The very best kind of David and Goliath stories are the ones where the David in question eventually wins out. It’s only natural to root for the underdog in this kind of story, however in his battle against fruit giant Dole Foods, victory never feels completely assured for Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten. Big Boys Gone Bananas!* is an autobiographical documentary about Gertten’s protracted moral and legal fight to get his 2009 doc Bananas!* released. That’s right, the film is essentially a documentary about a documentary, with the director of both movies becoming the central character in his own story. In the face of overwhelming adversity Gertten constructs a self-affirming story about the responsibility of truth, a battle that could only really be won in the telling of the tale.

Bananas!* - the film at the centre of the film – alleged that banana-producer Dole Foods knowingly used pesticides in Nicaragua that caused sterility amongst the plantation workers who farmed the fruit. Gertten travelled to the South American country to try to tell the worker’s story and to document the lawsuits that ensued. The reported impropriety by Dole and the lengthy legal fight the followed between the company and its employees should have been Gertten’s first indication that the fruit conglomerate was not to be trifled with. As the Swedish filmmaker started submitting the finished film to festivals, he began to get wind that Dole was unhappy with the prospect of the movie being screened publicly and was considering legal action against the small Swedish production company – and anyone who distributed or screened the film. What ensued – and what Gertten documents in his film – was a campaign by a multi-national corporation to silence an independent filmmaker who had painted that company in a bad light. Dole attempted to block the film’s release at various film festivals on the grounds that movie contained “patent falsehoods” and defamed the company.

All things considered, Gertten does a fairly good job of making Dole’s case against him extremely clear. His objectivity is impressive considering that for most of the film Dole holds the hammer of financial ruin in the form of a lawsuit above the heads of he and his colleagues. At times, so effective is Dole’s campaign calling the director a liar and charlatan, that audiences may even begin to have their doubts about Gertten. The Swedish director just wants the banana worker’s story to be told, but even he begins to doubt his cause as he moves from one crisis to another. He’s not a perfect character and it’s certainly clear who’s side he’s on, but Gertten repeatedly puts his money where his mouth is during the course of the film by laying everything on the line so that the truth can be told. The fact that he never comes off as self-righteous or plays the victim card for sympathy is as much a testament to Gertten’s convictions as it is to his abilities as a filmmaker. The director could have played it bleeding heart the whole way and won his audience over, but he never does. It’s a surprisingly sincere self-portrayal.

As the person at the centre of the film, is Gertten the most objective person to tell this tale? Probably not. But at the time of filming – facing international legal battles and fights with film festivals – he was literally the only person who could tell this story. He might be accused of painting his own prior work in a more positive light that in deserves – it may have documented moral and legal wrongs, but was Bananas!* really any good? Still, whatever the shortcomings of his previous work may have had, Gertten more than proves himself a capable and compelling filmmaker with Big Boy Gone Bananas!* While the ending may be predictable (he did get to make the movie after all), it’s always heartening to see a little guy triumph over a big bad.

It’s hard to believe the season is already half over, but HBO’s Game of Thrones continues to go strong in its fifth episode, entitled “The Ghost of Harrenhal.” Gruesome deaths, political schemes, hard truths, and revenge are par for the course in this series and nowhere is that more evident than in this episode. The one shortfall of this particular episode is its ambition. While previous episodes have handled the scope and scale of the series quite well, “The Ghost of Harrenhal” suffers from being a mid-season bridging episode. It’s full of great moments, but the episode never comes together to be more than just that – a series of memorable moments.

After last week’s cliffhanger, many were left wondering what awful business the shade (popularly known as the shadow baby) that Melisandre birthed would get up to. Well, viewers did not have to wonder long, as the foul creature violently revealed its intentions in the episode’s opening scene. Catelyn Stark and Renly Baratheon are finishing up negotiations, coming to what appears to be a game changing agreement in the War of the Five Kings, when the shade appears and makes a swift end of Renly. Whether King Robb would have accepted Renly’s generous terms quickly becomes a moot point.

