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Multiple documentary Emmy contenders this season turn their focus on the people who have made us laugh — and the complicated legacies of their place in comedy history. Four doc titles examine the careers and controversies of stand-ups George Carlin and Bill Cosby, Canadian sketch troupe the Kids in the Hall and I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Here’s what The Hollywood Reporter’s critics had to say about each.
George Carlin’s American Dream (HBO)
George Carlin both transcended and changed the parameters of his chosen profession. It’s been nearly 14 years since Carlin died, but based on his continued social media ubiquity, his words have lived on and remained crazily specific, as if every unanticipatable catastrophe of human culture was somehow anticipated by only one man. On any given day, whether the trending topic relates to reproductive rights...
Multiple documentary Emmy contenders this season turn their focus on the people who have made us laugh — and the complicated legacies of their place in comedy history. Four doc titles examine the careers and controversies of stand-ups George Carlin and Bill Cosby, Canadian sketch troupe the Kids in the Hall and I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Here’s what The Hollywood Reporter’s critics had to say about each.
George Carlin’s American Dream (HBO)
George Carlin both transcended and changed the parameters of his chosen profession. It’s been nearly 14 years since Carlin died, but based on his continued social media ubiquity, his words have lived on and remained crazily specific, as if every unanticipatable catastrophe of human culture was somehow anticipated by only one man. On any given day, whether the trending topic relates to reproductive rights...
- 6/22/2022
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You don’t have to be a fan of the legendary Canadian comedy group The Kids in the Hall to appreciate a thorough and loving new documentary about them, Reg Harkema’s “The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks.” Knowing their work might help make sense of the wonders of “I’m crushing your head” or Chicken Lady or countless other characters, many of them with wigs. But this two-part documentary, now playing on Prime Video, is the kind of successful and sprightly look into a cult sensation that welcomes all.
Continue reading ‘The Kids In The Hall: Comedy Punks’ Review: Essential Viewing For Die-Hards Or Newcomers at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Kids In The Hall: Comedy Punks’ Review: Essential Viewing For Die-Hards Or Newcomers at The Playlist.
- 5/20/2022
- by Nick Allen
- The Playlist
For a generation of comedy nerds, The Kids in the Hall are spoken of in the reverent tones usually reserved for the original cast of Saturday Night Live, Mr. Show’s Bob and David, or Key and Peele. The Canadian comedy troupe, who headlined one of the most influential and groundbreaking sketch shows of all time, are back for a revival of their eponymous series on Amazon Prime beginning May 13, 2022. On May 20th, Amazon will also drop the documentary, The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks.
Directed by Reg Harkema (Super Duper Alice Cooper), the doc screened at the SXSW festival last month in a 95-minute cut, but Amazon has since broken it up into two parts. While that’s unnecessary, it does provide a clean arc for each installment: part one chronicles the formation of the group in Toronto’s punk scene through the first season of their CBC/HBO show,...
Directed by Reg Harkema (Super Duper Alice Cooper), the doc screened at the SXSW festival last month in a 95-minute cut, but Amazon has since broken it up into two parts. While that’s unnecessary, it does provide a clean arc for each installment: part one chronicles the formation of the group in Toronto’s punk scene through the first season of their CBC/HBO show,...
- 5/11/2022
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
Hot Docs has wrapped its 11-day hybrid edition, handing out three more cash prizes, announcing audience top picks, and tipping the hat to the 225 films from 63 countries that screened during the festival.
The animated documentary “Eternal Spring,” by Jason Loftus, won the Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary, which comes with Cdn. 25,000 cash, and also claimed the top spot in the overall audience poll of cinemagoers and online doc-watchers.
“Eternal Spring,” which had its North American premiere at Hot Docs and has racked up other awards this year at European festivals, mixes 3D and new live footage to trace the story of comic-book illustrator Daxiong, a Falun Gong practitioner, who fled China after police began cracking down on members of the outlawed spiritual group.
Mark Bone’s “Okay! (The Asd Band Film),” which follows four autistic musicians as they prepare for their first live gig, is the second Roger...
The animated documentary “Eternal Spring,” by Jason Loftus, won the Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary, which comes with Cdn. 25,000 cash, and also claimed the top spot in the overall audience poll of cinemagoers and online doc-watchers.
“Eternal Spring,” which had its North American premiere at Hot Docs and has racked up other awards this year at European festivals, mixes 3D and new live footage to trace the story of comic-book illustrator Daxiong, a Falun Gong practitioner, who fled China after police began cracking down on members of the outlawed spiritual group.
Mark Bone’s “Okay! (The Asd Band Film),” which follows four autistic musicians as they prepare for their first live gig, is the second Roger...
- 5/9/2022
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
Viewers before them had first-generation “Saturday Night Live” and “Sctv.” But five Canadian lads turned out to be “kind of the only comedy group that reflected Gen X,” as fan Fred Armisen puts it in “The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks.” Reg Harkema’s documentary is a breezy, worthy overview of a collective career now approaching its 40th anniversary.
While best enjoyed by the already converted, it provides enough showbiz insight and interpersonal drama to entertain newbies. It will provide both camps with an appetizer for the Kids’ limited-run reboot of their original sketch series, which new episodes (featuring an array of name guest stars) launch May 13 on Amazon Prime, followed by this doc a week later (on May 20).
While all in their early twenties, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch met in 1981 via a Calgary comedy-improv group, as did Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald in Toronto the next year.
While best enjoyed by the already converted, it provides enough showbiz insight and interpersonal drama to entertain newbies. It will provide both camps with an appetizer for the Kids’ limited-run reboot of their original sketch series, which new episodes (featuring an array of name guest stars) launch May 13 on Amazon Prime, followed by this doc a week later (on May 20).
While all in their early twenties, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch met in 1981 via a Calgary comedy-improv group, as did Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald in Toronto the next year.
- 4/30/2022
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Prime Video announced The Kids in the Hall is set to premiere on May 13 followed by the companion docuseries The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks on May 20.
More premiere dates and a slew of new Canadian originals were also revealed during the Prime Video Presents Canada showcase event in Toronto on Wednesday.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s ahead:
The Sticky is a half-hour series revolving around Ruth Clarke, a tough, supremely competent, middle-aged Canadian maple syrup farmer who’s had it with being hemmed in by the polite, bureaucratic conventions native to her country’s identity — especially now that Canada’s bureaucracy is threatening to take away everything she loves: her farm, her comatose husband and her right to freedom.
With the help of Remy Bouchard, a pint-sized local blockhead, and Mike Byrne, an aging low-level mobster, Ruth changes her fate — and transforms the future of her...
