Film Reviews

Review by: Jen McNeely
Director: Alex Gibney

In A Nutshell: A documentary that walks you through the highly provocative, politically rebellious and absolutely drug-drenched psychedelic life of famous writer Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Comparing the controversial upheaval of the 60’s to our post 9/11 political mess; this documentary is not just about Thompson, but is a statement that proves his long term quest to unveil American politicians for what they really are; two-faced, evil and completely fucked. The documentary is a meandering trip of his life that touches on everything from his fascination with gang bangin’ roadside rebels; The Hells Angels, his love and addiction to guns and shooting, observing and participating in the pulsating San Francisco hippie movement, scaring the conservative Aspen citizens shitless running for Sheriff, contributing groundbreaking stories to Rolling Stone during its onset, becoming completely obsessed with every narcotic he could pop, snort or smoke; and finally his rage against Nixon and creatively genius missions to destroy dirty politicians.

Three Words to Describe: Rebellious Hallucinogenic Provocateur

Indicative Quotes: ”My face looked like it had been jammed into the spokes of a Harley and the only thing keeping me awake was the spastic pain of a broken rib. It had been a bad day; fast and wild in some parts, slow and dirty in others, but in balance looked like a bummer.”

“You get me that gun or I’ll throw a boot through the window!”

“I’m sick and tired of old men sitting around in air conditioned rooms in Washington dreaming up wars for young men to die in.”

“…he captured truths on human perversity that will never lose their stay.”

Reason I liked It: It is absolutely fascinating to watch someone loaded with inhuman amounts of mind altering substances conjure up such poignant and wildly respected ideas and writing. Hunter Thompson was a man who embodied and drove the changing times in an absurd yet brilliant manner. Politically provocative with a great soundtrack with the likes of Hendrix, Joplin and the Rolling Stones - and of course the right amount of violence, sex and drugs to vibrantly colour a documentary. Bonus: the film will make you feel good about your own substance abuse problems.

Film made me feel: Like a witness to a mad genius.

You’ll Like This Film if You Liked: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the feature film based on a creatively autobiographical book about an episode in Thompson’s life as a reporter for Rolling Stone), Capturing the Friedmans, JFK, Woodstock, Requiem for a Dream

The Verdict: Tighter editing would have been appreciated, but this is a remarkable story. It would be challenging to create a character complex and unique as the real life Hunter Thompson. You will undoubtedly leave the theatre and continue chatting about his life over drinks at the bar. A debate will likely arise over whether dropping acid is worth the experience or not.

Go See This Film With: Your badass boyfriend, your roommate who ate too many mushrooms in grade eleven or your dad who likes to engage in the longest of political debates over steak and beer.

By Sam Banack
K, let’s get this over with before everyone dies in suspense… Heath Ledger is ACTUALLY awesome in the DARK KNIGHT. It’s definitely creepy, and a little sad to watch him in the film and know he is gone, especially when he talks about living life in the now, and creating something that can live forever....

Now that I have dealt with the obvious let me just say that THE DARK KNIGHT also had a sense of deja vu, for anyone in the audience over 20, and under 50. Even though I knew that Batman was a comic, and a tv serial, and a cartoon, long before it made its way to the big screen, for its first go-round in the 90s.... there was still something odd about watching a joker that wasn’t Jack Nicholson, and a two-face that wasn’t Tommy Lee Jones.

The new generation is sleek and sexy, gritty and edgy, rawer and, well, pretty great. Where The Evil Villain of the 90s was carnivalesque, masks worn obviously with makeup and colour and spandex and the rest, the masks worn in these films, the cloaks of the villain are more psychological, more born from the real, and deeper delving than anything we have seen from this franchise before. And it is the exact thing this series needed to refresh itself, and legitimize the return of characters audiences had been shown less than two decades ago.

The only thing I am gonna say was better about the old days was the bombshells…. I mean, the last generation offered its audiences Nicole Kidman (before botox), Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, Drew Barrymore, Debi Mazar… Next to these women, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Katie Holmes look like the boy next door, and a lot more olive oil than Jessica Rabbit (to fall back on the cartoon analogy). But something tells me that this has a lot more to do with geeks in focus groups saying they find intelligence sexy, and a lot less to do with the loss of sex appeal because, lets face it, Christian Bale is the best-looking man to don the bat suit since…. well… since ever. It is a little creepy how much his Bruce Wayne resembles his American Psycho, but I will let it slide.

All in all I don’t have to say much to urge you to go see this film, most of you are halfway out the door already. I mean:
a. Its batman, come one......
b. Heather Ledger, from beyond the grave......
c. Stunning visuals, in Imax, if you want them
d. Cool cars, cool script, cool boys, cool clothes, cool gadgets, cool city (cities, actually, part of the film is set in Hong Kong!)
e. ....Christian Bale..... topless....

