The third cascade of world premieres in 15 days flowed from the headquarters of the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday as programmers revealed their Midnight Madness, Tiff Docs, Vanguard, Tiff Cinematheque and Short Cuts selections.
This week’s offering includes Ben Wheatley’s all-star gangster thriller Free Fire, which opens Midnight Madness one year after the premiere of the British auteur’s High-Rise; fast-rising Chadwick Boseman in revenge thriller Message From The King in Vanguard and a Tiff Docs strand that features climate change documentary The Turning Point, featuring and produced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.
Wp = world premiere, IP = international premiere, Nap = North American premiere, Cp = Canadian premiere, Tp = Toronto premiere.
Midnight Madness
Ben Wheatley’s all-star gunfight Free Fire starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy will open the section, which includes Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Rats, Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch, André Øvredal’s [link...
This week’s offering includes Ben Wheatley’s all-star gangster thriller Free Fire, which opens Midnight Madness one year after the premiere of the British auteur’s High-Rise; fast-rising Chadwick Boseman in revenge thriller Message From The King in Vanguard and a Tiff Docs strand that features climate change documentary The Turning Point, featuring and produced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.
Wp = world premiere, IP = international premiere, Nap = North American premiere, Cp = Canadian premiere, Tp = Toronto premiere.
Midnight Madness
Ben Wheatley’s all-star gunfight Free Fire starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy will open the section, which includes Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Rats, Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch, André Øvredal’s [link...
- 8/9/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival has nearly completed its slate announcement this year — expect a few stragglers to be announced in the coming days, but this is about the size of it — rounding out its lineup with today’s announcement of its Docs, Midnight Madness, Vanguard and Tiff Cinematheque picks. And what a group this is, including plenty of returning favorites and some very exciting new names.
Tiff’s Docs section features a collection of works from award-winning directors including Steve James, Raoul Peck, Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. Leonardo DiCaprio even pops up for a “rousing call to action on climate change” in “The Turning Point,” made in collaboration with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens and already picked up by National Geographic.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The beloved Midnight Madness section offers...
Tiff’s Docs section features a collection of works from award-winning directors including Steve James, Raoul Peck, Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. Leonardo DiCaprio even pops up for a “rousing call to action on climate change” in “The Turning Point,” made in collaboration with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens and already picked up by National Geographic.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The beloved Midnight Madness section offers...
- 8/9/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Subtitled "A Rock 'n' Roll Fable", this satire is the latest example of an increasingly overfamiliar genre, the rock band reunion movie.
From "Spinal Tap" to "Still Crazy" to the recent "Sugar Town", filmmakers are exploiting the comic or poignant ramifications that occur when a band long past its prime tries to recapture its former glory.
"The Suburbans", directed, starring and co-written by Donal Lardner Ward, is a particularly frivolous take on the subject. It's receiving a limited theatrical release in preparation for a quick transfer to video stores.
The Suburbans were a big-haired '80s band who managed to land one big pop hit before self-destructing. Eighteen years later, they have settled into suburban lives of quiet desperation. Danny (Ward) is attempting without success to open a nightclub; Rory (Tony Guma) is an insurance salesman with a pregnant girlfriend (Bridgette Wilson); Mitch (Craig Bierko) is a podiatrist still trying to live down a notorious assignation with a transsexual; and Gil (Will Ferrell) is about to be married, although he's much more interested in waxing his car.
When the group reluctantly and awkwardly performs their old hit at Gil's wedding, it attracts the attention of Cate Jennifer Love Hewitt), a record executive who decides that the group should re-form to cash in on the 1980s music nostalgia bandwagon. She ensconces them in a suburban house where they can practice in the garage, and makes plans for a big pay-per-view special. Needless to say, things go awry.
The screenplay by Ward and Tony Guma has its sweet and mildly comedic moments, but the characterizations are paper thin and the story never really gathers any satirical steam. There's the occasionally funny scene, such as when the group meets with a bizarre pair of record executives, hilariously played by Jerry and Ben Stiller. But the humor is of the distinctly mild variety, and the film gets bogged down in such less-than-scintillating plot developments as the ticking biological clock of Danny's girlfriend Grace (Amy Brenneman) and her increasing jealousy of the skimpily clad Cate. Such stylistic devices as having a bevy of screaming teenage girls holding up signs announcing scene changes wear thin quickly.
