dvdguy2005
Joined Sep 2005
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2005 Toronto Film Festival Report This 2005 Irish Horror film is written and directed by a "Billy O'Brien".
The Programmer, Colin Geddes, nor anyone from the cast or crew is at the screening. Not a good sign. (Found out later that the Directors wife was giving birth!!) Plot Outline: On a remote Irish farm, five people become unwilling participants in an experiment that goes nightmarishly wrong.
Well there is nothing wrong with a good monster/Alien film once and awhile. Unfortunately this is not one of them. It is likely the first film ever that can make the claim to showing not once, not twice, but three times in the first fifteen minutes a cow having a hand being put up its ass. To be fair to the director Billy O'Brien, (who also wrote this piece of art) the opening is moody at times. You are trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The set-up takes forever to get going, and the yet the ending seems rushed. Lions Gate International has picked up the rights so we may see it on a screen at some point. There is no humor here what so ever. There is a low scare count, the "thing" is small and seemed just fine playing with cows. Is it horrible, no. Kind of wish it was to be honest, it might have been a little more fun that way. The crowd was small, and not reacting much at all. There was no one there to blame at the end of the screening. Hey, just discovered the original name of the film, (The Calf). D!oh, and this was one of the best Midnight Madness films of the year? Come on Colin! Where the hell is the new "Tony Jaa" Film "Tom yum goong" ? Now that would have been some Madness Baby.
Rating = C-
The Programmer, Colin Geddes, nor anyone from the cast or crew is at the screening. Not a good sign. (Found out later that the Directors wife was giving birth!!) Plot Outline: On a remote Irish farm, five people become unwilling participants in an experiment that goes nightmarishly wrong.
Well there is nothing wrong with a good monster/Alien film once and awhile. Unfortunately this is not one of them. It is likely the first film ever that can make the claim to showing not once, not twice, but three times in the first fifteen minutes a cow having a hand being put up its ass. To be fair to the director Billy O'Brien, (who also wrote this piece of art) the opening is moody at times. You are trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The set-up takes forever to get going, and the yet the ending seems rushed. Lions Gate International has picked up the rights so we may see it on a screen at some point. There is no humor here what so ever. There is a low scare count, the "thing" is small and seemed just fine playing with cows. Is it horrible, no. Kind of wish it was to be honest, it might have been a little more fun that way. The crowd was small, and not reacting much at all. There was no one there to blame at the end of the screening. Hey, just discovered the original name of the film, (The Calf). D!oh, and this was one of the best Midnight Madness films of the year? Come on Colin! Where the hell is the new "Tony Jaa" Film "Tom yum goong" ? Now that would have been some Madness Baby.
Rating = C-
2005 Toronto Film Report Off I head to the Varsity for the first time this festival. Movie: "The Last Hangman".
Plot Outline: The life and times of Albert Pierrepoint - Britain's most prolific hangman.
Always feel comfortable picking films from the United Kingdom. If it has made it to the film festival, and it is UK produced, it will be good. At least that is what I have found over the years at the festival.
Now this project was originally a made for Granada TV in the UK. Not 100% sure if it has aired yet on television over in the UK. This is a very well made, well acted movie. The Director and actor "Timothy Spall" was there for the interesting Q/A session. Basically the story follows the Hangman 'Pierrepoint' (following in this father's foot prints) over his career as Britain's 'Best" executioner. How does this job affect him, and even more interesting how it affects everyone around him.
The most unlikely plot twist was to my amazement completely true. The filmmakers try to be as accurate as possible; there was no need to make anything up, the true story itself in interesting enough. The trip 'Pierrepoint' took to Germany after the war was particularly well done.
The Q/A raised the obvious questions on the Death Penalty, and the producers' feelings on that subject. There is a brief scene of 'Pierrepoint' cleaning up a 'lady' afterwords, it included some full frontal nudity. A lady in the audience asked why that was shown, and not a guy in the same position. In the attempt to be accurate as possible the director stated that when a woman is hanged there are "biological" differences that need special attention. He did not want to go into specifics, which was just fine with this blogger.
Great Film, but the subject material is dark, 'Pierrepoint' is shown at work for most of the film, which will put some people off.
I knew before watch the movie that it was originally made for TV. There is a lot of quality material that hits the airwaves. Watching a movie on to the Big Screen certainly adds to the experience of any movie. Now what if you watched some of the best "The Sopranos" episodes on the big screen? What about "Six Feet Under" or what ever your favorite drama program is. This is good, but do you need to throw your $10 down to see it in the theater? If the idea of seeing quality TV on the big screen is appealing to you, then the answer is most certainly yes.
