In Cinemas. EXTRA — Santa Quest, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai

November 27, 2014 flawintheiris

A couple other options for your Thursday evening cinemagoing: Santa Quest Halifax writer, director and performer John Dunsworth is probably best known as Lahey in Trailer Park Boys, or maybe for his work on Haven. He also happens to be a longtime Santa Claus, climbing into the red suit frequently at this time of year.…Read More

In Cinemas. November 26, 2014 — The Outlier Film Festival, Horrible Bosses 2, Penguins of Madagascar

November 26, 2014 flawintheiris

Yup, it's weird having movies open mid-week, but it's US Thanksgiving, which apparently inclines people who aren't in a tryptophan coma to go to the cinema. More power to them, I suppose. The Outlier Film Festival (November 27-29, The Bus Stop Theatre) The second year for this festival of peculiar feature films and documentaries. I've seen a handful…Read More

Q and A with Kung Fu Elliot writer/directors Matthew Bauckman and Jaret Belliveau

November 25, 2014 flawintheiris

Screening at the Outlier Film Festival on Saturday is Kung Fu Elliot, an amazing new film—and Best Documentary Feature-winner at Slamdance—about a guy named Elliot "White Lightning" Scott. He's a Halifax-based filmmaker and actor who aspires to be Canada's answer to Chuck Norris, a genuine cinematic action hero. He says he's won martial arts competitions. He says he…Read More

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 review — Harrowing teen apocalypse

November 23, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Francis Lawrence, written by Danny Strong and Peter Craig, based on the novel by Suzanne Collins This thing starts up right where the last one ended—no need to recap what's gone on in the previous two films for newcomers. There are no newcomers in The Hunger Games. If we've made it this far, we…Read More

CTV Morning Live: November 21, 2014 — Four good movies

November 21, 2014 flawintheiris

On the CTV morning show today Heidi Petracek and I talked up Interstellar, Heartbeat, Whiplash and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (full review on FITI to come). Please go here to check out the clip. Read More

In Cinemas. November 21, 2014 — Heartbeat, Whiplash, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, The Theory of Everything

November 21, 2014 flawintheiris

Heartbeat One of the most charming and delightful features I've seen out of Nova Scotia in years, I really adored Heartbeat. About a burgeoning songwriter (Tanya Davis) trying to locate her muse and break free of a job she hates, it's really a love letter to North End Halifax. I also live in this town…Read More

Whiplash review — It’s not about drumming, it’s about excellence

November 20, 2014 flawintheiris

Published November 20, revised November 23 Written and directed by Damien Chazelle Oh, what a relief. Recently I was bemoaning the lack of stellar offerings as we rapidly approach the awards season. So many marginal, so-so movies in the cinema. Well, I've got a live one right here. This is an absolutely must-see film, announcing…Read More

Outlier Podcast: The Creeping Garden

November 19, 2014 flawintheiris

As I mentioned last week, The Outlier Film Festival is on the horizon, bringing the most unusual horror, cult, science fiction, and documentary films to Halifax on November 27-29. Matt Charlton, one of the festival organizers, invited me to be part of a podcast at Village Sound, talking about a few of the documentaries playing…Read More

In Cinemas. November 14, 2014 — More Dumber

November 14, 2014 flawintheiris

It's on weekends like this one when I seethe on the behalf of all movie lovers who are living in a "small market". Today—in bigger urban centres—people are getting to see new films such as Beyond The Lights, the Edward Snowden documentary Citizen Four, Tommy Lee Jones' new western The Homesman, and Rosewater, Jon Stewart's…Read More

Big Hero 6 review — A light, slight cartoon

November 11, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, written by Jordan Roberts, Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird, based on characters and concept by Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle Disney's animation studio is picking up the slack their Pixar colleagues have been letting slip. Wreck It Ralph and Frozen were huge successes, packing in the kids and offering…Read More