Entertainment Maven

Fan Expo 2012 Coverage (Kirk Haviland)

Fan Expo 2012

So another Fan Expo is in the books and it’s time to do some reflecting. This year was my first time with a media pass for the fest and thus I attended two of the four days, Thursday night and Sunday afternoon. Thursday became my walkabout day as the main hall was pleasantly less crowded and easy to maneuver, while Sunday was a work day as I attended some panels and conducted some interviews. The interviews will be along very shortly but for now we’ll start by focusing on Day 1.

My first stop after attaining my pass was to go directly to visit my great friends at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and find out what their first 10 films announced for the 2012 festival would be. The announcement should be live online at the link above by the time you read this, but at this time it was still under wraps. I’ll simply state that this is an extremely strong first wave lineup, and it contains a lot of films that I’ve been tracking for a while. Adam Lopez and company have not failed to raise the bar once again. On top of this, Toronto After Dark has released a limited edition T-Shirt/Poster by renowned artist Gary Pullin. It’s a beautiful poster and since Gary was gracious enough to sign all copies for free I managed to get an autographed copy that I’m sure will end up framed on my wall at some point.

Next stop was the Anchor Bay booth where I acquired some goodies: a walking dead bag and some mini posters. It was there that I bumped into Justin McConnell, director of The Collapsed and curator of the Litttle Terrors Monthly Series that until recently was held at the east end rep cinema house, The Projection Booth. But as of September 19^th the series will be re-launching in its new home in the heart of downtown, the Rainbow Cinemas Carlton. To celebrate they have instituted a ‘Best Of Little Terrors’ tour that launched at Fan Expo with two sold out standing room only showings on Friday and Saturday. I will have more on this tour and the films associated with it in the near future.

Next I wandered through the multitudes of displays and vendors with standouts including the Frankenweenie exhibit, the free pic on a comic book cover from the DC booth and free Lego Darth Maul figure from, of course, the Lego booth. Along with running into some friends and getting my picture taken behind the wheel of an exact Back To The Future replica Delorean it was a fun day.

My second day started off with the Dead Before Dawn 3D panel with cast members, including Christopher Lloyd himself. Along with being fun and informative it was also research for what would come later. After another quick stop in at the Toronto After Dark booth to check in on the boys and the Underground Peep Show gang across the way, I was back on my way to Anchor Bay. After arriving there, and managing to snag a sweet full sized copy of the amazing Excision poster, I was lining up with some other critics to interview the cast and director of A Little Bit Zombie. The interviews were great fun and featured Casey Walker, Kristopher Turner, Shawn Roberts and the stunning Crystal Lowe. All of them were really great to talk to. Ending it off with a signed poster from the gang minus Crystal, who had taken off to go do her own shopping for graphic art (love this woman!), it was off to my next interview of the day.

Upon reaching the Dead Before Dawn 3D booth I noticed a very long line for autographs, probably spurred on by the film’s other star, Devon Bostick, autographing for free. Initially I was unsure how we would be able to fit the interview in. But the Writer Tim Dorian and Director April Mullen were very accommodating in talking to me as I had the interview booked with them but still managed to get in a few words from another cast member to boot. You should be able to read both those interviews very soon here on Entertainment Maven.

After some more roaming around and picking up some more schwag, I ended the day by sneaking into one of the smaller panels to get off my feet and hang with some friends. Earlier in the day I was almost bowled over by a passing Lou Ferrigno, so it seemed only fitting that my day would end standing shoulder to shoulder with Christopher Lloyd himself as he passed by. And with that my adventures at Fan Expo 2012 came to an end.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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For a Good Time, Call… Review (Kirk Haviland)

For a Good Time, Call…

Starring Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, James Wolk, Mark Webber, Justin Long, Sugar Lyn Beard, Don McManus and Mimi Rogers

Written by Lauren Miller and Katie Anne Naylon

Directed by Jamie Travis

Back in 2002 a raunchy comedy came along that was supposed to be the truth about what women were really like when they got together, this movie was called The Sweetest Thing and starred Cameron Diaz. Going almost exclusively for the raunch, The Sweetest Thing failed to hit big with audiences and critics alike and the ‘chick flick’ seemed to retreat back to the sappy predictable mess it was prior almost overnight. That was until last year’s mega smash Bridesmaids. Now the ladies are back with the raunch in a big way, a prime example being this week’s sex phone operator comedy For a Good Time, Call… from Alliance Films.

