wild Child, deleted scenes, head girl tour, school memories and more
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it as fans of school dramas & teen comedies
Return to Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
Brüno
Dir: Larry Charles (Religulous, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan)
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten
USA, 2009
Seen: November 22, 2009 on DVD
Reason to see: Rumblings during theatrical release indicated there was more than meets the eye
There certainly is more than meets the eye during Brüno, but it's in between eye popping and eye covering moments. There is no way possible not to react to this film, it baits the audience just as it baits the people in the film.
Sacha Baron Cohen stars as Brüno, a gay model who sets his sites on becoming a celebrity superstar. In the process of this quest we see him attempt to duplicate celebrity behaviour to pretty hilarious results, although it's often taken to the nth degree making it appear outrageous but at other times it's is not that far from the stories we hear on entertainment programs or talk shows.
The most interesting element of the film is actually showing peoples reactions to Brüno, be it with conversation, suggestive behaviour or introducing an actual scenario. Many of these are outrageous, but some of them are not and seeing where and if people draw the line is fascinating. But the lines are not very clear and get stepped over a lot. Rude or graphic scenarios and imagery people certainly can't seem to handle it. When it moves to the mildly uncomfortable behaviour it starts to brings out the various isms and stronger reactions. Pushing it even further, and Sacha Baron Cohen is a master at pushing the line, but there is a fine line between uncomfortable to what feels threatening. Add that everything is being taped, which for the most part but not always appears to be in plain sight, then it starts to get uncomfortable outside the context of the film as it's not a fair stretch to see how it could negatively impact people involved regarding their public image.
I think the brilliance of the film is that it the appeal is targeted to the shock-comedy crowd, and will certainly appeal to that crowd, but it is also commentary on fame, celebrity and most strongly how people will how their true colours if you provide the opportunity for them to do so. That was the big revelation here, it isn't the crazy outragousness of Brüno and his actions, but rather the completely rude, homophobic, racist, ignorant and dangerous behaviour and actions of the everyday people involved.
DVD Extras include: behind the scenes footage with Sacha Baron Cohen and Larry Charles on how they pulled off the dangerous stunts, as well as deleted, alternative and extended scenes.
Shannon's Overall View:
I laughed a fair amount
I don't imagine I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of shock comedy
Return to Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten
USA, 2009
Seen: November 22, 2009 on DVD
Reason to see: Rumblings during theatrical release indicated there was more than meets the eye
There certainly is more than meets the eye during Brüno, but it's in between eye popping and eye covering moments. There is no way possible not to react to this film, it baits the audience just as it baits the people in the film.
Sacha Baron Cohen stars as Brüno, a gay model who sets his sites on becoming a celebrity superstar. In the process of this quest we see him attempt to duplicate celebrity behaviour to pretty hilarious results, although it's often taken to the nth degree making it appear outrageous but at other times it's is not that far from the stories we hear on entertainment programs or talk shows.
The most interesting element of the film is actually showing peoples reactions to Brüno, be it with conversation, suggestive behaviour or introducing an actual scenario. Many of these are outrageous, but some of them are not and seeing where and if people draw the line is fascinating. But the lines are not very clear and get stepped over a lot. Rude or graphic scenarios and imagery people certainly can't seem to handle it. When it moves to the mildly uncomfortable behaviour it starts to brings out the various isms and stronger reactions. Pushing it even further, and Sacha Baron Cohen is a master at pushing the line, but there is a fine line between uncomfortable to what feels threatening. Add that everything is being taped, which for the most part but not always appears to be in plain sight, then it starts to get uncomfortable outside the context of the film as it's not a fair stretch to see how it could negatively impact people involved regarding their public image.
I think the brilliance of the film is that it the appeal is targeted to the shock-comedy crowd, and will certainly appeal to that crowd, but it is also commentary on fame, celebrity and most strongly how people will how their true colours if you provide the opportunity for them to do so. That was the big revelation here, it isn't the crazy outragousness of Brüno and his actions, but rather the completely rude, homophobic, racist, ignorant and dangerous behaviour and actions of the everyday people involved.
DVD Extras include: behind the scenes footage with Sacha Baron Cohen and Larry Charles on how they pulled off the dangerous stunts, as well as deleted, alternative and extended scenes.
Shannon's Overall View:
I laughed a fair amount
I don't imagine I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of shock comedy
Return to Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
New Moon Mondays: New Moon Reactions and Smashing Box Office Records
Box Office Blow Out
In the US New Moon had the biggest midnight screening ($26.3 million) and biggest opening screening ($72.7 million). It also sits at #3 for the highest grossing opening ever ($142.8 million), behind The Dark Knight and Spider-Man 3. In North American and Canada it had the biggest weekend box office for 2009.
Women in Hollywood Discussion
Women in Hollywood posted this article featuring Women Writers Talk About New Moon, myself included and posed questions ranging from the anticipated success of New Moon to if Twilight gets enough respect in the Hollywood and in the blogosphere. It's fascinating to hear the different voices and perspectives.
