The Midnight Queen

2008-11-28T10:50:00.000-05:00

Let the Right One In

Swedish horror with a twelve-year-old vampire: what's not to love? Aside from a lot of questionable plot gaps and a slow build to a "reveal" which had been spoiled by every scrap of press related to the film, that is.

For the most part, Let the Right One In is enjoyable, which places it realms beyond the bulk of contemporary horror cinema. Still, I fear it's the lowered expectations caused by this sad state, rather than its own intrinsic merits, which have earned this film such gushing reviews. Key plot points and character motivations are left unexplained, and the consequences of several public incidents are non-existent.

Those gripes aside - and they are minor gripes in the context of a film which is more about atmosphere than action - LtROI is a treat for vampire fans and admirers of old-school horror. The worst of the gore is off-screen, although there's never any doubt about the mess being made. Lina Leandersson gives a compelling and nuanced performance as Eli, the haunted girl-next-door; the beautifully spare cinematography provides a perfect framework for both story and cast. This would make a wonderful double-feature with The Devil's Backbone or The Orphanage - if you needed to make sure you wouldn't be able to sleep that night!

Twilight

Is not a horror film in the slightest, despite the presence of "vampires". Find the scene where Alice rips off the bad guy's head on YouTube and watch it a couple of times; it's the best thing in the whole film, but certainly not worth sitting through the rest.

2008-11-17T07:59:00.000-05:00

Do you ever misplace a book that you were reading, and then forget you had it in the first place, only to stumble across it during an annual deep-house-cleaning?

This blog is like that. I'd totally forgotten I'd set this up for covering film festival stuff, yet by some technical miracle, my laptop remembers the password. Since I already have a writing blog at StacyKing.com, and I've cut way back on my film viewing in a desperate bid to eek out more writing time, I'm not sure that it will undergo a significant revival, but at least I've got a profile for commenting on Blogspot posts now!

2006-09-27T16:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes. Slack with the posting, I am. In my defense, I'm just getting over my post-festival illness (which doesn't result so much from the festival, as it does from the system shock of returning to the workaday world after nine blissful days of doing what I want), and work is insane with my boss off on bereavement leave.

BUT - I have tickets for several upcoming Cinematheque screenings, including the Terry Gilliam presentations of Brazil and Tideland, along with the much-anticipated (well, by me) Lunacy, by the delightfull mad Jan Svankmajer. Sadly, I missed out on My Dad is 100 Years Old, which seems to have sold out on the first day. I suppose Isabella Rossellini in-person will have that effect...

I'm still debating the VIP pass for the Toronto After Dark festival. I'm keen on six of the seven screenings that are already posted, and even if I skip a couple of showings, it's still an excellent deal. On the other hand, I've spent a fair chunk in the past few months on movies, and...

Oh, who am I kidding? Fiscal restraint in the face of interesting film has *never* been my style.

2006-09-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

Well, my best intentions to update this blog throughout the festival fell by the wayside as of Wednesday, when the need to sleep took over from the urge to write. I'm currently deep in PFS (Post Festival Syndrome) and trying to handle the surrealism of being back at my office desk instead of sitting in a theatre. I may wind up at the Bloor Cinema tonight for a screening of "A Scanner Darkly", just to help ease the transistion back into the Unmovie realm.

Best of the fest for me: Pan's Labyrinth, The Fall, Book of Revelation, Brand Upon the Brain!, Fay Grim, Time. And probably a few others that I am forgetting in my post-fest brain blur.

Reviews to come!

2006-09-12T22:09:00.000-04:00

Today I spent aproximately nine and a half hours in Paramount 2. Yes, not only did I have four back-to-back screenings in the same venue, but they were in the same theatre. I sat in the same two rows for all shows, and came foolishly close to sitting in the exact same seat twice.

Last King of Scotland - even when he's playing a bastard, Forest Whitakker is a delight to watch. The other lead put me in mind of a young Ewan MacGregor, possibly due to his ability to play a selfish wanker without completely alienating the audience.

Macbeth - redone as a British gangster flick. Worked for me, although Lady Macbeth was a bit of a wash (not so much that the actress couldn't handle it, but that she wasn't really given a chance - running her solilique as a voice-over drained it of so much power).

Copying Beethoven - This was a second choice (I didn't get D.O.A.P.). It's not the kind of film that moves me, but it was really well done, with fantastic performances and a delicate directorial hand.