The reserved Lauren (Miller) and the irrepressible Katie (Graynor) are polar opposites and past enemies after an unfortunate incident in college. But when Lauren gets dumped by her fiancé and both women come up short on the funds needed to afford their dream New York City apartment, a mutual friend (Long) re-introduces them and they reluctantly agree to attempt to room together. These apartment-mates are irrepressible and cannot see eye to eye on anything until Lauren discovers that Katie is working as a phone-sex operator, and recognizes a good business opportunity that can improve both of their financial situations. But as their business partnership takes off, their budding friendship finds unexpected challenges that threaten to expose the girls’ new careers to Lauren’s ultra conservative parents (McManus and Rogers) and break them up for good.

For a Good Time, Call… is a fun movie. Graynor and Miller are both extremely likeable and endearing onscreen but it’s Graynor who really steals the show here. Her comedic timing and fearless delivery make her the real standout of the lead cast. Also standing out is former YTV VeeJay Sugar Lyn Bard, aka Suga Baby, in a small yet hilarious role as the girls attempt to hire an employee. Co-written by Miller, the script isn’t really heavy on originality as we have seen similar plot devices many times before. But the script does move the story along and allow for what appears to be a lot of improvising from the cast. The cameos in the film also bear this point to be true, and the improvising in those scenes provides some of the film’s funniest segments. Restricting itself to mainly a one apartment shoot for at least 70% of the film, director Travis really doesn’t have the opportunity to play around with camera direction, focusing mainly on the traditional three camera set up we are familiar with, early Kevin Smith films being examples. The result is a bare bones style set up and shoot that resonates with early 90’s indie films, with retro dial pink telephones to boot, but also remains relevant to 2012.

Ultimately For a Good Time, Call… is a watchable, fun time for both sexes, though clearly aimed at women, that is well beyond the standard chick flick fare we are usually shoveled. For a Good Time, Call… is a recommend.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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The Possession Review (Kirk Haviland)

The Possession (2012)

Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Davenport, Natasha Calis, Grant Show, Matisyahu

Written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White

Directed by Ole Bornedal

Late August has long been a staple for horror film releases, and also a dumping ground for lacklustre fare like last week’s The Apparition. Trying to buck the trend this year is the newest releases from Alliance Films, The Possession. Produced by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, The Possession was an idea Raimi had been pursuing for years, now finally coming to realization through director Bornedal. Featuring a fantastic poster and creepy trailer, the question remains, does The Possession deliver on its promise?

Supposedly based on a true story, The Possession is the terrifying story of how one family must unite in order to survive the wrath of an unspeakable evil. Clyde (Dean Morgan) and his recently divorced ex-wife Stephanie (Sedgwick) see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em (Calis) becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. At first chalking the shift in behaviour to the divorce, Clyde starts to sense there may be something more as Em’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Unable to convince Stephanie and new boyfriend Brett (Show) or his eldest daughter Hannah (Davenport) that there is something wrong, Clyde sets out to discover what is happening on his own. Clyde fears that there is a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host, and this dibbuk happens to prey on the young and innocent.

The Possession starts out strong. A particularly effective scene of a woman as she tries to destroy the box and the nasty comeuppance which that act brings. Sadly all the good work here is squandered by the end of the film. The script is tight until the lunacy of the final act. Inventive and daring, although perhaps relying a little too much on computer generated imagery, the film drives along at a sharp pace, not leaving copious amounts of time to catch your breath, but still taking enough time to explain and delve into the characters. The lead cast deliver good performances, especially Dean Morgan as the perplexed and devoted father, and Calis as the object of the possession. Calis will be one to watch as her performance here is seasoned well beyond her years on the planet, excellent work.