Crisitunity! Littlefinger swoops into action in the wake of Renly’s death, making good on his earlier overtures to those who surrounded the late King, namely the Tyrells – Renly’s bride Margaery and his lover Loras. The scheming master of coin urges the brother and sister to flee Renly’s camp before the arrival of Stannis so thye may live to fight another day. These first few scenes following the would-be King’s assassination feature members of his Kingsguard – Ser Loras Tyrell and Brienne of Tarth – swearing revenge against Stannis Baratheon. “I will put a sword through his righteous face!” shouts Loras, echoed no doubt by the many fans of the late younger Baratheon. Brienne too seeths with thoughts of avenging her beloved Renly, nearly begging Cat to let her go die in the attempt. Both are talked down by the cooler, more diplomatic heads of Littlefinger and Cat, respectively. The former Kingsguards go their separate ways as a result, with the Tyrell’s seemingly leaning towards an alliance with the Lannisters and Brienne swearing loyalty to Cat and in turn the Starks.

For all their battlefield prowess, the brutes of the world – warriors like Loras and Brienne – are steadily revealing themselves to be nothing more than pawns in the larger game, pieces to be manipulated and kept in check by the literal kings and queens of the land. The noble Loras is a fighter not a negotiator; the Knight of Flowers is nothing more than a high profile tool to be directed against an enemy, whoever that may be. Similarly, Brienne has little use for politics and court intrigue, but almost immediately finds herself blamed for her king’s death and deals with it the only way she knows how – by cutting her way out. It’s a tragic mix-up, but one that Brienne could not have talked her way out of even if she’d tried.

Players like Littlefinger and Margaery are repeatedly demonstrating to viewers that they are operating on a completely different level – They are not concerned with something as petty as vengeance. People like them always keep the long game in mind. Revenge may be a part of their plan, but it will always be incidental to an even larger goal. “Do you want to be a queen?” asks Littlefinger. “No. I want to be the queen.” declares Margaery. You can almost see the wheels turning behind Petyr Baelish’s eyes, and it’s hard to tell who is playing who in this situation. The phrase “mutually beneficial,” a concept that Littlefinger is most fond of seems apt.

There are no shortage of “plots and schemes” in “Ghosts of Harrenhal,” and no intrigue-centric episode would be complete without the presence of master schemer Cersei Lannister, who mysteriously sat out last week’s episode. She was apparently too busy plotting things. In yet another wondefully acted scene between Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage, Tyrion tries to have a civil conversation with Cersei about recent events and the impending invasion of King’s Landing by the forces of Stannis Baratheon. He instead ends up trading vicious barbs with his sister. Renly’s death means that most of the younger Baratheon’s bannermen have flocked to his elder brother’s cause, leaving the Lannisters and their allies sorely outnumbered. Cersei scoffs at Tyrion’s declarations of Stannis’ numerical superiority, stating that Littlefinger claims they can still outspend their enemies. The Queen Regent remains convinced that she can buy her way out of any problem, but Tyrion – always the realist – urges her to tell him what she has in mind to defend the city. Never one to give her brother the slightest advantage over her, Cersei remains mum on what she and Joffrey have planned.

Not only does this biting exchange drive Tyrion’s plot forward in this episode, it also serves to demonstrate his genuine willingness to cooperate with his sister for the greater good – or at least for the long game. Many may call Stannis Baratheon the most stubborn and inflexible person in Westeros, but Cersei easily takes the crown as the most obdurate player of the game of thrones. The Imp must use all the means at his disposal to discover the Queen Regent’s plans, starting with his well placed mole in the Queen’s camp – Poor, clueless Lancel Lannister.

Speaking of pigheaded to the point of absurdity, we get a quick scene between Stannis and Davos shortly thereafter. We learn of Stannis’ own plans for the invasion, but the real meat of the scene deals with Davos’ concerns about the Red Priestess. Having seen what Melisandre is truly capable of (ie: birthing murderous shadow demons), the Onion Knight obviously has some reservations about her relationship with his king. Stannis is very set in his ways, and is not someone who takes criticism lightly. However, Davos feels that he is being disloyal by not criticizing Stannis. “Loyal service means telling hard truths,” Davos proclaims, and in a rare moment of open-mindedness, Stannis hears the former smuggler out. Ser Davos’ “hard truth” moves Stannis – or at least as much as one so set in his ways can be moved. He decides that for the sake of optics, lest his newly won bannermen think Melisandre is pulling his strings, not to bring the Red Priestess with them to King’s Landing.