Podcasts Talking About New Moon
Marina & I's have an epic chat about The Twilight Saga: New Moon over at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 28 and it's a total spoiler zone as we talk about it in almost every aspect including the end. Other interesting conversations out there to check out are Drive Like Cullens (whom I share a lot of opinions on) and Steady Diet of Film. I'm also looking forward to checking what the folks from Imprint have to say about the film. Few interesting video reviews out there like this one from Richard Crouse whom I agree with on many points, and a rather positive review from Mark Kermode. You can also check out the footage from the Live Podcast at Borders here, including an great appearance and interview with actor Charlie Bewley (Demetri).
New Moon Reactions
So far the voices on New Moon feel a bit polarized, the critics don't seem to like it, the fans reaction range from loving it to being disappointed but overall not feeling like there are a lot of voices from the fans on if they liked it but there is lots of news on the box office, TV appearances, etc. So far it's on 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, on 4.5 IMDb and 45 on Metacritic. The most common phrase I've heard to describe it are 'faithful adaptation' from critics and 'better than the first one' from fans.
New Moon DVD Details
Wow, the film was released only three days ago and we already have information from MTV with an interview with director Chris Weisz who reveals that the DVD with have a commentary track with him and the three big stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. I'll be looking forward to hearing that. The article also outlines some deleted scenes that will be included.
No Breaking Dawn News
Ok, I'll admit reporting on the fact that there is no news is a little weird, but I really thought we'd have heard inklings on whether or not a Breaking Dawn film is going to be going ahead. Last year we heard the day after Twilight's release that New Moon was in the works. Lots of rumours, including whether or not it will be 1 or more films, but so far nothing solid. I can't imagine it being more than 1 film, but then again it's my least favourite of the books.
I Want Some More: Vampathon
The Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon is now complete as it was a countdown to the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I have to admit it feels a little bittersweet given that New Moon did not meet expectations, but it was fun to revisit some of my favourite vampire films as well as seeing tons of great vampire films like Near Dark to Strigoi. I'll be doing a sum up of the experience later in the week so keep your eyes peeled and your necks covered for it. It's going to be so strange not to be watching vampire films every week, I wonder how I'll keep busy.
Upcoming 2010 Films: Action, Adventure and Horror!
When updating the 2009 Upcoming Releases page I noticed how close we are until the end of the year! Say it ain't so! The good news is it means we are that much closer to 2010 which has a lot of fun looking releases in store. Let's have a look at 2010 films that have had trailers released recently.
How to Train Your Dragon is an animated 3D film set in a land where dragons are pests, or are they? The trailer looks pretty fun and the cast includes Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler and Kristin Wiig. From Lilo & Stitch directors by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders.
Release: March 26, 2o10
More comic book adaptations! This one feels pretty tongue in cheek as it's an adaptation and about superheroes. Check out the dark & quirky trailer for Kick-Ass which poses the question of why not be super heroes in the real world? Stars Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass, Chloe Moretz (Let Me In) as Hit-Girl and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) as Red Mist. Also starring Mark Strong and Nicolas Cage. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, Layer Cake).
Release Date: April 16, 2010
I remember seeing the Lightning Thief poster a while ago and although it looked cool I had no idea what the context was. Turns out it's actually called Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and is a fantasy / adventure film based on the Rick Riordan young adult novel based in Greek mythology with a modern twist. Logan Lerman (3:10 to Yuma (2007), Gamer) stars as Percy Jackson alongside Alexandra Daddario, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson and Steve Coogan. The teaser trailer sure has a fun and fantastical spirit to it and considering it's directed by Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) I think we are in for a real treat!
Release Date: February 12, 2010
Also on the Greek God train is Clash of the Titans, which finally has a teaser trailer and it's crazy insane. I can't tell what to make of it, usually I love the whole mostly-music-while-seeing-images style trailers but this one I can't figure out if it will be awesome or kind of campy. There certainly will be lots of action, and I'm hoping for awesome.
Release Date: March 26, 2010
More action goodness with Green Zone. While watching the trailer, you might feel nostalgic for the Bourne films. It's hard not to compare the two with Matt Damon starring in an action feel role (although it's classified as war/drama) and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum) directing. But the good thing is that it also looks quite good, especially when you look at the rest of the casting: Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson and Amy Ryan. Sign me up.
Release Date: March 12, 2010
Angelina Jolie returns to action in Salt, just saw the trailer today and I'm still on the fence here. Feels a little familiar, but I can't place why. Opens Friday July 23, 2010 (great day choice!).
Last up but not least is the horror entry with the The Crazies. It's a remake of 1973 George A. Romero film of the same name, this time starring Timothy Olyphant (Hitman) & Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black) who live in a town where people appear to go... crazy! The trailer looks pretty freaking scary and the song in it gets stuck in my head every time I watch it, which has been a lot since I first saw it in front of Bronson. From Sahara director Breck Eisner.
Release Date: February 26, 2010
For more info on 2010 films check out this list of Upcoming 2010 Releases
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 28: New Moon Review
Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 28 is up!