Now to the disappointment, The Possession falls apart in the last 20 minutes due to poor choices and poor script work. The ending is truly awful and leaves a sour taste in your mouth as you exit the cinema. The CGI is clumsy and a particular CGI creation is just simply the wrong decision. Everything gets wrapped up nicely, complete with a nice little bow on top, except the box moves on, in a completely predictable and underwhelming final couple of minutes. The CGI in the film works quite well for about 90% of the production. A lot of the gags involving Calis work like a charm, it’s just too bad the commercials/trailers ruined most of those moments.

Definitely not the least successful genre film in the multiplex right now, The Possession works for most of the film as a taught piece of horror, but the last 20 minutes waste all the positive work. The Possession is a very mild recommend.

Till Next Time,

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TIFF 2012 – Ship of Theseus Review (Matt Hodgson)

Ship of Theseus (2012)

Starring Aida El Kashef, Neeraj Kabi, Sohum Shah, Faraz Khan, Vinay Shukla, and Amba Sanyal

Written and directed by Anand Gandhi

Note: This review is based on a rough edit of Ship of Theseus. The final run time and story order has since changed.

On Monday I was lucky enough to catch a preview screening of Ship of Theseus at the Projection Booth in Toronto. Theseus will be screening at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in just a few days, and is part of the City to City program which this year is highlighting movies out of Mumbai, India. Written and directed by Anand Gandhi, who began an early career writing soaps and theatre, Theseus is his feature debut which ambitiously takes on some of the hardest questions that life poses.

The narrative follows three separate characters: a monk with very strong core beliefs who is currently involved on the humanistic side of an animal rights court case, a young woman who has recently become blind as the result of a cornea infection and now remarkably spends her time as a borderline professional photographer, and finally a young stock broker who seems oblivious to the world around him. We spend a lot of time with each of these characters, their stories presented in succession rather than interspersed throughout the film. Finally as a treat for North American audiences, we also get the opportunity to drink in some of the very different scenery found throughout Mumbai.

Before discussing the film I should mention that the version I watched was a workprint with unprocessed images and sound. The version at TIFF will be complete, but I found the workprint to be very watchable. With a film like Ship of Theseus it is very difficult to review it without discussing the major themes, this is turn leads to MAJOR SPOILERS. Also, there is so much substance in Theseus that I might forgo my usual discussion of photography, acting, etc. in favour of discussing the ideas present throughout the narrative.

The title of the film refers to a philosophical paradox: if an old ship has each of its component parts replaced one by one, until every part has been replaced, is it still fundamentally the same ship? If the answer is no, then when did it stop being the old ship and become something different? This paradox can be applied to anything that is a collection of parts, including the human body. Throughout Theseus each of the main characters reaches a point where they require an organ transplant, with the exception of the young stockbroker who has acquired a new kidney just before we are introduced to him. Given the title of the film, Gandhi clearly would like us to think about the nature of identity and what it means to be ‘us’, to be an individual. Unfortunately I found this central theme of the Theseus to be rather puerile.

With all that we know about the brain and how much of it still remains a mystery, it’s hard to imagine any other organ in our body contributing in any meaningful way to an overall definition of ‘self’. We certainly feel attached to our bodies, and would hate to lose any part of them, but to suggest that a kidney or an eye contributes to our sense of individuality beyond a superficial level is a rather uninteresting concept. Theseus discusses the soul, and specific organs, but skips discussing the brain, the most important organ of all and the seat of the ‘self’ – a real shame considering the otherwise intelligent script.

