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Sandra Oh is a name that resonates throughout the entertainment industry, a testament to her versatile talent and unparalleled dedication. Recognized globally for her exceptional acting skills, Oh has emerged as a trailblazer for Asian actors in Hollywood.

Sandra Oh. Depositphotos

Born on July 20, 1971, in Nepean, Ontario, Canada, Sandra Miju Oh is the proud daughter of middle-class South Korean immigrants. Her parents, Oh Young-nam, a biochemist, and Oh Jun-su, a businessman, migrated to Canada in the early 1960s. Sandra spent her formative years in the culturally diverse environment of Ontario. She has a brother, Ray, and a sister, Grace, and was raised in a Christian household.

At a young age, Sandra developed a passion for performing arts. She began acting and practicing ballet at the age of four to rectify a pigeon-toed stance. Despite facing the challenges of being one of the few youths of Asian descent in Nepean, Sandra’s determination remained steadfast.

A few weeks ago, it was announced that New Regency was gearing up to go into production on a horror thriller called Psycho Killer, based on a screenplay written by Se7en scribe Andrew Kevin Walker. Gavin Polone, producer of Zombieland and the Walker-scripted 8Mm, was set to direct the film, and Georgina Campbell (Barbarian) and Logan Miller (Escape Room) had been cast in lead roles. Filming is now underway, and Deadline has revealed that 6’5″+ former professional wrestler James Preston Rogers has been cast as the title character! He is definitely going to be one intimidating psycho killer.

Campbell is taking on the role of Jane Thorne, a police officer who makes it her mission to take down a serial killer referred to on the news as the ‘Satanic Slasher,’ following the murder of her state trooper husband.

Miller’s character is Marvin, a goth-type nebbish who works for the...

On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every day of the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. Today’s Free Movie of the Day is the 2015 horror film The Dark Stranger, and you can check it out over on the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.

The feature debut of writer/director Chris Trebilcock, The Dark Stranger has the following synopsis:

Haunted by a terrifying spirit out of her graphic novel, a young artist struggles to overcome her psychosis before it destroys her.

The film stars Katie Findlay, Alex Ozerov-Meyer, Enrico Colantoni, Jennifer Dale, Mark O’Brien, and Emma Campbell, with Stephen McHattie as Randall Toth / The Dark Stranger.

Trebilcock directed multiple short films before diving into the feature world with The Dark Stranger. As of right now,...

Exclusive: UK firm 101 Films International has acquired worldwide sales rights (excluding North America) for Marlene, and will launch the drama feature in Toronto this week.

Directed and produced by Wendy Hill-Tout (Bloodthirsty), who co-wrote the script with Cathy Ostlere, and co-produced by Michael Peterson (Lloyd the Conqueror), Marlene is billed as “the untold harrowing story of one woman’s fight for truth and justice – to exonerate Steven Truscott who was sentenced to hang for the murder of a 12-year-old classmate.”

Kristin Booth (Defendor), Grey Bryk (Saw V), Maxim Roy (Regenesis) and Ryan Northcott star, along with Julia Sarah Stone and Dempsey Bryk, who play young Marlene and Steven, respectively.

The synopsis reads: “Marlene Truscott is Canada’s Erin Brockovich, an ordinary housewife who fought for justice and for her husband Steven Truscott to be exonerated from a crime he didn’t commit. The Truscott story became an...

The upcoming Paramount+ drama series “Tulsa King” has added A.C. Peterson to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively.

Sylvester Stallone will lead the series, with Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza and Jay Will also starring. The series hails from creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan with Terrence Winter showrunning and executive producing.

“Tulsa King” follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone) just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Ok. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.

Peterson will appear as Pete “The Rock” Invernizzi, Chickie’s (Lombaradozzi) ailing father. Peterson’s past TV credits include “Superman & Lois,...

Superhero movies have become so pervasive since the turn of the millennium that they’ve spurred a whole subgenre of films subverting their formulas — primarily low-budget efforts like “Special,” “Super” and “Defendor,” but also major-studio projects “Joker” and “Hancock.” All share an interest in peeling back the mask, exploring the antisocial, delusional-fantasy side of superpowers.

Adam Egypt Mortimer’s third feature “Archenemy” occupies similar terrain, resourcefully using modest means to create a gritty yet stylized comic-book world in which a supposed fallen superhero may really just be some homeless guy with mental issues. However, that colorful surface is more successfully drawn than the characters and complications meant to fill it, leaving this noirish, (mostly) live-action cartoon feeling less like a dissection of superhero origin stories than an underdeveloped prologue to one.

It has its own prologue, marking the first of several sharp animated sequences credited to Sunando, Kevin Finnegan and Danny Perez.

Sneak Peek new images of actress Kat Dennings ("Thor The Dark World"), in the July 2015 edition of "Byrdie" :

"...with the help of hairstylist Gregory Russell and makeup artist Rachel Goodwin, Dennings seamlessly transformed into her favorite sources of inspiration, from screen siren Sophia Loren to grunge rocker Eddie Vedder..."

