Toronto Film Scene

Liam Volke

About Liam Volke

Liam is a writer and actor with a BFA from the University of Victoria. His lifelong love affair with film began when he saw Jaws at the appropriate age of 4. He liked it so much that he set out to draw a storyboard for Jaws 2, only to discover to his disappointment years later that somebody had already beaten him to the punch. His next love affair was with Star Wars and Jurassic Park, which he watched at least once a day, much to the chagrin of his parents. Liam has written for online publications such as The West of West Review, and Numero Cinq, and keeps a blog on arts and culture called The Tower of Babble.

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Last entries by Liam Volke

06 May 2013

Meet the TFS Writers: Liam Volke

It wasn’t until I started writing for Toronto Film Scene that I started seriously looking at who and what made me fall in love with film in the first place. It was then that I realised how much of an influence Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had on me as...

Archived in Articles Issue 4 Volume 5: May 2013 - LGBT Cinema Issue Archive Meet the TFS Writers RSS
30 Apr 2013

A conversation with Kirk Marcolina and Matthew Pond, Directors of The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne

At first glance, there’s nothing about Doris Payne that screams “jewel thief”. But this 82-year old African-American woman from West Virginia has in fact stolen at least $2 million in jewels in a career that’s spanned five decades. I recently spoke with directors Kirk Marcolina and Matthew Pond about their...

Archived in Articles Festivals Hot Docs Hot Docs 2013 Interviews RSS
22 Apr 2013

TFS Essential Canadian Cinema: A Married Couple

Since it’s documentary month here at TFS, we thought we’d look at A Married Couple, the classic Canadian doc by Allan King. Is it indeed a “classic” worth putting on our essential viewing list? Liam Volke and Harry Cepka discuss. Liam: A Married Couple is an “actuality drama” directed by...

Archived in Columns Essential Canadian Cinema Issue 4 Volume 4: April 2013 - Documentary Film RSS
14 Apr 2013

Toronto Jewish Film Fest Review: Koch

Koch is a documentary about the political career of one of the most famous mayors of New York City, Edward Irving Koch. It charts his unlikely rise to the top of the political heap, the constant skirmishes he fought once there, his political downfall, and his life after being king...

Archived in Festivals Other Festivals
03 Apr 2013

TFS Explains: Doc Ignite

It’s April, and before you know it The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival will soon be upon us again! So to make sure we’re ready for it when it comes, let’s take a look at one of Hot Docs’ awesome online services: Doc Ignite. Ever thought about producing a...

Archived in Columns Issue 4 Volume 4: April 2013 - Documentary Film RSS TFS Explains
15 Mar 2013

Review: Blood Pressure

Nobody seems to appreciate Nicole Westman. Her actuary husband is too absorbed in his work, her teenage kids are too busy treating her like their personal chauffeur, and her micromanaging boss tells her she needs a “killer instinct” for selling prescription drugs. It’s not surprising then that when she receives...

Archived in Independent & Repertory Reviews
14 Mar 2013

Interview with Blood Pressure Director Sean Garrity

Sean Garrity’s body of work is marked by constant change. His latest film, Blood Pressure, is proof positive of that, wandering far from the broad sex comedy of his previous film My Awkward Sexual Adventure, to the world of mystery, film noir, and intimate psychological thriller. I sat down to...

Archived in Articles Interviews Issue 4 Volume 3: March 2013 - Women in Film
07 Mar 2013

Spotlight On: Women in Film and Television Toronto

It seems bizarre that even now in the second decade of the 21st century, women are still underrepresented in film. At the 2012 Genie Awards, of the five directors nominated, only one of them was a woman. In the 2011 Genies less than a third of the nominees were women....

Archived in Columns Issue 4 Volume 3: March 2013 - Women in Film Spotlight On
21 Feb 2013

Media Impact: prizes and awards (or how Monsieur Lazhar came to a theatre near you)

Have you heard of War Witch, the French Canadian film directed by Kim Nguyen that’s up for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film this year? I hadn’t, I’m not gonna lie. Until it was nominated. Even if I had, I would have had a heck of a time...

Archived in Columns Issue 4 Volume 2: February 2013 - French Canadian Cinema Media Impact
07 Feb 2013

TFS Explains: the Canada-France co-pro (or why these two countries should make more movies together)

Last November when we covered Asian cinema at Toronto Film Scene we took a look at the rising trend of co-productions between Canada and Hong Kong, and what it could mean to Canadian filmmakers and audiences alike. But Hong Kong filmmakers aren’t the only ones Canadians are teaming up with....

Archived in Columns Issue 4 Volume 2: February 2013 - French Canadian Cinema TFS Explains
25 Dec 2012

The Year in Movies: 7 trailers that were almost better than the film

I’m a sucker for trailers. I’ve recently become very fascinated by them as pieces separate from the movies they’re showing. Some might call it a cheap thrill. I call it a simple pleasure. Using things like hip music, quotes of critical acclaim, and accumulated hype from a brilliantly executed marketing...

Archived in Articles Issue 3 Volume 12: December 2012 - Year-End Spectacular Other Articles
27 Nov 2012

TFS Explains: Hong Kong co-productions or key to the east, key to the west

As we explore Asian cinema this month at Toronto Film Scene, I was given the chance to take a glimpse into the Hong Kong film industry, particularly the growing trend of co-productions between Hong Kong-based companies and those from around the world. So what are these “co-pros” all about, and...

Archived in Columns Issue 3 Volume 11: November 2012 - Asian Cinema TFS Explains
10 Oct 2012

Out of The Black Museum: An interview with Paul Corupe

Ever wanted to take a class on horror films? Here’s your chance, Toronto. Some profs and scholars might scoff at the very idea; but not writers Paul Corupe and Andrea Subissati, the curators of The Black Museum: Lurid Lectures for the Morbidly Curious, a series of intimate and informal lectures...

Archived in Articles Interviews
21 Sep 2012

Review: Roller Town

With the new comedy feature Roller Town writer/director Andrew Bush and co-writers Mark Little and Scott Vrooman take a quirky premise and layer on top of it their own silly and somewhat dark brand of humour. And they pull it off — for the most part. At the disco roller...

Archived in Independent & Repertory Reviews
20 Sep 2012

Picnicface hits the big screen: An interview with Mark Little on Roller Town

When I spoke over the phone with Mark Little, writer and lead actor of the upcoming feature comedy Roller Town, we discussed what led he and co-writers Andrew Bush and Scott Vrooman to decide to make a feature-length film. “I think my approach to comedy has always been “˜just try...

Archived in Articles Interviews Issue 3 Volume 9: September 2012 - TIFF
11 Jul 2012

Pink Eiga: the naughty side of Japanese indie film

If there is one thing the annual Shinsedai Cinema Festival is all about, it’s pushing boundaries. I recently spoke with the festival’s co-founder and co-director Chris MaGee, and he told me that this willingness to break the rules is what he loves about Japanese film. Perhaps most daring of all,...

Archived in Articles Interviews Issue 3 Volume 7: July 2012 - Pornography as Art

Last Comments by Liam Volke

This week from Grolsch Film Works

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The Dark Knight Rises is without a doubt the most anticipated major release of 2012. In a little over ten years, Christopher Nolan has gone from exciting indie filmmaker (Following…

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