Friday, November 25, 2011
Just sayin.
Good morning! What's that? You don't have your pass yet for hot docs 2012? Of course you don't. That's because I'm THE VERY FIRST AND ONLY OWNER of a 2012 hot docs pass. A Premium Pass, to be exact. How did I achieve this not-so-dubious distinction, you may ask? Well. I called them, and asked if I could buy one. And a very nice girl named Allie told me, "they're not on sale yet but sure, we can sell you one." Awesome! Thanks Allie! There's only 50 Premium Passes this year (good job hot docs, limiting the number of passes is a judicious move), so get 'em while they're....hot.
Monday, May 9, 2011
(The) Last Night
At this point it doesn't really matter how my day was yesterday, since none of y'all are going to be see anymore movies because hot docs is over. But since you asked, the highlight of the day was Kumare, about a dude from New Jersey who dresses up like an Indian guru and convinces a bunch of gullible Arizonians to become his followers. I found him inspiring - I'm already growing out my own beard to see how many followers I can amass.
The People's Choice award was announced today, and was awarded to Somewhere Between, about American girls who were adopted from China, and the difficulties that they encounter as a result of being "somewhere between" the two cultures. I'm kicking myself for missing this. I skipped it last Sunday because I was hungry and I needed a break. Poor showing, Dr. Dock. And to think that I call myself a doctor...
Coming soon (as in tonight, tomorrow, or whenever I get around to it): a list and ranking of all of the movies I saw, and perhaps some of my own awards. Stay tuned.
The People's Choice award was announced today, and was awarded to Somewhere Between, about American girls who were adopted from China, and the difficulties that they encounter as a result of being "somewhere between" the two cultures. I'm kicking myself for missing this. I skipped it last Sunday because I was hungry and I needed a break. Poor showing, Dr. Dock. And to think that I call myself a doctor...
Coming soon (as in tonight, tomorrow, or whenever I get around to it): a list and ranking of all of the movies I saw, and perhaps some of my own awards. Stay tuned.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Ending, But Not Over
I'm convinced that the hot docs programmers have stacked the end of the festival with the better movies because yesterday was so damn good.
How to Die in Oregon was an emotionally and physically jolting experience. I cried for almost 108 minutes solid, and judging from the sniffling and snuffling noises coming from around me, I wasn't the only one. The movie follows a 54 year old woman as she decides if and when to die. What a ballsy subject for filmmaker Peter Richardson to cover. Bravo. The film garnered and long and strong standing ovation, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was a strong contender for People's Choice Award. It's playing again today at 5:45 at the Cumberland. Go. And bring tissues.
Another stand-out from yesterday was After the Apocalypse, which raised the controversial issue of a government's power to interfere with a woman's right to reproduce. Some doctors in Khazakstan believe that have an obligation to do so. It is difficult for us in Canada to understand that, but we aren't faced with the spectre of mass genetic mutations in our future generations. Maybe it's not so cut and dry. A highlight of the movie was seeing a fetus in a jar with one giant eye in the middle of his face. Who's got the popcorn?
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 was also amazing. It played to a sold out Bloor Cinema which is always a rowdy experience (for a night at the movies). There were a couple bouts of spontaneous applause in the middle of the movie, most notably after an impassioned soliloquy by Angela Davis from her prison cell. This movie was an extraordinary treatment of rare archival footage, and it was mesmerizing.
Well, I suppose this is almost my last post for the year. Thanks for humouring me by thus far. Tomorrow I'll let you know how today goes, and I'll announce the Dr. Dock Awards.
Get out there!
How to Die in Oregon was an emotionally and physically jolting experience. I cried for almost 108 minutes solid, and judging from the sniffling and snuffling noises coming from around me, I wasn't the only one. The movie follows a 54 year old woman as she decides if and when to die. What a ballsy subject for filmmaker Peter Richardson to cover. Bravo. The film garnered and long and strong standing ovation, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was a strong contender for People's Choice Award. It's playing again today at 5:45 at the Cumberland. Go. And bring tissues.
Another stand-out from yesterday was After the Apocalypse, which raised the controversial issue of a government's power to interfere with a woman's right to reproduce. Some doctors in Khazakstan believe that have an obligation to do so. It is difficult for us in Canada to understand that, but we aren't faced with the spectre of mass genetic mutations in our future generations. Maybe it's not so cut and dry. A highlight of the movie was seeing a fetus in a jar with one giant eye in the middle of his face. Who's got the popcorn?
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 was also amazing. It played to a sold out Bloor Cinema which is always a rowdy experience (for a night at the movies). There were a couple bouts of spontaneous applause in the middle of the movie, most notably after an impassioned soliloquy by Angela Davis from her prison cell. This movie was an extraordinary treatment of rare archival footage, and it was mesmerizing.
Well, I suppose this is almost my last post for the year. Thanks for humouring me by thus far. Tomorrow I'll let you know how today goes, and I'll announce the Dr. Dock Awards.
Get out there!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Dr. Dock's Prescription for the LAST WEEKEND of hot docs 2011
So its the last weekend of hot docs, and you've spent the whole week thinking, "I'd like to be more like Dr. Dock, but I just don't have the stamina and the cinematic prowess, and I wouldn't even know where to start!" Well hop up on this table here and listen to what I have to say.
First of all, check out the sidebar for an updated list of movies I'm probably going to see this weekend. Most of them look great and I think they're safe bets. Please ignore any weird formatting and font issues in the sidebar, that's just Blogger's way of telling my to go fuck myself.
The following movies are movie's I have seen that are repeating this weekend, and come with my star of approval:
First of all, check out the sidebar for an updated list of movies I'm probably going to see this weekend. Most of them look great and I think they're safe bets. Please ignore any weird formatting and font issues in the sidebar, that's just Blogger's way of telling my to go fuck myself.
The following movies are movie's I have seen that are repeating this weekend, and come with my star of approval:
Little Voices (today, 3:45, TBLB2)
Weibo's War (today, 7:00, Regent)
The Guantanamo Trap (today, 9:30, Regent)
Inside Lara Roxx (tomorrow, 9:30, Royal)
You might also want to check out the latest leaders in the People's Choice Awards. I never vote - I can't rate the movies until I've seen them all and by then nobody cares about my vote. I could go on for a while about the inherent flaws in this voting system but this is neither the time nor the....actually, it's totally the place. But not the time. Read on.