Renaissance - I actually have a ticket for the Thursday screening, but there was a rush seat available and I'm impatient. This was one of the films I most wanted to see, in part because I'm starting to explore the technology for this kind of animation built off live footage, and it did not disappoint. The story was classic future comic noir and the highly stylized design - all deep shadows and sharp contrasts, with a lovely transparent touch to the glass fixtures - hit my aesthetic sweet spot. If none of my comic artist friends can take the second screening ticket, I may just go see it again.

The Abandoned - creepy, atmospheric, visually captivating but left me feeling empty, and not just because of the ending.

Black Sheep - fun with a side of ubergore. I have no idea what it is about New Zealand that turns out such fantastic horror comedies, but I hope it keeps going.

Confetti - light and fluffy, but it worked, even though the winning couple in the outrageous wedding competition was broadcast from the start of the film and the weddings weren't particularly outrageous (perhaps I have been to too many neo-pagan dedication ceremonies and Vegas shindigs...)

Sleeping Dogs Lie - The premise sounds like a bad juvenille joke, the film itself is a complex (and hilarious) examination of what it means to be honest with the people we love.

Jade Warrior - Meh. Aside from being Finnish, this didn't really stand out from the dozens of wire-fu flicks I've seen in the past five years.

Radiant City - made me want to hit Gary Burns. Okay, not that bad, but still. It's frustrating because I can't talk about why this film annoyed me without giving away the twist at the end (he's already dead!). What I can say is that, for me, what is inspiring and challenging about documentary is the need to engage with the truth of your subject and to always be prepared to find things that change or negate your starting premise. The filmmakers cheated themselves out of that engagement and that risk, and in turn cheated their audience.

Twilight Dancers - meh.

Khadak - pretty. Slow. More pretty than slow, so worth seeing.

Book of Revelation - difficult. This requires a more in-depth assessment than I can manage tonight. Short version: this may turn out to be the best thing I saw at the festival, but I don't think I can recommend it to anyone else, not unless I know them very well.

2006-09-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

Two-liners on films I've seen thus far:

The Gravekeepers Tale: interesting setting (rural India circa 1959) with a focus on caste and the process of social ostracision. Solid but didn't blow me away.

The Host: caught about 30 minutes of this during my shift last night, and I may need to rush the second screening. The effects are amazing and there was a lot of laughter coming from the audience.

Brand Upon the Brain! I loved it. The soundtrack was amazing, the live foley was a treat to watch, and Maddin's technical deftness with reinventing the silent film just keeps getting better with every film. Plus, funny! In that "oh god don't make me look at that" way.

The Fall: Holy Mother of Celluloid. There is still another screening. You should go.

The Post-Modern Life of My Aunt: More depressing than the program guide let on, and definitly more depressing than I could handle at 9:30 a.m. The first 75 minutes (pre-downwards spiral) were pretty enjoyable.

Big Bang Love, Juvinille A: as with all Miike films, I think I enjoyed it, but I'm somehow not quite sure. Has a very stage-set feel to it. And hot mostly-naked Japenese lads, which automatically makes me happy.

Time: Meditations on identity and relationships in an era of mutable appearance, Kim Ki-Duk delivers a Buddist morality with a contemporary, well-crafted twist.

Yokahamo Mary: Enh. Didn't really catch me at all, although that may partly be blamed on the seating at the Al Green. Word of advice: bring your own seat cushions, the chairs are epically uncomfortable.

2006-09-08T02:56:00.000-04:00

Midnight madness is clearly out to earn its moniker this year. When the first screening includes a Rush line almost equal in size to the ticket-holders line, dozens of limos and livestock on the red carpet, you know that something weird is going on. Yes, livestock. A horse (or maybe a donkey) in a cart, being pulled by "slavic peasant" women. And music. And chanting. And a shortage of volunteers to help manage it all.

In this evening's case, the fun didn't stop once the theatre had filled up. No, we got a few minutes into the screening and the projector broke down.

The phrase "Michael Moore is trying to fix the projector" was uttered.

The film talent performed an impromptu stand-up routine to soothe the restless crowd.

Emergency escalations cascaded.

And, around 1:45 or so, the screening was finally cancelled. It's been rebooked to midnight Sept 8 (Friday) at the Elgin - details will likely be on the festival site tomorrow.

I didn't think I'd see a red carpet to beat the insanity that was Lassie plus 800 children, but I do believe that Borat has done it.