With the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon finally out it's time that Marina & I's discuss it in detail in this special edition of Before the Dawn. Spoiler warning - for anyone who has not see the film yet and intends to, only listen after you see it as we discuss in depth right down to specific scenes, lines and even the ending.
Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast is a weekly 1/2 hour podcast meeting all your audio Twilight needs!
Poll Results: When Are You Seeing New Moon?
Results are in and I'm surprized that the most votes of When Are You Seeing New Moon? goes to 38% who are Not Planning on Seeing It. Of course the reverse math to that makes 62% planning on seeing the film, with 48% planning on seeing it opening weekend (17% Thursday late night, 12% Opening Night and 10% Opening Weekend) and 9% in the theatre later down the line and 10% will wait for DVD.
Here is the breakdown:
38% - Not Planning on Seeing It
17% - Thursday Late Night Show
12% - Opening Night
10% - Tie: Opening Weekend & On DVD
7% - Next Week
2% - When The Crowd Dies Down
Thanks for voting!
Here is the breakdown:
38% - Not Planning on Seeing It
17% - Thursday Late Night Show
12% - Opening Night
10% - Tie: Opening Weekend & On DVD
7% - Next Week
2% - When The Crowd Dies Down
Thanks for voting!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Week in Film Vlog
Apparently the word of the week is 'ridiculous'.
Theatre: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Vampathon: Bram Stoker's Dracula, Blade Trilogy: Blade, Blade II & Blade: Trinity
Random: Into the Wild, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, My Bloody Valentine (2009), My Beautiful Laundrette, Connected (Bo chi tung wah), Australia and Street Kings
Crazy crowd for the late night New Moon screening
Connected / Bo chi tung wah
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Dir: Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass)
Source Material: Novel by Stephenie Meyer
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Chaske Spencer, Rachelle Lefevre, Michael Welch, Tyson Houseman, Alex Meraz, Bronson Pelletier
USA, 2009
Seen: November 19, 2009 late night screening
Reason to See & Review: Been waiting for the film since Twilight came out as I'm a big fan and even have a Twilight Podcast: Before the Dawn. Plus, it's part of the Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon *
This is not an easy review to write. I'm a fan of Twilight and was really looking forward to New Moon, the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's second book in the series. I am always more than happy to defend the film Twilight, it is an amazing translation that captures the heart and spirit of the book that it is based on and plays perfectly to the fans. Catherine Hardwicke infused the film with a unique visual style and evoked emotional intensity throughout. New Moon, on the other hand captures all the content of the book but not the spirit of the book or the series. Sure, we hit all the important plot points and the fantastical elements are created into film reality through effects that were better than Twilight but where is the heart?
New Moon follows the series very faithfully in terms of content, but not in terms of style. No longer are we treated to a world of cool tones which have been replaced with to be honest, nothing special. The colours, the costumes and the settings all feel like the simplest possible version of what they could be. Almost nothing extra is added and there feels like there is no overarching artistic vision that comes to life on screen. Plus, stylistic changes made to some of the characters feel completely out of character as well as being unnecessary. Put simply, the magic just ain't there.
Even though my first reaction is disappointment, there are moments to enjoy in the film. The scenes with the humans were the only ones that I felt were consistently great. Anna Kendrick continues to be stellar as Bella's not always nice friend Jessica, and Michael Welch was brilliant as Bella's friend Mike. Billy Burke reprises his role as Bella's father Charlie beautifully with a flair for combining being casual alongside parental. New to the series include the Wolf Pack which add a great sense of playful camaraderie and family. Also new is Michael Sheen who is positively delightful as Aro, the over the top leader of the Volturi. The biggest strength in the film is with Kristen Stewarts performance as Bella, this film is all about her and her trying emotional journey. She does an excellent job portraying a wide range of emotions, including hiding those emotions from those around her. Another highlight is the friendship between Bella and Jacob, who develop a great comfort with each other. Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob delivers some of the best moments of the film, often with just a look or glare.
Overall, the film feels rushed. There is so much content jammed in that we don't have time to see the relationships or tension build gracefully or to unravel any of the mysteries. We are told many things that we could have been shown and it feels like it's going through the motions to get next scene, and quickly. It's a very straight up adaptation, but in comparison to Twilight it is paler than a Cullen.
Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, but I wanted to love it
I'll watch it again & buy it
I'd recommend it to the Twilight diehards
15 minutes of preshow including 6 commercials and 4 previews: The Lovely Bones, Sherlock Holmes, Beastly and Letters to Juliet (on November 20/09 also had preview for Remember Me)
Return to Film Reviews, See all Vampire Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
* Vampathon is a 16 week marathon explore vampire films from Nosferatu (1922) up to the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 20, 2009
Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!
Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 20, 2009! Big week this week with highly anticipated releases which all have ridiculously long film titles: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire and even The Twilight Saga: New Moon. What a mouthful! It's also a big week for animation with the claymation film Mary and Max, family film Planet 51 and Wes Anderson's jump into animation with Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In limited release this week we have three films to choose from, Let's start with Mary and Max an animated film that tells the story of friendship between unlikely friends half way across the world from each other voiced by Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman. We also have Werner Herzog's latest, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans remake the 1992 Bad Lieutenant but this time starring Nicolas Cage. Last up for limited releases is the hit from Sundance, People Choice Winner at TIFF'09 and Oscar buzz film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire starring Gabourey Sidibe as a struggling teen for which all hope looks lost. I admit, the trailer for Precious got me teary eyed. Sigh.