A better idea is to peruse the list of award winners from last night's awards ceremony. If any of these films are screening again this weekend, go see them, but get there early. The repeat screenings were announced for Sunday morning based on the awards. (Side question: they use to do these repeat screenings on Sunday night, didn't they?) I'm always hopeful that there's at least one movie that I missed that's getting a repeat and this year it's Family Portrait in Black and White, which is about a Ukrainian woman raising 23 abandoned children including 16 bi-racial ones. The other one is Dragonslayer, which I haven't heard too much about, but hey, it won an award!
One last consideration: The TIFF Lightbox theatre on King is an amazing theatre. It's worth seeing if you haven't already, and it's certainly made my hot docs marathon a lot easier. But as far as I'm concerned, the heart of hot docs beats on Bloor, and for the last weekend it's nice to get swept up in the revelry. I'm going to be rolling around "uptown" as much as I can. Hope to see you there!
Really, you can't go wrong. Pick a time and a place that you want to be, and go watch a freaking documentary. God speed my little patients!
20 down, 10 More To Go
"I want to get mooore out of a tank of gas." - annoying lady in the Ford Commercial
I have heard this lady say this exactly 20 times in the past 8 days.
But nevermind that. Life is great.
Little Voices was amazing. It was a 3D animated movie about children who have been scarred by civil war in Columbia. We got to wear the glases and everything! The animations were based on drawings by the children, and they were cute, smiley and colourful - an interesting juxtaposition to the horrible stories the children were telling. This was a very unique movie, a perfect antidote to the bland interview/narrate documentary format. It also had one of the best scores of the festival.
After some avocado rolls and deep friend lotus roots (finally! a meal!) we headed up to the Cumberland for Inside Lara Roxx, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. An interesting aspect to this film was the relationship betweeen Lara and the filmmaker Mia. Mia chose to narrate her decisions regarding when to shoot and when to stop, and the viewers get to observe their relationship growing and changing. They were both there for the q & a, but Lara had just gotten out of rehab two days earlier so she could barely stand. Somebody had to get her a chair. It was very real, and perceptively tense for the audience, which is what I love about these hot docs experiences. I'm glad I didn't catch this flick on opening night because the director mentioned that they ha sold out the Bloor. Have you ever been in the Bloor when it was at capacity? It's like being on an oversold 747 to Singapore. Without the sexy flight attendants.
So that was last night.
I have heard this lady say this exactly 20 times in the past 8 days.
But nevermind that. Life is great.
Little Voices was amazing. It was a 3D animated movie about children who have been scarred by civil war in Columbia. We got to wear the glases and everything! The animations were based on drawings by the children, and they were cute, smiley and colourful - an interesting juxtaposition to the horrible stories the children were telling. This was a very unique movie, a perfect antidote to the bland interview/narrate documentary format. It also had one of the best scores of the festival.
After some avocado rolls and deep friend lotus roots (finally! a meal!) we headed up to the Cumberland for Inside Lara Roxx, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. An interesting aspect to this film was the relationship betweeen Lara and the filmmaker Mia. Mia chose to narrate her decisions regarding when to shoot and when to stop, and the viewers get to observe their relationship growing and changing. They were both there for the q & a, but Lara had just gotten out of rehab two days earlier so she could barely stand. Somebody had to get her a chair. It was very real, and perceptively tense for the audience, which is what I love about these hot docs experiences. I'm glad I didn't catch this flick on opening night because the director mentioned that they ha sold out the Bloor. Have you ever been in the Bloor when it was at capacity? It's like being on an oversold 747 to Singapore. Without the sexy flight attendants.
So that was last night.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Hi! Welcome to hot docs! Right this way...
With only three days left to go, I'm deeply ensconced in the in the manic phase of hot docs. I don't eat, aside from lazy capreses, popcorn, and the occasional bowl of cereal before I go to bed. I barely have time to sleep. And my apartment has become a dumping ground for dirty socks and ticket stubs. This morning I found a Rice Krispie in my bed (I think it was Crackle). Things are spinning a little bit out of control here!
Forgot to tell you that on Wednesday night I had a heart-to-heart with the girl at the Lightbox box office (otherwise known as hd #1 - see my post Rabblerousing). I told her all about my routine, and how I was caught off guard and didn't know how to react, and I apologized for giving her a hard time. We're cool now.
Saw Limelight and My Barefoot Friend last night. Limelight, which was about NYC nightlife impresario Peter Gatien, moved a bit too fast for me. And towards the end it hit me that I had been listening to trance music for the past 90 minute. "Ugh," says present-day me. "Woohoo!" says 17 year old me. It was an interesting story, especially the long stretch towards the end about the criminal prosecution of Gatien. My Barefoot Friend, about a rickshaw puller in Calcutta, was gritty and emotional. It also made me wonder how I ever survived in India, even for a month. What a filthy place. What delicious food. Notably, although I thought it was a solid movie, the audience barely applauded at the end. Awkward.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the "we couldn't do this without the volunteers" commercial that screens before every movie is hilarious? I am? I've been getting that impression. And PLEASE, people, you're at a film festival. You must follow proper etiquette and CLAP after that commercial. It is simply uncouth not to. I cannot keep carrying your weight. Let's all take turns.
Stay tuned for tonight's announcement of the extra screenings on Sunday morning. And if you're looking for suggestions for this weekend, you can peruse the list of movies that are leading the audience choice awards.
Forgot to tell you that on Wednesday night I had a heart-to-heart with the girl at the Lightbox box office (otherwise known as hd #1 - see my post Rabblerousing). I told her all about my routine, and how I was caught off guard and didn't know how to react, and I apologized for giving her a hard time. We're cool now.
Saw Limelight and My Barefoot Friend last night. Limelight, which was about NYC nightlife impresario Peter Gatien, moved a bit too fast for me. And towards the end it hit me that I had been listening to trance music for the past 90 minute. "Ugh," says present-day me. "Woohoo!" says 17 year old me. It was an interesting story, especially the long stretch towards the end about the criminal prosecution of Gatien. My Barefoot Friend, about a rickshaw puller in Calcutta, was gritty and emotional. It also made me wonder how I ever survived in India, even for a month. What a filthy place. What delicious food. Notably, although I thought it was a solid movie, the audience barely applauded at the end. Awkward.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the "we couldn't do this without the volunteers" commercial that screens before every movie is hilarious? I am? I've been getting that impression. And PLEASE, people, you're at a film festival. You must follow proper etiquette and CLAP after that commercial. It is simply uncouth not to. I cannot keep carrying your weight. Let's all take turns.
