September 21, 2007
Know The Simple Joys Of Monkey Warfare
When Monkey Warfare premiered at TIFF last year, Torontoist's Mathew Kumar gave it a less-than-positive review. (Its director and star were none too pleased.) When it opened at the Royal in December, however, I commented, "I personally love Monkey Warfare....I've been urging everyone I know to see it; the film fills me with a glee that makes me want to shout its title from the rooftops....On a number of levels, the film is an ode to my dual passions of film and public space advocacy in Toronto; I feel like it's a movie made for me and my friends....While I would stop short of calling it the film of my life, Monkey Warfare succeeds at being something that few films I have ever seen actually manage to be: anthemic."
Tonight, the Toronto Public Space Committee is holding a fundraising screening of this, perhaps the most perfect non-documentary film with which the TPSC could possibly hold a fundraising screening. It's $5 and happening outdoors at the Evergreen Brick Works, and with tonight's predicted low of only 17°C, it should be a damn beautiful event. (But dress warmly, just in case. Bring something to sit on, too.) The movie's director, Reg Harkema, will be there and will do a Q&A afterwards.
Now how does one get to these mysterious Brick Works? There will be a shuttle bus ($2/PWYC) leaving from the corner of Broadview and Erindale Avenues (half a block north of Broadview station) every half-hour on the half-hour from 6:00 onwards. The movie itself will start at 8:30, so don't get to Broadview any later than 8:00. (The last shuttle back from the Brickworks to the station will leave at 11:00.) There's also a dinner catered by Vegan Delights ($8), but supplies are limited, so show up early if you want to score some food.
Original photo of the Brick Works by fasheezee from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. Illustration of a Monkey Knife Fight by jboylan67 on Threadless. Jonathan Goldsbie is a member of the TPSC and has been wanting to do a screening of Monkey Warfare ever since he saw it at TIFF.
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Alternatively, take the bus from Rosedale station (there's only one) to Douglas Crescent.
From the bus shelter, walk straight back on the grassy lawn to a pair of benches.
There will be a very steep hill. Once you get to the bottom, you're at the Brick Works :)
Jonathan,
What does the director and star of Monkey Warfare not liking my review have to do with anything? Whether or not they agree with it it's a critical appraisal that should stand on it's own, don't you think?
It's increasingly clear that Matthew Kumar wouldn't know a good film if you stuck it up his ass. (See various comments to his TIFF posts...) How'd he get to be your movie guy anyway? Time for him to move on if you ask me.
Couldn't disagree with guest one more - I think Mathew is one of the best writers at Torontoist, certainly the funniest, and I agree that mentioning that he didn't like Monkey Warfare doesn't have much to do with the event listed given his review is now over a year old. Check the film out yourself is my advice I guess and why not support a good cause while you're at it? I thought it was pretty solid, not a masterpiece but good.
Juno at the Festival this year on the other hand was terrible. (you see guest one - not everyone has to agree on what makes a good movie, apart from In the Valley of Elah, I think we can all see that one will be a pile of bunkum without even venturing into the theatre.)
Sorry first guest, I didn't read any negative comments on Mathew's TIFF posts this year apart form The Woody Allen and he didn't even write that review.
Oh man, that link to the comments on the first post was insufferable. Torontoist's editors talking about Torontoist-editorial is never-ending. Please warn us when you're linking to something like that (like people do for pdf's) so we can avoid.
I did like the directors review of the initial review though....and the writer is still here irritated that he was counter-reviewed!
Take it internally, you guys. Though it is funny to read.
The director and star publicly stating their disapproval of a review serves to show how asshole-ish they are when it comes to the criticism of their own product. It makes them look like they think they're the be-all and end-all, which isn't the most flattering thing to have out in the public.
It's also funny.
Not everything has to be a drab and by the numbers entry. A little juice, the occasional spazzing, it all makes for a more interesting read on the whole. The director and star's public comments on your review, Matthew, make your review all the more likely to be read by those who were unaware of it to begin with. Give Jon some thanks for sending more people to your review instead of publicly Debbie-Downer-ing it, as that's actually pretty similar to what the director and star of Monkey Warfare did on your original review. durr.
There's been grammatical change to Jonathan's entry that I'm pretty happy with, Geust. I consider the issue over now!