And if you’re not, what are you waiting for!?!?

by Carys Mills
Wish your summer involved… 

A. Being carefree because the only place you have to be is your baseball game.
B. A summer love.
C. Surfing.
D. Travelling.
E. Any of the above. 

Yeah me too, in reality I’ll live vicariously through films about significantly more entertaining summers than my own.  

Now and Then

Four friends are reunited by the summer of 1970 -- bike riding, “the talk” with parents, séances, skinny dipping and beating boys up. 

The Seven-Year Itch

A husband sends his wife and son away to the country for the summer and falls for the blonde upstairs, played by none other than Marilynn Monroe.  

The Sandlot

Maybe it’s a kids movie and you’re not as scared of The Beast as you were before, but it’s worth to watching to remember the days when being good at baseball won you your friends.  

Grease

Oh summer loving, happened so fast. Sandy and Danny fall in love over the summer at the beach and end both end up at Rydell High in the fall. You know you want to sing along.  

Blue Crush

Surf girls living in a beach hut and cleaning hotel rooms for a living all summer long, luckily there are cute tourists to take their minds of work.  

Jaws

This shouldn’t scare you away from vacationing anyway near the water, it’s just a classic. Kind of makes me glad there’s no Great Whites in Lake Ontario though, right? 

The Parent Trap

Beside a set of twins being reunited and creating a lot of mischief, the original film’s Camp Walden will remind you of summer camp. 

It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown

Nothing says a carefree childhood summer more than camp and cartoons combined by Charlie Brown. 

Beach Party

‘60’s teenage surfers Frankie and Dee Dee are studied by an anthropology professor investigating the sex habits of teenagers.  

Eurotrip

The film depicts the summer voyage to Europe that many students embark on every year complete with classic stereotypes of European countries. Absinthe and other late night escapades lead to some very awkward silences.

Review by Jen McNeely

Director: Jonathan Levine

Actors: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirbly, Mary-Kate Olsen

In A Nutshell: NYC in the 1990’s was all about the shrink couch, hip hop, crime crack down and pure dopeness. Luke Shapiro (played by newcomer Josh Peck) is finishing his final year of high school but is more successful at pushing his weed cart through Washington Square and making mad cash while listening to Notorious B.I.G. Feeling sexually frustrated, apathetic, and socially awkward he finds solace and a peculiar friendship in his Psychiatrist (played by Ben Kingsley) who offers up free Freudian bull shit and quasi hippie spiritual advice in return for some hits on the bong and a quarter ounce of weed. Shapiro becomes enamoured with Dr. Squires sultry step daughter Stephanie (played by JUNO babe, Olivia Thirbly) and a hot summer quest to lose his virginity and go steady sparks.

Three Words to Describe: Dysfunctional-highs, hot-sex, family-fuck-ups (okay not three really, but I tried)

Indicative Quotes: “I’ve never cheated on my wife, but now it is my mission.”

“Hold on brother, what are you in here for?”
“Stabbing my wife in the pussy.”

“With all due respect to my stepdaughter, fuck her, fuck them all!”

Reason I liked It: A completely accurate account of a mid-nineties teenage hard on, and all the other awkward bullshit that comes with it. A gritty and wet trip back in time to the NYC hip hop culture of weed induced resistance to Giuliani’s clean up crusade.

Film made me feel: Like I was eighteen again, dry humping with my quasi step brother while eating hash brownies and listening to Tribe Called Quest.

You’ll Like This Film if You Liked: KIDS, Squid and the Whale, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Reality Bites

The Verdict: Tetris, pagers, pant creaming, blunt rolling; this film is dope right down to da font. The dialogue and timing is smack on the money and the story, however demented, is entirely believable and relatable to anyone that has questioned their sanity, fallen for the unattainable, enjoys the sensation of zip locking a dime bag, and reflecting on life’s absurdities.

Go See This Film With: Your pot head buddy, new fling or dry-humoured girlfriend

Directed by Patricia Rozema

Review by Lizzie

Actors: Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Chris O’Donnel, Joan Cusack

In A Nutshell: Kit Kittredge’s world revolves around a cozy treehouse (with windows seemingly designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) and her middle-class Cincinatti home. That is, until the depression hits hard. Suddenly, hobos stray around, her dad goes to Chicago, boarders move in, and she has to wear chicken feed sack dresses. These frocks, I must add, are most becoming! Intrepid kidlet that Kit is, she ceaslessly pursues a career in journalism and tries to solve the hobo burgler spree mystery in hopes of bettering the lots of her friends and family.