The film does manage to score some comic riffs off the current music climate; the scene where the group ineffectually tries to make a video with a hot Icelandic director (photographer David LaChapelle) is a hoot. The cameo appearances by such figures as Dick Clark and Kurt Loder add authenticity, and the band A Flock of Seagulls demonstrates through their brief appearance that they have a sense of humor about themselves.
Performances are mostly unexceptional, although Will Ferrell has some slyly funny moments as the befuddled bassist and Brenneman is charming as the frustrated Grace. Love Hewitt manages to look absolutely adorable at all times, even when forced to wear a steady succession of unflattering hairdos, the worst of which makes her look like Minnie Mouse.
THE SUBURBANS
Sony Pictures Entertainment
TriStar Pictures
Director:Donal Lardner Ward
Screenplay:Donal Lardner Ward, Tony Guma
Producers:Michael Burns, Brad Krevoy, J.J. Abrams, Leanna Creel
Executive Producers:Marc Butan, Tim Foster, George Linardos
Director of Photography:Michael Barrett
Editor:Kathryn Himoff
Production Designer:Susan Bolles
Music:Robbie Konder
Color/stereo
Cast:
Grace:Amy Brenneman
Danny:Donal Lardner Ward
Rory:Tony Guma
Mitch:Craig Bierko
Gil:Will Ferrell
Cate:Jennifer Love Hewitt
Lara:Bridgette Wilson
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
From "Spinal Tap" to "Still Crazy" to the recent "Sugar Town", filmmakers are exploiting the comic or poignant ramifications that occur when a band long past its prime tries to recapture its former glory.
"The Suburbans", directed, starring and co-written by Donal Lardner Ward, is a particularly frivolous take on the subject. It's receiving a limited theatrical release in preparation for a quick transfer to video stores.
The Suburbans were a big-haired '80s band who managed to land one big pop hit before self-destructing. Eighteen years later, they have settled into suburban lives of quiet desperation. Danny (Ward) is attempting without success to open a nightclub; Rory (Tony Guma) is an insurance salesman with a pregnant girlfriend (Bridgette Wilson); Mitch (Craig Bierko) is a podiatrist still trying to live down a notorious assignation with a transsexual; and Gil (Will Ferrell) is about to be married, although he's much more interested in waxing his car.
When the group reluctantly and awkwardly performs their old hit at Gil's wedding, it attracts the attention of Cate Jennifer Love Hewitt), a record executive who decides that the group should re-form to cash in on the 1980s music nostalgia bandwagon. She ensconces them in a suburban house where they can practice in the garage, and makes plans for a big pay-per-view special. Needless to say, things go awry.
The screenplay by Ward and Tony Guma has its sweet and mildly comedic moments, but the characterizations are paper thin and the story never really gathers any satirical steam. There's the occasionally funny scene, such as when the group meets with a bizarre pair of record executives, hilariously played by Jerry and Ben Stiller. But the humor is of the distinctly mild variety, and the film gets bogged down in such less-than-scintillating plot developments as the ticking biological clock of Danny's girlfriend Grace (Amy Brenneman) and her increasing jealousy of the skimpily clad Cate. Such stylistic devices as having a bevy of screaming teenage girls holding up signs announcing scene changes wear thin quickly.
The film does manage to score some comic riffs off the current music climate; the scene where the group ineffectually tries to make a video with a hot Icelandic director (photographer David LaChapelle) is a hoot. The cameo appearances by such figures as Dick Clark and Kurt Loder add authenticity, and the band A Flock of Seagulls demonstrates through their brief appearance that they have a sense of humor about themselves.
Performances are mostly unexceptional, although Will Ferrell has some slyly funny moments as the befuddled bassist and Brenneman is charming as the frustrated Grace. Love Hewitt manages to look absolutely adorable at all times, even when forced to wear a steady succession of unflattering hairdos, the worst of which makes her look like Minnie Mouse.
THE SUBURBANS
Sony Pictures Entertainment
TriStar Pictures
Director:Donal Lardner Ward
Screenplay:Donal Lardner Ward, Tony Guma
Producers:Michael Burns, Brad Krevoy, J.J. Abrams, Leanna Creel
Executive Producers:Marc Butan, Tim Foster, George Linardos
Director of Photography:Michael Barrett
Editor:Kathryn Himoff
Production Designer:Susan Bolles
Music:Robbie Konder
Color/stereo
Cast:
Grace:Amy Brenneman
Danny:Donal Lardner Ward
Rory:Tony Guma
Mitch:Craig Bierko
Gil:Will Ferrell
Cate:Jennifer Love Hewitt
Lara:Bridgette Wilson
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/29/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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