Archive for 'John Semley'

A Married Couple

By John Semley Apr. 13th, 12:11 pm

2 Comments

TIFF 2011: Cut it. Print it. That’s a Wrap.

And just like that, 11 days later, TIFF '11 is a thing of the past.

By John Semley Sep. 19th, 12:30 pm

2 Comments

Torontoist TIFF Awards

The most eagerly anticipated awards of TIFF 2011!

By Kiva Reardon and John Semley • Illustration by Brian McLachlanSep. 19th, 10:40 am

TIFF Q&A: Nathan Morlando

We talk with the writer and director of Canadian true-crime biopic Edwin Boyd.

By John Semley Sep. 16th, 3:30 pm

2 Comments

TIFF Q&A: Stephen Kessler and Paul Williams

We speak with the director of the doc Paul Williams: Still Alive and the subject of that doc, Paul Williams. Obviously.

By John Semley • Photos and video by Christopher DrostSep. 14th, 10:00 am

2 Comments

50/50

Cancer and comedy as a recipe for schmaltz. What are the odds?

By John Semley Sep. 13th, 8:19 am

Trespass

It's a movie. It's called Trespass.

By John Semley Sep. 13th, 8:13 am

ALPS

It's like Dogtooth. But better.

By John Semley Sep. 13th, 8:07 am

TIFF Q&A: Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand

Co-directors of Doppelgänger Paul (Or a Film About How Much I Hate Myself)

By John Semley Sep. 12th, 4:00 pm

TIFF Review Roundup: September 12

TIFF day five and just like Paul Williams, we're still alive!

By John Semley Sep. 12th, 10:00 am

Twixt

Francis Ford Coppola's latest is an expressionistic mini-masterpiece of grotesque. With 3D!

By John Semley Sep. 11th, 11:00 pm

1 Comment

Goon

A funny, ballsy, and bloody Canadian hockey movie. About time.

By John Semley Sep. 11th, 3:08 pm

TIFF Review Roundup: September 11

TIFF day four and we've got more! Reviews, that is!

By John Semley Sep. 11th, 1:00 pm

1 Comment

Avalon

A wrenching, darkly funny debut feature.

By John Semley Sep. 11th, 12:53 pm

Paul Williams: Still Alive

With a little help from filmmaker Stephen Kessler, Paul Williams makes it over that rainbow.

By John Semley Sep. 11th, 12:40 pm

1 Comment

The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best

Hey kids! You like independent rock and roll music? You like T-shirts with faded corporate logos on them? Well then you'll love... aw, no you won't.

By John Semley Sep. 10th, 6:57 pm

Cuchera

If you like seeing catatonic rape victims get drugs crammed inside of them, this is your Citizen Kane, sicko.

By John Semley Sep. 10th, 6:45 pm

The Hunter

Willem Dafoe plays a heartless poacher with a heart of gold. Wait, what?

By John Semley Sep. 10th, 2:33 pm

J’aime regarder les filles

Some laboured class anxiety curdles a serviceable teen romance.

By John Semley Sep. 10th, 2:27 pm

The Kid with a Bike

Unsurprisingly, the Dardennes latest is great. Surprisingly, it's not even that despairing!

By John Semley Sep. 10th, 2:04 pm

TIFF Review Roundup: September 10

On the third day of TIFF-mas, the fest programmed for you: some shorts, silents, and George Clooney too.

By John Semley Sep. 10th, 1:30 pm

TIFF Q&A: Ingrid Veninger

We talk with the writer, director, and star of i am a good person/i am a bad person.

By John Semley • Photo by D.A. CooperSep. 9th, 5:00 pm

1 Comment

TIFF Q&A: Léa Pool

Our chat with the director of the gutsy, illuminating Pink Ribbons, Inc.

By John Semley Sep. 9th, 4:30 pm

TIFF Review Roundup: September 9

It's TIFF day two, and have we got reviews for you!

By John Semley Sep. 9th, 12:00 pm

The Good Son

Strong performances leaven this fairly straightforward tale of male competition

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 11:05 pm

This is not a Film

A fittingly masterful exercise in creation under duress.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 10:59 pm

1 Comment

The Turin Horse

Béla Tarr's (alleged) final film is a fitting end: long, tragic, slow, beautiful... you know, all that stuff.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 10:47 pm

The Last Gladiators

Somebody should take this movie out to centre ice, drop the gloves, and smack it into shape.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 10:36 pm

1 Comment

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Ramsay's nature/nurture drama a gawky bloodbath.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 8:17 pm

TIFF Q&A: Andréa Picard

Programmer of TIFF's avant-garde and experimental programme, Wavelengths

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 4:30 pm

1 Comment

Roman’s Circuit

This Chilean trip through memory and heartache proves slick and heady, if a bit empty.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 2:55 pm

The Descendants

Alexander Payne's latest is assured, without being all cocky about it.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 2:46 pm

A Dangerous Method

Cronenberg's Cronenberg movie proves thoroughly Cronenbergian

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 2:37 pm

TIFF Review Roundup: September 8

Best bets for the opening day of the festival.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 2:30 pm

The Patron Saints

This unnerving doc reminds us why we make a point to forget about the people we hide away in nursing homes.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 9:34 am

Hard Core Logo II

Bruce McDonald's unlikely sequel is his best film in years.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 9:34 am

Amy George

Art and, well, some other stuff are felt out in this adolescent journey of self-discovery.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 9:34 am

2 Comments

Take This Waltz

Polley's latest is uneven, albeit genuinely affecting in places.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 9:34 am

i am a good person/i am a bad person

Ingrid Veninger's latest, darkest feature proves her best yet.

