Up – review
Between Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and the back-to-back critical success of Ratatouille and Wall-E, Pixar has built up a vast store of goodwill. The consistently groundbreaking visuals are a big part of the studio’s success, but even more so, their attention to character, their flair for visual storytelling and their willingness to ignore marketability in … Continue reading
Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free (Dead Oceans)
Akron/Family lost a member between 2007’s Love is Simple and the new Set ’Em Wild, Set ’Em Free, but being short-handed doesn’t seem to be holding them back. Set ’Em Wild is even more sprawling than anything the band has done before — something of an achievement from an outfit that’s equally comfortable with folksy … Continue reading
Leonard Cohen – Live in London (Sony)
It’s a widely known secret that Leonard Cohen’s first concert tour in 13 years was prompted by financial woes. When his manager (allegedly) ran off with Cohen’s savings and the publishing rights to his songs, the then-71-year-old had little choice but to hit the road and recoup some of the losses. Judging from Live in … Continue reading
Magic Flute – review
Director Kenneth Branagh has always been a traditionalist. Back when Baz Luhrmann was updating Romeo and Juliet for the MTV generation, keeping the language and adding frenetic visuals and a killer soundtrack, Branagh directed a four-hour version of Hamlet, the most faithful version ever put to film. Luhrmann’s movie sparked a sensation, proving Shakespeare’s star-crossed … Continue reading
Disney’s documentary legacy
On April 22, Disneynature (a wing of Disney devoted to nature docs) will release Earth, a companion piece to the BBC’s widely acclaimed Planet Earth TV series. What better time to examine the legacy of Disney’s previous foray into nature documentaries? Namely, one of the most persistent urban legends of the last half-century, and one … Continue reading
Rourke wrestles again
In what’s either a brilliant bit of marketing for an art house film or just another chapter in an increasingly bizarre Hollywood story (or maybe both), actor Mickey Rourke appeared at Wrestlemania last weekend, sparring briefly with pro wrestler Chris Jericho. Rourke’s appearance had been rumoured as early as January, although it was fervently denied … Continue reading
Where the Wild Things Are
For a certain breed of monster-obsessed kid, there is no better children’s book than Maurice Sendak’s 1963 classic, Where the Wild Things Are. The story of an angry kid named Max who travels to a world full of beasts, Sendak’s simple tale and wonderfully distinctive illustrations stick with anyone who sees them. It’s also the … Continue reading
Blue Gold – Water Wars
Fresh water is our most precious resource. The opening minutes of Blue Gold: World Water Wars make this case strongly and succinctly, with narrator Malcolm McDowell describing the symptoms of extreme thirst over footage of a parched landscape. The question isn’t whether we need water — that much is obvious. It’s whether we’re handling our … Continue reading
Words gone wild — Pontypool
“Horror has always worked on the idea that what is most familiar can be most frightening,” says director Bruce McDonald. “Like The Birds. It’s like, we all love birds, but what happens when they turn evil? You know what I mean? What happens when words turn evil? Well, then things get weird.” Weird is an … Continue reading
Tuya’s Marriage
Tuya’s Marriage isn’t the sort of film that cares about winning over its audience. The story of a woman who divorces her crippled husband to find a man who can support the both of them (and their children), it would be harsh even without its unforgiving Inner Mongolian setting. Add in a harsh climate, a … Continue reading
The Consumption 