Plans are being made all over the Seven Kingdoms it would seem, and the Iron Islands are no different. Reborn as a true Greyjoy, Theon meets his ship’s crew for the first time. However, the raping and reaving crew of the “Sea Bitch” do not take kindly to some petulant boy trying to tell them what to do, even if he is the son of Balon Greyjoy. Theon’s firstmate, Dagmar Cleftjaw, gives the untried captain a quick education in how real Iron Islanders think. “They don’t do as they’re told… they do as they like.” This newly imparted wisdom gets Theon thinking like a true son of Pyke. Why harass fishermen as his father “ordered” him to do, when he can capture a much greater prize? With King Robb away fighting the Lannisters, the castles of Torrhen’s Square and Winterfell lie mostly undefended. There’s no going back for Theon after this fateful decision.

Across the continent, in Harrenhal, plans are being hatched by the war council of Tywin Lannister – though perhaps not as smoothly as the elder Lannister would like. Confounded repeatedly on the battlefield by the forces of Robb Stark, the Lannister patriarch finds himself at wits end, surrounded by sycophantic cousins and illiterate bannermen. Arya’s role as cupbearer to Tywin is an entirely new role for the character, one that never took place in Martin’s books. These scenes – particularly the interplay between Tywin and Arya – are an absolute delight to watch. Tywin’s questioning of Arya – a northerner – about Robb Stark is especially great. Young Maisie Williams absolutely holds the screen opposite the veteran actor Charles Dance. Her resignation to the fact that “Anyone can be killed,” when talking about her brother is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s in that moment that you finally realize just how much Arya has been through.

But back to Tywin. For anyone who has read the novels, it’s very hard to like Tywin Lannister – he’s a terrible, terrible man who was particularly cruel to everyone’s favourite character Tyrion growing up. Tyrion has alluded to this treatment at the hands of his father and those issues will come to the fore, but in the interim Dance is so god damned good in the role, that it’s almost impossible not to at least have a sort of grudging respect for Tywin.

In Harrenhal we are also reintroduced to another character, Jaqen H’ghar, who remains shrouded in mystery. You know, the foreign sounding prisoner with the patch of white in his red locks? The former captive of the Night’s Watch appears dressed in Lannister garb at the castle, making Arya immediately cautious. However, he soon reveals to Arya that he owes her a debt for saving his life back on the King’s Road, one that he intends to repay in blood. Jaqen will remain mysterious as hell for most viewers after this (he’s still quite an enigma for those who read the books), but at least we now have some idea of his intentions in the short term. The death of the Tickler in the episode’s final scene is the first bit of real empowerment Arya has been given since… well, pretty much ever. With Jaqen’s help, little Arya is through being a victim for now.

North of the Wall we catch up with the men of the Night’s Watch. Jon Snow, like Cersei, was absent from episode four – presumably quite boringly marching northward to a place called the Fist of the First Men. As the main force waits for the arrival of a scouting party, led by the legendary Qhorin Halfhand, Sam regales his companions with a historical account of the Fist before being told to shut up. Tarly and Dolorous Edd provide some much needed comic relief on this bleak trek beyond the wall. Shooting the show in Iceland has given Jon Snow’s adventures a much more epic feel than the previous season. And man, does it look cold out there. Major points for authenticity.

Events accelerate quickly in the third act. Tyrion uncovers that his sister has commissioned the production of wildfire, an incredibly flammable substance that can be flung in catapults against the land and sea forces of Stannis. Longtime Martin fans will recognize the Pyromancer Hallyne as Roy Dotrice, a veteran of GRRM’s Beauty and the Beast and narrator of most audio book versions of the novels. Dotrice was original to play Grand Maester Pycelle, but had to drop out at the last moment. Awesome to see him on the show.

