Very few people write like Dorothy Parker. Her poetry and short stories are marked by vicious wit, mainly aimed at the ridiculous romantic standards enforced upon her generation and gender. She laments her lack of love in delightfully economic verses, refers to her enjoyment of sex in not-so-subtle terms, and writes nihilistic advice regarding relationship downfalls. Yet there is a darker side to her. Aside from the Gothic imagery that sarcastically accents her more dramatic work, Parker explores the irony of despair in a disarming, often heartbreaking way.
Parker is famous for her acidic wit and brilliant twists of phrase, often transforming what seems like a simplistic and cheesy rumination on life into biting satire. Her witty destruction of expectations upend ideas of goodness, health, and romance—these don’t apply to Parker, not in this life. In “Love Song,” nice anecdotes about her lover end in the resolve, “I...
Parker is famous for her acidic wit and brilliant twists of phrase, often transforming what seems like a simplistic and cheesy rumination on life into biting satire. Her witty destruction of expectations upend ideas of goodness, health, and romance—these don’t apply to Parker, not in this life. In “Love Song,” nice anecdotes about her lover end in the resolve, “I...
- 9/22/2017
- by Ben Larned
- DailyDead
Simon Ennis' "Lunarcy!" began as an honest documentary about the Moon and those most enthusiastic about it, but the more time the crew spent with their subjects, the more the focus of their documentary shifted towards the men and women who have devoted their lives to the our planet's Moon, distilling their eccentric love into a study of how we find inspiration in our passions. The film's slated to make its television premiere on Epix after the festival on April 3rd. What it's about: A comic documentary about a disparate group of dreamers and schemers who all have one thing in common: they've devoted their lives to the Moon. Tell Us About Yourself: My first feature, You Might As Well Live, premiered at Slamdance in 2009 and won an award there. Aside from that I've made 3 shorts that all premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (where Lunarcy!'s world...
- 3/7/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Up in Cottage Country is a new Canadian produced short film that is skedded to premier at Tiff as part of the Short Cuts Canada series this year. The director, Simon Ennis, was born in Toronto but actually grew up in Drumheller, Alberta, not too far from where I am. Western Canada represent! Before this short, he directed the features You Might as Well Live.
Here's the beef:
In an update of Kafka�s �In der Strafkolonie,� (In the Penal Colony) we find George (Josh Peace) at the cottage arguing with his wife Annie (Liane Balaban). He later stumbles upon a twisted scene: a defunct military officer (Julian Richings) operating a torture machine that carves the sentence of the condemned onto their skin before letting them die.
A commentary on hierarchy and the justice system, Up in Cottage Country is a carefully constructed adaptation of a twisted tale.
Watching this...
Here's the beef:
In an update of Kafka�s �In der Strafkolonie,� (In the Penal Colony) we find George (Josh Peace) at the cottage arguing with his wife Annie (Liane Balaban). He later stumbles upon a twisted scene: a defunct military officer (Julian Richings) operating a torture machine that carves the sentence of the condemned onto their skin before letting them die.
A commentary on hierarchy and the justice system, Up in Cottage Country is a carefully constructed adaptation of a twisted tale.
Watching this...
- 9/9/2011
- QuietEarth.us
Meet Robert R. Mutt (Josh Peace), a simple 30 something-year old from Riverside, Canada who serves as the main character and anti-hero of You Might As Well Live. He is innocent, and somewhat confused. Think of an older Canadian version of Napoleon Dynamite and you have Robert. We are introduced to this interesting fellow when he attempts to commit suicide by drowning himself. He is unsuccessful in his attempt and is subsequently placed in a mental hospital. After showing the doctors and orderlies that he is actually a really happy individual, he is kicked out of the hospital and forced to return back to “normal” society.
When Robert returns home he is greeted angrily by his family who think he’s a retard, and his neighbor and former Cub Scout troop leader, Mr. Steinke (Stephen McHattie) who believes Robert is a pervert. Robert is basically forced out of town because of...
When Robert returns home he is greeted angrily by his family who think he’s a retard, and his neighbor and former Cub Scout troop leader, Mr. Steinke (Stephen McHattie) who believes Robert is a pervert. Robert is basically forced out of town because of...
- 10/24/2010
- by Randall Unger
- JustPressPlay.net
Yesterday, the Genie Awards, Canada's equivalent of the Oscars for those who don't know, were handed out. This year, Polytechnique dominated the Genie Awards and even took the award for Best Motion Picture. However, the presentation of the award on TV and on webcast was too short. Besides, it wasn't a live presentation and not all the awards were shows on TV/webcast. Second Besides: When will a TV network (and not some cable network that few Canadians have) broadcast the Genie Awards? Anyway, without further ado, here's the presentation of the winners.
1. Best Motion Picture
* 3 saisons.
* Before Tomorrow.
* Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* [Winner] Polytechnique.
2. Achievement in Direction:
* Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu for Before Tomorrow.