Stay tuned for tonight's announcement of the extra screenings on Sunday morning. And if you're looking for suggestions for this weekend, you can peruse the list of movies that are leading the audience choice awards.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
No Speaking the English
Pet peeve: English subtitles over English dialogue. Especially when they're wrong. I just can't wrap my head around it. I'm specifically referring to Melissa Mom and Me, which was an Israeli film. I do not understand how somebody living in Israel, where there are probably millions of American expats, can't find a native English speaker to proofread the subtitles, or to remind the filmmakers that you don't need to subtitle dialogue in its own language. I've seen this epidemic in other movies too. FILMMAKERS: If you need help with subtitles, my rates are very reasonable! And I speak English is very good! Aside from this travesty the movie was weird. It was about a couple of girls who used to be strippers in Tokyo. One girl, Yael, has a painfully obsessive crush on the other, Melissa. Seven years after they've last seen each other, Yael searches for Melissa and shows up on her doorstep in the US of A with a film crew. Melissa can barely remember who she is, but Yael sticks around and keeps filming her. I think in the Criminal Code of Canada this is referred to as criminal harassment.
It screened with a movie called Poster Girl, about a 19 year old girl who went to Iraq, and was traumatized by all the horrific things she saw. Whine whine whine.
After that I headed down to the Lightbox for Memoirs of a Plague and another lazy caprese. Nothing goes better with basil infused cocktails than close-up HD shots of locust autopsies. Yum!
Up tonight: Limelight, then either My Barefoot Friend or Project Nim. Any takers?
It screened with a movie called Poster Girl, about a 19 year old girl who went to Iraq, and was traumatized by all the horrific things she saw. Whine whine whine.
After that I headed down to the Lightbox for Memoirs of a Plague and another lazy caprese. Nothing goes better with basil infused cocktails than close-up HD shots of locust autopsies. Yum!
Up tonight: Limelight, then either My Barefoot Friend or Project Nim. Any takers?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Rabblerousing
Last night:
a) reminded me of why I started this blog.
b) reaffirmed my love for hot docs.
c) should serve as a reminder of why I shouldn't be allowed to go the movies by myself - I'm just not responsible enough to do it without getting myself into trouble.
If you guesses a, b, and c, then you are probably my friend or family.
Let's begin just over a month ago, when passes went on sale for hot docs. For $280, I bought myself a "Premium Pass for Two," which, according the the back of the pass, "entitles the bearer and a guest access to all non-concurrent Festival screenings." Since this pass cost me $110 more than an all-the-single-ladies pass, I have decided to try to recoup the difference from my guests. To that end, I have been asking my friends to PWTC for my extra tickets, with the notion that once I raise $110, it's a free for all. So far, I have recovered $20, a sour apple martini, a bj, and a delicious and much required breakfast at Over Easy (not all at once, except for the bj and the breakfast). Anyhoo, I did a stupid thing last night...
I was running late for Hot Coffee at The Royal. I arrived at 6:53 for a 7:00 movie, and had to squeeze up to the front of the line amongst all the rushies. How beneath me. Tempted by fate, and about two feet away from the ticket booth, I turned to the woman behind me and said, in a hushed voice, "I can give you my extra ticket for $10." My surreptitious tone must have gone over her head, because she got excited about the bargain and began waving a tenner at me. I tried to calm her down and suggested that she put the money away and give it to me later, away from the prying eyes of the hot doc staff. I managed to keep her quiet until we got into the theater where the clandestine exchange of money took place. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that we were being followed. It became apparent to me that a lanky man in a hot docs t-shirt and a headset was watching the whole deal go down. I'm pretty sure I heard him call back to one of his colleagues "I just want to see if she's giving her money!" The embarrassment began to set in. I love hot docs. I support hot docs. I certainly don't want to rip of hot docs. But even more, I don't want to get caught ripping off hot docs. So I slunk off to the best seat I could find, along the aisle in the second row, and waited for the film to begin. But the story's not over.
Now, I am very particular about my seats. This prompted me to ask an official looking woman, one of the programmers I believe, whether they would be opening up the coveted pair of accessibility seats behind the soundboard. As I asked her, Lanky sidled up, and piped in with "We like to save those seats for groups of two. Are you here with anyone?" He looked really proud of himself for coming up with such a probative question. I sheepishly told them that I wasn't, and he gave the programmer a sideways look that unequivocally implied that they knew. I was busted. I was going to get thrown out of the theatre, have my pass revoked, and never be allowed back to hot docs. My blog flashed before my eyes. But they didn't say anything. They were busy and they kept about their business.
The movie started. I couldn't concentrate. I had projectors fluttering in my stomach. The guilt was mounting and the embarrassment was morphing into mortification. I wanted to enjoy the movie but I couldn't, not with my impending ejection from hot docs hanging over my head. So I decided that I needed to something about it. I would apologize, and offer to make two $5 donations to hot docs by text message. No, three. That seemed fair.
I began the long trek from the second row to the back of theatre. In the lobby, I found Lanky and pulled him aside, and asked him "Were you watching me enter the theatre?" Lanky looked at me quizzically and said that he saw many people coming into the theatre and couldn't recall whether or not he saw me. Oh. I asked again, "didn't you see me come into the theatre with that other woman?" The programmer and another volunteer joined in. They had no idea what I was talking about. I had stuck my foot too far into my mouth and the only place to go was down. I explained to them that I had a Two for One Pass but that the woman who took my extra ticket was not my friend, and I didn't know her and that I felt terrible. The programmer was confused. "Why are you so apologetic? You're allowed to bring someone in with you." Down the hatchet we go: "Well, she gave me $10." Blanks looks all around. "Don't worry about, that's no problem! We'll pretend you never said anything!" Well don't I feel special now. I have just confessed to a transgression that nobody witnessed and that apparently wasn't even a transgression, and I was missing a chunk of the movie to accomplish this feat of morality. The programmer patted me on the shoulder, told me to get myself a hot coffee and get back to the movie. I did, with my tail between my legs, leaving the three very confused hot docs staff in the lobby.
Guilt alleviated, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the rest of the movie, which was about the state of tort law in the US. Remember the lady who sued McDonald's because her coffee was too hot? The movie presented the audience with a photo of her burns - if you ever doubted her right to a settlement, this documentary may change your mind. There was a lively and exciting q & a afterwards with the director, with lots of cross commenting and debating across the audience. I loved it. And hey, I even asked my very first question! There was that one time at TIFF where I might have asked Matthew McConaughey what he was doing later that night, but last night was certainly my first substantive question. Thrilling!
Hot Coffee was followed by a stroll down to the Lightbox where altercation #2 was awaiting me. The scene opens at the box office (doesn't it always?).