Up next: Miike on five hours sleep, new Kim Ki-Duk, geishas, giant rubber monsters from Korea at midnight, and oh yeah...

BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!!!!

2006-09-07T19:54:00.000-04:00

And now, a brief word from our non-sponsor:

My pal Jim Zubkavich, a super nice guy with a mouthful of a last name and a fistful of talent, is self-publishing his first graphic novel, The Makeshift Miracle. It's already had a successful run as a subscription website, but now Jim's remastered the original artwork and is offering up hardcopies for the bargain price of $22US (shipping included!). He's also made all the online archives free, so you can check out the story and the artwork first.

Tonight: first shift, Midnight Madness for a sold-out Borat. I've seen folks on Craig's List offering $150 for a single ticket; the rush line, and the red carpet, are going to be insane. Nothing like starting things off with a bang!

2006-09-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

In a fit of insomnia, I wound up at the box office at 6:30 a.m. to redeem my pre-festival volunteer coupons. I've added a few more confirmed screenings to my schedule, and screwed myself out of seeing anything on the first day, as I'm now out of vouchers (whoops!). Everything else will be same-day, rush or press.

Still, aside from a few Midnight movies (which won't be a problem to get last-minute) and D.O.A.P. (which will probably not happen), I've got all my must-sees for the festival. The idea of not spending every day of the festival scrambling around for tickets and wrestling with rush-line blues is a bit disconcerting. Oh well, I'm sure that I'll hear about some hidden gem by day three that I just *have* to see...

Friday September 8, 2006
Brand upon the Brain!, Guy Maddin, 2006 ELGIN 6:00 PM (second ticket for the Beau!)

Monday September 11, 2006
Sleeping Dogs Lie, Bobcat Goldwaithe, 2006, PARAMOUNT 2 9:45 pm (with the Beau?)

Tuesday September 12, 2006
Mercy, CUMBERLAND 3 7:00 PM (with the Beau)

Thursday September 14, 2006
In Between Days, PARAMOUNT 3, 8:30 PM

Friday September 15, 2006
Manufactured Landscapes, VARSITY 1, 8:00 PM

Saturday September 16, 2006
Taxidermia, VARSITY 1, 5:45 PM

2006-09-05T12:42:00.000-04:00

Add one to that screening schedule:

Brand Upon the Brain!
Guy Maddin
Friday, September 8 6:00 PM VISA ELGIN SCREENING ROOM

* insert crazy happy dance *

This is the film I most wanted to see at this year's festival: I'm a huge Maddin fan (and was related to him for about 15 minutes, ask me how sometime) and was really concerned that I wouldn't be able to get into this one-time-only screening. A friend was kind enough to trade me on screening selections, since I couldn't request the 6 pm showing on my daypass, and just confirmed that he's got my ticket in-hand. Woo woo!

Also: the opening Midnight Madness screening (Borat) looks like it's going to be INSANE. Sold out, lots of interest from non-ticket-holders about getting in, talent on the red carpet AND our first night running things, which is always a bit shakey. I can't wait.

2006-09-05T12:03:00.000-04:00

Despite my worries about the lottery, I did very well with tickets: the only first-pick films I missed out on were "A Pervert's Guide to Cinema", which is likely better viewed on DVD anyway, and "D.O.A.P.", which is going to have multiple press/industry screenings I can try my luck at. The confirmed schedule thus far is:

Thursday September 7, 2006
Volunteer shift 10:30 pm - 3 am

Friday September 8, 2006
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A, Takashi Miike, 2006 PARAMOUNT 1 9:15 AM
Time, Kim Ki-duk, 2006 PARAMOUNT 3 12:15 PM
Yokohama Mary, Takayuki Nakamura, 2006 AL GREEN THEATRE 3:30 PM
Volunteer shift 10:30 pm - 3 am

Saturday September 9, 2006
A Grave-Keeper's Tale, Chitra Palekar, 2006 ISABEL BADER THEATRE 12:30 PM
Short Cuts 2(includes deco dawson & Guy Maddin) CUMBERLAND 3 3:45 PM
Volunteer shift 10:30 pm - 3 am

Sunday September 10, 2006
Confetti, Debbie Isitt, 2006 PARAMOUNT 2 10:30 AM
Radiant City, Gary Burns, Jim Brown, 2006 ISABEL BADER THEATRE 2:15 PM
Jade Warrior, Antti-Jussi Annila, 2006 PARAMOUNT 1 4:15 PM

