Entertainment Maven

The Netflix Log-In Vol.1

Every once in a while we here at the Entertainment Maven can forget that the movie going experience isn’t just in theatres or attending one of the many festivals here in the city of Toronto, but it is quite often an experience that takes place in the comfort of our home. So while our staff will check in from time to time with DVD & Blu-Ray reviews it is important to remember that there are multiple ways to soak up some cinematic goodness at home. Every once in a while, I’ll be checking in with a look at some of the new and more notable Film and TV titles to appear on the streaming Netflix service that anyone who is a subscriber can watch at simply the click of a mouse or a remote. Settle in for the first installment of the ‘Netflix Log-In’ as we take a look at five recent additions to Netflix here at Entertainment Maven.

First up, after a successful run at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, The Skin I Live In is now available on demand. A truly stunning film by director Pedro Almodovar that follows a brilliant plastic surgeon, Robert Ledgard (Antonio Bandaras), as he seeks to overcome the grief of his late wife’s disfigurement in a fiery car crash by inventing skin that’s impervious to injury. But his experiments on a living woman hasten his descent into madness. This was a thrilling psychological ride that will keep you transfixed to the screen as the story unfolds and is more than worth a look if you haven’t already caught up with this wonder film.

The Way is an intense family drama starring Martin Sheen and directed by Emilio Estevez. As Tom (Sheen) flies to France to claim the remains of his son who died while hiking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in the Pyrenees, he decides to complete the 500 mile trek to Spain to honor his son and ends up discovering himself in the process. This was an understated and well done drama that was written and directed by Estevez and had a solid ensemble cast including Deborah Kara Unger and James Nesbitt, a surprisingly uplifting and charming little film.

From the TV side of things, the short lived yet stellar FlashForwardhas its complete 22 episode run now available for streaming. This show tracks a mysterious event that causes nearly everyone to experience a simultaneous 137-second blackout and premonitions about their lives six months into the future. It’s up to a team of FBI agents to find out if it will happen again and why. Lead by Joseph Fiennes this was an incredibly well written and acted TV series that was hoping to fill the void left by Lost but it never really caught on, and I highly recommend that you get hooked now.

The indie sci-fi hit Another Earth takes place after a strange Earth-like planet is discovered. Astrophysics student Rhoda (Brit Marling) accidentally slams her car into the vehicle of John, killing his family. In time, Rhoda and John begin an unlikely romance, but Rhoda begins to wonder about the other planet and struggles with the consequences of her action. A stunning drama that introduces us to up and coming talent Brit Marling. It’s an emotional and intellectual powerhouse making for some truly fantastic storytelling. It didn’t last long in theatres but the more people who watch the more of a shelf life this fantastic film will get.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the surprises of last year’s summer blockbuster season. A reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise, this is a prequel set in modern-day San Francisco, where scientists are conducting genetic research on apes. However, when the evolved primates develop advanced intelligence and revolt against being used as lab rats things get more than a little intense. This was a surprisingly effective thriller that came out of left field, and if you missed this on the big screen, it is certainly a fun action romp more than worth the hit against your data cap.

Just a small cross-section of the films that are available on the instant streaming service Netflix, visit Netflix for more info about the service as well as the thousands of titles that they have access to on demand.

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The Amazing Spider-Man Review (Kirk Haviland)

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Starring – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Irrfan Khan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Chris Zylka with Sally Field and Martin Sheen

Written by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves based on the comic by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

Directed by Marc Webb

The Amazing Spider-Man, the newest release from Sony Pictures, is a film born of Hollywood legalities. When Spider-Man 4, with Director Sam Raimi and original stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, was shut down due to the studio and Raimi not agreeing on the direction of the script and Maguire’s refusal to participate without Raimi, Sony decided to reboot the series as opposed to recasting a sequel with a new Peter Parker. If Sony had opted not to reboot the series then, as part of their original deal with Marvel studios, the film rights for Spider-man would have reverted back to Marvel and Sony would lose the character to Disney, the studio that owns Marvel. Complicated I know, but is the final product worth all this effort?

The Amazing Spider-Man starts off by retelling the origins of Peter Parker’s emergence as Spider-Man, though with a few twists from the first time around. We begin with a young Peter as he discovers his father’s home office has been broken into and ransacked. Richard and Mary Parker (Scott and Davidtz) rush Peter over to his Uncle Ben and Aunt May’s (Sheen and Field) where they leave him for safekeeping as they flee for their safety. Many years later we catch up with the now teenaged Peter (Garfield) who still lives with his Aunt and Uncle after his parents have perished in a plane accident. Peter is an awkward teenager who does not fit in and is a regular target of class bully Flash (Zylka), which causes him to retreat behind the lens of his camera. The object of his affection this time around is the brilliant and stunningly beautiful Gwen Stacy (Stone), who besides being a fellow student, also works as an intern at Ozcorp for Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans). Connors as it turns out is Richard Parker’s former lab partner and helped work on the same research that caused the break-in at the Parker’s years before. Upon visiting Ozcorp to meet Connors we get the spider bite sequence that transforms Peter into Spider-man and a relatively funny subway sequence because of it. Peter starts his life as crime fighter and draws the ire of the Chief of Police (Leary) who is coincidentally Gwen’s father. Meanwhile Peter’s Uncle Ben dies because of a robbery gone wrong and Dr. Connors transforms into the Lizard because of the research which forces Spider-Man into action.

