When filmmaker Gabrielle Brady went to Christmas Island, a tiny speck of land in the middle of the Indian Ocean, she was expecting to just relax by the beach. Beyond observing the mass migration of forty million red crabs which scuttle from the depths of the jungle toward the coastline[Read More…]
Film and TV
Where does ‘Roma’ belong?
With new streaming platforms appearing left and right, the battle for viewers’ attention has become increasingly diffuse. And with more and more content to sift through on a daily basis right from the comfort of one’s couch, the movie theatre’s centrality in the cultural zeitgeist has taken a major hit. It has become a major source of debate: As movies assimilate further into the household, studios will cater their projects to that kind of viewing experience.
RIDM offers stunning portraits of humanity
The 2018 Rencontres Internationale du Documentaire de Montreal (RIDM) took viewers on an unconventional cinematic journey. In ReMell Ross’ Hale County This Morning, This Evening the director takes a job as a teacher and basketball coach in small-town Alabama, while Distant Constellation sees Mizrahi visiting residents in a Turkish retirement home. Such themes may not be typical subject matter for the big screen, perhaps; but anything goes at RIDM, the documentary film festival which brings stories from every nook and cranny of the globe to theatres around Montreal.
‘Suspiria’ dances to a vicious conclusion
Suspiria, Luca Guadagnino’s remake, or ‘cover version,’ as he calls it, of Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic, is a hard pivot from both its source material and Guadagnino’s previous film, Call Me By Your Name. Whereas those films isolated their characters to watch the play of emotions in specific environs—CMBYN[Read More…]
‘First Man’ shoots straight for the moon
Halfway through First Man, Janet Shearon (Claire Foy), wife of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), confronts a NASA official (Kyle Chandler) to demand information about her husband after a near-fatal test mission. Her response to the official’s attempt at reassurance is one of the film’s more memorable lines. “You’re a[Read More…]
Dollar Cinema screens cult classic ‘Hausu’
On Oct. 31, Dollar Cinema hosted a special Halloween screening of Hausu, a 1977 Japanese cult horror film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The film follows a schoolgirl named Gorgeous who, upon discovering her father’s impending remarriage, travels with six friends to vacation at her aunt’s haunted country house. Although the[Read More…]
‘Mid90s’ tugs at familiar heartstrings
“I think it’s really dope that times are changing,” a grinning Jonah Hill said in an interview with the hosts of New York City-based radio show The Breakfast Club. In lieu of introducing himself, the 34-year-old actor-turned-director launched into a monologue about how exciting it is that counter-culture-centred media outlets[Read More…]
‘Halloween’ is a fresh remake with substance and style
Halloween (2018), the reboot of John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic of the same name, combines expert filmmaking and fiery performances. With a sly play on genre tropes and a refreshing dose of social commentary, Halloween is a welcome addition to the horror canon. It offers genuine scares while critiquing a modern desensitization to mass violence and challenging the stereotypes of female horror protagonists.
‘Festival du Nouveau Cinema’ showcases films from around the world
The 47th edition of Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC) ran Oct. 3-14, gracing Montreal’s silver screens with an eclectic program of films ranging from festival-circuit fare to micro-budget Quebecois features. The McGill Tribune team was there in full force.
From the Viewpoint: The resilient whimsy of stop motion animation
This spring, to the beat of drums and the barks of strays, Wes Anderson released his second animated film, Isle of Dogs, nine years after his first, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Both are personal favourites of mine, and both use the century-old technique of stop motion animation. Though I enjoyed both films immensely, I knew nothing of the laborious technique behind their distinct aesthetic, so The McGill Tribune sent me to the community focused Festival Stop Motion Montreal.