More premiere dates and a slew of new Canadian originals were also revealed during the Prime Video Presents Canada showcase event in Toronto on Wednesday.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s ahead:
The Sticky is a half-hour series revolving around Ruth Clarke, a tough, supremely competent, middle-aged Canadian maple syrup farmer who’s had it with being hemmed in by the polite, bureaucratic conventions native to her country’s identity — especially now that Canada’s bureaucracy is threatening to take away everything she loves: her farm, her comatose husband and her right to freedom.
With the help of Remy Bouchard, a pint-sized local blockhead, and Mike Byrne, an aging low-level mobster, Ruth changes her fate — and transforms the future of her...
- 4/13/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
“We were all very much trying to prove to our dads that we were men… by dressing up as women!”
So says Scott Thompson of The Kids In The Hall, the Canadian comedy troupe that’s the subject of a new documentary.
Screening at SXSW before showing on Amazon Prime Video in two parts, The Kids In The Hall: Comedy Punks is an enjoyable insight into the life and work of five alternative comedians who took their show from stage to screen – with a few bumps along the way.
Director Reg Harkema combines archive footage and clips with modern day interviews, speaking to Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson separately as well as in a group. And if anyone can deliver pithy soundbites, it’s a bunch of successful comedy writers. Their comments often reflect the rebellious punk attitude of the title. “We used homosexuality...
So says Scott Thompson of The Kids In The Hall, the Canadian comedy troupe that’s the subject of a new documentary.
Screening at SXSW before showing on Amazon Prime Video in two parts, The Kids In The Hall: Comedy Punks is an enjoyable insight into the life and work of five alternative comedians who took their show from stage to screen – with a few bumps along the way.
Director Reg Harkema combines archive footage and clips with modern day interviews, speaking to Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson separately as well as in a group. And if anyone can deliver pithy soundbites, it’s a bunch of successful comedy writers. Their comments often reflect the rebellious punk attitude of the title. “We used homosexuality...
- 3/17/2022
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
'The People Garden' Trailer: See Dree Hemingway Search A Japanese Forest For Her Rock Star Boyfriend
In Nadia Litz's new feature film "The People Garden," the mysterious Sweetpea (Dree Hemingway) travels to Japan to break up with Jamie (Francois Arnaud), her rock star boyfriend who's currently shooting a music video there with '90s sex symbol Signe (Pamela Anderson). When she arrives, the production crew informs her that Jamie has gone missing and was last seen deep in the forrest shooting the video. Sweetpea pledges to solve Jamie's disappearance with the help of cagey ranger Mak (Jai West), but she soon discovers a mystery far larger than she anticipated. Watch the trailer for "The People Garden" above. Read More: Monterey Media Acquires Female-Centric Western 'Big Muddy' "The People Garden" is Nadia Litz's second feature film after 2014's "Hotel Congress." She is best known as an actress, performing in such films like Jeremy Podeswa's "The Five Senses," Nicolas Winding Refn's "Fear X,...
- 5/6/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
The filmmakers behind Super Duper Alice Cooper dub their work the first "doc opera", and it comes pretty close to living up to that hype. Tracing the remarkable career of the band Alice Cooper (a moniker derived from a drunken Ouija board session), we get a nice overview by directors Reginald Harkema, Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of the hedonistic rock of the 70s right through to the present day."Alice Cooper" became not just the band's appelation but the legal name of its flamboyant yet macabre lead singer. From "I'm Eighteen" to "School's Out", Cooper's songs continue to be a staple of Classic Rock radio. The story behind this rise, as well as the many slips along the way (be they professional or personal)...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/1/2014
- Screen Anarchy
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival is winding down, and it's time for Part 1 of our wrap-up of the horror films we took in this year with a look at Summer of Blood, Super Duper Alice Cooper, In Order of Disappearance, and The Canal.
Are we knee deep in film festival season or at the tail end, transitioning from film geekery to... well, just plain geekery with a comic-con every weekend til August? It's hard to keep track these days. Lucky for you, Dread Central sends henchmen to every event worth talking about.
Today I fill those shoes as we run the streets of New York City to catch the freakier films of the Tribeca Film Festival alongside Heather Buckley (on interview duty) and Drew Tinnin (backing us up on all points). As we head toward the close of the event, we thought we'd give you a taste of what we've been taking in.
Are we knee deep in film festival season or at the tail end, transitioning from film geekery to... well, just plain geekery with a comic-con every weekend til August? It's hard to keep track these days. Lucky for you, Dread Central sends henchmen to every event worth talking about.
Today I fill those shoes as we run the streets of New York City to catch the freakier films of the Tribeca Film Festival alongside Heather Buckley (on interview duty) and Drew Tinnin (backing us up on all points). As we head toward the close of the event, we thought we'd give you a taste of what we've been taking in.
- 4/25/2014
- by Nomad
- DreadCentral.com
As directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn proved with 2010's "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage," they can take even the nerdiest, most seemingly inoffensive band, and turn out something fascinating, amusing, insightful and even at times moving. And on paper, tackling shock rocker Alice Cooper—whose onstage persona inspired decades of artists to actively piss off parents—should be an obvious next step. Yet surprisingly, and disappointingly, the filmmakers—along with third co-director Reginald Harkema—miss the mark with the mostly dull and uninvolving "Super Duper Alice Cooper," a portrait of the rock star that lacks the very edge and sense of danger that the artist himself exuded in his prime. And given the access the team behind the movie had not only to Cooper himself, but many key players around him, frustration mounts as one realizes that this could've been so much more. Famed promoter and manager Shep Gordon,...
- 4/24/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Super Duper Alice Cooper
Directed by Reginald Harkema, Scot McFayden, and Sam Dunn
Canada, 2014
If your knowledge of pop music is of a certain type, then you’ve heard of glam-rocker Alice Cooper but know almost nothing about him. In fact, the Tribeca 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper reveals the factoid that Vincent Furnier was originally the singer of a band called Alice Cooper, and that he changed his name to Alice Cooper to make the band (and, later, his solo act) easier to promote. That action says a lot about Cooper – his act, his ambitions, the sort of place that he has in music history – but Super Duper Alice Cooper isn’t quite interested in that. It’s not unlike one of Cooper’s many imitators, presenting the traditional information with flashy visuals.
The material is certainly nothing new: open on Vincent Furnier’s childhood and follow his life...
Directed by Reginald Harkema, Scot McFayden, and Sam Dunn
Canada, 2014
If your knowledge of pop music is of a certain type, then you’ve heard of glam-rocker Alice Cooper but know almost nothing about him. In fact, the Tribeca 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper reveals the factoid that Vincent Furnier was originally the singer of a band called Alice Cooper, and that he changed his name to Alice Cooper to make the band (and, later, his solo act) easier to promote. That action says a lot about Cooper – his act, his ambitions, the sort of place that he has in music history – but Super Duper Alice Cooper isn’t quite interested in that. It’s not unlike one of Cooper’s many imitators, presenting the traditional information with flashy visuals.
