Countdown to the Film Fest

[przed]

The Toronto International Film Festival starts tomorrow, and I'm totally pumped.

In spite of being in the very last box, I did manage to score tickets to Alatriste, Viggo's Spanish swashbuckler. In fact, I've got tickets to both screenings and have decided I'm not going to trade the second one for another film. Yes, I'm obsessed. But then you knew that already.

I'm seeing 26 films altogether, and have posted my film fest sked on my newly resurrected film website The sked's here, if you're interested.

I'll be putting up reviews here and on the website, as usual. And in the meantime...

...some films for the slash fans among you:

Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Japanese bad boy director Takashi Miike tackles a homoerotic, juvenile delinquent prison film. I can't wait.

Love and Other Disasters
A British RomCom with an American gal in London seeking out true love on behalf of her gay roommate. Made by the director who did the Madonna concert film, Truth or Dare.

Shortbus
The new film from the director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell. This one's already caused a certain amount of controversy, since Mitchell has decided to focus on the lives of various characters, straight and gay, through the lens of sex. Hardcore sex. And since one of the actors is the CBC's very own Sook-Yin Lee, it's gotten a certain amount of Canadian-grown notoriety too.

Chacun sa nuit
A sister searches for the reason her bisexual brother was beaten to death as we flashback to his various trysts. The film's had so-so advance word, but the trailer looks gorgeous.

Comments

[sooguy.livejournal.com]

26 films - that's impressive. You taking time off work for this?

I'm looking forward to the Alatriste screening next week. I only wish I had more time and money this year to see more.

Curious to know how Shortbus plays out on film. I had mixed feeling about 9 Songs and the hardcore sex.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I decided to take three days off, since it doesn't look like we'll be travelling this year.

Alatriste is going to be a big group outing. Nad and Sandy will be there too, along with you and Don. You can all plead my case if the cops drag me away for harassing Viggo.

I'm totally looking forward to Shortbus. I adored9 Songs, complete with the hardcore sex. But then, that's me.

[sooguy.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed aspects of 9 Songs, but just didn't feel the music stengthend the sex or the vice versa.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I thought the music and the sex were very well done and definitely played off each other. The vague, pseudo-philosophical stuff about the main character being a researcher in Antarctica was what I could have done without.

[sooguy.livejournal.com]

the main character being a researcher in Antarctica

What?

Obviously that was bad since I have blocked it from my memory. I agree the music and sex was good, I just thought there wasn't enough of a story there to hold it all together and keep my interest through the entire movie.

I think I have been ruined by too many years of bad porn to appreciate good sex on film.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It's definitely not about the story. It's meant to be experiential filmmaking, to evoke feelings and sensations and memory. In that, it has a lot in common with experimental film of the '70s.

It's a definite disservice to compare it to bad porn.

[sooguy.livejournal.com]

No, no, I wasn't comparing it to bad porn.

I was commenting on how my brain has been wired to see sex on film.

Do you know if there was ever a soundtrack released to that film?

[przed.livejournal.com]

Ah. I'll be thankful I haven't been overexposed to too much bad porn, then. ;)

No soundtrack for the film, but the DVD itself shows up on Amazon.ca for 20 bucks. (That's actually tempting...)

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

I'm seeing 26 films altogether

Good Lord. You've filled out the 'next of kin' card, right? For when your head explodes...?

[przed.livejournal.com]

This is a slow year for me. I usually see 30 to 35.

I have friends who do 50. That's what I consider to be crazy. ;)

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Can I say, I wish I were you ? :D

[przed.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I'll write lots of reviews. Then you'll get the fest experience without the sleep deprivation. ;)

[gairid.livejournal.com]

Hi...you don't know me, but I have seen your wonderful vids at the past two MediaWestCons (I moved to Indiana 2 years ago) and this year I purcheased two DVDs of your work. Anyway, that all said, I friended your LJ when I got home n May and have been lurking. The revelation that you are seeing Alatriste has prodded me from lurkdom to convey my serious case of the green jealousies!

I look forward to a revierw of this (and the other 25 films!)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Hey there. I friended you back and was wondering what route you came to the LJ.

As for Alatriste, it's definitely my most anticipated film of the fest. I'm sure I'll post lots of comments about it. (And I'm totally planning on carrying a book of Viggo's around for him to autograph, on the off chance I run in to him. I usually run into a few actors during the fest, though it's never the ones I really care about.)