A child actress, Dennings career took off after an appearance in the HBO series "Sex and the City", followed by roles in the features "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", "Big Momma's House 2", "Charlie Bartlett", "Raise Your Voice", "The House Bunny", "Defendor", "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist", "Thor" and "Thor The Dark World".

Dennings currently co-stars in the CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls".

Click the images to enlarge...

A few years ago actor Peter Stebbings took a shot at directing and produced the hugely enjoyable quasi-superhero movie Defendor (review). Stebbings has been busy working in front of the camera for the last few years but recently he also managed some time to return to the director's chair with a very different drama, one that doesn't include masked heroes but rather a different type of hero.

Empire of Dirt stars newcomer Cara Gee as Lena, a hardworking single mother trying to deal with her rebellious teen daughter Peeka (Shay Eyre). Lena loses her job, she follows up on an opportunity that leads her to a strip club but she finally gives up on big city life when Peeka sniffs glue and lands her [Continued ...]...

Remember Peter Stebbings' last film, "Defendor"? Featuring Woody Harrelson in a wacky costume, the movie won people's hearts and was a smash hit at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival.

Vancouver-born Stebbings is back with "Empire of Dirt," which is set to premiere at this year's Tiff.

"Empire of Dirt" focuses on an impoverished single mother who's trying to save her teenage daughter from the streets. Also, the mother returns home and attempts to reconcile with her own mother.It's an interesting tri-level generational story, full of heartbreak and poignant moments.

Three native female protagonists -- Jennifer Podemski ("Take This Waltz"), Luke Kirby ("Take This Waltz") and fresh faces Cara Gee and Shahiyela Pourier-Eyre -- take on the lead roles.

[Click to Zoom:]

Podemski, who also produced the film, brought the script to Stebbings while he was editing "Defendor."

You can check out "Empire of Dirt" at Tiff.

With Kick-Ass 2 rolling into theatres, Stuart Heritage looks back at the original c-word sporting superhero comedy

Spoiler Alert: This blog is published ahead of the screening on Channel 4 tomorrow (Saturday) at 10pm. Do not read if you have not seen the film and don't want to know anything about it.

"With no power, comes no responsibility." – Dave Lizewski

It isn't out for another fortnight, but Kick-Ass 2 already has a fight on its hands. It's being released in the middle of a summer notable for its expensive flops, star Jim Carrey has publicly distanced himself from the film and some of the online clips are either disappointingly soggy or too full of regrettable bumfluff to be taken seriously.

But even if Kick-Ass 2 is a dog's dinner, at least we've still got the original. Released in 2010 on a wave of controversy – largely thanks to the 11-year-old girl who...

Six more festival dates have been announced for Rodrigo Gudiño's The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh (review here) along with an appearance by the director in Mexico City! Read on for details.

From the Press Release:

Rue Morgue Cinema, Raven Banner Entertainment, and Anchor Bay Entertainment are proud to announce the Swedish, Mexican, and Canadian premieres of The Last Will And Testament Of Rosalind Leigh along with three other festival screenings this November. The premieres follow in the wake of a ten-city European festival run in October that saw premieres in Siena, Italy (where the film took the Audience Jury Prize) and the 45th Annual Sitges Fantatic Film Festival, among many others.

Confirmed November screenings with director Gudiño in attendance include:

Stockholm Film Festival, Sweden (Nov 7-18) Swedish premiere

St. Louis International Film Festival, Missouri (Nov 8-18)

Morbido Film Fest Patzcuaro, Michoacan (Nov 14-18) Mexican premiere

Morbido Film Fest Tijuana,...

Empire of Dirt

Jennifer Podemski and Luke Kirby are set to star in "Defendor" director Peter Stebbings’ second feature "Empire of Dirt".

The story follows a single mother (Cara Gee) struggling to make ends meet as she tries to save her teenage daughter (Shahiyela Pourier-Eyre) from the streets. Podemski plays the single mom's mother, while Kirby is an ex-boyfriend. [Source: THR]

The Anna Nicole Smith Story

Agnes Bruckner ("Private Practice") will play former Playboy pinup Anna Nicole Smith in Lifetime's telemovie "The Anna Nicole Smith Story".

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will produce the true story tale of the small town Texan girl who transforms herself into Anna Nicole Smith. [Source: The Live Feed]

Terrence Malick's Next

Set photos have revealed Holly Hunter can be spotted sharing a scene with Natalie Portman in Terrence Malick's currently shooting latest project.

Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett and Christian Bale also star in the film about...

All you fans of Rue Morgue and its founding editor Rodrigo Gudiño will be happy to hear that his feature directorial debut will soon be available as The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh has two companies teaming up to distribute the movie.

Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada and Raven Banner Entertainment are working together to release the film. Look for the picture to drop in early 2013. For more check out the official Facebook page for The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh. We also have the latest trailer for the film below.

