TIFF09 – Day 9 -- Last Day!

Out way too late last night to even try and attempt to make my 1st film today so I skipped it. It was Ong Bak 2. I'll see it on DVD.

Valhalla Rising

Actual 1st film of the day is now Valhalla Rising, a Viking film! We need more Viking films!

Valhalla Rising was slow as fuck and the crowd sucked. Despite that i still enjoyed it.

The star of Valhalla Rising, Mads Mikkelsen did a Q&A.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Second film was The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, the new Terry Gilliam film & Heath Ledger's last. Gilliam introduced the film.

It was very good, extremely imaginative & entertaining. Cast was great, especially Christopher Plummer. Fun for whole family.

Terry Gilliam did a great Q&A, as usual.

Mother

Last film of #TIFF09 is Mother from Korea: A mother desperately searches for the killer that framed her son for their horrific murder.

Mother was very good, a well paced slow burn of a movie. Lead actress was fantastic.

And with that, #TIFF09 ends for me for another year.

TIFF09 – Day 8

Day 8 (for me) of #TIFF09, it’s all turning into a blur.

Happened to glance at my schedule & realized, just in nick of time, that I was heading to wrong theatre. Close call!

My Year Without Sex

1st film today was My Year Without Sex, a nice lil’ Australian flick. Saw the director’s first film at at TIFF and loved it so I saw her new one.

The Invention of Lying

Next up: The Invention of Lying, Ricky Gervais’ movie directing debut. Hope he’s there for Q&A!

Not a fan of the Winter Garden theatre. It’s nice but not right for movies. Seats uncomfortable & the no food or drink is bullshit.

Booo, no Gervais or Q&A at all, that’s disappointing. Film was great though! Mainstream but very funny & Gervais is great in it!

Perrier’s Bounty

Up next is Irish film called ‘Perrier’s Bounty’ with Cillian Murphy, Jim Broadbent & Brendan Gleeson. High hopes for this one.

Plot: A gangster named Perrier looks to exact revenge on a trio of fugitives responsible for the accidental death of one of his cronies.

Unfortunately, no one was there for Perriers Bounty. This late in the fest, it’s rare that films get Q&As. Pretty good film though.

Enjoyed Cillian Murphy as usual, good little caper film. Tonight at 9:00: The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights.

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

Documentary looks back on the White Stripes’ ambitious 2007 tour of Canada, during which they played in every province and territory.

The back of Jack White!

The film was great, with great performances and interesting stuff off the stage as well.

The band was there to introduce the film and the crowd was one of the rowdiest and most fun I’ve ever been part of. Had a great time!

TIFF09 – Day 7

The Damned United

Starting today off with Damned United: A look at Brian Clough’s 44-day reign as the coach of Leeds United.

It was good, a nice enjoyable English flick. ***

What a cast! Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney and more.

Micmacs

Up next, the new Jean-Pierre Jeunet film. Pretty excited as I love all his films. Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie and more.

A much deserved standing ovation for Jean Pierre Jeunet.

Q&A with Jean Pierre Jeunet.

Jeunet’s ‘Micmacs et Tire a Largot’ was fantastic, as expected. Whimsical, funny, inventive and great looking, simply awesome.

Also, I’m calling it as the winner of People’s Choice. Crowd LOVED it! I called Slumdog Millionaire last year and it won.

Vengeance

Next up is Johnnie To’s ‘Vengeance’. One of my fave directors…

‘Vengeance’ was a tad disappointing. Good action, stylish, good cast but story lacking. Many, many better Johnnie To films. ***

TIFF09 – Day 6

Youth in Revolt

Day 6 of #TIFF09. First film is Youth in Revolt starring Michael Cera & directed by Miguel Artata, director of The Good Girl & Chuck & Buck.

Youth in Revolt was really good, a very funny movie. Great cast too. ***1/2

Trailer: http://bit.ly/rAvqr

Bitch Slap

Up next is Bitch Slap, a Midnight Madness film. You have to check out the trailer http://bit.ly/NQsSP

Bitch Slap was fun. It’s not a great film by any means but it intends to be a B-Movie and succeeds at that. It’s very much a Russ Meyer tribute, big breasted dames kicking the shit out of each other.

TIFF09 – Day 5

The Joneses

Good morning! First film today is The Joneses, a dark comedy about rival neighbors whose quest for the best turns deadly.

A clever premise, that I did not know about, I liked it! Duchovny and Demi Moore were good in it. ***1/2

The Last Days of Emma Blanks

A woman living in a large country home drives her servants to mutiny with her outrageous demands as she waits for death to come for her.

Last Days of Emma Blank was pretty good. Some funny black humour. A Film I’d otherwise not had an opportunity to see. ***

The Informant!