In wide release this week we have the based on a true story heartfelt but also looks like it could be cheesy The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock, family animated film Planet 51 which looks like a similiar concept to Planet of the Apes except it's comedy and animated. But the heavy hitter this week is The Twilight Saga: New Moon, sequel to Twilight and based on the book of the same name my Stephanie Meyers which continues the complicated journey of when humans and vampires fall in love.
With American Thanksgiving headed out way we have a several mid week releases set for next Wednesday November 25, 2009. I'm most curious to see Ninja Assassin starring Rain and looks like a crazy mix of action, vengeance and general ninja-ness. combining trainer and trainee. Also out will be the adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel Fantastic Mr Fox from Wes Anderson and buddy comedy Old Dogs.
Have a great weekend and a lovely Thanksgiving to those who will be celebrating!
Shannon
Festival Watch
Toronto Latin Media Festival
Continues until November 28, 2009 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Breast Fest
Film festival dedicated to breast cancer awareness
November 20 - 22, 2009 at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Labour International Film Festival
November 23 - 25, 2009 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
European Film Festival
Continues until December 3, 2009 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Friday November 20, 2009 Releases
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Dir: Werner Herzog ( Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man)
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Michael Shannon
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Blind Side
Writer/Dir: John Lee Hancock (The Alamo (2004), The Rookie)
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Mary and Max
Writer/Dir: Adam Elliot - feature film directorial debut
Voices: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries
Australia
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page
Planet 51
Dirs: Jorge Blanco and Javier Abad - feature film directorial debuts
Voices: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Seann William Scott, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, John Cleese
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Dir: Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer)
Cast: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'nique, Mariah Carrey, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Dir: Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Rachelle Lefevre, Jamie Campbell Bower, Christopher Heyerdahl, Daniel Cudmore, Charlie Bewley, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Dir: Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums)
Voices: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Dir: James McTeigue (V for Vendetta)
Cast: Rain, Sung Kang, Randall Duk Kim, Naomie Harris
USA/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Old Dogs
Dir: Walt Becker (Wild Hogs, Van Wilder)
Cast: John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Matt Dinnon, Seth Green, Bernie Mac
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of November 25, 2009**
Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 20, 2009! Big week this week with highly anticipated releases which all have ridiculously long film titles: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire and even The Twilight Saga: New Moon. What a mouthful! It's also a big week for animation with the claymation film Mary and Max, family film Planet 51 and Wes Anderson's jump into animation with Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In limited release this week we have three films to choose from, Let's start with Mary and Max an animated film that tells the story of friendship between unlikely friends half way across the world from each other voiced by Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman. We also have Werner Herzog's latest, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans remake the 1992 Bad Lieutenant but this time starring Nicolas Cage. Last up for limited releases is the hit from Sundance, People Choice Winner at TIFF'09 and Oscar buzz film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire starring Gabourey Sidibe as a struggling teen for which all hope looks lost. I admit, the trailer for Precious got me teary eyed. Sigh.
In wide release this week we have the based on a true story heartfelt but also looks like it could be cheesy The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock, family animated film Planet 51 which looks like a similiar concept to Planet of the Apes except it's comedy and animated. But the heavy hitter this week is The Twilight Saga: New Moon, sequel to Twilight and based on the book of the same name my Stephanie Meyers which continues the complicated journey of when humans and vampires fall in love.
With American Thanksgiving headed out way we have a several mid week releases set for next Wednesday November 25, 2009. I'm most curious to see Ninja Assassin starring Rain and looks like a crazy mix of action, vengeance and general ninja-ness. combining trainer and trainee. Also out will be the adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel Fantastic Mr Fox from Wes Anderson and buddy comedy Old Dogs.
Have a great weekend and a lovely Thanksgiving to those who will be celebrating!
Shannon
Festival Watch
Toronto Latin Media Festival
Continues until November 28, 2009 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Breast Fest
Film festival dedicated to breast cancer awareness
November 20 - 22, 2009 at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Labour International Film Festival
November 23 - 25, 2009 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
European Film Festival
Continues until December 3, 2009 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Friday November 20, 2009 Releases
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Cast:
Limited Release
The Blind Side
Writer/Dir: John Lee Hancock (The Alamo (2004), The Rookie)
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Mary and Max
Writer/Dir: Adam Elliot - feature film directorial debut
Voices:
Planet 51
Dirs:
Voices:
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Dir: Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer)
Cast: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'nique, Mariah Carrey, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Dir: Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Rachelle Lefevre, Jamie Campbell Bower, Christopher Heyerdahl, Daniel Cudmore, Charlie Bewley, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
Official Film Site,
Official Film Site,
Old Dogs
Dir: Walt Becker (Wild Hogs, Van Wilder)
Cast: John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Matt Dinnon, Seth Green, Bernie Mac
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer
**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of November 25, 2009**
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Blade: Trinity
Writer/Dir: David S. Goyer (The Unborn)
Source Material: based on the Marvel Comics character Blade (source)
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey, Dominic Purcell, Callum Keith Rennie, John Michael Higgins, Triple H, Kris Kristofferson
USA, 2004
Seen: Originally on DVD, revisited on DVD November 18, 2009
Reason to Review: Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon *
After being disappointed with Blade II I didn't have any desire to see Blade: Trinity theatrically, so I watched in on DVD and even then only after a strong recommendation. Wow. I was floored! Everything I didn't like about Blade II was gone and they added back all the good stuff including great humour, a fantastic cast and an interesting story. What more could you ask for?