From the Press Release

Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada and Raven Banner Entertainment are set to release Rue Morgue magazine publisher-turned-filmmaker Rodrigo Gudiño's spooky first feature The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh in 2013. The film that Clive Barker called “a whole new direction in which to take the narrative experience in filmmaking” celebrated its...

Fans of Rue Morgue, rejoice! On tap for you right now are a new still, a new trailer, and news of a continued festival run for Rodrigo Gudiño's The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh. Read on for the eye candy and updates!

From the Press Release

Rue Morgue Cinema and Raven Banner Entertainment are proud to announce the world premiere of The Last Will And Testament Of Rosalind Leigh in competition at the 16th Annual Terra di Siena Film Festival in Italy (screening October 1) to be followed by its Spanish premiere at the 45th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia (screening October 11), also in competition (Official Panorama). Written and directed by Rodrigo Gudiño, Rue Morgue president turned award-winning filmmaker, The Last Will And Testament Of Rosalind Leigh will continue to premiere across the continent.

Confirmed festival dates include:

Terra Di Siena Film Festival, Italy (Oct 1) Sitges Fantastic Film Festival,...

Screen Media Films is set to release Justin Thomas Ostensen's thriller, Below Zero. The DVD artwork is not that exciting. However, the film's trailer mixes a writer's imagination with an isolated locale. In a meat locker, Jack (Edward Furlong) hopes to clear up his writer's block. The trailer will clue viewers into the the fact that Jack went a little too far. Below Zero is set to release on DVD August 28th. No special features have been attached to this titled at this time. As well, Michael Berryman stars as a stalking serial killer while Kristin Booth (Defendor) has dreams of writing her own haunting stories. Revisit the film's trailer below and prepare for a blend of madness and reality August 28th. Release Date: August 28th, 2012 (DVD). Director: Justin Thomas Ostensen. Writer: Signe Olynyk. Cast: Edward Furlong, Michael Berryman, and Kristin Booth. The trailer for Below Zero is posted...

Rue Morgue fans, the wait is almost over. Written and directed by the Morgue's Rodrigo Gudino, The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh has a premiere screening date.

The Cannes Film Festival 2012 will be the place for the screening, with one show on May 19 and another on May 23. The film stars Aaron Poole (Small Town Murder Songs, Gangster Exchange), with Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Richings (X-Men 3: The Last Stand, Wrong Turn, Cube), Stephen Eric McIntyre (High Life, Fear X, The Lookout), Genie award winner Charlotte Sullivan (Population 436, Defendor, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster) and cult television icon Mitch Markowitz ("The Hilarious House of Frightenstein") rounding out the cast.

For more information on Rue Morgue Cinema visit rue-morgue.com.

From the Press Release

Producer Marco Pecota and writer/director Rodrigo Gudino of Rue Morgue Cinema announced their feature film debut The Last Will and Testament of...

Woody Harrelson commanded the screen in such films as Natural Born Killers, No Country For Old Men, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Zombieland, Defendor and so much more. In Rampart, his latest feature directed by Oren Moverman, he gives one of his most impressive performances to date. This is the second film that Harrelson, Moverman and Ben Foster have worked on together, the first being the Academy Award nominated The Messenger. There is no surprise at the level of talent behind this real life...

Rampart

Directed by: Oren Moverman

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright

Rating: R

Release Date: January 27, 2012

Trailer Score: 8/10

Thoughts by Tsr: Early on, the trailer promises Harrelson plays “the most corrupt cop you’ve ever seen on screen.” Hopefully the reviewer knows I’ve seen Bad Lieutenant and Werner Herzog’s crazier Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans.

Read Scorecard Reviews from our film reviews database Watch movie trailers and read our Tsr reviews Listen to Movie B.S. with Bayer and Snider

Related posts: ‘Defendor’ starring Woody Harrelson – trailer review ‘Carnage’ starring Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly – trailer review ‘Carnage’ starring Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet – trailer review...

The Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), which will be held between September 8 and 18, announced that another Canadian film called Winnie will be added to the Tiff's 2011 line-up.

Winnie, which is a co-production between Canada and South Africa, is a biographic drama about Winnie Mandela (Jennifer Hudson), the wife of black South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela (Terrence Howard). This film, which is based on the biography written by Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob, will follow Winnie Mandela during her childhood, her marriage with Nelson Mandela and her husband's life-sentence in the slammers.

The film Winnie will be included in the Gala category. It will accompany three other Canadian films that are very anticipated: David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, Ken Scott's Starbuck and Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz.

With the addition of Winnie, Canada will be represented at the 2011 Tiff with twenty-five films.

Let's notice that last year,...