Three Words to Describe: Wholesome girl power

Indicative Quotes: “You know what you need . . . a novelette.” Mobile librarian Miss Bond to anal Mrs. Howard

Reason I liked It: It feels good to see a film that’s so honest to goodness. Like an apple pie, it’s sincerely sweet. Abigail Breslin is darling and Joan Cusack’s facial expressions make the movie. I demand that this woman be in more films, she’s a comedic gem.

Film made me feel: Like I wanted to be nine years old again, making secret passwords with the neighbourhood gang.

You’ll Like This Film if You Liked: Swiss Family Robinson, Annie, Dennis the Menace, Thanksgiving Specials on Television

The Verdict: Having gone to the epicentre of nutty consumerism that is the American Girl flagship store in Chicago (why yes, you can get a mani/pedi for your doll), I was expecting this film to be over the top tacky with a not so subtle motive of selling Kit doll accessories. How pleasantly surprised I was, to instead discover a film of rare quality for children, with good morals and a history lesson (if airbrushed) to boot. Sunday school or girl guide group worthy, it’s the antidote to Bratz culture.

Go See This Film With: Your seven-year-old niece. Or, do what I did, and bring your dear friend from university who, oddly, had two American Girl dolls sitting in her room (Molly and Felicity). I used to think Molly and Felicity were creepy; I’m reconsidering.

Based on the novel by Monica Ali, opening July 4th in Toronto
Directed by Sarah Gavron

Review by Haley Cullingham

So far, this summer has been saturated with Sex (that's the royal Sex, as in Sex and the City). With a movie like SATC dominating the theatres, the media, and the majority of marketing towards women these past few months, it can be easy to forget that feminism, the female identity, and issues faced by women come in many different forms. Brick Lane, opening next week, is a beautiful example of the universal struggles attached to being a woman; in this case, a Bangladeshi immigrant living in East London.

Sent to the UK to be married at 17, and living with her husband and her two daughters, the film centres around Nasneem, played by the stunning Tannishtha Chatterjee, and explores her journey through the many almost chameleon changes demanded of women today, and immigrant women especially. She enters the film as a care-free child, becomes a shy, obedient wife, discovers her own sexuality and independent identity, and then fights, for both herself and her daughters, to hang on to it. Though the issues explored are universal, the film is far from typical or cliche. Beautifully executed, the images on-screen are vibrant, and lyrical. From the villages of Bangladesh to the flats of London, the images are so textured you can almost feel the fabric, snow, streets, and skin on-screen. The characters are just as beautifully rendered, each one as vivid as they are complex, from Nasneem's teenage daughter, railing against her family's confusion, to her husband, struggling to face obstacles of racism even his intelligence and education can't overcome, to Nasneem's young lover, a militant London-born muslim trying to make a difference in the city he calls home.

Taking place at the same time as the 9/11 attacks, the film explores issues of race as much as issues of personal identity and human relationships. Rarely is a book depicted this seamlessly on screen-the movie feels like a whole, it's literary roots merely adding levels of depth to the plot and characters. The performances and filmmaking are magnificent, the issues thought-provoking, the story at once heart-wrenching and hopeful. The film truly captures the concept that though you may be unable to change your world, you can change yourself within it, and find happiness.

by Carys Mills
Get amped for shoulder pads, neon colours and teased hair as an attempt to embrace the era you might want to forget. 

Top Ten Teen films from the Eighties 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

"Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?"

In High Schools everywhere, "hip" teachers have quoted the attendance scene from Ferris' economics class.  

The Breakfast Club

A brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse. Need I say more? 

Sixteen Candles

Wouldn't you lose it if everyone forgot your sixteenth birthday? And a sex quiz that makes its way to your crush, yikes.  

Footloose

Nothing like some Footloose to put you in the mood for dancing before you go out. 

Pretty in Pink

Watch it just to see Andie transform her wardrobe. Do you wish Andie and Duckie ended up together? They did in the original script.  

St. Elmo's Fire

Watch the movie that resulted in the term "Brat Pack." It refers to the young actors whose starred in St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and more '80s classics. 

Back to the Future

Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), yes that was really his name, goes back in time and sets his parents up. 

Dirty Dancing

Girl meets boy. Boy teaches girl to dance. Boy and girl have the time of their lives. 

Risky Business

Ah, the classic scene that is Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise) dancing around his living room in his underwear. More exciting than jumping on Oprah's couch.  

