Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 17, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 17, 2012! It's another week of exciting release here in Toronto and I'm excited because it's also our 2nd week in a row of Book to Film Club releases as last week we had The Woman in Black (see podcast review here) and this week we have The Secret World of Arrietty / Kari-gurashi no Arietti based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton. But before we get to the super big films, let's have a look at our limited release titles.

This week in limited release this week we have a whole slew of interesting films including Puppet, which really caught my eye as it's a documentary on puppeteering that looks like it takes head on both the love and criticism of the craft. And seriously, I had no idea there was criticism of it, I mean.. really? Who doesn't like puppets? Puppets are awesome. Another film that was already on my radar and now excited to see in release is the Love (2012), a Taiwan/China co-pro that's a really sweet looking romantic comedy which I actually saw the trailer for earlier this year in the theatre when I went to The Viral Factor. I love how many international films we have the opportunity to see here in Toronto, and that continues even mre with this weeks releases of highly acclaimed and Oscar-nominated WWII biopic film In Darkness, South Korean romantic comedy Dancing Queen and Bollywood film Ekk Deewana Tha.

In wide release this week we have our first of the 2012 Book to Film Club releases with The Secret World of Arrietty / Kari-gurashi no Arietti based on the kids book The Borrowers and the film version is from Japan, although it's re-voiced here with North American actors which will be interesting to see, and hear! I'm really looking forward to it and I really enjoyed the book. We also have Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which my first instinct is just to rag on it as I didn't like the first one (and I don't think I was alone in that), but when I honestly take in my own reaction to the trailer to this new one, I have to admit it looks like fun, although it also does look like a frighteningly close possibly pseudo sequel to Drive Angry. Last up for wide releases is This Means War which has some special screening releases for Valentine's Day, but 'officially' opens today.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Reel Artists Film Festival
February 22 - 26, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday February 17, 2012 Releases

Dancing Queen
Dir: Lee Suk-Hoon
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Um Jung-Hwa, Jung Sung-Hwa, Ra Mi-Ran
South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Ekk Deewana Tha
Dir: Gautham Menon
Cast: Prateik Babbar, Amy Jackson, Sachin Khedekar
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Dir: Brian Taylor & Mark Neveldine (Gamer, Crank)
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido, Ciaran Hinds, Idris Elba, Fergus Riordan, Anthony Stewart Head
USA/United Arab Emirates
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

In Darkness
Dir: Agnieszka Holland (Julie Walking Home, The Secret Garden (1993))
Cast: Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Fürmann, Agnieszka Grochowska
Poland/Germany/France/Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Love (2012)
Dir: Doze Niu (What on Earth Have I Done Wrong?!)
Cast: Wei Zhao, Mark Chao, Eddie Peng, Amber Kuo
Taiwan/China
Limited Release
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

Puppet
Dir: David Soll
Documentary - feature film directorial debut
Canada/US
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Secret World of Arrietty / Kari-gurashi no Arietti
Dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, David Henrie, Moises Arias
Japan
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

This Means War
Dir: McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Charlie's Angels)
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 17, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 10, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 10, 2012!

In limited release this week we have just two releases to choose from and from them are the highly acclaimed and anticipated We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver and starring the formidable Tilda Swinton and we also have the French drama The Snows of Kilimanjuro.

In wide release this week we have and interesting array of choices including political thriller/action flick Safe House starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington or if you are revving up for Valentine's there is The Vow starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams as a couple that go through the challenge of memory loss together. If you are looking for adventure there is Journey 2: The Mysterious Island with The Rock (which might be my pick this week!), the 3D releases of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and the Bollywood release of Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.

If you are looking for a new Valentine's Day pick we do have a mid-week release on February 14, 2012 with This Means War starring Tom Hardy & Chris Pine as two men both trying to win the hear of Reese Witherspoon. Oh, and they are both ...spies. I love both those actors but it looks like their characters spend more time wreaking havoc on each other than trying to woo the girl. Not quite *that* romantic...