Me [displaying my pass]: I'd like one ticket for At Night They Dance.
hot doc volunteer #1: I'm sorry, we don't have any tickets left.
Me: Huh? I have a pass.
hd: I'm sorry m'am, but we don't have any industry tickets left.
Me: I'm not industry. I'm a member of the public. I have a pass.
hd: I understand, but we don't have any tickets to give you.
Me: There must be a misunderstanding - I have a pass. I paid almost $300 for this and I'd like my ticket now please.
hot docs staff #2, coming to her rescue: M'am, you don't need to be rude.
Me [honestly, keeping my cool]: I'm not being rude. I'd like my ticket please.
hd #2: We have sold out of pass tickets, you'll have to wait here in this special industry rush line and we will count the empty seats soon and start letting you in ahead of the regular rush line.
Me: I have seen 150 movies in the last 4 years [untrue: it's probably closer to 110 in three years] and this has never happened before.
hd #3: This has never happened to us either.
Various other arguments ensued. The futility sunk in and I assumed my spot at the front of the newly minted "industry rush line." Two minutes later, they gave me a blank ticket with the name of the movie scrawled on it (they weren't kidding, they really didn't have any tickets to give me) and up I went to theatre number four, which had at least 50 empty seats. Aru?? I saved myself a spot and headed outside for some chill out time before the movie. These old bones can't handle all the excitement like they used to!
I'm glad I fought so hard for my rights, because At Night They Dance was the film of the fest so far. I was transported into the streets of Cairo, and was captivated by the lives of the belly dancers and the men who pay them. The rest of the audience loved it also - I know because the applause began on the very first frame of the credits. It's a foolproof way to gauge audience response - try it for yourself next time. This movie made me rethink my selections for the rest of the fest - I need to chose more movies that take me places instead of telling me things. I know a lot of things, but places, you can never be to enough of them.
All in all, my favorite night at the festival so far this year.
a) reminded me of why I started this blog.
b) reaffirmed my love for hot docs.
c) should serve as a reminder of why I shouldn't be allowed to go the movies by myself - I'm just not responsible enough to do it without getting myself into trouble.
If you guesses a, b, and c, then you are probably my friend or family.
Let's begin just over a month ago, when passes went on sale for hot docs. For $280, I bought myself a "Premium Pass for Two," which, according the the back of the pass, "entitles the bearer and a guest access to all non-concurrent Festival screenings." Since this pass cost me $110 more than an all-the-single-ladies pass, I have decided to try to recoup the difference from my guests. To that end, I have been asking my friends to PWTC for my extra tickets, with the notion that once I raise $110, it's a free for all. So far, I have recovered $20, a sour apple martini, a bj, and a delicious and much required breakfast at Over Easy (not all at once, except for the bj and the breakfast). Anyhoo, I did a stupid thing last night...
I was running late for Hot Coffee at The Royal. I arrived at 6:53 for a 7:00 movie, and had to squeeze up to the front of the line amongst all the rushies. How beneath me. Tempted by fate, and about two feet away from the ticket booth, I turned to the woman behind me and said, in a hushed voice, "I can give you my extra ticket for $10." My surreptitious tone must have gone over her head, because she got excited about the bargain and began waving a tenner at me. I tried to calm her down and suggested that she put the money away and give it to me later, away from the prying eyes of the hot doc staff. I managed to keep her quiet until we got into the theater where the clandestine exchange of money took place. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that we were being followed. It became apparent to me that a lanky man in a hot docs t-shirt and a headset was watching the whole deal go down. I'm pretty sure I heard him call back to one of his colleagues "I just want to see if she's giving her money!" The embarrassment began to set in. I love hot docs. I support hot docs. I certainly don't want to rip of hot docs. But even more, I don't want to get caught ripping off hot docs. So I slunk off to the best seat I could find, along the aisle in the second row, and waited for the film to begin. But the story's not over.
Now, I am very particular about my seats. This prompted me to ask an official looking woman, one of the programmers I believe, whether they would be opening up the coveted pair of accessibility seats behind the soundboard. As I asked her, Lanky sidled up, and piped in with "We like to save those seats for groups of two. Are you here with anyone?" He looked really proud of himself for coming up with such a probative question. I sheepishly told them that I wasn't, and he gave the programmer a sideways look that unequivocally implied that they knew. I was busted. I was going to get thrown out of the theatre, have my pass revoked, and never be allowed back to hot docs. My blog flashed before my eyes. But they didn't say anything. They were busy and they kept about their business.
The movie started. I couldn't concentrate. I had projectors fluttering in my stomach. The guilt was mounting and the embarrassment was morphing into mortification. I wanted to enjoy the movie but I couldn't, not with my impending ejection from hot docs hanging over my head. So I decided that I needed to something about it. I would apologize, and offer to make two $5 donations to hot docs by text message. No, three. That seemed fair.
I began the long trek from the second row to the back of theatre. In the lobby, I found Lanky and pulled him aside, and asked him "Were you watching me enter the theatre?" Lanky looked at me quizzically and said that he saw many people coming into the theatre and couldn't recall whether or not he saw me. Oh. I asked again, "didn't you see me come into the theatre with that other woman?" The programmer and another volunteer joined in. They had no idea what I was talking about. I had stuck my foot too far into my mouth and the only place to go was down. I explained to them that I had a Two for One Pass but that the woman who took my extra ticket was not my friend, and I didn't know her and that I felt terrible. The programmer was confused. "Why are you so apologetic? You're allowed to bring someone in with you." Down the hatchet we go: "Well, she gave me $10." Blanks looks all around. "Don't worry about, that's no problem! We'll pretend you never said anything!" Well don't I feel special now. I have just confessed to a transgression that nobody witnessed and that apparently wasn't even a transgression, and I was missing a chunk of the movie to accomplish this feat of morality. The programmer patted me on the shoulder, told me to get myself a hot coffee and get back to the movie. I did, with my tail between my legs, leaving the three very confused hot docs staff in the lobby.
Guilt alleviated, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the rest of the movie, which was about the state of tort law in the US. Remember the lady who sued McDonald's because her coffee was too hot? The movie presented the audience with a photo of her burns - if you ever doubted her right to a settlement, this documentary may change your mind. There was a lively and exciting q & a afterwards with the director, with lots of cross commenting and debating across the audience. I loved it. And hey, I even asked my very first question! There was that one time at TIFF where I might have asked Matthew McConaughey what he was doing later that night, but last night was certainly my first substantive question. Thrilling!