After Tyrion’s discovery and decision to produce even more wildfire, audiences catch up with Daenerys attempting to make herself at home in Qarth. This visit also provides our first look at the dragons… well, a dragon… since the first episode of the season. CG is expensive, okay? Dany quickly finds the Dothraki ways at odds with those of Qarth, and must repeatedly scold members of her Khalassar from acting the way they are used to. That is to say, she has to ask them nicely not to rape, pillage, and murder at every opportunity. While Westeros deals with a clash of kings, Dany deals with a clash of cultures. We get that Qarth is a weird place full of warlocks and fat merchants, but what the heck was up with that woman who spoke to Ser Jorah? Despite the serious message she delivered, it was hard not to laugh at the masked figure’s appearance.

The surprise marriage proposal of Qarth’s wealthiest man, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, is extremely tempting for Dany, who is eager to be done with Essos and return to the Seven Kingdoms. His wealth, power, and influence would serve her cause well, but Ser Jorah warns that she may end up serving Daxos in the process. Daxos questioned Dany about her relationship with Mormont, stating that he believes the Bear is in love with her. Mormont’s subsequent speech about Dany’s virtues and what she means to him all but confirms Daxos’ belief for both Daenerys and the audience. The poor fool Jorah is totally in the friend zone.

To Winterfell where Bran is holding court as Lord. With the help of Maester Luwin, Bran has grown more comfortable in the role, but he’s given his first true test when the stalwart Ser Rodrick arrives to inform him that nearby Torrhen’s Square is under attack. In the wake of the attack (and knowing what we know about Theon’s plans), the young Stark’s confession to Osha about his dream is particularly foreboding. Bran’s dreams, though few and far between, have an unfortunate tendency to come true. Just ask his late father, Ned.

Random observations

- The shade looked amazing, but we fear the showrunners will be tempted to bring it back. Please do not make it the Smoke Monster of Game of Thrones.
- We want more Qhorin Halfhand! His characterization on the show is spot on.
- Jon Snow a ranger? We’ll see how he does in the true north.
- Yay! Dany actually has things to do now… it only took half the season!
- If you hated Theon before, you’re really going to hate him over the next few episodes.
- Cersei needs to stop being such an obstructionist and help Tyrion prepare the city if they have any hope of surviving.
- Someone please submit Charles Dance for an Emmy or Golden Globe. The man is too good.
- We’re not totally sold on Jaqen H’ghar yet, but actor Tom Wlaschiha nailed his re-introduction to Arya. Performing with such unique dialogue cannot be easy.
- Nonso Anozie’s performance as Xaro Xhoan Daxos is easily one of our favourites of the season.
- No Robb Stark? Ladies will be tuning out.
- Seriously, what was with that Qartheen woman’s mask?

Starting with a fart joke and a direwolf mauling, “Garden of Bones” is an episode full of timely interventions and fateful confrontations, as well as one of the most disturbing cliffhangers you’re ever likely to see on TV. Despite some missteps, HBO’s Game of Thrones continues to be one of the most compelling shows on television with this fourth episode of the second season.

The episode kicks off with a bit of a let down: a battle… sort of. After a brief conversation between a couple of poor sods on guard duty, Robb Stark and his army launch a surprise attack against a Lannister camp. However, all we’re treated to is the surprise part, due to a rather unfortunate (but sadly necessary) fade out just prior to the battle.

The bloody morning after is where the real action happens though, featuring the introductions of two characters who will be integral to future seasons – pale-eyed Stark bannerman Roose Bolton (and his penchant for flaying people alive) and Robb’s love interest, the mysterious Talisa – a woman claiming to be from Volantis who is tending to the wounded in the wake of the battle. Talisa is not what she appears to be though, a common field nurse would not talk down to the King in the North even if she was in league with the Lannisters. There’s clearly more to this character though, since the actress playing Talisa, Oona Chaplin (granddaughter of Charlie), is actually credited as “Jeyne” in the series.