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Oscar Nominated Shorts
Animated and live action shorts grouped together in separate programs playing at TIFF Lightbox as of February 10, 2012

Friday February 10, 2012 Releases

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Dir: Shakun Batra - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Dir: Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl [short])
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Luis Guzman, Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Davis, Michael Caine
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Safe House
Dir: Daniel Espinosa (Outside Love, Babylonsjukan)
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Vera Farmiga, Fares Fares, Robert Patrick
USA/South Africa
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Snows of Kilimanjuro
Dir: Robert Guédiguian (Loady Jane, Journey to Armenia)
Cast: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D
Writer/Dir: George Lucas (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, American Graffiti)
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp, ay Park
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Vow
Dir: Michael Sucsy - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill, Scott Speedman, Jessica Lange
USA/Brazil/France/UK/Australia/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Dir: Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar)
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly
USA/UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tuesday February 14, 2012 Releases

This Means War
Dir: McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Charlie's Angels)
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 10, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 3, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 3, 2012! I'm so excited for this weeks releases, we are back up to our whopping number of films to enjoy with 11 coming to Toronto theatres; plus 2 of those are paranormal and tons are Canadian! It's a great week to be a film lover.

In limited release this week we have 6 films to enjoy and I'm delighted to see that we are getting the spooky film The Innkeepers out in release here in Toronto, it's a fantastic paranormal film that I had a chance to see at Toronto After Dark in 2011 and I just adored. I also shared videos from the Intro and Q&A with director Ti West from the screening at Toronto After Dark, but would strongly recommend only watching them after seeing it as they are very spoiler-heavy. This week is also a big week for Canadian release in limited releases as we have the quirky Canadian comedy Moon Point (hear my podcast review of Moon Point here) which I found to be a quirky & charming delight, the much anticipated Le Vendeur straight from Canada's Top Ten and is high on my to-see list, and we also have the Canadian documentary Inside Lara Roxx following adult film star Lara Roxx who contracted HIV very early in her career. Also out in limited release is Madonna's second turn in the director's chair with historical drama W./E. as well as the release of Mexican film Miss Bala bridging the challenges of an aspiring beauty queen amid a culture of crime.

In wide release this week we have 5 films to choose from and I can hardly contain my excitement for the release of The Woman in Black, a supernatural historical story following Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe of th Harry Potter series), a young lawyer to settle the affairs of an eccentric client after their passing and also a 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club Selection. We also have the teen superpowers flick Chronicle, Canadian documentary Pink Ribbons, Inc and the based on a true story of trapped whales under ice film: Big Miracle. Also out in limited release is the Oscar nominated historical set Albert Nobbs starring Glenn Close as a woman who poses as a man to survive in nineteenth century Ireland.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

The Great Digital Film Festival 2012
A selection of classic, cult and popular film shown in digital or High Definition including Serenity, Lost Boys, Spaceballs and so much more
February 3 - 9, 2012 at Cineplex theatres in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday February 3, 2012 Releases

Albert Nobbs
Dir: Rodrigo Garcia
Cast: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Aaron Johnson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
UK/Ireland
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Big Miracle
Dir: Ken Kwapis (He's Just Not That Into You, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants)
Cast: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson, Ted Danson
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Chronicle
Dir: Joshua Trank - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan, Ashley Hinshaw, Michael Kelly
UK/USA
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Innkeepers
Writer/Dir: Ti West
Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle
USA
Limited Release
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

Inside Lara Roxx
Dir: Mia Donovan
Documentary
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Miss Bala
Dir: Gerardo Naranjo (Voy a explotar, Malachance)
Cast: Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernandez and Irene Azuela
Mexico
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Moon Point
Dir: Sean Cisterna - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Nick McKinlay, Paula Brancati, Kyle Mac, Kristen Gutoskie
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Pink Ribbons, Inc
Dir: Léa Pool (The Blue Butterfly, Emporte-moi)
Documentary
Canada
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Le Vendeur / The Salesman
Writer/Dir: Sébastien Pilote - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Gilbert Sicotte, Nathalie Cavezzali, Jérémy Tessier, Jean-Francois Boudreau, Pierre Leblanc
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