Hot Coffee was followed by a stroll down to the Lightbox where altercation #2 was awaiting me. The scene opens at the box office (doesn't it always?).
Me [displaying my pass]: I'd like one ticket for At Night They Dance.
hot doc volunteer #1: I'm sorry, we don't have any tickets left.
Me: Huh? I have a pass.
hd: I'm sorry m'am, but we don't have any industry tickets left.
Me: I'm not industry. I'm a member of the public. I have a pass.
hd: I understand, but we don't have any tickets to give you.
Me: There must be a misunderstanding - I have a pass. I paid almost $300 for this and I'd like my ticket now please.
hot docs staff #2, coming to her rescue: M'am, you don't need to be rude.
Me [honestly, keeping my cool]: I'm not being rude. I'd like my ticket please.
hd #2: We have sold out of pass tickets, you'll have to wait here in this special industry rush line and we will count the empty seats soon and start letting you in ahead of the regular rush line.
Me: I have seen 150 movies in the last 4 years [untrue: it's probably closer to 110 in three years] and this has never happened before.
hd #3: This has never happened to us either.
Various other arguments ensued. The futility sunk in and I assumed my spot at the front of the newly minted "industry rush line." Two minutes later, they gave me a blank ticket with the name of the movie scrawled on it (they weren't kidding, they really didn't have any tickets to give me) and up I went to theatre number four, which had at least 50 empty seats. Aru?? I saved myself a spot and headed outside for some chill out time before the movie. These old bones can't handle all the excitement like they used to!
I'm glad I fought so hard for my rights, because At Night They Dance was the film of the fest so far. I was transported into the streets of Cairo, and was captivated by the lives of the belly dancers and the men who pay them. The rest of the audience loved it also - I know because the applause began on the very first frame of the credits. It's a foolproof way to gauge audience response - try it for yourself next time. This movie made me rethink my selections for the rest of the fest - I need to chose more movies that take me places instead of telling me things. I know a lot of things, but places, you can never be to enough of them.
All in all, my favorite night at the festival so far this year.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Date Night at the Docs?
I sure know how to woo the men. Last night I took Shawn to see El Sicario: Room 164, a movie about Mexican torture techniques (never beat the body while they're alive, it makes too much of a mess), then I took Jordan to see Empire North, an abstract experimental docu-fiction about some Danish guy who invented a sniper rifle to show at a weapons fair in Qatar. The entire film appeared to be filmed on a cell phone camera from the early 2000's, and featured intermittent shots of the main character having violent sex with his girlfriend, played by Honey Holman, Jack Nicholson's daughter. In fairness to Jordan, this was the first movie I've ever taken him to that he did not walk out on, but it was only 58 minutes.
On my way between the Cumberland and the Lightbox, the key for my bike lock exited my back pocket (I can't figure out why, most inanimate objects love to be nestled near my bum cheeks). So instead of locking my bike outside the theatre, I leaned it up against the bike stand and pretended to lock it (two months of Second City improvisation classes really came in handy). Lo and behold, not a soul wanted my $40 bike that I got off Craiglist.Or maybe they took it for a test ride and then returned it. If you think I'm joking then you've never ridden my bike.
So I'll be walking to the Royal tonight for Hot Coffee at 7:00. Can't wait for my Bixi tag to show up in the mail!
On my way between the Cumberland and the Lightbox, the key for my bike lock exited my back pocket (I can't figure out why, most inanimate objects love to be nestled near my bum cheeks). So instead of locking my bike outside the theatre, I leaned it up against the bike stand and pretended to lock it (two months of Second City improvisation classes really came in handy). Lo and behold, not a soul wanted my $40 bike that I got off Craiglist.Or maybe they took it for a test ride and then returned it. If you think I'm joking then you've never ridden my bike.
So I'll be walking to the Royal tonight for Hot Coffee at 7:00. Can't wait for my Bixi tag to show up in the mail!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Weekend Roundup
Well team, we're approaching the half-way mark - my apartment is strewn with ticket stubs and dirty socks, my purse is filled with granola bar wrappers, and my eyes have taken on a permanent glaze which makes me look slightly less sober than I actually am. Seems like as good a time as any to take stock of the movies that I saw this weekend.
El Bulli - Cooking in Progress: Foodies and Top Chef fans will enjoy this one, but i found its "observational cinema" style to be sleep inducing. Do not go see this movie hungry.
Mothers of Bedford: A touching film about mothers in a maximum security prison in New York who are trying to raise their children from behind bars. Many of them are serving murder sentences; I loved hearing about the offences that they were sentenced for.
Weibo's War: I skipped the Tribe Called Quest movie to see Weibo's War based on a tip from Now Magazine that Weibo was going to be there - all lies. But a good movie nonetheless, although the storyline felt unresolved at the end. If you like exploding gaslines, Christian compounds, and murder mysteries, then this is the movie for you!
The National Parks Project: See post below. I can't get into it again, it will make me angry.
Jig: This actually might be my favorite of the festival so far, though its appeal is probably limited to viewers with an interest in the wild world of competitive dance. It was a solid doc with a big budget and cute kids in funny costumes. It also got the most enthusiastic audience reception of any movie that I have seen so far, but that was probably because 90% of the audience was comprised of little girls who are Irish dancers. If the audience at Pirate Tapes was 90% pirates, I'm sure that would have raucous reception too.
Battle for Brooklyn: I wish I could say that this movie about eminent domain was inspiring, but instead it was one of the David vs. Goliath stories where David gets schooled, and I was only inspired never to bother standing up to the man. Or to take the money and run.
Becoming Chaz: A nice enough movie, about Chastity Bono transitioning into Chaz. This movie would appeal to anyone with an interest in gender issues, or any kind of personal identity issues. The most interesting part for me was learning about a support group for pre-pubescent transgendered children.
The Pirate Tapes: This movie was fraught with technical and stylistic problems - most notably the sound mixing. The music was louder than the voice-overs and it was difficult to hear what the narrator was saying. I don't understand how issues like this make it past all of the editing stages. Then there were all these weird diagrams and graphics that were impossible to follow - was it just me? But the biggest problem with the movie was Mohammed, the young Somali Canadian who took a camera to Somalia to infiltrate the pirate networks, assuming that he could come under no harm because his father was a former Minister there. Bad assumption. I'll let you find out the rest. The footage of the pirates was fascinating, but Mohammed's cockiness was maddening, and during the q & a, he actually referred to himself as a martyr. No joke.
El Bulli - Cooking in Progress: Foodies and Top Chef fans will enjoy this one, but i found its "observational cinema" style to be sleep inducing. Do not go see this movie hungry.
