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. 

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.

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.