W./E.
Dir: Madonna (Filth & Wisdom)
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D’Arcy, Oscar Isaac
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Woman in Black **2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club Selection**
Dir: James Watkins (Eden Lake)
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Liz White
UK/Canada/Sweden
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 3, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 27, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 27, 2012! Happy Oscar nominations week! As per tradition I've made my 3 lists for Oscar nominations including a details list, a film list with the details of what it's nominated for and a simple film list with # of nominations (great for printing & highlighting). I'm way behind - I've only seen 13 of the 46 nominated features! I'll get to at least one more this weekend but not sure how many I'll get to by February 26, 2012 for the awards. Here's hoping it's a lot more!

In limited release this week we have three films to choose from including the just nominated Canadian film Monsieur Lazhar, which has also been a part of the Canada's Top Ten 2011 and Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It's from writer/director Philippe Falardeau (C'est pas moi, je le jure! / It's Not Me, I Swear!, Congorama) and stars Fellag, and has inspiring teacher film written all over it. I can't wait to see it. I also am thrilled to see Tyrannosaur hitting a Toronto theatre this week, it's the fantastic directorial debut from Paddy Considine with a story of a hard case man and a strong faith woman who have absolutely nothing in common. One of the best films I saw at TIFF 2011 and features fantastic performances from the cast including Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan. You can hear my review as well as the intro and Q&A with Tyrannosaur director Paddy Considine here on the Movie Moxie Podcast #59. Last up for limited releases we have All's Well That Ends Well, a Hong Kong comedy that hooks up divorcees starring Donnie Yen, it has a really cute trailer showing the 'many different ways to hug' and remake of the 1988 film The Eight Happiness.

In wide release this week we have 5 films in release, first up is The Grey starring Liam Neeson, who I continue to love to see in action-y roles and it's really exciting to see Frank Grillo (Warrior (2011), 'The Gates') in this one as well, it's a survivalist action/thriller that is I understand the premise from the trailer (which is spoilery...), feels a little over the top, but still very interesting. We also have One for the Money, adapted from the book One for the Money by Janet Evanovich and stars Katherine Heigl who is down on her luck and turns to becoming a bail bondsman, and honestly - I think this one looks pretty funny. Also hitting theatres is Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris and looks a mystery/thriller - from a ledge. Also out in release is the animated film Back to the Sea 3D and Bollywood release of Agneepath.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

The 8 Fest Small-Gauge Film Festival
A festival focusing on small-gauge film including 8mm, Super 8, 9.5mm, loops and zoetropes
January 27 - 29, 2012 at Trash Palace in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday January 27, 2012 Releases

Agneepath
Writer/Dir: Karan Malhotra - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Arush Bhiwandiwala, Deven Bhojani, Sunil Chauhan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

All's Well That Ends Well / Baat seng bou hei
Dir: Hing-Ka Chan (La comédie humaine, Poker King)
Cast: Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Lynn Hung, Kelly Chen, Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Chapman To
Hong Kong
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

Back to the Sea 3D
Dir: Thom Lu
Voices: Christian Slater, Tim Curry, Mark Hamill, Tom Kenny, Kath Soucie, John Di Maggio
China
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Grey
Dir: Joe Carnahan (The A-Team, Smokin' Aces)
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Man on a Ledge
Dir: Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Burns, Keira Sedgwick, Ed Harris
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Monsieur Lazhar
Writer/Dir: Philippe Falardeau (C'est pas moi, je le jure! / It's Not Me, I Swear!, Congorama)
Cast: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

One for the Money
Dir: Julie Anne Robinson (The Last Song)
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Sherri Sheppard, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tyrannosaur
Writer/Dir: Paddy Considine - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy
UK
Limited Release
Film 4 Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 27, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 20, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 20, 2012! We are back up to our regular holy-crap-that's-a-lot-of-films number of releases with a whopping 10 new films hitting Toronto theatres. What will you choose to watch this week?