The material is certainly nothing new: open on Vincent Furnier’s childhood and follow his life...
- 4/18/2014
- by Mark Young
- SoundOnSight
The second half of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival's features slate is here, and with films like Zombeavers, Extraterrestrial, Preservation, and Indigenous included in the Midnight section, there's a lot for horror fans to love.
In the Spotlight section there are a few thriller/horror-ish sounding films, plus a documentary on Alice Cooper that should be of interest to genre fans, so we're including them here as well.
From the Press Release:
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by At&T, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screenings sections as well as the selections for the Storyscapes program.
The Midnight section will open with the feature film Preservation and includes a lineup of genre-bending titles from fresh voices around the world that run the gamut from tongue-in-cheek comedy to chilling horror films. "Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us,...
In the Spotlight section there are a few thriller/horror-ish sounding films, plus a documentary on Alice Cooper that should be of interest to genre fans, so we're including them here as well.
From the Press Release:
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by At&T, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screenings sections as well as the selections for the Storyscapes program.
The Midnight section will open with the feature film Preservation and includes a lineup of genre-bending titles from fresh voices around the world that run the gamut from tongue-in-cheek comedy to chilling horror films. "Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us,...
- 3/6/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
The 13th Tribeca Film Festival has announced its complete lineup for next month’s New York celebration, which runs April 16-27. Culled from more than 6,000 submissions, Tribeca 2014 includes 55 world premieres, 37 first-time filmmakers, and 22 female directors. Half the slate had been announced on Tuesday, with Spotlight, Midnight, and Storyscapes films unveiled today, as well as special screenings. “Spotlight and special screenings are an especially dynamic aspect of this year’s program, both in range of styles and stories,” said Genna Terranova, Tribeca’s director of programming. “Many films feature real-life personalities who’ve accomplished extraordinary feats, while in other films we...
- 3/6/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Tribeca Film Festival 2014 world premieres include Every Secret Thing, Miss Meadows and Zombeavers.
Spotlight features 31 films comprising 22 narratives and nine documentaries, of which 20 receive world premieres. The Midnight section will open with Preservation and includes the Efm buzz title Zombeavers.
Special Screenings include 6, a work-in-progress documentary by The Cove director Louie Psihoyos. The transmedia Storyscapes line-up returns for the second year. As previously announced, the festival will open on April 16 with the Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic and runs through April 27.
“Spotlight and Special screenings are an especially dynamic aspect of this year’s programme, both in range of styles and stories,” said director of programming Genna Terranova, “Many films feature real-life personalities who’ve accomplished extraordinary feats, while in other films we see personal relationships at pivotal moments of transition. We look forward to sharing these engaging stories with audiences.”
“Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us, each of the...
Spotlight features 31 films comprising 22 narratives and nine documentaries, of which 20 receive world premieres. The Midnight section will open with Preservation and includes the Efm buzz title Zombeavers.
Special Screenings include 6, a work-in-progress documentary by The Cove director Louie Psihoyos. The transmedia Storyscapes line-up returns for the second year. As previously announced, the festival will open on April 16 with the Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic and runs through April 27.
“Spotlight and Special screenings are an especially dynamic aspect of this year’s programme, both in range of styles and stories,” said director of programming Genna Terranova, “Many films feature real-life personalities who’ve accomplished extraordinary feats, while in other films we see personal relationships at pivotal moments of transition. We look forward to sharing these engaging stories with audiences.”
“Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us, each of the...
- 3/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Tribeca Film Festival 2014 world premieres include Every Secret Thing, Miss Meadows and Zombeavers.
Spotlight features 31 films comprising 22 narratives and nine documentaries, of which 20 receive world premieres. The Midnight section will open with Preservation and includes the Efm buzz title Zombeavers.
Special Screenings include 6, a work-in-progress documentary by The Cove director Louie Psihoyos. The transmedia Storyscapes line-up returns for the second year. As previously announced, the festival will open on April 16 with the Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic and runs through April 27.
“Spotlight and Special screenings are an especially dynamic aspect of this year’s programme, both in range of styles and stories,” said director of programming Genna Terranova, “Many films feature real-life personalities who’ve accomplished extraordinary feats, while in other films we see personal relationships at pivotal moments of transition. We look forward to sharing these engaging stories with audiences.”
“Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us, each of the...
Spotlight features 31 films comprising 22 narratives and nine documentaries, of which 20 receive world premieres. The Midnight section will open with Preservation and includes the Efm buzz title Zombeavers.
Special Screenings include 6, a work-in-progress documentary by The Cove director Louie Psihoyos. The transmedia Storyscapes line-up returns for the second year. As previously announced, the festival will open on April 16 with the Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic and runs through April 27.
“Spotlight and Special screenings are an especially dynamic aspect of this year’s programme, both in range of styles and stories,” said director of programming Genna Terranova, “Many films feature real-life personalities who’ve accomplished extraordinary feats, while in other films we see personal relationships at pivotal moments of transition. We look forward to sharing these engaging stories with audiences.”
“Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us, each of the...
- 3/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Darling
Jessica Chastain is reportedly set to join “Incendies” director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the Russell Banks novel “The Darling".
Chastain would play a political extremist who operates as a member of the Weather Underground in the late 70's. She’s forced to flee America for West Africa, where along with her Liberian husband she befriends a warlord who eventually puts her family and life in peril. [Source: The Playlist]
The Rebel Kind
Jay Baruchel is set to star in writer/director Reg Harkema's "The Rebel Kind," a film based on the memoir of John 'Buck Cherry' Armstrong - frontman of 80's Vancouver-based band The Modernettes.
The story chronicles the emergence of the city's punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom. Shooting on the $5 million project kicks off next Fall. [Source: Variety]
Django Unchained
Adelaide singer Catherine Lambert has scored a...
Jessica Chastain is reportedly set to join “Incendies” director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the Russell Banks novel “The Darling".
Chastain would play a political extremist who operates as a member of the Weather Underground in the late 70's. She’s forced to flee America for West Africa, where along with her Liberian husband she befriends a warlord who eventually puts her family and life in peril. [Source: The Playlist]
The Rebel Kind
Jay Baruchel is set to star in writer/director Reg Harkema's "The Rebel Kind," a film based on the memoir of John 'Buck Cherry' Armstrong - frontman of 80's Vancouver-based band The Modernettes.
The story chronicles the emergence of the city's punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom. Shooting on the $5 million project kicks off next Fall. [Source: Variety]
Django Unchained
Adelaide singer Catherine Lambert has scored a...
- 12/16/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The Darling
Jessica Chastain is reportedly set to join “Incendies” director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the Russell Banks novel “The Darling".