The dialogue is fantastic, especially with Ryan Reynolds delivery as the character Hannibal King. In the previous Blade films Wesley Snipes usually gets all the punchlines but here he shares that playground not only with Ryan Reynolds but also Parker Posey who is killer as the ambitious and over the top vampire Danica Talos. I want to say that it's highly quotable, but considering how colourful and creative the language I'm not sure it would fly in just any company.
In terms of being a vampire film, it returns to the spirit of the original Blade with an intricate world of vampire culture and vampire hunter culture. We also get a great new set of gadgetry, development and ideas that breathe new life into the series but also threads back historically in the vampires through the ages.
Blade: Trinity, like Blade II has a huge divide between those who love it and those who don't. I've never really understood what is not to like. The action is better, the humour is fantastic, it's clever and moves the world forward. We are also introduces to a whole slew of fantastic new characters like Hannibal King and Danica Talos as previously mentioned. One of the huge stand outs of the film though is character of Abigail, a fantastic kick ass vampire hunter but what makes it even more awesome is that the performance by Jessica Biel is so strong, believable and on par with her male counterparts. Beautiful to see, and I wish we would see this much more because this is proof that it can be done.
Shannon's Overall View:
I love it
I own it
I'd recommend it as fans of vampire & action films
Return to Film Reviews, See all Vampire Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
* Vampathon is a 16 week marathon explore vampire films from Nosferatu (1922) up to the upcoming release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Blade II
Dir: Guillermo del Toro (Cronos, Mimic, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth)
Source Material: based on the Marvel Comics character Blade (source)
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Leonor Varela, Kris Kristofferson, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Goss, Norman Reedus, Ron Perlman, Donnie Yen, Tony Curran
USA/Germany, 2002
Seen: Originally seen theatrically, revisited on DVD November 18, 2009
Reason to Review: Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon *
Blade II is a film that really divides people on the side of those who think it's the best in the series and those who think it's the worst. It ain't a milk toast movie, everyone feels strongly one way or the other. For me, I'm on the side that does not think it's the best.
All of the icing that made Blade better that just good movie, is lost on Blade II. Humour is almost non-existent, there is a really cheap move to tie it back to the first film, things go by unexplained and the list goes on and on. They also ramped up the gore big time, making it darker and colder. But, as much as those things bother me, what made it not a fun watch was actually the characters feeling out of character. I mean these aren't hugely 3 dimensional characters or anything, but still there were things that didn't sit right, especially with Blade himself. Plus they add a female character who starts off pretty cool, but then looks like they just really needed 'a girl' in the story. So bored of that in stories in general, but in this case it wasn't consistent or believable in the context of the story itself. There were also two characters that were extremely hard to differentiate visually which was no help to the all over the place story, which in all honestly I only fully understood this time round because the other time I watched this I couldn't really care less (and it was before I was reviewing, so I didn't feel obligated to 'get it').
In terms of a vampire film, I don't think much was added to it that wasn't already explored in Blade. Although there were new weapons and science/tech stuff, it really felt more like a monster film than a vampire film.
On the side of what was enjoyable, the list is pretty short. I'll give that there were great action sequences and I enjoyed several of the smaller characters like Reinhardt played by Ron Perlman, Priest played by Tony Curran and Snowman played by Donnie Yen but they were not on screen nearly enough.
Shannon's Overall View:
I still don't like it
I own it, but won't likely watch it again
I'd recommend it fans of visceral & dark action films
Return to Film Reviews, See all Vampire Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
* Vampathon is a 16 week marathon explore vampire films from Nosferatu (1922) up to the upcoming release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Blade
Dir: Stephen Norrington (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)
Source Material: based on the Marvel Comics character Blade (source)
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Udo Keir, Traci Lords, Donal Logue
USA, 1998
Seen: Originally seen theatrically, revisited on DVD November 17, 2009
Reason to Review: Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon *
Upon first viewing it was a suprize to really like it. It has a great opening sequence that matches style, action and cleverness quickly and efficientely. I was immediately drawn into this world, the characters and the unique take on vampires. Wesley Snipes is fantastic as Blade, a vampire hunter who is cool as a cucumber as he works on fighting vampires every chance he gets while serving up some great one lines along with way.