Whether Chaplin’s character turns out to be one Jeyne Westerling – the daughter of a minor house sworn to the Lannisters and Robb’s love interest from the books – remains to be seen, but so far her on-screen story is almost entirely different from that character. Originally Robb met Jeyne after being wounded while trying to capture the Westerling’s castle, and was subsequently nursed back to health by her. All of this happened off-page in the novels (since Robb is never a point-of-view character), so adapting the Stark’s love story for TV is fair game as far as we’re concerned, though it may anger some fans of Martin’s books. If the showrunners follow George R. R. Martin’s tale closely, fleshing out Robb’s story for the show will add much more weight to future events in the series. Martin himself has said that he wished he’d made the Young Wolf a POV character in the novels.

From the battlefields of the North to the court at King’s Landing, and the dickery of young King Joffrey is reaching new heights. In response to Robb’s victory against Lannister forces in the North, Joffrey points a crossbow at Sansa while debating whether or not he should kill her to avenge his men. This is as much about the young regent testing the limits of his power – or lack thereof – as it is about him just being a horrible little tyrant. There may be a method to his madness after all.

Joffrey decides not to kill Sansa, but orders her beaten instead. “Leave her face… I like her pretty,” Joff instructs Ser Meryn Trant. It’s brutal stuff and confirms our suspicions that Joffrey is more than just a little prick, he’s a bona fide sadist – something that is further demonstrated in the subsequent scene. The child body count for this season has already been pretty damn high, but seeing the naive young Sansa stripped and beaten by the vicious Ser Meryn (first Syrio, now this!? Come on!) after all she’s been through is not for the faint of heart. Sansa is hard to sympathize with at times, but you feel her pain as she’s punched and struck with the broadside of a sword over something she has no control over.

Tyrion’s fortunate arrival puts a quick stop to Sansa’s beating, and his timely arrival also gives him an opportunity to demonstrate his new authority as Hand of the King by very publicly dressing Joffrey down in front of the court. The Imp’s rescue of the young Lady Stark also foreshadows the interesting dynamic that develops between the two characters later in the books and will presumably be developed on the show.

There’s also a great little bookend to the scene where Bronn and Tyrion debate what may be causing Joffrey’s rather unfortunate behaviour. The two theorize that “dipping his wick” might cure what ails the piss-ant king. “There’s no cure for being a cunt,” Bronn muses, “but the boy’s at that age.” The pair are probably on the right track, but Tyrion’s name day gift to his nephew doesn’t result in much wick dipping – there is however a lot of whipping and beating. The spanking is all in good fun, the belt is a bit much, but the scepter at boltpoint is just cruel. Ros and her fellow ladies of the night are quickly finding out that life in the employ of Littlefinger can be exceedingly dangerous.

Cut to Renly’s camp and we’re treated to a few brand new scenes featuring a visit from the aforementioned “whore-monger” Petyr Baelish. But what is he doing in the Stormlands? Already known as a broker of information, these short scenes at the camp also help to lay the groundwork for Littlefinger’s future role as a broker of alliances. Always one to play the odds, Littlefinger makes some overtures to Renly regarding the younger Baratheon’s impending invasion of King’s Landing; however, we do not see if he and the King come to any kind of agreement. These new scenes with Littlefinger are entirely creations of the showrunners and were not featured in Martin’s novels at all. Not only do they add depth to Baelish’s numerous behind-the-scenes machinations, but they give viewers a better window into the relationship between Renly and his wife Margaery Tyrell.

Though everyone in the realm seems to know that Renly and Ser Loras are an item behind closed doors (or is it tent flaps?) – even the Lannister foot soldiers in the opening scene of the episode joked about it – Margaery seems to believe that Littlefinger’s perceptions of her relationship with her new husband are irrelevant. “My husband is my king and my king is my husband,” she states matter of factly. Margaery is quickly proving herself to be more than just a pretty rich girl – she’s yet another intriguing player in the game of thrones. Anyone who can shut Littlefinger down so effectively with just her words is a force to be reckoned with.