Chastain would play a political extremist who operates as a member of the Weather Underground in the late 70's. She’s forced to flee America for West Africa, where along with her Liberian husband she befriends a warlord who eventually puts her family and life in peril. [Source: The Playlist]
The Rebel Kind
Jay Baruchel is set to star in writer/director Reg Harkema's "The Rebel Kind," a film based on the memoir of John 'Buck Cherry' Armstrong - frontman of 80's Vancouver-based band The Modernettes.
The story chronicles the emergence of the city's punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom. Shooting on the $5 million project kicks off next Fall. [Source: Variety]
Django Unchained
Adelaide singer Catherine Lambert has scored a...
Jessica Chastain is reportedly set to join “Incendies” director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the Russell Banks novel “The Darling".
Chastain would play a political extremist who operates as a member of the Weather Underground in the late 70's. She’s forced to flee America for West Africa, where along with her Liberian husband she befriends a warlord who eventually puts her family and life in peril. [Source: The Playlist]
The Rebel Kind
Jay Baruchel is set to star in writer/director Reg Harkema's "The Rebel Kind," a film based on the memoir of John 'Buck Cherry' Armstrong - frontman of 80's Vancouver-based band The Modernettes.
The story chronicles the emergence of the city's punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom. Shooting on the $5 million project kicks off next Fall. [Source: Variety]
Django Unchained
Adelaide singer Catherine Lambert has scored a...
- 12/16/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Jay Baruchel is set to play iconic punk rocker John Armstrong, aka Buck Cherry, frontman of 1980s Vancouver-based band, "The Modernettes. in a new biopic. Variety reports that Baruchel will star in The Rebel Kind, which was written and will be directed by Reg Harkema (Monkey Warfare, Leslie, My Name is Evil) The story will chronicle “the emergence of the city's punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom.”
Baruchel is great in comedies, but this casting definitely goes against type for him. Then again there are some other actors that I can think of that have been cast in punk roles that have gone against type to an extent.
Here is our list of the 5 Best Rocker Roles In Movies:
Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby Doo, The Descendants) as Stevo in Slc Punk! He also played a punk-type character in Hackers.
Baruchel is great in comedies, but this casting definitely goes against type for him. Then again there are some other actors that I can think of that have been cast in punk roles that have gone against type to an extent.
Here is our list of the 5 Best Rocker Roles In Movies:
Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby Doo, The Descendants) as Stevo in Slc Punk! He also played a punk-type character in Hackers.
- 12/15/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
[1] Jay Baruchel has built a nice career playing lovable nerds, but for his newest role he'll be transforming himself into a full-on rock star. The former Undeclared actor has signed on to star in The Rebel Kind, based on a memoir by John Armstrong. As frontman of The Modernettes, Armstrong -- or "Buck Cherry," as he was called then -- was at the heart of the rising Vancouver punk scene in the '80s. Reg Harkema (Monkey Warfare) has written the script and is set to direct, with Patrick Carroll, Andria Spring, and Kevin Eastwood producing. The Rebel Kind will shoot next fall in Vancouver. Baruchel will next star in the hockey comedy Goon, which he wrote with Evan Goldberg. [Variety [2]] After the jump, Atonement actress Saoirse Ronan revisits World War II -- this time as a New Yorker -- and Skins star Kaya Scodelario steps in for Rooney Mara. Saoirse Ronan...
- 12/15/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Possibly following in the footsteps of a turn in next year’s Cosmopolis, Variety reports that Jay Baruchel will take a dramatic lead in The Rebel Kind, a biopic of The Modernettes leader John Armstrong. The film, which has been written and will be directed by Reg Harkema, follows “the emergence of the city’s punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom.” (That sounds like a drama, right?)
Kevin “Clint’s Not My Dad” Eastwood will produce with Patrick Carroll and Andria Spring through his Optic Nerve Films. They’re taking their sweet time for it, though, because filming won’t actually kick off until next fall; at least Cosmopolis will let us know if Baruchel has any non-comedic potential by the time shooting commences. But I like the guy to a great extent, so I’ll already spare...
Kevin “Clint’s Not My Dad” Eastwood will produce with Patrick Carroll and Andria Spring through his Optic Nerve Films. They’re taking their sweet time for it, though, because filming won’t actually kick off until next fall; at least Cosmopolis will let us know if Baruchel has any non-comedic potential by the time shooting commences. But I like the guy to a great extent, so I’ll already spare...
- 12/14/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
With The Goon set for release in March and Jay & Seth vs. The Apocalypse as his forthcoming project, Jay Baruchel is lining up a few more films on his schedule. According to Variety, the actor is set to appear in The Rebel Kind, based on a memoir by John Armstrong, aka Buck Cherry, frontman of 1980s Vancouver-based band, “The Modernettes.”
Variety says the film “chronicles the emergence of the city’s punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom.”
Reg Harkema is set to direct and also wrote the script. Patrick Carroll, Andria Spring and Kevin Eastwood are attached to produce via Eastwood’s Optic Nerve Films.
With The Rebel Kind shooting next fall in Vancouver, this gives Jay Baruchel enough time to work on Jay & Seth Vs. The Apocalypse. Brauchel will co-write the apocalyptic comedy with Freaks and Geeks alum,...
Variety says the film “chronicles the emergence of the city’s punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom.”
Reg Harkema is set to direct and also wrote the script. Patrick Carroll, Andria Spring and Kevin Eastwood are attached to produce via Eastwood’s Optic Nerve Films.
With The Rebel Kind shooting next fall in Vancouver, this gives Jay Baruchel enough time to work on Jay & Seth Vs. The Apocalypse. Brauchel will co-write the apocalyptic comedy with Freaks and Geeks alum,...
- 12/14/2011
- by Mike Lee
- FusedFilm
VancouverFilm.Net reports that actor Jay Baruchel is attached to star in "The Rebel Kind", based on a memoir by author John Armstrong, aka 'Buck Cherry', frontman of the 1980's Vancouver-based band, "The Modernettes."
The film intends to chronicle the beginnings of Vancouver's emerging 'punk rock' scene.
Reg Harkema, who adapted the screenplay will direct for producers Patrick Carroll, Andria Spring and Kevin Eastwood.
"The Rebel Kind" plans to shoot in Vancouver Fall 2012.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Modernettes"...
The film intends to chronicle the beginnings of Vancouver's emerging 'punk rock' scene.
Reg Harkema, who adapted the screenplay will direct for producers Patrick Carroll, Andria Spring and Kevin Eastwood.
"The Rebel Kind" plans to shoot in Vancouver Fall 2012.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Modernettes"...
- 12/14/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Jay Baruchel: Rock star?
Believe it. The "Superbad" star has played a number of great roles in his nearly 20 years as an actor, but there's one type of part that seems to always elude him: the cool kid. That is, until now.