As a vampire film, it had a fresh take on the lore setting the film in modern day and bringing not only great action but also guns'n'gadgetry aspect to the film making it feel almost Bond-like with Kris Kristofferson who plays what would be a parallel role to what would be a perpetually pissed off Q. Wesley Snipes continues to showcase here that he is a great action star and does a brilliant job bringing Blade to life. We also are introduced to whole vampire culture and hierarchy (which retrospectively is surprizingly familiar to Underworld which came out a few years later), which include bad ass vamps representing both the old world (Udo Keir as Dragonetti) and new (Stephen Dorff as Frost). I also loved the style of the film, not only visually with art direction and costuming but the pacing and playful tone.
Overall, it's a great combination of cleverness, action with a nice touch of humour. I enjoy it every time I watch it.
Shannon's Overall View:
I love it
I'd watch it again/buy it
I'd recommend it as fans of vampire & action films
Return to Film Reviews, See all Vampire Film Reviews
© Shannon Ridler, 2009
* Vampathon is a 16 week marathon explore vampire films from Nosferatu (1922) up to the upcoming release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 Coverage
Pre-Festival:
Festival Preview
Daily Coverage:
Day 1: Write Up, Vlog
Day 2: Write Up, Vlog
Day 3: Write Up, Vlog
Day 4: Write Up, Vlog
Day 5: Write Up, Vlog
Film Reviews - Shorts:
Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot, The
Chosun Forever
Live Long and Prosper
Unlocked
White Boy From the East
Film Reviews - Features:
Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly / Babi buta yang ingin terbang
Breathless / Ddongpari
Fish Story / Fisshu sutôrî
Fruit Fly
Overheard / Qie ting feng yun
Red Heroine
Schoolgirl's Diary, A / Han nyeohaksaengeui ilgi
White on Rice
Yang Yang
Yanggaw
Videos - Q&As, Introductions, etc.
Awards Ceremony
The Ache introduction by director Keith Lock
The Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot introduction by director Leslie Supnet
Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly introduction by Raymond Phathanavirangoon
Breathless introduction and Q&A with director Yang Ik-June
Chosun Forever Q&A with director Joo Hyun Kwon
Fruit Fly introduction and Q&A with director H.P. Mendoza
Overheard audio introduction with director Felix Chong
Unlocked introduction with with director Mio Adilman and actor Bobby Del Rio
White Boy From the East introduction, special message from director Istvan Kantor
Yang Yang audio introduction from director Cheng Yu-chieh
Post Festival Coverage:
Poll Results
Awards
Wrap Up
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 ran from November 11-15, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 Wrap Up
It was another amazing year at the ... , although it mystifies me even when I make it out to many of the screenings I often miss the awards winners such as Agrarian Utopia. But, I still got out to screenings every day and was impressed at the amazing content and qualities of the films. From Filipino vampires in Yanggaw to identity explorations in Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly, the festival had a wide variety of genres and experiences to choose from.
Best Features: Fruit Fly, Yang Yang, Fish Story
Best Performances: Sandrine Pinna in Yang Yang, Yang Ik-June in Breathless
Best Short / Experimental
Both of these were short and unique so it's a two-way tie: Live Long and Prosper and White Boy From the East
Best Q&A's: Q&A with Breathless writer/director/actor Yang Ik-June
Best Experience: Red Heroine, because you can't beat seeing a 1929 film with live accompaniment
Fullest Screenings: Overheard, Red Heroine, Breathless
Repeating themes: Identity and family were both prominent but this year there was a huge range of topics explored
Funnest collective experience: Red Heroine and Awards Ceremony
Wish I hadn't missed: Agrarian Utopia, A Sense of Wonder (Asian Canadian Shorts Program) and When the Full Moon Rises
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 ran from November 11-15, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
2012 Obliterates the Box Office: Canadian, North American & UK Box Office November 13, 2009 Weekend
No big surprize that the big daddy disaster movie 2012 brought people in downs to see things destroyed, as it takes the cake in Canada, North America and the UK this weekend. Although it didn't break records it's the highest box office since Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (in Canada & N.America) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in the UK) which hold the biggest first weekend this year. But the big question is, will The Twilight Saga: New Moon set new records next week?