Across the Narrow Sea, we quickly catch up with Dany and her Khalasar still kicking it in the Red Waste after sitting out the last episode. Some good news at last for the starving band of Dothraki, as one of Dany’s bloodriders returns with a new horse and an offer from the city of Qarth to receive the “mother of dragons.” Ser Jorah continues to fill his role as Dany’s protector as well as official explainer of things for her (and the audience), describing the grim fate that awaits them in the “Garden of Bones” should the Qartheen refuse them entry into their city. The group has little choice but to travel to Qarth, not just for food, water, and shelter, but for something for Dany to do. After impressively closing out the first season, the character has had little to actually do in season two thus far besides wander the desert. Qarth is where the action is for the Targaryen and her followers.

Back in Westeros, as if the lot of the Stark girls wasn’t bad enough in this episode, we catch up with young Arya just in time to witness her arrival at the terrifying and imposing castle of Harrenhal. The massive ruined fortress – the largest in Westeros -  is currently being occupied by the forces of Ser Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane, who is using the dragon-blasted castle as a staging point for the Lannister’s campaign of terror in the Riverlands. A place of death and torture, seeing the young girl and her compatriots exposed to such violence is truly heartbreaking. Arya spends her first rainy night at Harrenhal reciting the names of those who were responsible for her father’s death, as the late Yoren of the Night’s Watch taught her to do. “Joffrey, Cersei, Ilyn Payne, the Hound.” Sadly, we know that little Arya’s list is likely to grow before the season is out… hell, it grows in the next scene at Harrenhal when we are introduced to the Tickler and his unorthodox method of torture.

Returning to Renly’s camp and we find ourselves watching another scene created specifically for the show – an extremely unpleasant meeting between Catelyn Stark and Littlefinger. Cat rightly holds Baelish partly responsible for Eddard’s untimely death, having asked him to look out for Ned while he served as Hand to King Robert. However, this doesn’t deter Littlefinger from making a pass at Catelyn, professing his love for her only have it rebuffed at knifepoint by the fiery widow. Talk about awkward. Here the showrunners further expand upon Littlefinger’s character as a schemer and dealmaker, as well as the character’s torrid past with Cat and the Tullys.

Next we move to the long awaited parlay between the surviving brothers Baratheon – Stannis and Renly. Seeing the Baratheon’s face off on screen is a moment that many have been waiting to see, and it doesn’t disappoint. The back and forth between the two is full of contempt and ire, and Stannis’ ultimatum to his younger brother carries some serious weight. Renly may have the “friends” and the numbers behind him, but Stannis has got the Red Priestess and her burning god at his back. Something tells us this is not going to end well, and in this series you should always bet on the guy with the sorceress.

To Qarth now – “the greatest city that ever was or will be” – where Dany and her Khalasar are introduced to the Thirteen, a guild of traders who control the wealthy port city. The Thirteen offer Daenerys entrance to the city in exchange for a look at her dragons, but not wanting to reveal that they are only babies, she refuses. Denied, the Thirteen regrettably inform Dany that she will not be allowed into the city – a death sentence after the distance they travelled to get to Qarth. At her wits end, Daenerys threatens to return and burn the city to the ground when her dragons are born if her Khalasar is not given entry, but the Thirteen merely scoff at her, noting that if they do not allow her into the city she will die. It is only the last minute intervention of one of the Thirteen members, the hilariously named Xaro Xhoan Daxos, that saves Dany and company from starvation in the “Garden of Bones.” Dany learned the ways of warfare thanks to her late husband Khal Drogo, but this scene aptly demonstrates that she has much to learn about the art of diplomacy.

Finally we come to what will no doubt be a much talked about scene – Melisandre’s birthing of the shade. After giving Renly the night to lay down his banners, Stannis intends to make good on his threat, ordering Davos to deliver the red woman to the shore outside of Renly’s camp. Melisandre teases the Onion Knight about his attraction to her, “You want to see what’s beneath this robe.” And boy will he, and then some. Yeesh. (Hilariously the two actors, Liam Cunningham and Carice van Houten, played lovers in the 2011 film Black Butterflies – Davos has already seen what’s under her robe.) For most viewers, those who haven’t read the books in particular, this scene will either put them off the series entirely or hook them irrevocably. If the series follows the books, magic will remain a mysterious thing in the world of Game of Thrones, but the birth of the shade is the most overtly magical occurence to take place in the series thus far. It’s a jarring and stomach-turning scene that ends on a cliffhanger: the real question now is what is that shade going to do?

