This week at Toronto's indie cinemas: August 2 - 6, 2012 - Toronto Film Scene

This week at Toronto’s indie cinemas: August 2 – 6, 2012

Jordan Moffatt No comments

Once we all creep out of our long weekend induced slumber, another week of great movies await! Once again, there is an eclectic mix of films, series and programmes. From the Projection Booth, there is a short film showcase. Over at The Royal, they will be playing Iron Sky, the hotly anticipated indie feature with a crazy premise. As always, there is plenty to highlight from everywhere, so read below to find out what’s on this week at Toronto’s indie cinemas.

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema

The Bloor, as is its mission, has a plethora of documentaries on the docket for this coming week. The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby, the story of a son finding out the truth about his father, is playing four times over the week, from Monday through Thursday. Also with plenty of times is Kumare, in which the filmmaker disguises himself as a yoga guru to deeply explore the culture. It screens at 6:45 pm on August 6, 7 and 8, 2012, and 9:30 pm on August 9. Paul Williams, the musical mastermind behind, for one example, “The Rainbow Connection,” is the feature of Paul Williams Still Alive. The film plays twice on Friday, at 4:00 pm and 9:30 pm and then Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 pm. If you’re searching for Searching For Sugar Man, look no further! The documentary on a rock star who didn’t even realize he was one plays Friday at 6:45 pm and Saturday at 9:00 pm.

There is a fantastic musical event on Saturday, August 11, at 11:15 pm. The Last Waltz is the Scorsese-directed final concert from the Canadian quintet The Band. This legendary last concert included performances by: Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, Ronnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, Ringo Starr, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Keep an eye for an out-of-nowhere Garth Hudson saxophone solo in “It Makes No Difference.”

For details and more, visit Bloor Hot Doc Cinema’s website or check our listings.

Fox Theatre

Sure you can go have a wild night on the town, but if you’d prefer to have a “Loki” night, head down to the Fox, where The Avengers is playing in 3D August 6-9, 2012 (and Movies for Mommies showing Wednesday at 1:30 pm).

The only chance to see The Intouchables, a French buddy comedy, is Wednesday at 9:30 pm. Woody Allen’s latest film, To Rome with Love screens all weekend at 7:00 pm. This is another European Woody Allen film, with which he has had recent success, and film stars Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page. Over the weekend, the Fox offers a digitally remastered version of Jaws, as well as Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted in 3D.

For details and more, visit Fox Theatre’s website or check our listings.

The Royal

From Tuesday, August 7, 2012, to Thursday, August 9, 2012, the Royal presents Marina Abromovic, The Artist Is Present and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Marina Abromovic, The Artist Is Present, the documentary on the performance artist, runs Tuesday at 9:15 pm and then at 7:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, starring Tom Wilkinson and Judi Dench, runs Tuesday at 7:00 pm and then Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00 pm.

On Friday, the Royal premieres Iron Sky, a Finnish film set in an alternate history where Nazis fled to the Moon after the Second World War. Iron Sky has two showings a day from Friday to Sunday at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

For details and more, visit The Royal’s website or check our listings.

Revue Cinema

The Revue presents a few more opportunities to catch this summers big blockbusters at the beginning of the week. This summer’s “fun” superhero movie, (a huge contrast from The Dark Knight Rises), The Avengers, is playing Monday and Tuesday. Snow White and the Huntsman is also playing those dates, as well as a Wednesday afternoon showing at 1:00 pm as part of Baby and You at the Revue.

Take this Waltz, the second feature film from Canadian actress and director Sarah Polley, shows Thursday through Sunday with many showtimes.

For showtimes and more, visit the Revue Cinema’s website or check our listings.

Projection Booth

On Monday, August 6, 2012, the Projection Booth will screen, in order: First Wedding, an Argentinean comedy about a wedding; To Make a Farm, a Canadian doc about farming; Blue Like Jazz, premiering about the Projection Booth this week; and Battle Royale, the cult Japanese thriller. Battle Royale is playing the following day at 10:00 pm as well.

Blue Like Jazz, the story of a Southern teenager moving to the Pacific Northwest, also plays Tuesday and Wednesday at 8:00 pm, then again Thursday at 4:00 pm. Fat Kid Rules the World, the first film directed by actor Matthew Lillard plays Wednesday at 10:00 pm.

There is a special event Saturday at 9:00 pm. The Projection Booth presents a Summer Showcase of short films hosted by Fright Nights programmer Kelly Michael Stewart. Shorts playing at the event are The Prospector’s Curse, For Clearer Skies, Shift, Pete Winning and the Pirates and A Fork in the Road.

For details and more, visit the Projection Booth’s website or check our listings.

Toronto Underground

The Toronto Underground Cinema is still closed for renovations. We will keep you updated on any news on this subject.

TIFF Bell Lightbox

Continuing at TIFF Bell Lightbox with multiple showings all week are Beasts of the Southern Wild, First Position, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry and Marley. New releases on Friday to join this roster are Oslo, August 31st, about a former addict returning to Oslo, opening at 1:45 pm, and Compliance, based on a horrifying true story, opening at 4:00 pm.

TIFF also has more screenings from their great continuing programmes and series.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Blonde in Fifties Hollywood Cinema has two showings of Douglas Sirk films this week. The first is Imitation of Life, which plays Tuesday at 6:30 pm and the second is Written on the Wind, which plays Sunday at 1:00 pm.

Summer in France has a vast selection to choose from to get all your Francais fixings. This includes Celene et Julie vont en bateau, Breathless, Vivre sa vie, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, Le Combat dans l’ile and Pierrot le fou.

Schwarzenegger/Stallone: The Rise of Beefcake Cinema has a movie very well suited to play on August 11, 2012 at 8:00 pm. With the, by our account, underwhelming Total Recall in theatres, why not head down to TIFF Bell Lightbox and see the original version? Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall (1990) has several differences than the latest offering, including more one-liners and, of course, more Schwarzenegger.

James Ivory: Elegant Pairings has its penultimate week of double bills curated by James Ivory, of Merchant Ivory productions. The Europeans kicks things off at 5:00 pm, and is followed at 7:30 pm by Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence.

Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, starring Johnny Depp, is this week’s First Peoples: Reclaimed Visions offering. Musician Marc MerilÃ¤inen will introduce the film’s screening on August 7, 2012, at 9:15 pm.

For information and more, visit tiff.net or check our listings.

Original Artwork of the Projection Booth by Bennett O’Brian.

Jordan Moffatt

TFS Section Editor – News:
Jordan Moffatt is a person living in Toronto. He is an improviser, actor, writer and graduate of the University of Ottawa. His favourite Indiana Jones film is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He was the third string point guard of his high school basketball team.