Top 20 Movies in Canada for the November 13, 2009 weekend
1. 2012 *
2. Disney's A Christmas Carol
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats
4. Law Abiding Citizen
5. Michael Jackson's This Is It
6. Paranormal Activity
7. Couples Retreat
8. The Fourth Kind
9. Pirate Radio *
10. The Box
11. Astro Boy
12. Where the Wild Things Are
13. An Education
14. Zombieland
15. Heer Ranjha *
16. Gone With the Wind in HD
17. Coco Before Chanel
18. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day *
19. A Serious Man
20. La donation
Top 20 Movies in North America for the November 13, 2009 weekend
1. 2012 *
2. Disney's A Christmas Carol
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats
4. Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
5. Michael Jackson's This Is It
6. The Fourth Kind
7. Couples Retreat
8. Paranormal Activity
9. Law Abiding Citizen
10. The Box
11. Pirate Radio *
12. Where the Wild Things Are
13. Astro Boy
14. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
15. Amelia
16. The Stepfather
17. An Education
18. A Serious Man
19. Saw VI
20. Coco Before Chanel
Top 10 Movies in the UK for the November 13, 2009 weekend
1. 2012 *
2. A Christmas Carol (2009)
3. Harry Brown *
4. Up
5. The Men Who Stare at Goats
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. This Is It
8. The Fourth Kind
9. An Education
10. Jennifer's Body
* indicates opening weekend in noted location, red text indicates Canadian film release
Source: Canada & North America info, UK info
Top 20 Movies in Canada for the November 13, 2009 weekend
1. 2012 *
2. Disney's A Christmas Carol
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats
4. Law Abiding Citizen
5. Michael Jackson's This Is It
6. Paranormal Activity
7. Couples Retreat
8. The Fourth Kind
9. Pirate Radio *
10. The Box
11. Astro Boy
12. Where the Wild Things Are
13. An Education
14. Zombieland
15. Heer Ranjha *
16. Gone With the Wind in HD
17. Coco Before Chanel
18. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day *
19. A Serious Man
20. La donation
Top 20 Movies in North America for the November 13, 2009 weekend
1. 2012 *
2. Disney's A Christmas Carol
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats
4. Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
5. Michael Jackson's This Is It
6. The Fourth Kind
7. Couples Retreat
8. Paranormal Activity
9. Law Abiding Citizen
10. The Box
11. Pirate Radio *
12. Where the Wild Things Are
13. Astro Boy
14. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
15. Amelia
16. The Stepfather
17. An Education
18. A Serious Man
19. Saw VI
20. Coco Before Chanel
Top 10 Movies in the UK for the November 13, 2009 weekend
1. 2012 *
2. A Christmas Carol (2009)
3. Harry Brown *
4. Up
5. The Men Who Stare at Goats
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. This Is It
8. The Fourth Kind
9. An Education
10. Jennifer's Body
* indicates opening weekend in noted location, red text indicates Canadian film release
Source: Canada & North America info, UK info
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 Awards
Heather Keung, Artistic Director at the awards ceremony
It was a fantastic year at Reel Asian and as the festival has wrapped it's time to look at this years festival winners. See videos of the award ceremony and acceptance speeches here.
2009 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Award Winners
Now Audience Award
Winner: Yoshihiro Nakamura for Fish Story
THE SO YOU THINK YOU CAN PITCH? AWARDS
So You Think You Can Pitch? Awards winners were chosen by a panel of jurors, Nobu Adilman, Eileen Arandiga, and Lila Karim
The Charles Street Video and Reel Asian Pitch Professional Artist Award
Winner: Jonathan Ng for Requiem for Romance
The Charles Street Video and Reel Asian Pitch Emerging Artist Award
Winners: Sonia Hong, Claire Lowery and Olga Barsky for A Dragged Out Affair
Jury
The jury for the remaining awards included the following members of the media arts community: Michael Fukushima, Kathleen Mullen and Louise Noguchi
NFB Best Canadian Film or Video Award
Winner: Richard Fung, John Greyson and Ali Kazimi for Rex vs. Singh
Kim Orr Barristers P.C. Best Narrative Feature Film or Video Award
Winner: Uruphong Raksasad for Agrarian Utopia
Honourable Mention: Yoshihiro Nakamura for Fish Story
Animasian Award
Winners: Lesley Loksi Chan and Serena Lee for Live Long and Prosper
Centennial Collage @ Wallace Studios Most Innovative Film Production Award
Winner: Randall Lloyd Okita for Fish in Barrel
Lift and Fuji Best Film Award
Winner: Mio Adilman for Unlocked
Trinity Square Video Visionary Video Award
Winner: Parimita Nath for Found
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 ran from November 11-15, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Reel Asian Award Winners pose for a picture. Congratulations!
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Award Ceremony 2009
The following video clips are from Sunday November 15, 2009 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 Awards Ceremony.
The So You Think You Can Pitch Emerging Award Goes to...
Sonia Hong, Olga Barsky and Claire Lowery for A Dragged Out Affair.
The So You Think You Can Pitch? Professional Award goes to...
Jonathan Ng for Requiem for Romance
The TSV Visionary Video Award goes to ....
Paramita Nath for Found. Award accepted by Souvankham Thammavongsa.
The Lift and Fuji Best Film Award goes to...
Mio Adliman (whom gave an awesome acceptance speech) for Unlocked
The Animasian Award goes to....
Lesley Loksi Chan and Serena Lee for Live Long and Prosper accepted by Lesley Loksi Chan
The NFB Best Canadian Film or Video Award goes to....
Richard Fung, John Greyson and Ali Kazimi, for Rex vs Singh, accepted by Ali Kazimi
The Best Narrative Feature Film or Video Award goes to...
Uruphong Raksasad for Agrarian Utopia
Honourable Mention: Fish Story
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 ran from November 11-15, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The So You Think You Can Pitch Emerging Award Goes to...
Sonia Hong, Olga Barsky and Claire Lowery for A Dragged Out Affair.
The So You Think You Can Pitch? Professional Award goes to...