Everyone’s familiar with the glut of comic book superhero films filling the multiplexes for better or worse, but the genre has a little bastard brother that continues to fly beneath the radar. This sub-genre shares a common theme in its placement of real people in the real world who only believe that they’re superheroes. Special with Michael Rapaport, Defendor with Woody Harrelson, and Super with Rainn Wilson are just a few examples, and one of the many elements they’ve shared is their American origin. But now Australia has found its own make believe superhero. And his name is Griff. A young man in a bathrobe stands watch over the city streets with the aid of a telescope and a high tech wall of monitors. He’s watching for criminals, scoundrels, and other evil doers in need of a good beat down and innocent civilians in need of saving. Say...

Title: Superheroes Directors: Michael Barnett and Theodore James There’s an odd and easygoing charm to Superheroes, a colorful new documentary which enjoys its world broadcast premiere on HBO on Monday, August 8. While in the narrative realm James Gunn’s “Super”, Peter Stebbings’ “Defendor” and Matthew Vaughn’s ultra-stylized Kick-Ass, among others, have examined the worlds and worldviews of those who take on a superhero guise without any particular special powers, “Superheroes” is a nonfiction look at those who don self-made spandex costumes along with alter egos, patrolling city streets at night to stop evildoers and protect the innocent. An engaging if ultimately intellectually lightweight sub-cultural safari, the movie offers up something for...

I am a huge fan of Woody Harrelsons and think his work in Zombieland and Defendor was nothing short of genius. So this news from Lionsgate is great news for fans of not just Woody’s but also The Hunger Games. Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of The Hunger Games are pleased to announce that actor Woody Harrelson (No Country For Old [...]...

*full disclosure: a DVD screener of this film was provided by Indican Pictures.

Director: Anais Granofsky.

Writers: Anais Granofsky and Ingrid Veninger.

Regeneration was completed in 2004 as The Limb Salesman. Starring Peter Stebbings (Defendor), this film was retitled and released on DVD in 2010. Re-released in February, 2011 through Indican Pictures with additional scenes, Regeneration has had less than a smooth ride to reach viewers. This is a small indie film, which was partially funded by Telefilm Canada and Regeneration will reach a number of viewers by being so diverse in genres. There is a western vibe here, with much drama and sci-fi making an appearance through the inclusion of an "eco-catastrophe" (Indican). However, at the heart of the film beats a romance between central characters Dr. Goode (Stebbings) and Clara (Ingrid Veninger).

The future is a bleak place, where miners are forced underground to find deposits of clean water. Here, a baron rules the land,...

Kat Dennings will appear in her first, big budget, comic book movie adaptation this May with Thor, but isn't stepping away entirely from the smaller budget and indie movies she's acted in like 2009's Defendor and 2005's Charlie Bartlett. In fact, opening the exact same day as Thor is Daydream Nation, Mike Goldbach's (Childstar) directorial debut that has Dennings playing a girl who moves to a small town and starts a romance with a fellow student (Reece Thompson) and her teacher (Joshua Lucas).

In a conversation with Canadian site Straight, Goldbach revealed that Dennings was critical to scoring financing for the movie and landing the rest of the cast.

Once she attached herself, other actors came running. She's wonderful and people love her, and once Kat was on the movie, they understood what kind of movie we were trying to make.

Next Showing: Daydream Nation and Thor open May 6

Link...

Movie review of Super - Rainn Wilson makes a crazed, costumed avenger in 'Super' 4 out of 5 stars super reviewAverage guy Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson) snaps when his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) leaves him for a smooth-talking drug dealer (Kevin Bacon). Incapable of helping his wife, Frank's life as a grill cook looks bleaker than ever until the mysterious costumed hero the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion) appears along with the "finger of God" that touches Frank's brain and inspires him to put on his red "Crimson Bolt" costume and fight crime with a large pipe wrench. The tale of a makeshift superhero may seem redundant after the films Defendor, starring Woody Harrelson, and Kick-Ass, but writer/director James Gunn distinguishes his superhero movie Super with dark comedy, brutal violence and an emphasis on Frank's emotional journey more than his crime fighting. Super, from IFC Films, has plenty of comic...

Movie review of Super - Rainn Wilson makes a crazed, costumed avenger in 'Super' 4 out of 5 stars super reviewAverage guy Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson) snaps when his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) leaves him for a smooth-talking drug dealer (Kevin Bacon). Incapable of helping his wife, Frank's life as a grill cook looks bleaker than ever until the mysterious costumed hero the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion) appears along with the "finger of God" that touches Frank's brain and inspires him to put on his red "Crimson Bolt" costume and fight crime with a large pipe wrench. The tale of a makeshift superhero may seem redundant after the films Defendor, starring Woody Harrelson, and Kick-Ass, but writer/director James Gunn distinguishes his superhero movie Super with dark comedy, brutal violence and an emphasis on Frank's emotional journey more than his crime fighting. Super, from IFC Films, has plenty of comic...

