Pack law prevents alphas and omegas from getting their howl on in this movie’s wolf world, so huntress Kate (Hayden Panettiere) and jokester Humphrey (Justin Long) seem destined to keep it platonic. Things change, though, when they’re sedated and moved from Jasper National Park to an Idaho wilderness reserve. On the way back to Jasper—where […]
Matt Semansky
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The Devil‘s in the details
Trust M. Night Shyamalan to suck the blood out of a good idea. Shyamalan didn’t direct Devil—that would be John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine)—but as the first film in his Night Chronicles series, it bears his unmistakeable imprint. Five strangers stuck in an elevator start dying one by one, and no one can figure out who […]
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AFF: A Canadian Legend and Let Me In
Gordon Pinsent has one of those voices you’d love to have reading your kids (or you) bedtime stories. Deep, gentle and soulful, a warm fireplace of a vocal that’s enjoyable just to bask in. I had the pleasure of basking in Pinsent-glow this afternoon. The Newfoundland-born actor is in town to introduce tonight’s screening of Away From Her (7:10, Park Lane 4), the 2006 film by Sarah Polley about a marriage ripped apart by Alzheimer’s and the opening of old wounds. Pinsent strikes a gently powerful pose “It’s a special piece, as I look back now,” said Pinsent of the
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AFF Midnight Shows: Tis Better to Give’r…
If you’re looking for a reason to stay up late on a school night, you could definitely do worse than tomorrow’s midnight screening of Fubar II at the Oxford Theatre. Terry and Dean, the most lovable hosers since Bob and Doug McKenzie, are back in Michael Dowse’s sequel to his 2002 faux-documentary hit. The Deaner […]
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Tierney Talk
After seeing it twice, I’m still beating the drum for Jacob Tierney’s Good Neighbours, a chilly noir set in referendum-era Montreal. Without the what’s-gonna-happen tension of the first viewing, I found the film much funnier than I did the first time, although still in a jet-black sort of way. But enough of what I think […]
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Play It Again (And Again, And Again)
Caught the Atlantic Shorts program yesterday, a five-film selection that included Tarek Abouamin’s Gawab, a thoughtful, introspective piece that examines how family connections and cultural environment can pull at different ends of the rope when it comes to an immigrant’s sense of identity. I found it even better the second time than the first (the same cut played at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival in the spring). Better the second time. That got me thinking: if that was my reaction, how did Abouamin, who must have been seeing the film for the zillionth time, feel about it? It’s something most
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Shorts and Suspense
This probably comes too late for anyone planning out their Saturday at AFF, but I thought it was worth chipping in a word for the Atlantic Shorts 1 program, on at 2PM at Park Lane today. Out of Trip, Being Parkour, The Chewing Gum Man, GAWAB and Winter Wave Riders, I’m most interested in the last two (although the fun part about these things is that the films you have no expectations about often end up being the most enjoyable). Why GAWAB and Winter Wave Riders? In the first case, I’m interested to see if Tarek Abouamin has made any
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30 by 30
How to buy AFF tickets Tickets are available at the AFF box office, located in Park Lane Mall, and at all TicketPro outlets (422-6965), including Video Difference (24 hours a day!), or online at ticketpro.ca and atlanticfilm.com. Regular screening tickets are $12; gala and special presentations are $17. For packages and special events, check out […]
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AFF newcomer spotlight: Laura Dawe
Light is the Day Friday, September 24, Park Lane 7, 9:25pm If the apocalypse hits and do-it-yourself film production turns out to be a critical survival skill, Laura Dawe will make out fine. Having put herself through an unorthodox filmmaking boot camp, the 27-year-old Halifax artist and filmmaker knows about working with minimal resources. Dawe’s […]
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Resident Evil: Afterlife will never die
No one’s put a bullet through the skull of this video game-based zombie movie series, so it’s back to deliver another round of mindless action and gore. Milla Jovovich, the poor woman’s Angelina Jolie, reprises her role as a superheroine out to punish the company responsible for turning most of humanity into undead flesh eaters. […]
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The American is subtle but satisfying
One’s enjoyment of The American depends on one’s feelings about George Clooney. Director Anton Corbijn is clearly a fan, having placed almost the entire weight of his movie on the actor’s immaculately dressed shoulders. Clooney plays a professional killer hiding out in small-town Italy following the tragic conclusion of his previous job. He divides his […]
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The Last Exorcism twists out of shape
What starts as a clever update of the demonic possession narrative ends up as a pseudo-doc hack job that’s more Blair Witch than Linda Blair. Having built a career performing fraudulent exorcisms that hinge on cheap magic tricks and the irrational faith of his customers, a guilty Louisiana pastor (Patrick Fabian) invites a film crew […]