* Kari Skogland - Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Charles Officer - Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* [Winner] Denis Villeneuve - Polytechnique.
* Bruce McDonald - Pontypool.
3. Best Original Screenplay:
* Atom Egoyan - Adoration.
* Émile Gaudreault and Ian Lauzon - De père en flic...
1. Best Motion Picture
* 3 saisons.
* Before Tomorrow.
* Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* [Winner] Polytechnique.
2. Achievement in Direction:
* Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu for Before Tomorrow.
* Kari Skogland - Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Charles Officer - Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* [Winner] Denis Villeneuve - Polytechnique.
* Bruce McDonald - Pontypool.
3. Best Original Screenplay:
* Atom Egoyan - Adoration.
* Émile Gaudreault and Ian Lauzon - De père en flic...
- 4/13/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
This morning, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (Acct) had announced the nominees for the 30th Genie Awards. For those who don't know, this is the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars. This year, the leader in the race is Polytechnique with 11 nominations. Moreover, the winners will be announced on April 12, 2010.
1. Best Motion Picture
* 3 saisons.
* Before Tomorrow.
* Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* Polytechnique.
2. Achievement in Direction:
* Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu for Before Tomorrow.
* Kari Skogland - Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Charles Officer - Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* Denis Villeneuve - Polytechnique.
* Bruce McDonald - Pontypool.
3. Best Original Screenplay:
* Atom Egoyan - Adoration.
* Émile Gaudreault and Ian Lauzon - De père en flic (Father and Guns).
* Charles Officer and Ingrid Veninger - Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* Jacques Davidts - Polytechnique.
* David Bezmozgis - Victoria Day.
4. Best Adapted Screenplay:
* Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Susan Avingaq and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu - Before Tomorrow.
* Kari Skogland - Fifty Dead Men Walking.
1. Best Motion Picture
* 3 saisons.
* Before Tomorrow.
* Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* Polytechnique.
2. Achievement in Direction:
* Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu for Before Tomorrow.
* Kari Skogland - Fifty Dead Men Walking.
* Charles Officer - Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* Denis Villeneuve - Polytechnique.
* Bruce McDonald - Pontypool.
3. Best Original Screenplay:
* Atom Egoyan - Adoration.
* Émile Gaudreault and Ian Lauzon - De père en flic (Father and Guns).
* Charles Officer and Ingrid Veninger - Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
* Jacques Davidts - Polytechnique.
* David Bezmozgis - Victoria Day.
4. Best Adapted Screenplay:
* Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Susan Avingaq and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu - Before Tomorrow.
* Kari Skogland - Fifty Dead Men Walking.
- 3/1/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Michael Madsen calls movies "pictures" and makes a new one every couple weeks. I happened to check his IMDb page recently, and I noticed something incredible: the man acted in 25 movies released this year. 25*! Sure, they all have dubious titles like You Might As Well Live, Lost in the Woods, and Road of No Return. Sure, Madsen mostly plays characters with names like "The Reverend," "The Associate," and "Clinton Manitoba." But the sheer quantity of Madsen-imprinted cinema in 2009 deserves a special kind of acclaim. Madsen is philosophical about his workaholic output. "I'm only good when I'm busy. When I've got nothing to do,...
- 11/11/2009
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
After getting kicked out of the mental institution where he was recovering from his latest suicide attempt, a loser (Joshua Peace) finds himself on a spiritual quest. He throws himself headfirst on an incredible journey where he will be delivering organs on the black market, fall in love with a girl suffering from Catatonia, and end up on the wrong side of a circumcision. You Might As Well Live is equally hilarious and deeply reinforcing. It's the kind of film that will leave you dumbfounded by the amount of times it crosses the lines of good taste during such a short period of time. You won't want to waste another second waiting to see this comedic Canadian cult film!
- 7/2/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Fantasia Festival is North America [1]'s premiere (and largest) genre [2] film [3] festival [4]. It is also my favorite film festival and so I could not wait to share the highlights of this years line up. Here is a sneak peek at what we will be reviewing in the upcoming week of our podcast. Crush And Blush - Canadian Premiere South Korea Dir: Lee Kyoung-mi For her first feature, director Lee Kyoung-mi had some high-calibre assistance. Park Chan-wook produced, co-wrote and appears briefly in the film, as does Bong Joon-ho, director of The Host. This vaudevillian comedy doused in dark humour follows an unpopular woman who deviously schemes to seduce a colleague and keep him away from his mistress. Hong Hyo-jin seems born to play the fascinating and hard-to-follow Me-sook, an unforgettable, engaging and well-developed character. Love Exposure - Canadian Premiere Japan Dir: Sion Sono Prepare to witness miracles because Sion Sono (Suicide Club,...
- 7/1/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Ok, so I'm lazy.. I copy and pasted the press release, which is after the break, and we have reviews of quite a few of the films playing, including White Lightnin', Left Bank, Blood River, Cryptic, Deadgirl, The Horsemen, I Sell the Dead.. with Kaifeck Murder coming soon (once I can figure out what to write).