The Amazing Spider-Man starts off in familiar territory, very familiar actually, retelling the same origin story that was told just a decade ago in the original Spider-Man. Perhaps this is why the first hour of the story drags a bit. The story really picks up and gains a life of its own once the transformation occurs and we see Spider-Man in his full crime fighting glory. Garfield is a good fit for Parker as Director Webb has clearly been influenced by the Ultimate Spider-Man line of comics where Parker is still a struggling high school student and has no connection to the Daily Bugle or its cantankerous editor J. Jonah Jameson as of yet. Emma Stone is a standout as Gwen Stacy, by far the best female love interest in any Spider-Man film, as she practically glows on screen and you are immediately smitten. The rest of the cast does well in turn, Leary as Captain Stacy and Sheen as Uncle Ben standout in particular. The special effects and stunt work are the real winning combination here as Spider-Man has never looked more convincing on screen. Using a combination of acrobatics and free-running techniques as well as CGI, this Spider-Man feels more grounded in reality, which makes sense as Batman Begins was another influence on Director Webb’s decision making. Speaking of Webb, he manages to put to rest all doubts that he can direct action sequences as those set pieces are some of the highlights of the film.

Overall a Spider-Man film that may have surpassed its predecessors, The Amazing Spider-Man is better than its auspicious beginnings gave it any right to be, but when you hire talented people it usually pays off. The Amazing Spider-Man is a fun time and a solid recommend.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

Make sure to keep up with what’s going on at Entertainment Maven by liking our Facebook page and having updates delivered right to your Facebook News Feed. It’s the only way to stay on top of all of our articles with the newest blockbusters and all the upcoming films and festivals in Toronto.

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Town of Runners Review (Kirk Haviland)

Town of Runners (2012)

Directed by Jerry Rothwell

In the small rural Ethiopian town of Bekoji the sport of running has become a religion. Known for turning out Olympic caliber distance runners, runners from Bekoji have produced 8 Olympic Gold Medals, 32 World Championships and have broken 10 world records in the last 20 years. Its runners have also swept the four distances races, male and female, at the Beijing Olympics. Director Jerry Rothwell takes us into this sleepy little town obsessed with running, through the eyes and voices of a handful of its natives to tell us the story behind the success.

Our story focuses on three young people from the town of Bekoji. Biruk is our link to the ever developing town as he explains the impact the upcoming paved roadways will have on the town and his grandmother’s little shop, a kiosk on the side of the road. Biruk dreams of being a Doctor but cannot sustain the grades so he looks to the only other way out of town he knows – running. Alemi is a determined farmer’s daughter who will not give up on her running until she has succeeded. Her best friend, and constant competition, is Hawii who consistently finishes ahead of Alemi as they race in Bekoji. Hawii lives with her extended family, just so that she can train with legendary coach Sentayehu Eshetu during the week in Bekoji, returning to her family on weekends. Coach Eshetu has been responsible for most of the Ethiopian World and Olympic Champions, who all trained under his tutelage in the hills of Bekoji. After a local competition, the girls are both offered places in “clubs” where they will be paid to train and compete for their campus. The girls end up on different clubs. Alemi’s club is well organized and funded by the local community and she thrives there. Hawii is not as lucky. Malnourished, living in sub-par surroundings and surrounded by a community that does not care about the athletes, Hawii struggles mightily and due to the conditions cannot train after her health starts to deteriorate. Meanwhile Biruk’s struggles back in Bekoji continue as he cannot to find a way out.

Town of Runners is a fascinating portrait of a town and some of its residents in flux. You feel for the trapped Hawii as you see the severe lack of support in her club to the point that you finally rejoice when she gets out and goes back to Bekoji where she will no longer get paid. And you’ll want to cheer for the thriving Alemi as she manages to find a home in her club and starts to outperform Hawii in a reversal of fortunes. Biruk’s story becomes that of the town, but becomes a background to the story of these two girls and their determination to succeed. That said, not all of the storylines come to a satisfying ending, and as fascinating a character as Biruk is, his storyline is not really needed here as the girl’s stories are more than enough to fill the film on its own.

Ultimately Town of Runners works a lot more than it doesn’t and for that it’s a recommend.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

Follow me on twitter @moviejunkieto

Contact me at moviejunkieto@gmail.com

The Movie Junkie’s 2012 Summer Movie Preview Part 2 (Kirk Haviland)

JULY

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3^rd)

So we are already getting a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, a move Sony has made to ensure that the web slinger’s movie rights don’t revert back to Marvel’s control. But I must admit, with every new trailer that hits the web I actually become more interested in seeing this.

Savages (July 6^th)

Oliver Stone directing a film about 2 drug dealers on a Mickey and Mallory sized killing spree to get back their mutual girlfriend? Sign me up!

