Review: Teenage Paparazzo
Adrian Grenier was in town Tuesday promoting his latest documentary Teenage Paparazzo. How fitting that the actor who plays Vincent Chase on HBO’s Entourage is the director of a doc that examines cult celebrity and the paparazzi that follow them.
The film’s main focus is on 13-year-old Austin Visschedyk who Grenier first noticed snapping shots of him out in L.A. Grenier was so taken aback that he set out to make this film and see where this 13-year-old fit in the world of paparazzi. Being 13 and adorable has its advantages for Austin; he just won’t get the same flack as other paparazzi, but when charm doesn’t work in his favour he’s just as callous – running into traffic or hailing a cab to chase down celebrities and get the coveted money shot. As the film progresses we begin to witness the growing bond between Grenier and Austin. After all Adrian Grenier was Austin’s very first celebrity photograph. Read more
Review: Takers
Takers is a heist movie. It’s full of spectacular explosions, adrenaline-fueled chase sequences, a hardened cop (Matt Dillon) on the tail of a motley crew of rich, handsome robbers (Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy, Idris Elba, Chris Brown and Paul Walker), and a former collaborator (T.I.) who will ultimately be their undoing.
Unfortunately, even though it’s got all the elements for a really great Italian-Job-meets-Heat crime drama with deftly layered double-and-triple-crosses, the film somehow never breaks out of a fairly formulaic mold.
Review: Piranha 3D
The Piranha films, while they aren’t as famous as other horror franchises, have quite a pedigree. The first was directed by Joe Dante (the brilliant mind behind films like Gremlins, Explorers and Innerspace). The second, which is way more fun than one expects of a film about flying (yes, flying) killer fish is directed by Canada’s biggest expat, James Cameron. The latest, Piranha 3D, is brilliantly executed by Alexandre Aja, the man who brought us Haute Tension and the recent remake of Wes Craven’s ’77 classic, The Hills Have Eyes. And it’s the most fun you’ll have at the movies in 2010. Seriously. Read more
Review: Nara
Those interested in local filmmaking and low-budget horror flicks could take a look at Navin Ramaswaran’s Nara, a gloomy story that reflects on the depths of loneliness and social isolation. Already seen at the Hamilton Film Festival and the Mississauga Independent Film Festival, this filmmaker’s first feature is now coming to Toronto. Read more
Review: Human Centipede – TAD 2010
The 2010 After Dark Film Festival came to a close Friday night with the Toronto Premiere of The Human Centipede. If the organizers of the festival were hoping to end on a disturbing and shocking note, they succeeded completely with a film that lives up to its notorious reputation. Read more
Review: La Anunciacion
Enrique Pineda Barnet’s La Anunciacion (The Announcement) was screened in Toronto as part of Havana Club’s Havana Cultura – a festival celebrating Cuban culture. This family drama focuses on the reunion of the widowed spiritualist, Amalia (Veronica Lynn), with her children (Broselianda Hernández, Hector Noa, Ismael Diego), and her grandson (Robertico Diaz) as they all prepare to read her deceased husband’s moral will. Their long-time conflicts and secrets begin to emerge, creating a picture of their complicated relationships. Read more
Review: Rubber – TAD 2010
Rubber is quickly becoming known as “the killer tire movie.” But it’s not a b-movie nor does it resemble rolling killer tomatoes (see 1978’s Attack of the Killer Tomatoes). Yes, it’s about a telekinetic tire, but there’s a lot more happening that goes beyond this simplistic plot. A genre festival like Toronto After Dark Film Festival could be criticized for programming a film that is more thought-provoking than expected – but it’s so entertaining, there’s nothing fans can really complain about.
Review: Centurion – TAD 2010
Let me start by saying that I’m a big Neil Marhsall fan. Dog Soldiers really blew my mind when a more in-the-know pal introduced me to it in the early 2000′s. The Descent made me hyperventilate so much that I had to watch most of it through closed eyes, and it still scared the living hell out of me. I thought Doomsday delivered more fun for my movie-going buck than most blockbuster action titles. So, when I heard he was going to tell the tale of a lost Roman legion that disappeared in the icy and inhospitable land of the Picts (Scotland, or thereabouts) and that it would star Dominic West (dreamy McNulty from The Wire) I was immediately sold. And, as it turns out, the film delivers – somewhat. Read more
Review: I Spit on your Grave – TAD 2010
It’s rare for a film to attract this much attention two months before its wide release, but the announcement of an I Spit on your Grave remake was like releasing moths to a flame. The 1978 original was called everything from misogynistic trash to high art, so it came as no surprise when reactions to the new version ranged from appalled to excited. In the end, the only way to truly generate an informed opinion is to see the film. Therefore when Toronto After Dark Film Festival included it in their program, it presented the perfect opportunity to somewhat force myself to do just that.
Review: Black Death – TAD 2010
Black Death is a medieval horror story, but its monsters are more human than supernatural. It forces its characters to question their core beliefs as devout men. But it also examines people’s capacity to blindly follow religious leaders without considering the consequences or their legitimacy. This Toronto After Dark Film Festival selection is an interesting exploration of human nature and the overall concept of religious dedication.