Mothers of Bedford: A touching film about mothers in a maximum security prison in New York who are trying to raise their children from behind bars. Many of them are serving murder sentences; I loved hearing about the offences that they were sentenced for.
Weibo's War: I skipped the Tribe Called Quest movie to see Weibo's War based on a tip from Now Magazine that Weibo was going to be there - all lies. But a good movie nonetheless, although the storyline felt unresolved at the end. If you like exploding gaslines, Christian compounds, and murder mysteries, then this is the movie for you!
The National Parks Project: See post below. I can't get into it again, it will make me angry.
Jig: This actually might be my favorite of the festival so far, though its appeal is probably limited to viewers with an interest in the wild world of competitive dance. It was a solid doc with a big budget and cute kids in funny costumes. It also got the most enthusiastic audience reception of any movie that I have seen so far, but that was probably because 90% of the audience was comprised of little girls who are Irish dancers. If the audience at Pirate Tapes was 90% pirates, I'm sure that would have raucous reception too.
Battle for Brooklyn: I wish I could say that this movie about eminent domain was inspiring, but instead it was one of the David vs. Goliath stories where David gets schooled, and I was only inspired never to bother standing up to the man. Or to take the money and run.
Becoming Chaz: A nice enough movie, about Chastity Bono transitioning into Chaz. This movie would appeal to anyone with an interest in gender issues, or any kind of personal identity issues. The most interesting part for me was learning about a support group for pre-pubescent transgendered children.
The Pirate Tapes: This movie was fraught with technical and stylistic problems - most notably the sound mixing. The music was louder than the voice-overs and it was difficult to hear what the narrator was saying. I don't understand how issues like this make it past all of the editing stages. Then there were all these weird diagrams and graphics that were impossible to follow - was it just me? But the biggest problem with the movie was Mohammed, the young Somali Canadian who took a camera to Somalia to infiltrate the pirate networks, assuming that he could come under no harm because his father was a former Minister there. Bad assumption. I'll let you find out the rest. The footage of the pirates was fascinating, but Mohammed's cockiness was maddening, and during the q & a, he actually referred to himself as a martyr. No joke.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Lazy Eyes and Lazy Capreses
Yesterday I made it to four out of five movies - I just couldn't do the 11:45 pm showing of Empire North. These old bones can't keep taking the abuse of 14 hours of films in one day. After all these years, my bum is starting to take on the shape of a movie theatre chair.
Best Song Title of the Festival:
"Learning to Love Your Lazy Eye" - an instrumental piece from Mothers of Bedford.
The Big News:
I walked out of the theatre half way through a movie yesterday. This is a big decision, especially when the film makers are in attendance (which they were), but I believe it was justified in this case. The National Parks Project....sucked. I don't know how else to put it. It was a collection of self-indulgent film school class projects. Sorry guys. I watched about 6 of the 13 short films, and I drew the line when the Ontario movie (filmed in Bruce Peninsula National Park) stated scrolling nonsensical text messages across a black background for about 2 minutes, at which point the man beside me loudly blurted "they must be drunk!" I was thinking high on mushrooms, but that's neither here nor there. By the way, this man had also loudly stated "What a bad movie, terrible" at a quiet point during the Saskatchewan short. I don't condone this kind of behaviour, and I don't usually condone walking out on a screening, I just couldn't handle it - and I wasn't alone. I saw at least ten others do the same.
As a side note: the Nunavut short, filmed in Sirmilik National Park was quite striking.
So I left. And since I hadn't eaten anything all day except for a granola bar and some popcorn, I beelined for the Blackberry Lounge at the Lightbox theatre and ordered myself one of their delicious caesars (they're called Lazy Capreses, and have a basil puree mixed in and some cheese on top. A meal in a high ball glass). This made me a little tipsy, which led me to me strike up a conversation with the two fat cat (or just fat) film industry guys beside me who had obviously also just walked out of the theatre.
Me: "Did you guys just walk out of the National Parks Project?"
Them: "Yes."
Me (trying to do some recon so I don't put my foot in my mouth later in the conversation): "Why did you leave?"
Them: "We thought the music was terrible, the whole thing just didn't work well together as a concept."
Me: (taking this as cart blanche to put my feet in my mouth - yes, I can put both in there at once): "Yeah, I saw the Gros Morne version at last year's festival, and I thought it sucked too, but I was hoping this collection would be better."
Them: "That was our friend's movie."
Me: "Oh. Sorry. But it sucked. I'll get back to finishing my caesar."
Good recovery.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Zzz
I have made an early festival mistake: I only got about four hours of sleep last night and I have five movies to see today, alternating between downtown (TIFF Lightbox) and uptown, along Bloor. That's a lot of bike riding for a tired girl. Let's see how many movies I fall asleep during today. I predict a clean sweep.
Big night last night for Dr. Dock! I initiated the applause following the "we can't do this without volunteers" commercial before the film. It's a big move to start a round of applause - mortifying if the crowd leaves you hanging, but exhilarating when they all join in. Thank you to the audience at The Guantanamo Trap for you participating in my ovation.
The big question for today: The Tribe Called Quest doc, which was described in Now Magazine as just another E! True Hollywood Story, or Weibo's War, which got five Ns and will be attended by Weibo himself? It might come down to how much pedal power I have left in me by this afternoon. I'll keep you posted.
Big night last night for Dr. Dock! I initiated the applause following the "we can't do this without volunteers" commercial before the film. It's a big move to start a round of applause - mortifying if the crowd leaves you hanging, but exhilarating when they all join in. Thank you to the audience at The Guantanamo Trap for you participating in my ovation.
The big question for today: The Tribe Called Quest doc, which was described in Now Magazine as just another E! True Hollywood Story, or Weibo's War, which got five Ns and will be attended by Weibo himself? It might come down to how much pedal power I have left in me by this afternoon. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Welcome to Tolonto!
It's only the first night and I'm already shirking my doctor duties by skipping Fightville, in favour of more sleep. I need to rest up for my big weekend of seeing movies that I'm more interested in.