The Queen of Versailles (July 6^th Limited)

The Hot Docs 2012 hit, and one of our own Dave Voigt’s faves of the fest, makes it to theaters in a limited run. Seek it out.

Ice Age: Continental Drift (July 13^th)

Well at least Scrat is fun.

Ted

Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy, makes his feature directorial debut with this comedy of a grown man and his living, breathing, smart-alec of teddy bear named Ted. Trailers look extremely funny as this could be the comedy of the summer.

The Imposter (July 13^th Limited)

Another standout at Hot Docs this year gets a limited theatrical run. Most of my fellow critics had this one as the best of the fest, I unfortunately missed it. I’m looking forward to catching up with this one.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20^th)

THE film of the summer. Christopher Nolan brings in Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Tom Hardy to add to the already stellar returning cast from the last entry of the Dark Knight trilogy. I have faith in Nolan as he has yet to let me down in anything he has done.

The Watch (July 27^th)

Formerly titled Neighborhood Watch, this film stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill as alien fighting Neighborhood Watch/Guardian Angels types. With these three as leads this could be a fun romp in the cinema in the midst of the sweltering July sun.

Klown aka Klovn: The Movie (July 27^thLimited)

Klovn has been tearing up the festival scene for a while. This irreverent and ruthlessly politically incorrect Danish road trip film has left a swath of laughter behind it. Check it out if you can.

AUGUST

The Bourne Legacy (Aug 3^rd)

Can Jeremy Renner make us forget about Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne? I’ll be there to find out, that’s for sure.

Total Recall (Aug 3^rd)

Colin Farrell stars in this remake of the Arnold Schwarzenegger 80’s actioner where a man has his memory tampered with and does not know if he’s a spy or not – only that the answers lie on the planet Mars. With Brian Cranston and Kate Beckinsale in the cast I have high hopes, but Jessica Beil?

The Campaign (Aug 10^th)

Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis as rival politicians in a race for a seat in the U.S. Congress? Well consider my vote as cast already.

The Expendables 2 (Aug 17^th)

This time around Sylvester Stallone manages to round up more action stars from the 80’s and 90’s including Jean Claude Van Damme as the heavy, and perpetual good guy Chuck Norris. But where does Liam Hemsworth fit in?

ParaNorman (Aug 17^th)

From the creators of the brilliant Coraline, that is all you should need to know.

Premium Rush (Aug 24^th)

Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as a bike courier being chased by crooked cop Michael Shannon. In what appears to be a remake of the Kevin Bacon 80’s film Quicksilver, I’m relying on the excellent cast to uplift the material.

The Possession (Aug 31^st)

Quite possibly the creepiest film of the summer will come right at the end of it with The Possession. In hoping for more Last Exorcism than the dreadful Devil Inside, The Possession could make you think twice about what you find at a garage sale.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

Make sure to keep up with what’s going on at Entertainment Maven by liking our Facebook page and having updates delivered right to your Facebook News Feed. It’s the only way to stay on top of all of our articles with the newest blockbusters and all the upcoming films and festivals in Toronto.

Follow me on twitter @moviejunkieto

Henry Rollins Wants You! – Grindhouse Edition of Fright Nights at the Projection Booth

Just check out this video message if you don’t believe me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVPToTIIfsE

Henry Rollins wants you to support the ‘Drop in the Bucket’ charity on Saturday, July 7, 2012 at Projection Booth with a special Grindhouse Edition of Fright Nights featuring “Kill” and “If a Tree Falls” from Black Fawn Distribution. Tickets: http://guestlistapp.com/events/109065.

Info from the press release:

FANGORIA PRESENTS FRIGHT NIGHTS is giving genre fans two films for the price of one this Saturday, July 7^,2012 with home grown grindhouse flicks IF A TREE FALLS and KILL from directors Gabriel Carrer (IN THE HOUSE OF FLIES starring Henry Rollins, Ryan Barrett) and Chad Archibald (NEVERLOST). Half the proceeds collected from the evening will go to the Henry Rollins fronted international charity “Drop in the Bucket.”

This one night only event will mark the Toronto theatrical debuts of both films. “This is the ONLY time the public will get to see this pair of films on the big screen, and they will be shown in the way they are meant to be seen: as a double bill at Projection Booth – a real grindhouse cinema!” says Archibald.

Both Gabriel Carrer and Chad Archibald will be in attendance alongside cast and crew. Hosted as always by Fangoria and Planet Fury scribe Kelly Michael Stewart and generously supported by Fangoria and Suspect Video, the evening promises prizes, beverages and lots and lots of blood.

Proceeds from the event will go directly to charity in support of efforts to bring safe drinking water to war ravaged countries. “Drop in the Bucket is a Los Angeles based water and sanitation charity with field offices in Uganda and South Sudan. I had the pleasure of directing their spokesperson Henry Rollins on my next feature “House of Flies” and I was really impressed by what they are accomplishing under very difficult circumstances,” explains Carrer.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Projection Booth or online at:

http://guestlistapp.com/events/109065