In limited release this week we have 7 films to choose from including the post-apocalyptic thriller The Divide, and I'll tell you it's one hell of a film. Dark and brutal - but brilliant. It's directed by Xavier Gens and it played at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2011 at which point I had the opportunity to interview stars Michael Biehn and Michael Eklund - you can hear that interview here, or read the transcripts here: Michael Biehn interview and Michael Eklund interview. They are spoiler-free interview so you don't have to wait to see the film to dive in! You can also see my review of The Divide as well as videos from The Divide Q&A and Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund. More limited release awesomeness comes with Ralph Fiennes directorial debut of the Shakespearean adaptation of Coriolanus, the Hong Kong action flick The Viral Factor starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse, the South Korean film The Front Line / Go-ji-jeon from the director of Rough Cut / Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da and the highly acclaimed and much-listed Iranian film A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, all of which I am really looking forward to seeing. We also have Angelina Jolie's directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey and rounding out the limited releases is Not Since You.

In wide release this week we have 3 films to choose from, all of them with action and thrills to enjoy. First up I'm pretty freaking psyched for Underworld Awakening which looks like it's going back to it's vampire action roots with Kate Beckinsale kicking butt, not taking names and looking awesome. There is also awesome Lycan (aka werewolf) action going on and a fantastic cast including Kris Holden-Ried (Dyson on 'Lost Girl') and Charles Dance (Aliens 3, Ironclad, 'Game of Thrones'). For those not counting and not fans of colon usage with multiple sequel'd films, this is #4 after: Underworld, Underworld: Evolution and the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, although in Underworld-verse-time it appears to be most directly post-Underworld: Evolution. Also action-centric is Haywire with a female lead in MMA superstar Gina Carano and we also have Red Tails with a tagline of "Courage Has No Color" and set during WWII and follows African American pilots who have yet to be given the chance to show what they can really do. That's one heck of a week for films! It's going to be a busy one.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Attack the Bloc: Cold War Science Fiction from Behind the Iron Curtain
At TIFF Lightbox from January 19 - April 6, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario Canada

Friday January 20, 2012 Releases

Coriolanus
Dir: Ralph Fiennes - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Divide
Dir: Xavier Gens (Frontier(s), Hitman)
Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, Ashton Holmes, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Eklund, Iván González
Canada/USA/Germany
Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page

The Front Line / Go-ji-jeon
Dir: Hun Jang (Secret Reunion, Rough Cut / Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da)
Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Ko Soo, Lee Je-hoon, Ryu Seung-soo
South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Haywire
Dir: Steven Soderbergh (Solaris, Oceans 11, The Girlfriend Experience)
Cast: Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton
USA/Ireland
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

In the Land of Blood and Honey
Writer/Dir: Angelina Jolie - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Alma Terzic, Rade Šerbedžija, Vanesa Glodjo
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Not Since You
Dir: Jeff Stephenson (Flyerman, Bellini's Drive)
Cast: Desmond Harrington, Kathleen Robertson, Christian Kane, Jon Abrahams, Sunny Mabrey, Will Estes
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Red Tails
Dir: Anthony Hemingway - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, Kevin Phillips, Nate Parker, Daniela Ruah, Michael B. Jordan, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith, Rick Otto, Elijah Kelly
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Writer/Dir: Asghar Farhadi (About Elly, Fireworks Wednesday)
Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat
Iran
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Underworld Awakening
Dir: Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein (Shelter - podcast review)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Viral Factor
Writer/Dir: Dante Lam (Fire of Conscience, Beast Cops)
Cast: Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse
Hong Kong
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 20, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 13, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 13, 2012! Our quiet start off of releases this year is not trend as today we are back up to a whopping 9 films in comparison to last weeks measly 2. Let's have a look at what we have in store here in Toronto.

In limited release this week we have The Swell Season following Once actors/musicians and couple Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová in their post-film tour. We also have the indie sweetheart film Pariah following a late-teen lesbian which I've heard amazing things about. Getting international we have the Beijing-set Red Light Revolution and Nanban from India.