Fortunately Theseus has a much more interesting theme that takes the front row in the monk’s story, and is present in the background of the other two stories: personal beliefs. Throughout the film most viewers should find themselves identifying with the beliefs of some characters, while becoming increasingly frustrated by the beliefs of others. Gandhi has done a remarkable job putting together a cast of characters who will openly challenge each other, even during crisis situations. The beliefs of the characters are never simply respected and tip-toed around – it would be nice to see more of this in the real world. If the characters in Theseus teach us anything it is that flexibility and self-doubt are modern day virtues which allow us make those important decisions that often need to be made.

I didn’t love the film as I walked out of the theatre, but I have been impressed with its incredible staying power. It has been over 72 hours since I watchd the film and it’s still resonating in my brain for one reason of another. Ship of Theseus provokes us to question the beliefs we hold most dear, while at the same time humbling us, as our individual comprehension of the universe can never be more illuminating than a flashlight cutting through the darkness.

Tickets will be available at the TIFF website

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Lawless Review (Kirk Haviland)

Lawless (2012)

Starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pierce, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Noah Taylor and Gary Oldman

Written by Nick Cave based on the novel by Matt Bondurant

Directed by John Hillcoat

New to theaters this week from Alliance Entertainment Canada is Lawless, a fictionalized accounting of the true story of the Bondurant brothers and their exploits bootlegging moonshine. The star-studded cast under director Hillcoat attempt to provide a prohibition era gangster epic, but do they succeed or go up in flames like a still set to blow?

In the mountains of Franklin County, Virginia, the Bondurant brothers are the stuff of legend: Howard (Clarke), the eldest, survived the war; Forrest (Hardy), the brains of the outfit, nearly died from the Spanish Flu that took his parents but gained a reputation of immortality due to his perseverance; and Jack (LaBeouf), the youngest, is impulsive, impetuous and eager to join the family occupation. Times are tough and jobs are scarce, but the Bondurants are entrepreneurs and have built a thriving local business by concocting an intense and popular brand of moonshine. But the arrival of Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (Pearce) from Chicago threatens to derail their business. Corrupt as the day is long, the family rallies to fight Rakes, while Jack’s ambitions and enterprises alter the fortunes of the brothers’ affairs. With the help of friend Cricket (DeHaan), Jack starts to prosper, even selling moonshine to Floyd Banner (Oldman), the big city gangster he idolizes. And while two of the Bondurants are soon under the spell of two beautiful women: the exotic, steadfast Maggie (Chastain), and the quiet, pious Bertha (Wasikowska), Rakes intensifies his efforts resulting in deadly consequences for all.

Lawless is a solid outing, far from spectacular, but a fun, entertaining time at the multiplex. The script and dialogue are merely functional to drive the story along, although there are some genuinely hilarious moments. That said, there is a lot more fiction involved here than not – ‘based on a true story’ really should read ‘inspired by’. The set design looks and feels like a backlot the whole time, lending it a 70’s film feel that in retrospect may have been intentional, with a bar/house that looks like it came straight out of Silverado and other films of the like. The casting works to varying degrees. LeBeouf is clearly the weak link here, not necessarily because he’s awful, but his performance is just lacklustre. Hardy, as usual, really makes an effort to steal every scene and he succeeds with ease, managing to elevate the quality of the material and the movie as a whole with his presence. The supporting cast does decent work, with Pearce absolutely relishing his old school ‘moustache twirling’ bad guy archetype and DeHaan showing that he is really becoming someone to keep an eye on after this and his turn in Chronicle (one of my first reviews) earlier this year. Hillcoat’s direction is one of the other highlights here as the pacing is strong and the film moves at a refreshingly fast clip. Ultimately though, Lawless is the type of film you can safely walk out of not feeling as you’ve wasted you money on, but half an hour later you’ll be hard pressed to remember anything about it except for Hardy.

Lawless is ultimately far from the worst fare out in theaters right now, but it’s also easily forgettable. For a reasonable night out at the movies you could do far worse. Lawless is a mild recommend.

Lawless opens in theaters nationwide on today, Wednesday August 29^th.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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