A great opening night was had by all. The Winter Garden Theatre was completely full by the time the obligatory love-in speeches marked the beginning of the 19th annual hot docs festival. My personal favourite was a return appearance by The Honourable Michael Chan, our lovable Minister of Culture and Tourism, who welcomed the audience to Tolonto then thanked us for "not making so much noises" at the end of his speech. You're welcome! I mean, you're welcome. And of course, director Morgan Spurlock was there, wearing a Nascar-esque racing suit plastered with logos of the brands that sponsored his movie. Cute.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold was one of those quirky, self reflexive movies that does what it's talking about. It "explored" the issue of product placement, while being completely financed by big companies in exchange for... product placement. I say "explored" because the movie seemed to make its "point" very quickly then began to repeat itself with a series of amusing vignettes about the absurdity of using product placement to finance a movie about product placement. I say "point" because I didn't leave the theatre feeling any differently about product placement, that is, ambivalent. I did enjoy the visit that Spurlock paid to Sao Paulo, Brazil, a city completely devoid of outdoor advertising. I was expecting a serene and peaceful appearance but instead it looked barren and desolate to me. Interesting. While POM Wonderful Presents certainly did not achieve high points for artistic merit, it was amusing and entertaining enough. And any doubts about the power of product placements were assuaged by the excitement of the crowd when we were greeted outdoors by three POM Wonderful girls in costumes handing out adorable little boobie shaped bottles of POM. Thank you POM Wonderful!
Bed time.
A great opening night was had by all. The Winter Garden Theatre was completely full by the time the obligatory love-in speeches marked the beginning of the 19th annual hot docs festival. My personal favourite was a return appearance by The Honourable Michael Chan, our lovable Minister of Culture and Tourism, who welcomed the audience to Tolonto then thanked us for "not making so much noises" at the end of his speech. You're welcome! I mean, you're welcome. And of course, director Morgan Spurlock was there, wearing a Nascar-esque racing suit plastered with logos of the brands that sponsored his movie. Cute.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold was one of those quirky, self reflexive movies that does what it's talking about. It "explored" the issue of product placement, while being completely financed by big companies in exchange for... product placement. I say "explored" because the movie seemed to make its "point" very quickly then began to repeat itself with a series of amusing vignettes about the absurdity of using product placement to finance a movie about product placement. I say "point" because I didn't leave the theatre feeling any differently about product placement, that is, ambivalent. I did enjoy the visit that Spurlock paid to Sao Paulo, Brazil, a city completely devoid of outdoor advertising. I was expecting a serene and peaceful appearance but instead it looked barren and desolate to me. Interesting. While POM Wonderful Presents certainly did not achieve high points for artistic merit, it was amusing and entertaining enough. And any doubts about the power of product placements were assuaged by the excitement of the crowd when we were greeted outdoors by three POM Wonderful girls in costumes handing out adorable little boobie shaped bottles of POM. Thank you POM Wonderful!
Bed time.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Hot Docs Eve
Oh boy oh boy oh boy. I'm like a little girl on the night before the eighth night of Hanukkah. It's Hot Docs eve, or, as my people say, eruv Hot Docs.
In preparation for the festival, I dehibernatated my bicycle tonight in order to make sure i could get from point A to the Cumberland Theatre. Flat tires? Persistent and embarrassing squeak? Woefully inadequate brakes? I'm ready to roll. Through red lights.
The reviews of my most recent entry, "A Roughly Slotted Schedule" are in! Occasional Dock Buddy writes: "Nice lineup, based purely on quantity and movie titles." Thanks ODB! And now to answer one lucky reader's e-mail. Jimmy from Toronto writes: "are we going out on friday? That would be swell [sic]" To which I reply, yes!
So...I better get going. I need to put together my festival survival kit tonight, which I'm excited to assemble this year because for the first time since I was five years old, I've started eating granola bars. Those little cartoon peanuts inside the no-entry signs are so persuasive, and not having to carry three pounds of ziplocked noodles in my purse is really going to lighten the load this year!
Hey, does anybody want to see Fightville at 9:30 tomorrow night? Come on, you know you want to. You know how much you love mixed martial arts. I know how much you love mixed martial arts. It's just like capoeira, only snuffier! But seriously, I'm hoping there will be footage of the women's MMA leagues - it's indisputably hot. My final point is that the movie is playing at the Winter Garden Theatre, an oasis of dollar store decorative foliage which is a must see, especially for those of you who suffer from a phobia of being stuck in a concrete stairwell for five flights of stairs with 640 strangers. You'll see what I mean.
Whatever, I'll just scalp them.
Hey, does anybody want to see Fightville at 9:30 tomorrow night? Come on, you know you want to. You know how much you love mixed martial arts. I know how much you love mixed martial arts. It's just like capoeira, only snuffier! But seriously, I'm hoping there will be footage of the women's MMA leagues - it's indisputably hot. My final point is that the movie is playing at the Winter Garden Theatre, an oasis of dollar store decorative foliage which is a must see, especially for those of you who suffer from a phobia of being stuck in a concrete stairwell for five flights of stairs with 640 strangers. You'll see what I mean.
Whatever, I'll just scalp them.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Roughly Slotted Schedule
Ok, ok, everybody settle down. After a minor setback (drool on the keyboard) I am ready to share my selections for hot docs 2011!
To begin with, I must apologize for the delay. I’ve been busy working on my other internet endeavour, Downward Blog. I find that blogging about yoga is a marvelous way to deepen my practice. You may have noticed some changes around here, including a white background and oh, i don't know, a new name! See, somebody in Kensington took a liking to my bicycle last summer, breached the two dollar lock that I bought in Delhi, and made off with my Schwinn and its eponymous pink milkcrate. I’m sure if the thief had known that my elevated social stature was based entirely a blog called Pink Milkcrate, he would have graciously spared the crate. But alas, he didn't get the memo, so I took it as an opportunity to rebrand, and here we are, aren't we? If anyone steals my dock I am in big trouble because I'm running out of awesome names for my blog.
I digress (writers like to say that).
As I teased you before, I have roughly slotted in (don't you like the sound of those words together?) most of my movies for this year’s festival. Visit the hot docs website to read the descriptions. Many of the screenings have already gone rush, but I have an extra ticket to each film that I see so hit my on my beeper if you want to be my date. And remember, this schedule is a living, breathing organism, so if you're planning on stalking me, you should confirm my whereabouts before you look for parking - just text me at 416.555.5555.
Thursday April 28
6:30 - POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
9:30 - Fightville
Friday April 29
9:30 - Guantanamo Trap
Saturday April 30
1:00 - El Bulli - Cooking in Progress
3:45 - Mothers of Bedford
6:30 - Beats, Rhymes & Life
9/9:30 - The National Parks Project or Maids & Bosses
1:45 - Empire North
Sunday May 1
11:00 - Jig
1:30 - Battle for Brooklyn
4:30 - Boy Cheerleaders
9:15 - The Pirate Tapes
11:45 - Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
Monday May 2
6:15 - El Sicario, Room 164
9:30 - The Castle
Tuesday May 3
7:00 - Hot Coffee
Wednesday May 4
6:30 - Melissa-Mom and Me
9:45 - Memoirs of a Plague
Thursday May 5
6:00 - Limelight
9:45 - Recessionize!