Random observations

- Harrenhal and Qarth look wonderful in the title sequence. Great additions!
- While we realize that budgetary restrictions mean that big battles must be kept to a minimum, the fade out and off-screen carnage in the opening scene was yet another lowblow to fans who complained about the lack of battles in season one. We cannot wait for episode nine.
- The showrunners have somehow turned Joffrey into an even more irredeemable asshole than he was in the books. Kudos to Jack Gleeson on a jerk well played.
- Harrenhal looked just as scary as we’d imagined it.
- Our first mention of “the Brotherhood without Banners” by the Tickler as he tortures that poor sap and then Gendry. We can see that flaming sword in our heads already.
- Sure she was present at the parlay in the books, but why would Catelyn Stark be invited to a meeting between two men who oppose her son’s claim as King in the North?
- It wasn’t clear enough that “the Mountain” was “the Mountain.” The role of Ser Gregor Clegane was recast between seasons and putting him in generic Lannister armour did little to remind viewers that he was the brute who decapitated a horse in the first season.
- No Cersei or Jon Snow in this episode. Expect episode five to heavily feature the two of them.
- Good grief… the birthing of the shade was creepy as hell. We at once can’t wait and don’t want to see more of it. Carice van Houten is spot on as Mel in scenes like this.

We’ve all known people like the titular character of the Jay and Mark Duplass’ Jeff, Who Lives at Home. Nice guys who mean well, but for whatever reason are going nowhere fast. To be fair, nobody really knows what they want to do with their lives when they’re in their early twenties (if you did, I’m at once envious and doubtful), but by your late twenties you should probably at least have a direction of some kind. Jeff (Jason Segel) has other ideas though.

Pushing 30 years old and still living with his mother (Susan Sarandon), Jeff’s typical day consists waking up late, eating, watching TV, and smoking a generous quantity of marijuana. Rinse. Repeat. However, the film portrays a particularly eventful day in the life of Jeff: his mother has asked him to go to the store to buy some wood glue. Talk about a MacGuffin! Braced by herbal courage and with his quest before him, the intrepid couch potato reluctantly ventures forth into the wilds of suburban Louisiana, and before long begins seeing meaning in the events that befall him. It could be the drugs or it could be fate, but pick-up games of basketball and chance encounters along the way – including one with his brother, Pat (Ed Helms) – quickly turn Jeff’s mundane trip to the store into something much more. An odyssey of… boring proportions!

As a film, Jeff, Who Lives at Home suffers from a few of the same maladies that afflict its main character. At times the film feels like an aimless collection of circumstances and encounters because, well, it is precisely that. In his altered state Jeff is really the only person who can connect the dots on this odd quest of self-discovery, while the audience – much like his brother Pat – is left guessing at the greater meaning of it all. Also, while the film is ostensibly about Jeff’s mid-mid-life crisis, the problems of his mother and brother – a workplace crush and a failing marriage, respectively – are much more central to the plot. After all, how can a guy with no life outside of the house have issues that the average audience would take seriously? It’s hard to sympathize with a character who has no life or prospects entirely due to his own sloth and laziness.

Overall, Jeff, Who Lives at Home feels like a bit of a misstep for Mark and Jay Duplass. Their previous film Cyrus retained the mumblecore aesthetic that the two were instrumental in developing (low/no-budget, no-name actors, improvised dialogue), but in contrast to their earlier work Jeff, Who Lives at Home just feels overly staged and contrived. Perhaps that’s just the fateful nature of Jeff’s journey, where every single thing that happens to him is part of some greater plan, however, part of this feeling could be attributed to the involvement of producer Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Young Adult). Reitman’s recent films have increasingly tended more towards the sentimental, and his touch is in evidence here.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home isn’t a bad film, but it just isn’t up to the standard of the Duplass’ previous work. It’s as if one of the ordinary people that populated their earlier films suddenly realized they were in a movie and began living his life that way. Additionally, the movie feels stuck in that odd place between comedy and drama. Dramedy, I believe they call it? Granted, it is a tough line to walk, but not an impossible one. The film is funny, but not hilarious enough to call itself a comedy. It’s dramatic, but not serious enough to call itself a drama either. Cyrus managed this balancing act quite deftly. Jeff, Who Lives at Home, on the other hand, does not fair so well. The movie is a meandering tale that doesn’t really accomplish much in the telling. And we all know movies like that, don’t we?

