I talk with Morgan White about his new documentary The Rep

There used to be a repertory cinema in every town, in every neighbourhood, and near every university. Reps are the kind of theatres that play a mix of second-run, classic, cult movies, art flicks, and perennial favourites... for a few bucks. They're usually one-screen theatres, but with a constantly changing program -- often two new movies each night. But something is happening -- repertory cinemas are disappearing across North America. Why? What's going on? Well a new documentary, called The Rep, which opens today in Toronto...(read more)

HIgh School Confidential. Movies Reviewed: Geography Club, Schoolgirl Complex, Animals PLUS Epic and Inside Out

In Animals, Pol (Oriol Pla) is a student at a British-style school in Catalonia. He’s always up for sharing a smoke with his beautiful, sort-of girlfriend Laia (Roser Tapias), or his bitterly funny gay chum, the curly-haired Mark (Dimitri Leonidas). But his real best friend, the one he can always count on in times of trouble, is the cute Deerhoof. He gives Pol advice, accompanies his punk guitar-playing (on the drums), and is generally just there with a hug whenever he needs him. That means a lot: Pol is lonely with his parents gone, and only his brother Lorenc, a cop, to look after him. Thing is, Deerhoof is actually a teddy bear! (Pol’s a bit whacko.) Then a new kid, Ikari (Augustus Prew), comes to the school, and he brings trouble. He’s into bigger things, mature things, sexual, adult things...(read more)

Getaways! Movies Reviewed: Mud, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Star Trek: Into Darkness

What does it mean to get away for a while? You’re probably thinking, beach, a drive, a cottage, camping trip, maybe a weekend in another city across the border… But what about a real getaway, one where you might have no plan to go back home? This week I’m going to look at three dramas opening this weekend, all by very good directors, about people trying to get away. There’s a man on the lam hiding out on an island in the Mississippi; a Wall Street financier who flees to Lahore, Pakistan; and some explorers who embark on a long trip to boldly go where no one has gone before...(read more)

Small Town Blues. Movies Reviewed: At Any Price, Blackbird

In Blackbird, Sean (Connor Jessup) is a gothy-looking adolescent who goes to school every day wearing a spiky leather jacket torn-up skinny jeans, and a cloud of attitude. He’s actually a big city boy, but his mom has pawned him off on his small town Nova Scotia dad, now that she’s remarried. Dad lives for hockey and works as a Zamboni driver. He’s not comfortable with his son always "dressing up for Hallowe’en" (as he calls it). It also attracts the school bullies – the alpha-dog hockey players. He could just stay away from them but he really likes hockey bunny Deanna (Alexia Fast) who rides the bus with him. He’s attacked and humiliated by the school bullies, and Deanna doesn’t defend him. But when his guidance counsellor tells him to express his anger in story form, things turn from bad to worse. The police get a hold of his notebook, his website, and the short films he made on his cell phone and he’s arrested for supposedly plotting to kill...(read more)

Daniel Garber talks with director JUSTIN McCONNELL and the Skullman GREG SOMMERS about the new film Skullworld

Have you ever turned down a dark alley only to run into a strange man with a skull for a head, a booming voice, decked out in elaborate body armour, and maybe holding a chain or an axe? Did you scream and run away? Or did you just say “how’s it goin bro” and buy him a beer? Well that was probably Skullman, the subject of a new documentary opening today called SKULLWORLD. He’s part of a growing international gaming phenomenon known as Box Wars. To explain all this, I speak with the Skullman himself, aka Greg Sommers, and the film’s director Justin McConnell. ...(read more)

An Interview With Derek Hayes, Author of the New Book “The Maladjusted”

I've read all of your stories many times, but now I'd like to hear you talk a bit about them. There's a tone of black humour in this book, Derek, but would you say most of the short stories in your new collection, The Maladjusted (October, 2011, Thistledown Press) are comedies or tragedies... and why?

Derek Hayes: I think they are tragic for some of the characters, but not in any way that matters to anyone but themselves. And for this reason I hope readers will find the stories funny. I'm interested in characters that for their own personal, deeply-rooted reasons... (read more)

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