Variety reports Baruchel will be ditching the lovable nerd roles of years past for a part as a member of pioneering Canadian punk band The Modernettes in "The Rebel Kind."
The film, based on Modernettes lead singer Buck Cherry's autobiography and directed by Reg Harkema, tells the story of the Vancouver band's rise to fame and their eventual decision to walk away from the spotlight.
While Canada may seem like an unlikely backdrop a burgeoning punk scene, producer Kevin Eastwood insists that Vancouver's music scene was, at one time, among the world's best.
"A lot of people don't realize that Vancouver was a huge hotbed of musical...
Believe it. The "Superbad" star has played a number of great roles in his nearly 20 years as an actor, but there's one type of part that seems to always elude him: the cool kid. That is, until now.
Variety reports Baruchel will be ditching the lovable nerd roles of years past for a part as a member of pioneering Canadian punk band The Modernettes in "The Rebel Kind."
The film, based on Modernettes lead singer Buck Cherry's autobiography and directed by Reg Harkema, tells the story of the Vancouver band's rise to fame and their eventual decision to walk away from the spotlight.
While Canada may seem like an unlikely backdrop a burgeoning punk scene, producer Kevin Eastwood insists that Vancouver's music scene was, at one time, among the world's best.
"A lot of people don't realize that Vancouver was a huge hotbed of musical...
- 12/14/2011
- by Sarah Crow
- NextMovie
Jay Baruchel will star in The Rebel Kind , based on a memoir by John Armstrong, aka Buck Cherry, frontman of 1980s Vancouver-based band, "The Modernettes." Variety says the film "chronicles the emergence of the city's punk-rock scene via a successful band that throws in the towel, realizing the deep cost of pursuing superstardom." Reg Harkema is set to direct and also wrote the script. Patrick Carroll, Andria Spring and Kevin Eastwood are attached to produce via Eastwood's Optic Nerve Films. Shooting will take place next fall in Vancouver. (Photo Credit: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com)...
- 12/14/2011
- Comingsoon.net
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Interview- Michael Dowse
Make no mistake about Fubar: Balls to the Wall, it is hilarious. It is downright funny in a way that Jackass 3 was funny with the exception that the talent of David Lawrence and Paul Spence, who play Terry and Dean, respectively, are comedic actors who are so in tune to these characters that they feel like second skin that’s easily gotten into. They sell their performances by leaning on their abilities and it’s not really the story that’s compelling about this film, it’s them.
When director Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight, It’s All Gone Pete Tong, the upcoming Goon) sat down to flesh out the second installment he knew what he wanted to...
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Interview- Michael Dowse
Make no mistake about Fubar: Balls to the Wall, it is hilarious. It is downright funny in a way that Jackass 3 was funny with the exception that the talent of David Lawrence and Paul Spence, who play Terry and Dean, respectively, are comedic actors who are so in tune to these characters that they feel like second skin that’s easily gotten into. They sell their performances by leaning on their abilities and it’s not really the story that’s compelling about this film, it’s them.
When director Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight, It’s All Gone Pete Tong, the upcoming Goon) sat down to flesh out the second installment he knew what he wanted to...
- 4/15/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
A compelling figure since the 1969 murders he orchestrated, not to mention his affiliation with a Beach Boy, fleeting musical career and use of a Beatles song for his two-word mantra, Helter Skelter, Charles Manson's warped tale has been committed to print and film and his persona even inspired neo-goth artist Marilyn Manson's alliterative moniker.
Even as recent as last year, Canada's Reginald Harkema wrote and directed Leslie, My Name is Evil, profiling one member of the Manson Family, Leslie Van Houten, and the fictitious story of a jury member falling for the demented former homecoming princess. Now comes word of a different spin on the Manson myth, starring one of the stars of HBO's adult vampire series "True Blood."
Ryan Kwantan, the Aussie who plays Jason Stackhouse the philanderer of Bon Temps, has been cast as the hirsute cult leader in Scott Kosar's take on the story,...
Even as recent as last year, Canada's Reginald Harkema wrote and directed Leslie, My Name is Evil, profiling one member of the Manson Family, Leslie Van Houten, and the fictitious story of a jury member falling for the demented former homecoming princess. Now comes word of a different spin on the Manson myth, starring one of the stars of HBO's adult vampire series "True Blood."
Ryan Kwantan, the Aussie who plays Jason Stackhouse the philanderer of Bon Temps, has been cast as the hirsute cult leader in Scott Kosar's take on the story,...
- 10/29/2010
- by Andrea Miller
- Cineplex
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"The Darjeeling Limited" (2007)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Released by Criterion Collection
Anderson's underappreciated trip to India on the backs of three brothers (Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson) who take a train the country to honor their late father gets a reexamination with this Criterion Collection edition that includes a new documentary, an audio commentary from Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, audition footage, a video essay from Matt Zoller Seitz, a chichat between Anderson and the late James Ivory about the film's music and Anderson's ad for American Express and the short "Hotel Chevalier" with Natalie Portman.
"As Good As Dead" (2010)
Directed by Jonathan Mossek
Released by First Look Entertainment
Andie MacDowell, Frank Whaley and Matt Dallas star as spurned cult members from the South who take a New Yorker (Cary Elwes) hostage years after they believe he's killed their leader in this thriller.
"The Darjeeling Limited" (2007)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Released by Criterion Collection
Anderson's underappreciated trip to India on the backs of three brothers (Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson) who take a train the country to honor their late father gets a reexamination with this Criterion Collection edition that includes a new documentary, an audio commentary from Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, audition footage, a video essay from Matt Zoller Seitz, a chichat between Anderson and the late James Ivory about the film's music and Anderson's ad for American Express and the short "Hotel Chevalier" with Natalie Portman.
"As Good As Dead" (2010)
Directed by Jonathan Mossek
Released by First Look Entertainment
Andie MacDowell, Frank Whaley and Matt Dallas star as spurned cult members from the South who take a New Yorker (Cary Elwes) hostage years after they believe he's killed their leader in this thriller.
- 10/12/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
This week's roundup of DVD releases include fan favorites from TV, a scarred comic book antihero, the next installment of The Lost Boys, the requisite creature features, a Roger Corman set, and SyFy's apocalyptic view of the world. Also, don't forget to check out the soundtrack from the hottest vampire TV show right now (well, there's only one playing currently) at the very end of this list.
While waiting for your orders to arrive by mail, you can always catch up on Camera Obscura for free with our Episode 1-7 episodes & recap or watch the newest episodes on Dailymotion. You can also learn all about creature making from our Q&A With Camera Obscura's FX Maestro Jeff Farley.
On with the list....
Jonah Hex
Directed by Jimmy Hayward
Out of the pages of the legendary comics and graphic novels steps Jonah Hex (review), a scarred drifter and bounty hunter...