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Watch Sarah Jessica Parker before her Sex and the City days compete to be a DTV dancer.

by Jen McNeely
PRIDE is demanding: drinking, making out, networking, standing in hot parades getting dehydrated and swatted by enormous breasts – yikes. Choosing an outfit alone can be an exhausting process! Spending night after night at Straight on Church or Queen West’s hub of Queer night revelry, The Beaver, can leave you feeling burnt out. Take a night off and rent one of our top ten Queer Cinema DVD picks:

Fresa Y Chocolate
Director: Tomas Gutierrez Alea & Juan Carlos Tabio
Country: Cuba
Year: 1994
Politically charged, emotionally draining and exploding with Cuban culture; this film will make you feel angry, frustrated, sad and excited. Not just about homosexual love and friendship but a stifling communist country and the creativity that breeds below the surface

My Summer of Love
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 2004
Wet. That’s how I’m going to describe this delicious countryside romp with two young women who aren’t sure about any of their actions but feel the desire to touch, learn and develop a burning passion for something out of the ordinary. This is a coming of age story that will resonate with all who have felt for the first time what it’s like to fall for a girl. Beautiful.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Director: Stephan Elliot
Country: Australian
Year: 1994
Outrageous drag queens take a loud and vivacious road trip across the desert and likely wake up every snake and wombat in-between. This award winning lol film will make you want to smear makeup all over your face, indulge in frosted cupcakes, throw sparkles in the air and bust your tits out for the world to see. DRAGMANIA!

Heavenly Creatures
Director: Peter Jackson
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 1994
Based on the devastating true story of a crime committed out of confusion, desperation and self loathing of two young school girls who become romantically involved. Heavy, f*cked up and full of self hatred and built up anger that comes with having to hide a relationship and be made to feel ‘dirty’. A haunting and remarkable film.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Country: USA
Hedwig: Don't you know me Kansas City? I'm the new Berlin Wall. Try and tear me down!
The story of a little boy who identified his gender as female and lives quite a vibrant imaginary life. As a young adult, Hedwig takes the stage with his punk rock music and breaks through all the barriers of his communist East Berlin history…or should I say herstory? Outlandish, imaginative and at times troubling – this film will entertain you and make you want to drink wine and sing songs about your f*cked up relationships.

My Beautiful Laundrette
Director: Stephen Frears
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 1985
Oooh Daniel Day Lewis – you do it for me when you are an acid dropping political protester in “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER”, I want you to spank me even though you are a thieving oil bully in “THERE WILL BE BLOOD.” I want you to eat me like a piece of steak tar tar in “GANGS OF NEW YORK”, and don’t even get me started on how hot you are running around the mountains with your long hair and dagger in “THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS”…holy shit. Smokin’. Anyway – my point being is that even as a gay laundry mat owner I want you to get on your knees and smell my freshly cleaned knickers…but I digress. This 1985 groundbreaking film tackled everything from racial mixed relationships, racism, homosexuality and the cut throat reign of Margaret Thatcher. Heavy and beautiful.

La Cage aux Folles
Director: Edouard Molinaro
Country: France
Year: 1979
When the straight son of a gay couple announces he is getting married, the family turns upside down as they prepare to meet the brides’ parents, and go through all the traditional marriage practices. Hilarious and endearing – this is the original ‘Birdcage’, there’s a reason it was remade by Hollywood in 1996 – because it’s a classic!

Ma Vie en Rose
Director: Alain Berliner
Country: France
Year: 1997
Little Ludovic enjoys playing with his dolly’s and dressing in his mommy’s clothes. He’s quite happy to act out who he is but the conservative French family is not nearly as accepting, and in their forceful ways to condition him like a boy, Ludovic turns to his vibrant imaginary world for escape and attempted acceptance. Adorable, poignant and extremely accurate in the portrayal of family dispute.

High Art
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Country: Canada / USA
Year: 1998
Danger and Mess - that’s what inevitably happens when you fall in love with a strong personality at the office. This is the story of two women, the tough photographer and her muse; the intern. (Of course) Taking a ‘work’ trip, things get a little hot and heavy with the camera and in the bed. Have you ever gotten involved in something out of curiousity and lust and then quickly realized it was the worst decision ever? Yes. We all have – but it’s these escapades and high living that equal high art and excitement.

Kenneth Anger - Scorpio Rising
Director: Kenneth Anger
Country: USA
Year: 1972
Experimental, underground sado-massichist film genius. Queer and uncomfortable, this stylish dark motorcycle movie is about a gay/nazi bike gang riding around in leather. For those who like cult cinema, are in cinema studies or want to dig a bit deeper into this zone of Queer culture.