Friday May 6
7:15 - Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
9:45 - Inside Lara Roxx
Saturday May 7
10:45 - How To Die in Oregon
9:45 - Dolphin Boy
Sunday May 8
1:00 - The Hollywood Complex
3:30 - Kumare
9:00 - Knuckle
To begin with, I must apologize for the delay. I’ve been busy working on my other internet endeavour, Downward Blog. I find that blogging about yoga is a marvelous way to deepen my practice. You may have noticed some changes around here, including a white background and oh, i don't know, a new name! See, somebody in Kensington took a liking to my bicycle last summer, breached the two dollar lock that I bought in Delhi, and made off with my Schwinn and its eponymous pink milkcrate. I’m sure if the thief had known that my elevated social stature was based entirely a blog called Pink Milkcrate, he would have graciously spared the crate. But alas, he didn't get the memo, so I took it as an opportunity to rebrand, and here we are, aren't we? If anyone steals my dock I am in big trouble because I'm running out of awesome names for my blog.
I digress (writers like to say that).
As I teased you before, I have roughly slotted in (don't you like the sound of those words together?) most of my movies for this year’s festival. Visit the hot docs website to read the descriptions. Many of the screenings have already gone rush, but I have an extra ticket to each film that I see so hit my on my beeper if you want to be my date. And remember, this schedule is a living, breathing organism, so if you're planning on stalking me, you should confirm my whereabouts before you look for parking - just text me at 416.555.5555.
Thursday April 28
6:30 - POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
9:30 - Fightville
Friday April 29
9:30 - Guantanamo Trap
Saturday April 30
1:00 - El Bulli - Cooking in Progress
3:45 - Mothers of Bedford
6:30 - Beats, Rhymes & Life
9/9:30 - The National Parks Project or Maids & Bosses
1:45 - Empire North
Sunday May 1
11:00 - Jig
1:30 - Battle for Brooklyn
4:30 - Boy Cheerleaders
9:15 - The Pirate Tapes
11:45 - Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
Monday May 2
6:15 - El Sicario, Room 164
9:30 - The Castle
Tuesday May 3
7:00 - Hot Coffee
Wednesday May 4
6:30 - Melissa-Mom and Me
9:45 - Memoirs of a Plague
Thursday May 5
6:00 - Limelight
9:45 - Recessionize!
Friday May 6
7:15 - Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
9:45 - Inside Lara Roxx
Saturday May 7
10:45 - How To Die in Oregon
9:45 - Dolphin Boy
Sunday May 8
1:00 - The Hollywood Complex
3:30 - Kumare
9:00 - Knuckle
Friday, March 25, 2011
First Picks
The schedule is out!
I prefer to wait until the fancy printed program guide is released before I start choosing my movies, but two of my flicks are always selected for me - the two on opening night, which don't run simultaneously with any other movie. Easy.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
I'm looking forward to this one - same director of Super Size Me, which people seem to have liked (I didn't see it). This time director Morgan Spurlock explores the world of product placement and advertising. I like this subject matter - it's something we are all consumed by on a daily basis (especially those of us who partake in privately funded film festivals), and it feels healthy to speed-check one's immunity to all of the branding and placement that seeps into our surroundings. Apparently, Sao Paulo in Brazil has a strict no-advertisments policy; maybe that will come up in this flick.
And I wanted to tell you about the next movie on April 28th, which is about mixed martial arts, but I can't remember what it's called and now the hot docs website is telling me this:
YUI: CSS Grid Builder
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Maecenas sit amet metus. Nunc quam elit, posuere nec, auctor in, rhoncus quis, dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut dignissim, massa sit amet dignissim cursus, quam lacus feugiat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Maecenas sit amet metus. Nunc quam elit, posuere nec, auctor in, rhoncus quis, dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut dignissim, massa sit amet dignissim cursus, quam lacus feugiat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Maecenas sit amet metus. Nunc quam elit, posuere nec, auctor in, rhoncus quis, dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut dignissim, massa sit amet dignissim cursus, quam lacus feugiat.
Footer is here.
Sounds good! I hope it has subtitles.
I prefer to wait until the fancy printed program guide is released before I start choosing my movies, but two of my flicks are always selected for me - the two on opening night, which don't run simultaneously with any other movie. Easy.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
I'm looking forward to this one - same director of Super Size Me, which people seem to have liked (I didn't see it). This time director Morgan Spurlock explores the world of product placement and advertising. I like this subject matter - it's something we are all consumed by on a daily basis (especially those of us who partake in privately funded film festivals), and it feels healthy to speed-check one's immunity to all of the branding and placement that seeps into our surroundings. Apparently, Sao Paulo in Brazil has a strict no-advertisments policy; maybe that will come up in this flick.
And I wanted to tell you about the next movie on April 28th, which is about mixed martial arts, but I can't remember what it's called and now the hot docs website is telling me this:
YUI: CSS Grid Builder
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Maecenas sit amet metus. Nunc quam elit, posuere nec, auctor in, rhoncus quis, dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut dignissim, massa sit amet dignissim cursus, quam lacus feugiat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Maecenas sit amet metus. Nunc quam elit, posuere nec, auctor in, rhoncus quis, dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut dignissim, massa sit amet dignissim cursus, quam lacus feugiat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Maecenas sit amet metus. Nunc quam elit, posuere nec, auctor in, rhoncus quis, dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut dignissim, massa sit amet dignissim cursus, quam lacus feugiat.
Footer is here.
Sounds good! I hope it has subtitles.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
on your marks
No time for niceties, just posting to give everyone the heads up that hot docs starts on April 28 and runs until May 8.
AND passes went on sale yesterday, and get more expensive after March 22. I bought mine over the phone today, to set an example for the rest of you.
Big news: This year there’s a pass called Premium For Two which allows the user (me) to go to every screening (yay) AND to bring a friend (you?) to each one! This is great news for all of my friends, as well as for cute boys waiting in the rush line up looking like they wish they had someone to share their popcorn with.
A whole bunch of "special" screenings were announced on the hot docs website. I scrolled through the list and my interest was piqued by one about Tribe (as in, Called Quest) and another one about young kids trying to make it big in Hollywood. I can already hear their little hearts breaking.
The program guide comes out next week, stay tuned for updates!
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