Jonathan Ng for Requiem for Romance
The TSV Visionary Video Award goes to ....
Paramita Nath for Found. Award accepted by Souvankham Thammavongsa.
The Lift and Fuji Best Film Award goes to...
Mio Adliman (whom gave an awesome acceptance speech) for Unlocked
The Animasian Award goes to....
Lesley Loksi Chan and Serena Lee for Live Long and Prosper accepted by Lesley Loksi Chan
The NFB Best Canadian Film or Video Award goes to....
Richard Fung, John Greyson and Ali Kazimi, for Rex vs Singh, accepted by Ali Kazimi
The Best Narrative Feature Film or Video Award goes to...
Uruphong Raksasad for Agrarian Utopia
Honourable Mention: Fish Story
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2009 ran from November 11-15, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
DVD Releases: November 17, 2009
Another Tuesday, another day of DVD releases and we have a whack of great titles to explore this week!
Starry Eyed Goodness
The trekkie in me is jumping with glee for this week is the week that Star Trek comes out on DVD. Being a huge trek fan and even watching all the previous films with the Countdown to Star Trek marathon earlier this year, it's no surprize that it's the most anticipate release for me this week. Speaking of marathons, I saw South Korean vampire flick Thirst / Bakjwi earlier this year for the Vampathon and although it didn't quite hit the mark for me it's a fascinating take on vampire lore from director Park Chan-wook. We have several film festival titles hitting the shelves this week, starting with Franklyn which has beautiful art direction along great performances by Eva Green and Sam Riley, the hypnotic 24 City / Er Shi Si Cheng Ji (dir: Jia Zhang-ke) which blurs the lines of documentary and fiction and the documentary Act of God from director Jennifer Baichwal which explores peoples personal stories with lightning. I'm also curious about Jim Jarmusch's latest The Limits of Control and comedy Humpday.
Wild Cards
Interesting wild cars this week including the French vampire comedy Vampire Party and China/France drama Luxury Car which won the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes in 2006. Also wild this week is Wild Child a comedy starring Emma Roberts and Aidan Quinn along with bridgeing the existential with self-help guru's in How to Be starring Robert Pattinson (Twilight).
Not a Film, But....
I couldn't resist sharing that the day has finally come for "Farscape: The Complete Series" to be available on DVD. It was such an awesome series and this release has been a long time coming and I for one am looking forward to Crichton running around, Aeryn kickin' butt and Pilot being worried all over again.
Blu-Ray
New Blu-Ray releases included Leon / The Professional which is securely situated in my top 5 favourite films of all time. Also out on Blu-Ray are David Fincher's Fight Club and the awesome scifi-ish comedy Galaxy Quest.
You've Heard About 'em
Popular titles this week include Brüno with Sacha Baren Cohen going crazy over the top all over again. We also have My Sisters Keeper from director Nick Cassavetes and starring Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz.
Titles on Amazon.ca (Canada):
Titles on Amazon.com (US):
Act of God will be available in the US on January 26, 2010:
Starry Eyed Goodness
The trekkie in me is jumping with glee for this week is the week that Star Trek comes out on DVD. Being a huge trek fan and even watching all the previous films with the Countdown to Star Trek marathon earlier this year, it's no surprize that it's the most anticipate release for me this week. Speaking of marathons, I saw South Korean vampire flick Thirst / Bakjwi earlier this year for the Vampathon and although it didn't quite hit the mark for me it's a fascinating take on vampire lore from director Park Chan-wook. We have several film festival titles hitting the shelves this week, starting with Franklyn which has beautiful art direction along great performances by Eva Green and Sam Riley, the hypnotic 24 City / Er Shi Si Cheng Ji (dir: Jia Zhang-ke) which blurs the lines of documentary and fiction and the documentary Act of God from director Jennifer Baichwal which explores peoples personal stories with lightning. I'm also curious about Jim Jarmusch's latest The Limits of Control and comedy Humpday.
Wild Cards
Interesting wild cars this week including the French vampire comedy Vampire Party and China/France drama Luxury Car which won the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes in 2006. Also wild this week is Wild Child a comedy starring Emma Roberts and Aidan Quinn along with bridgeing the existential with self-help guru's in How to Be starring Robert Pattinson (Twilight).
Not a Film, But....
I couldn't resist sharing that the day has finally come for "Farscape: The Complete Series" to be available on DVD. It was such an awesome series and this release has been a long time coming and I for one am looking forward to Crichton running around, Aeryn kickin' butt and Pilot being worried all over again.
Blu-Ray
New Blu-Ray releases included Leon / The Professional which is securely situated in my top 5 favourite films of all time. Also out on Blu-Ray are David Fincher's Fight Club and the awesome scifi-ish comedy Galaxy Quest.
You've Heard About 'em
Popular titles this week include Brüno with Sacha Baren Cohen going crazy over the top all over again. We also have My Sisters Keeper from director Nick Cassavetes and starring Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz.
Titles on Amazon.ca (Canada):
Titles on Amazon.com (US):
Act of God will be available in the US on January 26, 2010:
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