While waiting for your orders to arrive by mail, you can always catch up on Camera Obscura for free with our Episode 1-7 episodes & recap or watch the newest episodes on Dailymotion. You can also learn all about creature making from our Q&A With Camera Obscura's FX Maestro Jeff Farley.
On with the list....
Jonah Hex
Directed by Jimmy Hayward
Out of the pages of the legendary comics and graphic novels steps Jonah Hex (review), a scarred drifter and bounty hunter...
- 10/12/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Take a look at that image to the left. Go on. Look at it. what does it say to you? Scary, no? That's Charlie Manson staring back at you and he's got the blood lust, baby. And check out that quote on the cover, the quote promising "senseless violence, gratuitous sex and over the top killing"! As Lightning Entertainment - who have just released the film via an output deal with Lionsgate - put it, it's "the definitive moment that coined the phrase "serial killing." Manson's bloodlust left a trail of dead bodies across the Los Angeles landscape."
Except this movie isn't really about that. And it's not really called Manson, My Name Is Evil, either. and if you're wondering why they would put a quote from a minor outlet like the McGill Daily - hands up anyone who didn't attend McGill who has ever read it! - well, that'd...
Except this movie isn't really about that. And it's not really called Manson, My Name Is Evil, either. and if you're wondering why they would put a quote from a minor outlet like the McGill Daily - hands up anyone who didn't attend McGill who has ever read it! - well, that'd...
- 9/6/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Today, the nominations for Canada's 2010 Directors Guild Awards have been announced. These awards are meant to give awards for some people who work behind the camera to give outstanding films and TV series. Besides, the gala will be hosted by Canadian comedian Dave Foley. So, without further ado, here are the nominations.
Best feature film:
* Cairo Time.
* Chloe.
* The Trotsky.
* Love & Savagery.
Best television movie/miniseries
* Darwin Darkest Hour.
* Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story.
* Sea Wolf.
* The White Archer.
Best dramatic TV series:
* Being Erica.
* Flashpoint.
* Sanctuary.
* The Bridge.
Best comedy TV series:
* The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town.
* G-Spot.
* Less than Kind.
* Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Best family TV series:
* Degrassi: The Next Generation.
* Heartland.
* How to Be Indie.
* Overruled!
Allan King Award for Excellence in Documentary:
* Ballet High - Elise Swerhone (Director), Robert Lower (Picture Editor).
* The Experimental Eskimos -...
Best feature film:
* Cairo Time.
* Chloe.
* The Trotsky.
* Love & Savagery.
Best television movie/miniseries
* Darwin Darkest Hour.
* Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story.
* Sea Wolf.
* The White Archer.
Best dramatic TV series:
* Being Erica.
* Flashpoint.
* Sanctuary.
* The Bridge.
Best comedy TV series:
* The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town.
* G-Spot.
* Less than Kind.
* Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Best family TV series:
* Degrassi: The Next Generation.
* Heartland.
* How to Be Indie.
* Overruled!
Allan King Award for Excellence in Documentary:
* Ballet High - Elise Swerhone (Director), Robert Lower (Picture Editor).
* The Experimental Eskimos -...
- 7/9/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Toronto -- Atom Egoyan's racy marital thriller "Chloe" leads the field with five nominations for the upcoming Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) Awards.
The Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore-starrer from Sony Pictures Classics will challenge for best feature, best movie direction for Egoyan, and in three craft categories.
The Dgc kudosfest also handed out four nominations each to the CBS cop dramas "The Bridge" and "Flashpoint," both of which are lensed in Toronto.
Also contending in the best movie direction competition is Penelope Buitenhuis for "A Wake," George Mihalka for "Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage," and Reginald Harkema for "Leslie, My Name is Evil."
The best TV direction competition will be fought over by Adrienne Mitchell for "Durham County," Robert C. Cooper for "Stargate Universe," Helen Shaver for "The Bridge" and Holly Dale for "Flashpoint."
The Dgc will also hand out a lifetime achievement award to director...
The Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore-starrer from Sony Pictures Classics will challenge for best feature, best movie direction for Egoyan, and in three craft categories.
The Dgc kudosfest also handed out four nominations each to the CBS cop dramas "The Bridge" and "Flashpoint," both of which are lensed in Toronto.
Also contending in the best movie direction competition is Penelope Buitenhuis for "A Wake," George Mihalka for "Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage," and Reginald Harkema for "Leslie, My Name is Evil."
The best TV direction competition will be fought over by Adrienne Mitchell for "Durham County," Robert C. Cooper for "Stargate Universe," Helen Shaver for "The Bridge" and Holly Dale for "Flashpoint."
The Dgc will also hand out a lifetime achievement award to director...
- 7/8/2010
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Tuesday morning, indie actress Tracy Wright lost her battle with pancreatic cancer, passing away at the age of fifty. You may not know her by name, but if you've followed Canadian filmmakers like Don McKellar (who she married earlier this year), Miranda July, and Bruce McDonald, you've seen her work.
Her big screen career began in 1991 with McDonald and McKellar's Highway 61. Wright then appeared in a number of indie productions over the last twenty years, including July's Me You and Everyone We Know in 2005, but it was her work with McKellar that made her name recognizable outside the limits of Canadian cinema. She played Donna in Last Night, took on the Elimination Dance, and was able to wreak havoc alongside McKellar as radicals in Reginald Harkema's anarchy-filled Monkey Warfare. Just last year, she re-teamed with both men to play Leslie's mother in Leslie, My Name is Evil.
Her big screen career began in 1991 with McDonald and McKellar's Highway 61. Wright then appeared in a number of indie productions over the last twenty years, including July's Me You and Everyone We Know in 2005, but it was her work with McKellar that made her name recognizable outside the limits of Canadian cinema. She played Donna in Last Night, took on the Elimination Dance, and was able to wreak havoc alongside McKellar as radicals in Reginald Harkema's anarchy-filled Monkey Warfare. Just last year, she re-teamed with both men to play Leslie's mother in Leslie, My Name is Evil.
- 6/24/2010
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
Written and Directed by Reginald Harkema
Featuring Kristen Hager, Kristin Adams, Tom Barnett, Robert Dayton
Review by Maude Michaud
Leslie, My Name Is Evil, is not a horror film, but it is a film that horror fans can appreciate for the same reasons that a mainstream audience might not. It has been getting a lot of press recently, especially since John Waters publicly expressed his outrage at the film, which might be misleading as to what exactly is so shocking about it. Also, reviews are mixed in a 'love it or hate it' way; I personally loved it and will try my best to demystify the common misconceptions about the film...
First off, Leslie, My Name Is Evil does not claim to be an accurate historical film; rather it falls in the 'let's take an historical event/person and add a fictional story around it to retell it in a different way' category.
