Sylvia Plath… terrifying

By Stephanie Shewchuk

“Dying is an art, like everything else, I do it exceptionally well. I do it so it feels like hell.”These opening lines, borrowed from Sylvia Plath’s poem Lady Lazarus, signify the gloomy journey of Plath’s tumultuous marriage to poet Ted Hughes. Those familiar with the American poets’ life will already know of her suicidal, volatile… Continue reading Sylvia Plath… terrifying

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

By Chris Tait

Dusty town roads, deserted streets, tumbleweeds, spittoons and showdowns. The bad guy always gets what’s coming to him, and the good guy always gets the girl. Shane Meadows’ Once Upon A Time In The Midlands brings back the nostalgia of all those old flicks featuring Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and… Hugh Grant? I know, you’re… Continue reading Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

Listen to Italians yelling

By Chris Tait

Ah, Italy, providing us with some of the world’s finest art for hundreds of years. Where romance reigns and an entire romantic language developed, devoted to yelling at each other. Emanuele Crialese’s Respiro is a very Italian film. It’s also a very good Italian film, capturing the Critics Week Prize at this year’s Cannes International… Continue reading Listen to Italians yelling

An unexpected pleasure, from the French no less

By CH Smith

Perhaps it was an accident that led me to see a masterpiece at this year’s CIFF. As I walked towards the Uptown Theatre for the 7:00 p.m. show of The Republic of Love, I was surprised at the crowd gathered outside. The numerous suits and evening gowns suddenly tipped me off to a Gala Screening,… Continue reading An unexpected pleasure, from the French no less

Kill Bill? Looks like he’s just wounded

By Daniel Kubik

It’s not easy to look at a Quentin Tarantino film and come out saying, “That’s it?” After all, plenty of people would love to see Kill Bill decried for all the wrong reasons–it’s shallow, it’s violent and it brings new meaning to the idiom “paint the town red.” Given these misguided complaints, Kill Bill could… Continue reading Kill Bill? Looks like he’s just wounded

Anything Else?

By Pamela Nagel

A new genre is rising, Woody Allen for the boom’s echo. When you think Woody Allen, you think of a movie that baby boomers watch about people their age, being neurotic and doing what boomers do. Now, Allen has brought that to today’s generation with Anything Else, it’s our time to enjoy the Woody Allen… Continue reading Anything Else?

The lowdown on the Rundown

By Rob Scherf

The review for an action/comedy movie starring The Rock, Stiffler and Christopher Walken should write itself. The casting choices are more transparent than those in the upcoming Jackie Chan/John Cleese/Schwarzenegger vehicle, as if the executives at Universal got together over drinks one night and asked each other, “Who are the most bankable but mismatched stars… Continue reading The lowdown on the Rundown

Backstabbing intrigue

By Ben Hudson

Your neighbours want your land and you could fight them off, if only your family could stop fighting themselves. In Ayothaya, these are the circumstances that force Suriyothai to become a legend. Behind every legendary man is a legendary woman, but what makes a legend comes down to one question: Do you seek glory or… Continue reading Backstabbing intrigue

It will take more than Tylenol to cure Cabin Fever

By Alan Cho

There are those of you who will see Cabin Fever, regardless of this review, because this is the movie you’ve been waiting for. You know who you are. You tried to sit through Jeepers Creepers 2 and Jason X for your fix, but they just agitated you. You masturbate furiously over every gore-splashed shot of… Continue reading It will take more than Tylenol to cure Cabin Fever

Wanted: ghoulish creature to stalk and kill teens of varying naivete

By Daniel Kubik

No matter what you fault Jeepers Creepers 2 with, it has one undeniable asset–it isn’t Jeepers Creepers, The original, released in 2001, has surprisingly little in common with its baby brother. Where the sequel opts for nothing but pure slasher action, Jeepers Creepers delivered precisely 90 minutes of suspense-driven garbage that runs out of gas… Continue reading Wanted: ghoulish creature to stalk and kill teens of varying naivete