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 9:33 am

The Odds

It's like a grown-up movie, but, you know, for kids!

By John Semley Sep. 8th, 9:33 am

HOT DOCS 2012

Reviews listed alphabetically:

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (★★★★☆) Back to the Square (★★★½☆) Beauty Is Embarrassing (★★★☆☆) Beware of Mr. Baker (★★★☆☆) Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (★★★½☆) Brooklyn Castle (★★★★½) China Heavyweight (★★★★★) Detropia (★★★★☆) Dreams of a Life (★★★★☆) El Huaso (★★★★☆) Fists of Pride (★★★☆☆) Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is) (★★½☆☆) G-Dog (★★★☆☆) Garden in the Sea (★★★☆☆) GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (★★★★☆) Herman’s House (★☆☆☆☆) Indie Game: The Movie (★★★★☆) Inocente (★★★½☆) Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet (★★★½☆) Jeff (★★½☆☆) Legend of a Warrior (★★★☆☆) Life in Stills (★★½☆☆) Mom and Me (★★★☆☆) Oma & Bella (★★★★☆) One Day After Peace (★★★★☆) Ping Pong (★★★★☆) Planet of Snail (★★½☆☆) Private Universe (★★★★☆) Revision (★☆☆☆☆) Sexy Baby (★★★½☆) She Said Boom: The Story Of Fifth Column (★★½☆☆) Smoke Traders (★★★★☆) The Betrayal (★★★★☆) The Boxing Girls of Kabul (★★½☆☆) The Final Member (★★★★½) The Job (★★☆☆☆) The Mechanical Bride (★★★½☆) The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche (★★☆☆☆) The Queen of Versailles (★★★★☆) The World Before Her (★★★★☆)

Reviews by star rating:

China Heavyweight (★★★★★) Brooklyn Castle (★★★★½) The Final Member (★★★★½) The World Before Her (★★★★☆) Smoke Traders (★★★★☆) Ping Pong (★★★★☆) Oma & Bella (★★★★☆) The Queen of Versailles (★★★★☆) Who Cares? (★★★★☆) Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (★★★★☆) The Betrayal (★★★★☆) Private Universe (★★★★☆) Detropia (★★★★☆) Indie Game: The Movie (★★★★☆) El Huaso (★★★★☆) One Day After Peace (★★★★☆) Dreams of a Life (★★★★☆) GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (★★★★☆) Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (★★★½☆) Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet (★★★½☆) Inocente (★★★½☆) Sexy Baby (★★★½☆) Back to the Square (★★★½☆) The Mechanical Bride (★★★½☆) Mom and Me (★★★☆☆) G-Dog (★★★☆☆) Legend of a Warrior (★★★☆☆) Beauty Is Embarrassing (★★★☆☆) Garden in the Sea (★★★☆☆) Fists of Pride (★★★☆☆) We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (★★★☆☆) Beware of Mr. Baker (★★★☆☆) Planet of Snail (★★½☆☆) The Boxing Girls of Kabul (★★½☆☆) She Said Boom: The Story Of Fifth Column (★★½☆☆) Wadim (★★½☆☆) Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is) (★★½☆☆) Life in Stills (★★½☆☆) Jeff (★★½☆☆) The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche (★★☆☆☆)

TTC Service Alerts

• ALL CLEAR: The delay southbound at Eglinton Stn has now cleared and full service has resumed on the Yonge University Spadina line. #TTC | 7:59 PM Apr 5
• Trains are currently holding southbound at Eglinton Stn due to a Passenger Assistance Alarm activated on a train. #TTC | 7:54 PM Apr 5
• ALL CLEAR: The delay southbound at Spadina and Queen has now cleared and full service on the 510 Spadina Streetcar line has resumed. #TTC | 5:50 PM Apr 5

Editor's Picks

David Chang Talks About His Upcoming Toronto Debut The celebrity restaurateur says plans for the Toronto branch of his Momofuku empire are still in flux, and he likes it that way.	Lights, Camera … And Everything Else
Weston-Mount Dennis Residents Discuss Police Stops	Historicist: Throwing Intellectual Bombs Rabble-rousing feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman died in Toronto in 1940.
OIPRD’s Assessment of the G20: A Good but Marred Effort Two years later, we finally have OIPRD's comprehensive assessment of police action during the G20. It's a report that tries to be fair to all sides, but ends up being too generous to police on some key points.	Vandalist: You Never Call Anymore

Social Media

Torontoist

on Google+

Special Notices

The latest from across the St. Joseph Media network

• Toronto Life

  Risks of wire-walking across Niagara Falls: mist, falcon attacks, weird newspaper stories

• Torontoist

  Extra, Extra: Legoland Coming, Pugs Closing, and Police Skipping SlutWalk

• Ottawa Magazine

  SOUND SEEKERS: Bidiniband releases its second album, frontman Dave Bidini submits to a Q&A (that’s Dave Bidini, not Bikini)

• Fashion Magazine

  They said/We said: Here comes the bride, all dressed in… Uggs?

• Quill & Quire

  Quillcast episode nine: Will Ferguson on teaching humour

• Canadian Family

  5 Tips for a Soothing Bath Time [Sponsored]

• 20 Minute Supper Club

  Video of the Week: Raffi’s “On Hockey Days”

• Where Canada

  Pop-up, Sit down

• Weddingbells

  Photos From Bridal Fashion Week: Stewart Parvin Spring 2013

• Mariage Quebec

  Film noir: Osez le noir et blanc avec les robes et accessoires du moment