Featuring Kristen Hager, Kristin Adams, Tom Barnett, Robert Dayton
Review by Maude Michaud
Leslie, My Name Is Evil, is not a horror film, but it is a film that horror fans can appreciate for the same reasons that a mainstream audience might not. It has been getting a lot of press recently, especially since John Waters publicly expressed his outrage at the film, which might be misleading as to what exactly is so shocking about it. Also, reviews are mixed in a 'love it or hate it' way; I personally loved it and will try my best to demystify the common misconceptions about the film...
First off, Leslie, My Name Is Evil does not claim to be an accurate historical film; rather it falls in the 'let's take an historical event/person and add a fictional story around it to retell it in a different way' category.
- 6/8/2010
- by MaudeM
- Planet Fury
After a presence at the latest Toronto International Film Festival and Montreal's Festival du nouveau cinéma, Reginald Harkema's Leslie, My Name Is Evil will finally be released in Canada on May 21, 2010. This Canadian film is obviously a mix of drama, comedy and horror.
Synopsis:
Perry (Gregory Smith), a sheltered chemical engineer, falls in love with Leslie (Kristen Hager), a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight A student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his virgin Christian girlfriend, Dorothy (Kristin Adams).
Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, her abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took LSD, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home.
Synopsis:
Perry (Gregory Smith), a sheltered chemical engineer, falls in love with Leslie (Kristen Hager), a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight A student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his virgin Christian girlfriend, Dorothy (Kristin Adams).
Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, her abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took LSD, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home.
- 4/30/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Years ago, there were elimination dances. They weren't like the National Bandstand dance-off at Rydell High, where it all came down to stunning Travolta moves. Rather, a caller (announcer) would call out random, arbitrary disqualifications -- such as "anyone wearing a red hat" -- and the couple would have to leave the floor. Remembering the old days, writer Michael Ondaatje took the idea to its most illogically funny extreme with his book Elimination Dance, detailing a caller who comes up with strange disqualifications that somehow hit the mark.
It wasn't long before the book was made into a short film full of Canadian talent. Bruce McDonald directed and co-wrote with Don McKellar, who also starred alongside oft-collaborator Tracy Wright, with the whole thing edited by Leslie, My Name is Evil helmer Reginald Harkema. Tracy and Don meet just before the elimination dance begins, and on the floor, they dance along...
It wasn't long before the book was made into a short film full of Canadian talent. Bruce McDonald directed and co-wrote with Don McKellar, who also starred alongside oft-collaborator Tracy Wright, with the whole thing edited by Leslie, My Name is Evil helmer Reginald Harkema. Tracy and Don meet just before the elimination dance begins, and on the floor, they dance along...
- 2/3/2010
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
The Vancouver International Film Festival closed out its run for 2009 on Friday, Oct. 16 with a gala screening of French director Caroline Bottaro's Queen to Play (Joueuse).
I was happy with the range of films I was able to screen and review (with the sole exception of the awful Forbidden Door).
There were a few that were on my list, though, that scheduling conflicts prevented my from seeing.
Chief among them the new film from Canadian director Atom Egoyan, Chloe. A good sign, though, that it was so popular that its two screenings sold out.
I had also hoped to catch the Wilco concert film, Ashes of American Flags. I'm a big fan of Jeff Tweedy and his band.
I'm also disappointed that I ended up missing Roceterrania, a documentary film about Renaldo Kuhler, an artist who has, over the years, created an entire imaginary world that exists along the...
I was happy with the range of films I was able to screen and review (with the sole exception of the awful Forbidden Door).
There were a few that were on my list, though, that scheduling conflicts prevented my from seeing.
Chief among them the new film from Canadian director Atom Egoyan, Chloe. A good sign, though, that it was so popular that its two screenings sold out.
I had also hoped to catch the Wilco concert film, Ashes of American Flags. I'm a big fan of Jeff Tweedy and his band.
I'm also disappointed that I ended up missing Roceterrania, a documentary film about Renaldo Kuhler, an artist who has, over the years, created an entire imaginary world that exists along the...
- 10/19/2009
- CinemaSpy
Year: 2009
Directors: Reginald Harkema
Writers: Reginald Harkema
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8 out of 10
[Editor's note: Special thanks to our friend Marina from Row Three for the following review!]
While introducing the first screening of his film at Viff, director Reginald Harkema commented that Leslie, My Name is Evil was a very divisive film. He wasn’t kidding.
Taken from real accounts and transcripts of the Charles Manson trial, using archival footage and intermingling the entire thing with a wicked sense of humour, this is the type of film that would, by any other director, end as a total disaster. The fact that it not only ends well but that it starts off with a bang is a great credit to director Reg Harkema who manages to create a sometimes serious and sometimes hysterical but always entertaining film which pokes a finger at everything from war to religion.
The story interweaves Leslie’s experience with cult life with that of Perry,...
Directors: Reginald Harkema
Writers: Reginald Harkema
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8 out of 10
[Editor's note: Special thanks to our friend Marina from Row Three for the following review!]
While introducing the first screening of his film at Viff, director Reginald Harkema commented that Leslie, My Name is Evil was a very divisive film. He wasn’t kidding.
Taken from real accounts and transcripts of the Charles Manson trial, using archival footage and intermingling the entire thing with a wicked sense of humour, this is the type of film that would, by any other director, end as a total disaster. The fact that it not only ends well but that it starts off with a bang is a great credit to director Reg Harkema who manages to create a sometimes serious and sometimes hysterical but always entertaining film which pokes a finger at everything from war to religion.
The story interweaves Leslie’s experience with cult life with that of Perry,...
- 10/9/2009
- QuietEarth.us
In his opening remarks before the screening of his new film, Leslie, My Name is Evil, writer-director Reginald Harkema suggested to the audience, "think of this movie as a trip."
Boy is it ever.
Steeped in hallucinogenic imagery and walking the fine line of absurdity, Lesliel is an outrageous and not very subtle commentary on American society. And it's winking from the very first scene.
It's the fourth film from Vancouver's Harkema, who is now living in Toronto. As with the previous three, this one also is about the messy connections between boys and girls. But this one is both a romantic comedy and courtroom drama, set during the trial of Charles Manson and three women from his "family".
That I watched this film while California attempts to extradite Roman Polanski — whose wife Sharon Tate was one of the Manson family victims — was not lost on me.
Told in two parts,...
Boy is it ever.
Steeped in hallucinogenic imagery and walking the fine line of absurdity, Lesliel is an outrageous and not very subtle commentary on American society. And it's winking from the very first scene.
It's the fourth film from Vancouver's Harkema, who is now living in Toronto. As with the previous three, this one also is about the messy connections between boys and girls. But this one is both a romantic comedy and courtroom drama, set during the trial of Charles Manson and three women from his "family".