Movies I'm really interested in seeing: French Pa flick Mutants, Smash Cut, Possibility of an Island, Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, and Thirst.
But alas, I won't be there. Instead, a friend of ours will be providing some reviews for the week he is there, so everyone give a big thanks to DirtyRobot! Woop!
Check out the film greatness after the break! Oh, and there's more to come...
The past 12 months have been a treasure trove for sharp, individualistic visions of the unusual. Keep your hands on the bars as we give you a...
Movies I'm really interested in seeing: French Pa flick Mutants, Smash Cut, Possibility of an Island, Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, and Thirst.
But alas, I won't be there. Instead, a friend of ours will be providing some reviews for the week he is there, so everyone give a big thanks to DirtyRobot! Woop!
Check out the film greatness after the break! Oh, and there's more to come...
The past 12 months have been a treasure trove for sharp, individualistic visions of the unusual. Keep your hands on the bars as we give you a...
- 6/30/2009
- QuietEarth.us
This looks like one serious f'ed up madcap comedy and it comes from out friends up north in cold Canada-land. This is director Simon Ennis' first feature having done only a couple of shorts, both comedy related, and by the looks of the footage and the storyline, this might be a real winner.
Robert R. Mutt has never had it easy. His family thinks he’s a moron, the neighbors think he’s a pervert, and almost everyone else thinks he’s a total douche bag. He’s failed at everything he’s ever tried to accomplish, including his own suicide. If that wasn’t enough, he’s just been kicked out of the only place where he’s ever felt at home, the depression ward of the Riverside Mental Hospital… for being too happy. Despite all this, Robert is determined to prove that he’s “a real somebody,...
Robert R. Mutt has never had it easy. His family thinks he’s a moron, the neighbors think he’s a pervert, and almost everyone else thinks he’s a total douche bag. He’s failed at everything he’s ever tried to accomplish, including his own suicide. If that wasn’t enough, he’s just been kicked out of the only place where he’s ever felt at home, the depression ward of the Riverside Mental Hospital… for being too happy. Despite all this, Robert is determined to prove that he’s “a real somebody,...
- 12/19/2008
- QuietEarth.us
The Slamdance competition is open only to under-$1 million budgeted films from first-time filmmakers and runs at the same time as Sundance (in Utah) to show a more truer "independent" film style. This year they've got some great looking films, including a sweet looking vampire flick which has the Karate Kid Ralph Macchio himself, Rosencantz and Guildenstern are Undead. I Sell the Dead which was well received at Tad will be opening the fest. Also playing will be The Broken Lizard's latest film The Slammin' Salmon, and Mum and Dad.
Checkout the full lineup after the break!
Narrative Feature Competition
The Ante
Max Perrier (Director), Danek S. Kaus, James Chancellor & Simon Perrier (Writers)
West Coast Premiere, Black Comedy/Thriller, 2006, Canada, 82 minutes
An innocent man becomes the killer everyone wants him to be when he gambles with his freedom in order to save it.
A Quiet Little Marriage
Mo Perkins (Director/Writer)
Utah Premiere,...
Checkout the full lineup after the break!
Narrative Feature Competition
The Ante
Max Perrier (Director), Danek S. Kaus, James Chancellor & Simon Perrier (Writers)
West Coast Premiere, Black Comedy/Thriller, 2006, Canada, 82 minutes
An innocent man becomes the killer everyone wants him to be when he gambles with his freedom in order to save it.
A Quiet Little Marriage
Mo Perkins (Director/Writer)
Utah Premiere,...
- 12/8/2008
- QuietEarth.us
"I Sell the Dead," Glenn McQuaid's darkly comic horror tale about bumbling grave robbers starring Dominic Monaghan and Ron Perlman, will serve as the opening-night film of the 15th annual Slamdance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 15-23 in Park City.
The fest will screen 29 narrative and documentary features, 20 of which come from the U.S. and 31% of which were directed by women. The 100-film lineup also includes shorts and, for the first time, music videos.
"This year we look forward to increasing our audience through new online formats we believe have the ability, in the long run, to level the playing field for the independent filmmaker," Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter said.
Bringing the fest to a worldwide audience for the first time, the films also will stream live at a new Web site, indieroad.net/slamdance, part of Slamdance's newly formed online venture with Indieroad.net.
The...
The fest will screen 29 narrative and documentary features, 20 of which come from the U.S. and 31% of which were directed by women. The 100-film lineup also includes shorts and, for the first time, music videos.
"This year we look forward to increasing our audience through new online formats we believe have the ability, in the long run, to level the playing field for the independent filmmaker," Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter said.
Bringing the fest to a worldwide audience for the first time, the films also will stream live at a new Web site, indieroad.net/slamdance, part of Slamdance's newly formed online venture with Indieroad.net.
The...
- 12/8/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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