DVD Releases for the Week of Jun. 30, 2009
I usually try to avoid showcasing movies that border on smut or exploitation, but the effort that went into the release of Women In Prison, a triple feature, is worth mention. Containing the films The Hot Box, Escape from Hell and Women in Cell Block 7, the set is a triumvirate of cheese, gore and smut-lite. The decrepitude is just B enough to warrant it a watch if you take part in ‘bad movie nights’. Otherwise, avoid it at all costs. Read more »
Tags: Do the Right Thing, James Gray, Spike Lee, Tokyo!, Two Lovers, Women in Prison Triple Feature
DVD Previews | 
June 29, 2009 | Comments Off
There is a reason it rhymes with incest, and that is because Film InFest is all about rubbing elbows with fellow film enthusiasts and filmmakers in a soiree of watching and drinking. Starting tonight at 7:30pm at the NFB Cinérobothèque and continuing on at the House of Reggae for drinks and bonding, the first edition of this film festival is all about amateur filmmaking and new voices. For more information, 
Oops! This is coming a little later than usual; getting caught up in an upcoming move and the monitor is hidden between a pile of smelly boxes. Already out in rental shops is Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain), a Québecois film set in the north and stars an Inuit woman trying to coach her grandson through the trials of life, and teaches him to live his life with dignity. While not as high profile as Pilon’s Ce qu’il faut pour vivre, which won a bunch of awards earlier this year; those hankering for more Inuit film may want to check it out. 
I certainly don’t, which is why the Montréal International Yiddish Theatre Festival may not be your top choice, unless you can understand the language. Centered at the recently revitalized Segal Centre, the festival is usually all about Yiddish-language stage productions, but this year incorporates some English-subtitled films that will draw out Yiddish-language dunces - making the event more accessible. Check out the program herein, and take note that the screenings are selling out quickly! 
Criterion Collection, distributors of high-quality remasters, are re-releasing Ingmar Bergman’s classic The Seventh Seal in a new edition. Set during the Middle Ages, it tells the story of towns beset by the Black Plague, and a knight who encounters Death in person. Of course, the overlying story is only a basis for more thematic ideas. This classic comes out at the same time as Bergman Island, a feature-length interview with the legendary Swedish director. 
Frédéric Back is an award-winning animator who began working for Radio-Canada in the 1950s. Winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Short twice, he is best known for his work L’Homme qui plantait des arbres (The Man Who Planted Trees). Beginning June 17th, his collected animated works will be presented at the Cinémathèque Québécoise. Running parallel to this on June 18th begins a Back exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. 
Subscribe