The Black List continues to be a springboard for script sales. Darius Films has optioned Point A, a script by Chris Rubeo that made the 2010 Black List. Rubeo is set to direct his script, and Darius Films principal Nicholas Tabarrok will produce. Rubeo wrote and directed the indie Hale Bopp. Point A is an unconventional love story between a 35-year-old magazine writer and the subject of his latest piece, a witty teenage video blogger. "It's pretty provocative material," Tabarrok said, "but Chris does a great job creating an authentic and believable chemistry between the two characters." Darius Films produced the Peter Stebbings-directed Defendor, which starred Woody Harrelson, Kat Dennings and Sandra Oh, and A Beginners Guide to Endings, which Jonathan Sobol directed with Harvey Keitel, Scott Caan and Jk Simmons. E1 acquired it for summer release. Rubeo is repped by Icm and manager John Tantillo.

There have been a few indie super-hero deconstructions in recent years: "Defendor" with Woody Harrelson, "Special" with Michael Rappaport, among others. But there are deconstructions and then there are obliterations like James Gunn's hysterical and disturbing "Super," which is essentially an ingenious riff on the core story of "Taxi Driver" -- a lonely man loses his mind and invents cause to make himself feel valuable and heroic -- if only Travis Bickle had invented a costumed identity to work out his anger issues rather than getting a hack license. Rainn Wilson stars as Frank, a lowly diner cook whose wife leaves him for another man. Frank essentially has a mental breakdown and the way he expresses it is through "The Crimson Bolt" the low-rent super-hero he invents.

The movie in very funny and very dark, in the style of Gunn's work for Troma ("Tromeo & Juliet"), and his highly underrated directorial debut "Slither.

It was Canada’s turn for glitz and glamour last night as the red carpet rolled out for The 31st Annual Genie Awards, Canada’s biggest night in film. Awards were handed out at the National Arts Center in our nation’s capital last night and hosted by icon and current funnyman William Shatner. The televised event on CBC only lasted a meager 1 hour, whereas the entire ceremony itself was an hour and a half. Several awards were already given out prior to the telecast, cutting to the chase for the night’s biggest contenders. The night’s biggest winners were also the ones who dominated the nominations: Incendies and Barney’s Version

Quebec’s critically and commercially successful Incendies took home the night’s top honor for Best Motion Picture, writer/director Denis Villeneuve snatched up honors for Achievement in Direction and Adapted Screenplay and star of the film...

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (Acct) revealed yesterday the winners at the 31rst Genie Awards (Canada's Oscars) in Ottawa. Two films, Incendies and Barney's Version, dominated the race.

Best Motion picture:

* Incendies

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

* Paul Giamatti in Barney's Version

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

* Dustin Hoffman in Barney's Version

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

* Lubna Azabal in Incendies

Best Actress In a Supporting Role:

* Minnie Driver in Barney's Version

Best Adapted Screenplay:

* Denis Villeneuve for Incendies

Best Original Screenplay:

* Jacob Tierney for The Trotsky

Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design:

* Claude Paré and Élise De Blois for Barney's Version

Achievement in Cinematography:

* André Turpin for Incendies

Achievement in Costume Design:

* Nicoletta Massone Barney's Version

Best Director:

* Denis Villeneuve for Incendies

Best Editor:* Monique Dartonne for Incendies

Best Make Up:

* Adrien Morot and Micheline Trépanier for Barney's Version

Best Original Score:* Pasquale Catalano...

HollywoodLife.com’s Editor-in-Chief Bonnie Fuller strolled the red carpet with her fellow Canadian stars! Check out all the pics!

Bonnie returned to her native Canada for the star-studded 31st Annual Genie Awards in Ottawa, Ont. and rubbed shoulders with some big Hollywood names — some you might not have realized were Canadian! Bonnie had the honor of presenting the fan-voted favorite actor category, which was awarded to Canadian cutie and star of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Jay Baruchel. Keep reading for a full list of winners!

Jay was most recently in the movie The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, but you would also recognize him from hit movies like Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up, How to Train Your Dragon, and She’s Out of My League. He must have been super excited to win, because as he was accepting the awards he thanked his “fiancée,” actress Allison Pill, and accidentally announced his engagement for the first time!

Incendies, Barney’s Version, and the other winners of the 2011 Genie Awards (Prix Genie) have been announced. The 31st Annual Genie Awards were held by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and are handed out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema. The Genie Awards were “broadcast live from the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on CBC, the awards presentation was hosted by the legendary William Shatner and featured musical performances from Melissa Etheridge, Serena Ryder, Johnny Reid, and Karkwa.” The full listing of the 2011 Genie Awards (Prix Genie) winners is below.

Best Motion Picture

Incendies – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Paul Giamatti - Barney’s Version

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Dustin Hoffman - Barney’s Version

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Lubna Azabal - Incendies

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Minnie Driver...