Monday September 11, 2006
Twilight Dancers, Mel Chionglo, 2006 CUMBERLAND 2 9:30 AM
Khadak, Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth, 2006 VARSITY 8 12:30 PM
The Book of Revelation, Ana Kokkinos, 2006 PARAMOUNT 4 3:00 PM

Tuesday September 12, 2006
The Last King of Scotland, Kevin Macdonald, 2006 PARAMOUNT 2 10:30 AM
Macbeth, Geoffrey Wright, 2006 PARAMOUNT 2 1:30 PM
Copying Beethoven, Agnieszka Holland, PARAMOUNT 2, 4:30 PM

Wednesday September 13, 2006
Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro, 2006 VARSITY 8 11:45 AM
Fay Grim, Hal Hartley, 2006 RYERSON 3:00 PM

Thursday September 14, 2006
Renaissance, Christian Volckman, 2006 PARAMOUNT 2 12:45 PM
The Half Life of Timofey Berezin, Scott Z. Burns, 2006 PARAMOUNT 2 3:30 PM
Volunteer shift 10:30 pm - 3 am

Friday September 15, 2006
This Filthy World, Jeff Garlin, 2006 CUMBERLAND 3 9:30 AM
American Hardcore, Paul Rachman, 2006 PARAMOUNT 3 12:15 PM
Bugmaster, Katsuhiro Otomo, 2006 PARAMOUNT 4 2:45 PM
Volunteer shift 10:30 pm - 3 am

Saturday September 16, 2006
Short Cuts 3, ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM 9:00 AM
Day Night Day Night, Julia Loktev, 2006 VARSITY 4 12:00 PM
The Killer Within, Macky Alston, 2006 PARAMOUNT 3 3:15 PM
Volunteer shift 10:30 pm - 3 am

I may, depending on today's work schedule & insomnia this evening, try to make a box office run before heading into the office tomorrow. There's still an extensive list of flicks I'd like to add in evening screenings, and I have about ten volunteer vouchers (from Sprockets and pre-festival shifts) that can be traded in starting tomorrow morning. Whee!

2006-09-01T14:55:00.000-04:00

Word on the Tiff Talk blog is that the box office pulled box 22 (of 41) in this year's lottery. Given that I'm in box 11, that doesn't sound great for me.

(ticket lottery: as pass-holders drop off their ticket choices, each envelop is filed into a holding box with a set number. The box office draws a random number based on the total boxes and begins filling ticket orders starting with that box, running to the end of the numbers, then cycling back around to #1)

2006-09-01T14:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my Toronto International Film Festival blog!

I'm Stacy, a long-time volunteer at the festival (I think this is my 7th or 8th year - I've lost count by now!). This year, like the previous two, I will be the volunteer captain for the Midnight Madness screenings at the Ryerson venue. Hence the title "Midnight Queen".

I'm actually only working six festival shifts this year, since I discovered after last year's all-ten-nights schedule that it is not a brilliant idea to spend ten whole days cramming sleep sessions in between 3 a.m. shift close and 7 a.m. box office runs. Harvey, my rockin' shadow captain from last year, is taking over the other four, bless the crazy lad.

(for those of you not up on your volunteer lingo, a captain is an experienced volunteer who helps to coordinate the other volunteers on a shift, makes sure that everyone gets breaks/rewards/fun, and pitches in throughout the shift. Shadow captains are in training to become full-fledged captains the following year)

(I've asked Chris, the volunteer manager, if I can change my title from "Captain" to "Mistress", but no dice)

Also new for me this year is a Daypass. I'm anxiously awaiting the lottery results to see how I fared on my selections (Box 11, wish me luck!). I usually see about 40-50 movies each festival, along with my volunteer shifts. Actually knowing some of my screening times in advance is going to be a tad strange: I'm used to running around with a handful of volunteer vouchers and popping into whatever rush line will take me! The only film I'm stressing about getting tickets for is the new Guy Maddin, "The Brand Upon the Brain" - it only has a single screening, and is of course the film I most want to see at the festival. Cue rush line!

As of Sept 7th, most of the posts to this blog will be made post-3 a.m., as I attempt to capture the day's screenings and memorable stories before collapsing. Please be warned that my coherency will likely take a nosedive as the festival unfolds - if last year's blogging experience is any indication, I'll mostly be typing in vowel noises by the end. Fun!