In a city where everyone has a friend who dabbles in comedy, it’s sometimes hard to tell the contenders from the pretenders. But as the 16th iteration of Joketown proved on Jan. 28, sometimes the best way to separate the wheat from the chaff is pure, unadulterated competition. As part[Read More…]
Film and TV
“20th Century Women” presents dimensional characters in a realistic world
On Jan. 20, the eve of the Women’s March on Washington, production house A24 made a quiet announcement. The producer of some of the most notable films of the past few years—Spring Breakers, Moonlight, Under The Skin—declared that all of the opening weekend earnings of its newest film, 20th Century[Read More…]
Oscars snub some of the year’s best films
Silence Based on the 1966 Japanese novel of the same name, Silence follows two Jesuit missionaries who are sent to Japan with two missions. The first is to find Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), a priest who is believed to have committed apostasy. Second, to continue Ferreira’s work developing small Christian[Read More…]
“Jackie” delivers a haunting biopic of an enigmatic icon
Pablo Larrain’s Jackie is first and foremost concerned with history. This is not to say that the film’s objective is a mere chronological depiction of historical events. Rather, contrary to more conventional biopics, Jackie is concerned with the conscious role of individuals in creating history—which in the case of Jacqueline[Read More…]
Hollywood awards itself
When the Golden Globes kickstarted the awards show season on Jan. 8, the normally easy-going ceremony was set with an unusually tense energy. Award shows are a time for the entertainment industry to pat itself on the back for its accomplishments in film and television. This year, celebrities went even[Read More…]
Remembering Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher, actress, performer, and writer, died on Dec. 27 of this past year from complications following a heart attack. She was 60 years old. Fisher’s unique charm touched all aspects of her career. As a writer and performer, she spoke with candour and humour about the peculiarities of growing[Read More…]
Best Film and Television of 2016
Compiled by our staff editors and writers, here is the best film and television of 2016. Best Films of 2016 1. Moonlight Barry Jenkins pieces together a deeply moving investigation of masculinity, class, and race in this fictional biopic. Compelling visuals, and tense dialogue come together in heartbreaking performances to give this[Read More…]
“Moonlight” lights up festival screens
Moonlight, the long-awaited second feature from American director Barry Jenkins, is an adaptation of a play-cum-memoir by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The film has already been playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre in Toronto, but on November 18, the auditorium was full. Perhaps it’s to be expected—after all, it was[Read More…]
Netflix announces new production of “A Series of Unfortunate Events”
Netflix recently released a preview for a new upcoming series: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Now that it’s confirmed as part of the Netflix family, the surprisingy mature children’s series seems to be coming back into the public eye. The original book series, written by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym[Read More…]
A behind-the-scenes look at McGill on the big screen
In the climactic scene of 2008’s Get Smart, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carrell) hastily scans his surroundings, desperate to escape a holding cell, where the fictional CONTROL intelligence agency is keeping him captive. In a crucial final moment, he notices the film’s iconic red convertible, and uses the automobile to crash[Read More…]