While Denis Villeneuve's Incendies lost out in its Best Foreign Picture bid, but in what constitutes a nice consolation prize, the film picked up a total of eight awards, including Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Direction, Adapted Screenplay (both going to Villeneuve), and Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role which goes to versatile thesp Lubna Azabal at the Canadian Oscars otherwise known as The Genie Awards. The other big winner of the evening was Barney's Version -- it picked up seven awards (three in the acting departments and costume and make-up kudos). Xavier Dolan's sophomore film Heartbeats went zero for four - but that was to be expected when you measure it up to Incendies. This sunday are French Canada's Oscars (the Jutra awards) - and Villeneuve should will undoubtedly continue his winning streak. Here are all the winners/categories. Best Motion Picture: Incendies - Luc Déry,...

Super

Directed by James Gunn

Written by James Gunn

USA, 2010

Super embraces pretty much all the bearings of the “everyman turned superhero” concept; its tropes include the obligatory costumed hero (minus an obligatory tragic origin story), the attractive damsel in distress, a heartless villain, a few henchmen, a young sidekick, and an urban environment torn apart by corruption and crime . Unlike previous installments of the new sub-genre, however, director James Gunn opts for a darker, weirder and much more cynical approach. This low-budget movie continually shifts from comic-book spoof to gritty crime story to mental-health drama. Super is far from the first film to strand a wannabe superhero into the real world, but this send-up of “amateur vigilante movies” has more in common with Peter Stebbings’ Defendor than, say, Kick-Ass.

The drama is mostly of the sad-sack variety, brimming with twisted humor. While broad slapstick satires generally don’t cross...

The nominees for the 31st Annual Genie Awards, Canada’s answer to the Oscars, were unveiled at simultaneous press conferences in Montreal and Toronto yeseterday. After being snubbed by the major Hollywood awards, only receiving 1 nomination and win for Paul Giamatti at the Golden Globes, Barney’s Version has been highly recognized by Canadian audiences. This is no surprise as its source material is a novel from beloved Canadian treasure Mordecai Richler and the film was partially shot in Montreal. Barney’s VersionIncendies leads the pack with 11 nominations including Best Motion Picture and populating most of the acting categories including one for Paul Giamatti for a Performace by an Actor in a Leading Role and Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Dustin Hoffman. Following closely is the other Canadian darling this year, Incendies , which garnered 10 nominations such as Adapted Screenplay (Denis Villeneuve) and Performance by an Actress...

Richard J. Lewis’ “Barney’s Version,” a festival favorite and big-screen version of the Mordecai Richler, garnered 11 nominations — including Best Motion Picture and Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Giamatti) — to lead the way for the 31st Annual Genie Awards, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Incendies,” a contender this year for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, was next with 10 nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction.

The Genies will be handed out on Thursday, March 10, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The following is a list of nominees in some of the major categories.

Best Motion Picture

“10 ½”

Pierre Gendron

“Les amours imaginaires” (“Heartbeats”)

Xavier Dolan, Carole Mondello, Daniel Morin

“Barney’s Version”

Robert Lantos

“Incendies”

Luc Déry, Kim McCraw

Splice

Steven Hoban

Achievement in Direction

Podz

“10 ½”

Xavier Dolan

“Les amours imaginaires” (“Heartbeats”)

Denis Villeneuve

“Incendies”

Vincenzo Natali...

Richard J. Lewis’ “Barney’s Version,” a festival favorite and big-screen version of the Mordecai Richler, garnered 11 nominations — including Best Motion Picture and Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Giamatti) — to lead the way for the 31st Annual Genie Awards, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Incendies,” a contender this year for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, was next with 10 nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction.

The Genies will be handed out on Thursday, March 10, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The following is a list of nominees in some of the major categories.

Best Motion Picture

“10 ½”

Pierre Gendron

“Les amours imaginaires” (“Heartbeats”)

Xavier Dolan, Carole Mondello, Daniel Morin

“Barney’s Version”

Robert Lantos

“Incendies”

Luc Déry, Kim McCraw

Splice

Steven Hoban

Achievement in Direction

Podz

“10 ½”

Xavier Dolan

“Les amours imaginaires” (“Heartbeats”)

Denis Villeneuve

“Incendies”

Vincenzo Natali...

Yesterday, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (Acct) announced the nominees for the 31rst Genie Awards, Canada's own Oscars.

Best Motion picture:

* 10 1/2

* Les amours imaginaires

* Barney's Version

* Incendies

* Splice

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

* Jay Baruchel in The Trotsky

* Paul Giamatti in Barney's Version

* Robert Naylor in 10 1/2

* Timothy Olyphant in High Life

* François Papineau in Route 132

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

* Martin Dubreuil in 10 1/2

* Dustin Hoffman in Barney's Version

* Alexis Martin in Route 132

* Callum Keith Rennie in Gunless

* Rossif Sutherland in High Life

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

* Lubna Azabal in Incendies

* Tatiana Maslany in Grown Up Movie Star

* Molly Parker in Trigger

* Rosamund Pike in Barney's Version

* Tracy Wright in Trigger

Best Actress In a Supporting Role:

* Sonja Bennett in Cole

* Anne-Élizabeth Bossé in Les amours imaginaires

* Minnie Driver in Barney's Version

* Terra Hazelton in Fubar 2

* Mary Walsh in Crackie

Best Adapted Screenplay:

* Michael Konyves...