That I watched this film while California attempts to extradite Roman Polanski — whose wife Sharon Tate was one of the Manson family victims — was not lost on me.
Told in two parts,...
- 10/8/2009
- CinemaSpy
The 28th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (Viff) will be held October 1-16, 2009. Founded in 1982, Viff's mandate is "...to encourage the understanding of other nations through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia and Canada..." Over 150,000 people are expected to attend 640 screenings of 360 films from 80 countries. Here is an up-to-date list of directors, confirmed to attend Viff 2009, along with their films : "1428" Du Haibin "1999" Lenin Sivam "65_RedRoses" Philip Lyall & Nimisha Mukerji "Adelaide" Liliana Greenfield-Sanders "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector" Vikram Jayanti "Ana & Arthur" Larry Young "The Anchorage" Anders Edström & Curtis Winter "Antoine" Laura Bari "Argippo Resurrected" Dan Krames "The Art of Drowning" Diego Maclean "At Home By Myself... With You" Kris Booth "At The Edge Of The World" Dan Stone...
- 9/27/2009
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
Just like me, were you pissed off because you had to stay in your hometown while the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) was happening? Well, it appears that the wait is over! In fact, the Festival du nouveau cinéma (Fnc) - which will be taking place in Montreal from October 7 to 18 - has revealed its line-up of Canadian films. Besides, this goes without saying that most of these films were previously shown at the Tiff.
So here's the list of feature films and (a few) documentaries. By the way, each film's description is taken directly from the media release that was sent to me.
Les Signes vitaux (dir.: Sophie Deraspe)
A film about generosity, humanity and the gift of self in the private moments between a young woman and the old people she meets in the final stages of their lives.Un ange à la mer (Angel at Sea) (dir.
So here's the list of feature films and (a few) documentaries. By the way, each film's description is taken directly from the media release that was sent to me.
Les Signes vitaux (dir.: Sophie Deraspe)
A film about generosity, humanity and the gift of self in the private moments between a young woman and the old people she meets in the final stages of their lives.Un ange à la mer (Angel at Sea) (dir.
- 9/26/2009
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Okay, Manson fans (killer, not musician), we've scored not one, not even two, but seven clips of Charlie inspired mayhem for you from the newest little "family" flick on the block ... Leslie, My Name is Evil.
Directed by Reginald Harkema and starring Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, and Ryan Robbins, the film will be world premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival in the Vanguard Section on Monday, September 14th.
Synopsis
Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, an abortion and the divorce of her parents.
Directed by Reginald Harkema and starring Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, and Ryan Robbins, the film will be world premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival in the Vanguard Section on Monday, September 14th.
Synopsis
Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, an abortion and the divorce of her parents.
- 9/10/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The Canadian-Irish co-production A Shine of Rainbows, directed by Vic Sarin will open this year's Vancouver International Film Festival (Viff), running October 1 to October 16. The film focuses on a childless couple who transform the life of a young boy, starring actors Aidan Quinn and Connie Nielsen. Other Canadians films screening @ Viff include Reginald Harkema's Leslie, My Name is Evil, Sean Garrity's Zooey and Adam, Danishka Esterhazy's Black Field, Dilip Mehta's Cooking With Stella and Xavier Dolan's I Killed My Mother. Viff's Asian gala will showcase Yakusho Koji's Toad's Oil. In total Viff 2009 will screen 377 films from 70 countries, closing with Lorne Scherfig's An Education... Click on the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek the official trailer from An Education...
- 9/10/2009
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
We have new clips in from the indie crime comedy "Leslie, My Name is Evil," starring Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, and Ryan Robbins. Reginald Harkema directs and writes. Jennifer Jonas and Leonard Farlinger produce. E1 Entertainment presents a New Real Film production and a Masculine-Feminine film. Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy.
- 9/9/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The countdown to the Toronto International Film Festival is slimming down as the event kicks off this week. One of the many genre films having its World Premiere at the fest is Reginald Harkema's Leslie, My Name Is Evil, which follows the trial of the Manson murders. You saw the trailer last week, now dig on several clips by read on. Reginald Harkema's incendiary new film Leslie, My Name Is Evil (the follow-up to his celebrated 2006 feature Monkey Warfare) focuses on the trial of Charles Manson and his followers, but it's far from a conventional re-hash of the grisly details. Leslie is a charged, intensely stylized postmodern analysis of one of the key battles in the culture wars that consumed America for much of the sixties. More...
- 9/6/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
Apple has debuted the trailer for “Leslie, My Name Is Evil.” Thriller is set to premeire at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Synopsis: Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy.
Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, an abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took Lsd, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home. When Perry and Leslie lock eyes in court, Perry is forced to confront the darkest parts of him and by extension, society. Leslie, My Name Is Evil is a...
Synopsis: Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy.
Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, an abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took Lsd, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home. When Perry and Leslie lock eyes in court, Perry is forced to confront the darkest parts of him and by extension, society. Leslie, My Name Is Evil is a...
- 9/4/2009
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
Every now and then it's good to revisit old Charlie and his crazy family. Allow us to introduce Leslie or, as she's better known, Evil! *cues up Helter Skelter*
The trailer for Leslie, My Name is Evil went live today, and you can dig it by clicking on the one-sheet below. Directed by Reginald Harkema and starring Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, and Ryan Robbins, the film will be world premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival in the Vanguard Section on Monday, September 14th.
Synopsis
Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after...
The trailer for Leslie, My Name is Evil went live today, and you can dig it by clicking on the one-sheet below. Directed by Reginald Harkema and starring Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, and Ryan Robbins, the film will be world premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival in the Vanguard Section on Monday, September 14th.
Synopsis
Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after...
- 9/4/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
We've been following this for quite a long time, long before it was announced for Tiff, and posted a promo reel back in March, and I have to say, every new piece I see on this makes it look even better. Hippie death cult? Manson tinged? Ayup. Looking good. Reginald Harkema, you the man.
Perry, a sheltered chemical engineer, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight A student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his virgin Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, her abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took Lsd, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home.
Perry, a sheltered chemical engineer, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight A student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his virgin Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, her abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took Lsd, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home.
- 9/3/2009
- QuietEarth.us
The official trailer was posted today from Reginald Harkema's Leslie, My Name Is Evil, which will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this month. In addition, we got our hands on a bunch of new stills from that takes on the murder trial of the infamous Manson murders. Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedys assassination, an abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took Lsd, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home. More...
- 9/3/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
We have images in from E1 Entertainment, New Real Film and Masculine-Feminine Films' "Leslie, My Name is Evil," starring Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, and Ryan Robbins. Jennifer Jonas and Leonard Farlinger produce the film helmed and written by Reginald Harkema. Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-a student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy...
- 9/3/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
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