In wide release this week we have David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method starring Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung, Viggo Mortensen and Freud and Keira Knightly as a volatile patient; there is a lot of excitement around this one and it was chose as a part of Canada's Top Ten 2011. This week also brings up Contraband has the 'one last job' heist-film formula written all over it, but considering it's from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur who directed the brilliant White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn I can't wait to see it; and I do also happen to be a fan of Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter). Also hitting theatres but one I only just found out about is Joyful Noise starring Queen Latifah & Dolly Parton and with a tagline of "Dream a Whole Lot Louder" I know I have to check it out, plus it's from Todd Graff the director of Bandslam which coincidentally I'm watching as I write this! What are the chances. Rounding out the wide releases we have The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher and a re-release of the 1991 Disney film The Beauty and the Beast in 3D.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screenings

Full Metal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
Janaury 15, 2012 at 12:45PM and January 19, 2012 at 7:30PM at various locations

Design for Living Trilogy: Gary Hustwit's Design Trilogy
Helvetica, Urbanized & Objectified play January 13 - 17, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox

Shorts Are Not Pants
Friday January 13, 2012 at 7PM at the NFB in Toronto, Ontario, Canad

Friday January 13, 2012 Releases

Beauty and the Beast 3D
Dir: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise (The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Cast: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson Richard White, Angela Lansbury
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Contraband
Dir: Baltasar Kormákur (White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn)
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Caleb Landry Jones, Lukas Haas, Diego Luna, J.K. Simmons
USA/UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

A Dangerous Method
Dir: David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis, Eastern Promises, Naked Lunch, The Fly, The Dead Zone)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Sarah Gadon, Vincent Cassel
Canada/UK/Switzerland/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Iron Lady
Dir: Phylida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Harry Lloyd, Jim Broadbent, Alexandra Roach
UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Joyful Noise
Writer/Dir: Todd Graff (Bandslam, Camp)
Cast: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Courtney B. Vance, Dexter Darden, Kris Kristofferson
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Nanban
Dir: S. Shankar (Enthiran, Sivaji)
Cast: Vijay, Jeeva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz
India
Limited Release
Official Film Wikipedia Page, Film Site & Trailer, Sadly I couldn't find an IMDb Page for Nanban!

Pariah
Writer/Dir: Dee Rees
Cast: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, Charles Parnell, Aasha Davis
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Red Light Revolution
Writer/Dir: Sam Voutas (Shanghai Bride, Crash Test)
Cast: Jun Zhao, Vivid Wang, Xiduo Jiang, Masanobu Otsuka
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Swell Season
Dir: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, Carlo Mirabella-Davis - feature film directorial debuts
Documentary
USA/Czech Republic/Ireland
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 13, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 6, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 6, 2012! It's a really quiet week we have with only 2 releases here in Toronto which means it's great timing to check out Canada's Top Ten 2011, the 10 best Canadian films as decided by TIFF which plays at Lightbox this week and has lots of special guests included.

Our one limited release this week is Players, a Bollywood remake of the 2003 version of The Italian Job, which brings up the interesting question of if it's a remake of a remake, it it not in fact a remake of the original? I'm not sure but it's making my mind really think, which is a good thing

In wide release this week we have 1 film: The Devil Inside. It wouldn't be January without a supernatural film to get the year started, and with The Devil Inside exorcisms are on the menu with a personal history tale of a woman who researches them to hone on the truth of her own family history including her institutionalized mother who was exorcised many years ago.

That isn't much to choose from this week but if you are curious to what else we have at the year ahead I have created a 2012 Upcoming Films list, which pictures, synopsis & trailers to give us a snapshot of what to us for the next little while. And if you are staying in this weekend I'd highly recommend checking out the dark Irish comedy The Guard which made both my Best & Most Enjoyed List of 2011; it was released on DVD earlier this week (see more DVD releases here).

Stay warm, and have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Canada's Top Ten 2011
Celebrate the 10 best Canadian films as decided by TIFF
January 5 - 15, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday January 6, 2012 Releases

The Devil Inside
Dir: William Brent Bell (Stay Alive)
Cast: Fernanda Andrade, Isabella Rossi, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Ionut Grama, Suzan Crowley
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Players
Dir: Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla & Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla (Mr. Fraud, 36 China Town)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 6, 2012**