The likes of Inception and Toy Story 3 got all the acclaim last year, but which movies will you really watch again and again?

Wading through the endless lists of best and worst films of 2010 it quickly became obvious that all you needed to compile them was a pair of rubber stamps; Inception, Toy Story 3, Winter's Bone, etc for the best, The Last Airbender, Jonah Hex, Sex and the City 2, etc for the worst. All well and good, but these consensus selections give a distorted view of the year in film. There are hundreds of films that don't get a mention in such binary best/worst selections, films that are ignored for committing the crimes of not being either bold statements that approach "perfection" or for being so bad they're virtually unwatchable. These films in the critical no man's land are often the ones that become favourites, the sort...

“Super is a twisted, semi-schizophrenic cult classic in the making…”

Super

Directed by James Gunn

Written by James Gunn

2010, USA

Super embraces pretty much all the bearings of the “everyman turned superhero” concept; its tropes include the obligatory costumed hero (minus an obligatory tragic origin story), the attractive damsel in distress, a heartless villain, a few henchmen, a young sidekick, and an urban environment torn apart by corruption and crime . Unlike previous installments of the new sub-genre, however, director James Gunn opts for a darker, weirder and much more cynical approach. This low-budget movie

continually shifts from comic-book spoof to gritty crime story to mental-health drama. Super is far from the first film to strand a wannabe superhero into the real world, but this send-up of “amateur vigilante movies” has more in common with Peter Stebbings’ Defendor than, say, Kick-Ass.

The drama is mostly of the sad-sack variety, brimming with twisted humor.

Apocalypse, CA

Directed by: Chad Peter

Starring: Nick Mathis, Erin Bodine, Anne McDaniels

Rating: Nr

Release Date: Tbd

Trailer Score: 7/10

My Thoughts:

It’s the end of the world and I feel fine. Actually, watching this trailer, I don’t exactly feel fine but damn I’m curious. Director Chad Peter isn’t working with a huge budget but he’s able to hide it very well in this “world is ending” movie. Something he can’t hide, a giant woman. Nor should he. Perfectly teased, I have no idea if this more than 50-foot woman is fantasy, delusion, or an allegory about environmental destruction.

It’s actually a little shocking that a film dealing with the boredom of impending annihilation doesn’t already exist. That seems to be the hook before the action comes. Mathis slides into the role of the every man we can identify with while trying to understand this world.

A series of newly-leaked naked pictures purportedly of Jessica Alba and Kat Dennings have hit the web. Separate sets of multiple shots, which were presumably snapped via cell phones, show the two stars appearing topless and the source of the internet leaks is still unclear.

[Warning for adult readers only] The pictures have been disseminated via Fleshbot whose editor Lux Alptraum told E! News that the images are a real deal although reps for both Alba and Dennings haven't released any statement. In one shot, Alba is seen getting a kiss in her eye by husband Cash Warren while another shot shows a pregnant belly.

Meanwhile, Denning's leaked photos are more provocative than Alba's. One image sees the "Defendor" actress with her knee pressed to her chest and a view of her left breast's side. She is also seen kneeling on a bed as she lifts her bra and exposes the bottom half of her...

Sanctum

Directed by: Alister Grierson

Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson

Rating: Nr

Release Date: February 4, 2011

Trailer Score: 6/10

My Thoughts:

The first thing this trailer wants to get across is that you’re watching a James Cameron film. He didn’t direct it or write it, but he’s listed as a producer. So it’s probably the next Avatar! And of course, it’s in 3D. The film stars a group of more or less unknowns, Roxburgh is the only one I’m familiar with and he is best known as The Duke in Moulin Rouge. Still the action looks decent and there may be a good story there.

I was rolling with the trailer until the whole “Inspired by True Events” thing. I’m actually reading a book right now about super cave exploration so I’m kind of inclined to dismiss parts of it as fiction just based on the trailer.

After Saint Ralph and One Week, Canadian director Michael McGowan dabbles into commercial cinema with Score: A Hockey Musical. The result: be prepared to roll your eyes.

In a Toronto where people often sing by dialoguing, Farley Gordon (Noah Reid) is raised and home-schooled by green, pacifist and vegan parents (Marc Jordan and Olivia Newton-John). Even though Farley has never played in an organized hockey league, Farley excels at this game. Obviously, this dismays his parents who hate team sports. One day, the owner of the Blades (Stephen McHattie), a junior team from Brampton, recruits Farley after he had seen him play hockey on an outdoor rink. Despite his parents' objection, Farley rises to the challenge and becomes, overnight, a national sensation. Besides, some TV analysts consider Farley as "the next one".