Next up was the new Soderbergh film ‘The Informant!’ starring Matt Damon. Very good and really funny! Damon was hilarious in it.****

Unfortunately since it was the 3rd screening of it at #TIFF09 there was no one there for a Q&A, they’ve since gone home.

TIFF09 – Day 4

Solitary Man

First film today is Solitary Man. A car magnate watches his personal & professional life hit the skids because of business & romantic indiscretions.

Solitary Man was pretty good. Nice little movie. Great performance by Michael Douglas. Lots of great supporting cast. ***1/2

Get Low

Get Low was next, about a mysterious 1930s Tennessee hermit who threw his own rollicking funeral party while he was still alive.

Starring Robert Duvall along with Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek, it was spectacular! Best of the fest so far…

Duvall gives one of the best performances of his whole career and the rest of the cast is fantastic as well.

if there’s any justice this will get an American distributor and a best actor nomination for Duvall.

P.S. Q&A for Get Low earlier with director Aaron Schneider (with some great Bill Murray stories):

Harry Brown

Next was Harry Brown: An elderly ex-serviceman & widower looks to avenge his best friend’s murder by doling out his own form of justice.

Harry Brown stars Michael Caine & he’s (as usual) great in it. It’s gritty & quite intense at times. Caine dishing out justice! ****

And so ends another #TIFF09 day. All good movies today which is awesome. A few beers and taking it easy tonight.

TIFF09 – Day 3

Day 3 of #TIFF09 ! 1st film this morning is an Australian film starring Hugo Weaving called Last Ride.

Last Ride

Plot: A young boy travels across Australia with his father, who’s wanted by the law.

Trailer: http://bit.ly/3Dxe13

Last Ride was really good. Nice, intimate small film. Hugo Weaving and the kid in the film were great. ****

A Conversation with Michael Caine

Next film is not a film, it’s ‘A Conversation with Michael Caine’. Really excited for this. Sitting in row 2!

That was amazing . Better then any movie could've been. Caine is funny, charming. & entertaining. I loved it!

Sam Neil is in the crowd and asks Michael Caine a question.

Suck

Next movie is ‘Suck’, a Rock N Roll Vampire comedy.

A little too cheesy for me but not bad. Music was good, cast as well, lots of cool cameos but it lacked something.

Not as funny as expected. ***

Q&A with director, D.P., some cast and more. And that’s it for another day of #TIFF09

TIFF09 – Day 2

Day 2 of #TIFF09. Weekends are the hardest, got to bed at 1:30 and up at 6:30 this morning.

Off to a good start, I just missed the bus…

Antichrist

What a way to start the day, with Lars Von Triers controversial ‘Antichrist’! Go watch the trailer: http://bit.ly/2njEI

Apparently someone threw up at Thursday’s screening of Antichrist — awesome!

Antichrist: That will take some thought. Disturbing but not as much as it was made out to be. I liked it, just not sure how much. *** out of 5

Jennifer’s Body

Next movie is Jennifer’s Body. Horror flick written by Diablo Cody & starring Megan Fox. Looks fun.

Jennifer’s Body trailer: http://bit.ly/YWYRx

Q&A with director of Jennifer’s Body, Karyn Kusama.

Jennifer’s Body was pretty good. A mainstream horror film — think Fright Night and the like. Enjoyable & fun. ***1/2

The Dirty Saints

Next film is The Dirty Saints. An apocalyptic feature. I know nothing about it. Hope it’s good.

The Dirty Saints: I fell asleep and I left during the movie. A bunch of fuckin’ nothing. *1/2

Backyard

Next film is Backyard. Mexican film about women disappearing along border. Jimmy Smits is in it. I like Jimmy Smits.

Trailer for Backyard: http://bit.ly/wXmHi

Backyard was very good. Well written, well acted, informative, etc. Recommend! ****

Four movies today: Done. Now, beer with friends!

TIFF09 – Day 1

Here's a recap of my TIFF experience for those not on Twitter:

A few hours of work and then #TIFF09 officially starts for me. Good night’s sleep and work out this a.m. and I’m ready to go!

Cleanflix

First #TIFF09 movie: Cleanflix: Follows the sanitized movie industry from inception to collapse. Starting with Kate Winslet’s bare breasts in Titanic and the Mormon culture that didn’t want to see them, the film launches into the numerous legal and theoretical debates that led to a DGA lawsuit involving industry titans like Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Redford. And that’s only the beginning. ” Looks like an interesting one for sure.

TIFF page: http://twurl.nl/8nyvyg

Well that’s a first: At AMC, movie’s in cinema 2 and we are waiting in cinema 1. Odd.

Bring on the Mormons!

A lot of people involved with the film Cleanflix for the Q&A!



Cleanflix: **1/2 out of 5. Interesting subject but the film's a little long and dull at times. Worth seeing though.