Lost and Delirious
Director: Lea Pool
Country: Canada
Year: 2001
YAY – this film is based on Susan Swan’s book, “THE WIVES OF BATH”, which happens to be a story about her lesbian escapades from Toronto boarding school (Havergal College), which happens to be the high school I also attended. Let me tell you the book and film is a fairly accurate portrayal of the lesbian affairs that spawn behind the ivy. Kissing, fucking, rich parents, lonely youth and horny boys; it’s not the best film, but certainly adequate jerk off material…especially with the likes of gorgeous lipped Jessica Pare and tough nuts Piper Perabo. Oh – and a young and mousey Mischa Barton is also a character who slinks around the boarding school shocked with her roommates under the cover secrets.

Celebrate the warm weather with an outdoor viewing of a favourite flick downtown.  

By Jen Houston 

When I was a kid, I loved going to the drive-in. I don’t remember ever sitting in the car - just running around in front of the screen with other random children - but I definitely had a great time. Today, the only two living drive-ins in the GTA are our own The Docks Drive-In (176 Cherry St), and Oakville’s 5 Drive-In (2332 Ninth Line). And with downtown living, a lot of us don’t have vehicles anyways. Luckily we do have Dundas Square, which will be the perfect setting for a weekly “walk-in” free theater throughout the summer. I’m excited about this for several reasons. Most of my happiness is about the film selections, which include several of my faves (Gone With The Wind, The Princess Bride), as well as some I’ve always wanted to see (Annie Hall, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). The local drive-in closed before I became a teen, so I missed the iconic drive-in experience of sneaking kisses in the shadows on a school night. While that Grease-esque fantasy alone is enough to get me there, I also have visions of preliminary Hard Rock cosmos dancing in my head. No matter how many martinis I have though, I do promise to restrain myself from running in front of the screen again.  

Dundas Square is located on the southeast corner of Yonge/Dundas.

As they are on school nights, all shows will end by 11pm. 

Tues, Jun 24 - 9pm: Gone With The Wind (part 1)

Mon, Jun 30 - 9pm: Gone With The Wind (part 2)

Tues, Jul 8 - 8:45pm: Brokeback Mountain

Tues, Jul 15 - 9pm: Romeo + Juliet

Tues, Jul 22 - 9pm: Annie Hall

Tues, Jul 29 - 9pm: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Tues, Aug 5 - 9pm: The Princess Bride

Tues, Aug 12 - 8pm: Titanic

Tues, Aug 19 - 9pm: The Notebook

Tues, Aug 26 - 9pm: Casablanca

by Sam Banack

In a city with over 60 film fests a year, I find myself touting the Worldwide Short Film Festival as one of my absolute favourites. There are many reasons for my favouritism. The WSFF and I – we got history; I’ve been volunteering for them for years.  As well, the fest is devoted primarily to up-and-coming filmmakers who have little resources and low-to-no financial backing. But I’ll save you the sappy starving artist bit, and instead let you in on a little secret.  The reason behind my love for the festival is…SCENE NOT HERD and SLAP’N’TICKLE. These two programmes, which recur every year, are the highlight of my WSFF experience, and are devoted to two of my favourite things - music and SEX. 

SCENE NOT HERD showcases the newest, hottest and weirdest in music videos, and is programmed by local music/video geek Sandy Hunter.  He’s also responsible for bringing Toronto ResFest and some of the most innovative programming on showcase.ca (if you haven’t seen Hot Snack Radio…you’re missing out!). 

This year’s SCENE NOT HERD programme features a mind-blowingly fun array of animation, smut, bees and colour, as well as a kick ass soundtrack including the New Pornoraphers, Bjork, Hot Chip, Emily Haines, and more.  

A must-see screening, SCENE NOT HERD is going down Friday June 13 (hell yeah) at 9:30 pm at the Royal.  And, as always, your ticket gets you into the film AND after party at the Gibson Showroom (1205 King Street West) featuring live performances by Cancel Winter, Super Fantastic Soundsystem, and Kids and Explosions. 

My second favourite programme, SLAP’N’TICKLE is the yearly WSFF nod to all things naughty, weird, and wild; and it never fails to entice.  This year, the sexiness hails from a variety of nations from Canada to the US, Ireland, Australia, Romania, and France. Ooh la la. 

Amongst my favourite films is I’VE NEVER HAD SEX, a short that wears even shorter shorts and clocks in at 2 minutes.  Its based on an Arcade Game, which asks TO locals what they’ve ‘never done’ in a clever twist of the famed college drinking game. The replies are priceless! 

But don't just take my word for it. The true beauty of a short film festival is that there's something for everyone, so go see for yourself.  

The WorldWide Short Film Festival runs until June 15, and you can get all the details at worldwideshortfilmfest.com. 

Check it out!