However, the Blades' coach (John Pyper-Ferguson), Farley's teammates and his opponents want him to throw the gloves because...

Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Cinematical

It's hard to blame anyone for being a bit weary of the whole everyday-superhero thing, what with all the attention lavished on 'Kick-Ass,' plus the likes of Woody Harrelson's 'Defendor,' Michael Rapaport's 'Special,' etc. But there's still something undeniably intriguing about James Gunn's 'Super,' which takes the same concept -- regular guy decides to don a costume and fight evil -- and, by all accounts, takes it to some seriously offbeat and funny extremes.

You can see this pretty well in a terrific, R-rated, slightly disturbing trailer for the film -- more of a clip, really -- after the jump or over at Spike TV. In it, Rainn Wilson, waiting to buy tickets to something, puts on his Crimson Bolt costume and dispatches a jackass line-cutter (as well as the line-cutter's female enabler) with a wrench to the forehead.

Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Cinematical

It's hard to blame anyone for being a bit weary of the whole everyday-superhero thing, what with all the attention lavished on 'Kick-Ass,' plus the likes of Woody Harrelson's 'Defendor,' Michael Rapaport's 'Special,' etc. But there's still something undeniably intriguing about James Gunn's 'Super,' which takes the same concept -- regular guy decides to don a costume and fight evil -- and, by all accounts, takes it to some seriously offbeat and funny extremes.

You can see this pretty well in a terrific, R-rated, slightly disturbing trailer for the film -- more of a clip, really -- after the jump or over at Spike TV. In it, Rainn Wilson, waiting to buy tickets to something, puts on his Crimson Bolt costume and dispatches a jackass line-cutter (as well as the line-cutter's female enabler) with a wrench to the forehead.

The 2010 edition of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival has just announced their complete Noves Visions program. The program where the festival places the young, edgy material, this is the big discovery program of the festival. Here's the announcement!

Noves Visions, The Most Indie

And Daring Section At Sitges 2010

The 43rd Sitges - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, that will take place 7 to 17 October, presents its lineup for the Noves Visions section:

Noves Visions - FICCIÓ Section

Exploration of new territories in narration, placing emphasis on both thematic and formal aspects of films that are a vision of the present as well as a disturbing premonition of times to come.

A Horrible Way To Die (Adam Wingard, USA)

Chatroom (Hideo Nakata, UK)

Dispongo De Barcos (Juan Cavestany, Spain)

Earthling (Clay Liford, USA)

Everything Will Be Fine (Christoffer Boe, Denmark)

Finisterrae (Out of competition. Sergio Caballero, Spain)

Isolation (Stephen T. Kay,...

Student-teacher affairs and serial killers are the engine that drive Mike Goldbach's Daydream Nation, a black comedy with Kat Dennings (Defendor, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist), Scott Speedman, Josh Lucas and Andie McDowell.

Witty, sexy and wickedly intelligent, seventeen-year-old Caroline Wexler (Kat Dennings) quickly realizes she has little in common with the hicks that populate her new high school. She has an affair with the one person she connects with: her handsome young teacher, Mr. Anderson (Scott Speedman).

Caroline's extracurricular affair takes a turn for the worse when she realizes Mr. Anderson is deeply dysfunctional and tortured by his mysterious past. When she breaks off the affair in favor of her classmate, Mr. Anderson does everything to sabotage the budding romance. Caroline's chaotic life mirrors the hysteria of the small town as rumors of a serial killer start to swirl. In the middle of a high school party, that's turned into a full-blown riot,...

Toronto -- With its fortunes tied to indie film, the Toronto International Film Festival during the last three years has seen its film market swing from boom to bust and now upbeat.

As both a market and a launch-pad for fall titles, Tiff remains an essential barometer for indie film in terms of high-profile pictures, stars and distribution deals.

The 2008 edition of Tiff saw Summit Entertainment pay top dollar for Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," while Fox Searchlight snapped up Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," with Mickey Rourke's comeback performance, after a first-weekend bidding war.

To top it off, Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" picked up the 2008 People's Choice Award in Toronto, voted on by festival audiences, after a world premiere here.

But Tiff, like rival festivals internationally, struggled last year as indie film buyers and sellers ran into a crisis-era market.

Bidding wars never emerged, and the...

Machete – Red Band Trailer

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert de Niro

Rating: R

Release Date: September 3, 2010

Trailer Score: 7/10

My Thoughts: The thing to remember when watching the trailer for Machete is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything but sex and violence down to its very core. I’m not terribly Puritanical about either of these values so that’s never gotten to me. In fact, a weird part of me really enjoys the idea of using a man’s intestines to swing through the window below. Seriously, it’s probably one of the more hardcore trailers I’ve come across recently. More than anything else though, it looks like a good time and using Planet Terror as indication of Rodriguez’s skills as a gritty, semi-exploitation film maker, I have some high hopes for this one. Will it break the bank or sweep the Oscars next year?...