My Rating = B
Plot Outline: The life and times of Albert Pierrepoint - Britain's most prolific hangman.
Always feel comfortable picking films from the United Kingdom. If it has made it to the film festival, and it is UK produced, it will be good. At least that is what I have found over the years at the festival.
Now this project was originally a made for Granada TV in the UK. Not 100% sure if it has aired yet on television over in the UK. This is a very well made, well acted movie. The Director and actor "Timothy Spall" was there for the interesting Q/A session. Basically the story follows the Hangman 'Pierrepoint' (following in this father's foot prints) over his career as Britain's 'Best" executioner. How does this job affect him, and even more interesting how it affects everyone around him.
The most unlikely plot twist was to my amazement completely true. The filmmakers try to be as accurate as possible; there was no need to make anything up, the true story itself in interesting enough. The trip 'Pierrepoint' took to Germany after the war was particularly well done.
The Q/A raised the obvious questions on the Death Penalty, and the producers' feelings on that subject. There is a brief scene of 'Pierrepoint' cleaning up a 'lady' afterwords, it included some full frontal nudity. A lady in the audience asked why that was shown, and not a guy in the same position. In the attempt to be accurate as possible the director stated that when a woman is hanged there are "biological" differences that need special attention. He did not want to go into specifics, which was just fine with this blogger.
Great Film, but the subject material is dark, 'Pierrepoint' is shown at work for most of the film, which will put some people off.
I knew before watch the movie that it was originally made for TV. There is a lot of quality material that hits the airwaves. Watching a movie on to the Big Screen certainly adds to the experience of any movie. Now what if you watched some of the best "The Sopranos" episodes on the big screen? What about "Six Feet Under" or what ever your favorite drama program is. This is good, but do you need to throw your $10 down to see it in the theater? If the idea of seeing quality TV on the big screen is appealing to you, then the answer is most certainly yes.
My Rating = B
2005 Toronto Film Festival Report.
My Final film of the festival, and naturally it was a Midnight Madness screening.
S.P.L. or Sha Po Lang. This stars some Hong Kong heavyweights: Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen.
Not even going to discuss the plot. Just your basic cop story. Some fan boys are comparing this to classic action films like "The Killer". They are whacked. Sammo is OK as the Bad guy, and the film does allow some time for the back story to be developed. The big emotional scenes almost lap into parody (everyone receives cell phone calls on father's day, one at a time, seconds before getting killed. Pretty silly actually. And oh yeah, one character is told that he has brain cancer (enlisting laughter from the audience) but it never factors into the plot at all.
Actions scenes are few and far between; luckily they are handled pretty well. Nice long takes, none of this nonstop cutting that we often see. Good to see the fat man Sammo, or was it his stunt double getting thrown around. The ending does surprise, wait for it! Just did not buy the Donnie Yen character heading in the direction he did. Not a classic, not a great action film, but if you are fan, I guess track it down on DVD.
There was zero introductions, Sammo was in town the night before, but failed to show up on this day. There were some folks asking for pictures at the end of the screening so I suspect some of the actors/production people showed up late. For me, didn't recognize a single soul.
My Final film of the festival, and naturally it was a Midnight Madness screening.
S.P.L. or Sha Po Lang. This stars some Hong Kong heavyweights: Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen.
Not even going to discuss the plot. Just your basic cop story. Some fan boys are comparing this to classic action films like "The Killer". They are whacked. Sammo is OK as the Bad guy, and the film does allow some time for the back story to be developed. The big emotional scenes almost lap into parody (everyone receives cell phone calls on father's day, one at a time, seconds before getting killed. Pretty silly actually. And oh yeah, one character is told that he has brain cancer (enlisting laughter from the audience) but it never factors into the plot at all.
Actions scenes are few and far between; luckily they are handled pretty well. Nice long takes, none of this nonstop cutting that we often see. Good to see the fat man Sammo, or was it his stunt double getting thrown around. The ending does surprise, wait for it! Just did not buy the Donnie Yen character heading in the direction he did. Not a classic, not a great action film, but if you are fan, I guess track it down on DVD.
There was zero introductions, Sammo was in town the night before, but failed to show up on this day. There were some folks asking for pictures at the end of the screening so I suspect some of the actors/production people showed up late. For me, didn't recognize a single soul.