With the season two premiere of HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones just a little over two weeks away, fan expectations are running extremely high. HBO’s small screen adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s popular A Song of Ice and Fire series had a thunderous first season that will be hard to top. Thanks to strong word of mouth the popularity of the show has grown exponentially since the end of the first season.

Last week (after touring Game of Thrones: The Exhibition) we were fortunate enough to speak with actress Michelle Fairley, who plays Winterfell matriarch Cateyln Stark on Game of Thrones. As the now widow of Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), Cateyln must put aside her grief in order to help her son, Robb – now King in the North – wage war against and attempt to make peace with other claimants to the Iron Throne.

We discussed the series, her character’s headspace at the beginning of this season, Fairley’s favourite season two characters, what the future holds for Catelyn Stark, and more!

Viewers beware: there are potential season two spoilers throughout the interview.

When TIFF announced earlier this year that A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin would be coming to the Bell Lightbox in Toronto for a speaking engagement, fans of his novels – and the HBO series that it spawned – were elated. The “In Conversation…” event sounded great, but we knew that a simple visit would not be the only thing that the film fest group had in store for Game of Thrones fans. And boy, did they not disappoint.

TIFF has teamed with HBO Canada and Random House to produce Game of Thrones: The Exhibition, a free exhibition that includes a number of props, weapons, and costumes from the HBO series, as well as a wealth of behind-the-scenes photos and video. The titular Iron Throne, focal point for all that novelized and televised drama, will anchor the exhibit. Fans of the series will even be able to sit on the throne made from the swords of the defeated.

Some of the other highlights include the red priestess Melisandre’s costume from season two, one of Daenerys’ dragon eggs, Ned Stark’s “Hand of the King” badge, and the King Robert Baratheon’s stag crown. TIFF has also announced another event featuring Martin, a “Higher Learning: Master Class” with the author, designed for academics and post-secondary students.

It sounds like TIFF has a pretty awesome slate of Game of Thrones-related programming lined up for March. Sadly, admission to the exhibition will not get you access to either of the Martin talks. The “In Conversation…” event sold out extremely quickly. Obviously the icing on the cake would be an early screening of the season two premiere at the Lightbox with Martin in attendance, but nothing like that has been announced. Oh well, a dork can dream.

Game of Thrones: The Exhibition runs March 9 – 18 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Free tickets will be available starting February 27.

Season two of HBO’s Game of Thrones kicks off on April 1.

Taken on their own, zombie flicks and buddy comedies are two of the most overused and unoriginal sub-genres out there; the bad films far outweigh the good films. The VHS bargain bins of the world are filled to the brim with terrible undead schlock and allegedly funny buddy “comedies.” So while it’s hardly novel to combine these two genres, actually doing so successfully is another thing entirely. Does DeadHeads manage to create something that transcends the sum of its parts or is it just more dreck for the pile?

Mike Kellerman is undead… sort of. He’s a zombie in all the usual ways, save one: he’s not a mindless, flesh-craving monster. Confused but coherent, Mike (Michael McKiddy) wakes up in a body bag on the side of the road, with no idea of where he is or how he got there. Still unaware that he is, in fact, a zombie, Mike starts to freak out when he encounters several standard, run-of-the-mill zombies. Enter Brent (Ross Kidder), another walker whose faculties seem (mostly) unaffected by his otherwise zombified state. Brent wastes no time letting Mike know the facts: they’re both zombies and they have likely been dead for close to three years. With this gut-punching revelation, Mike sets off (with Brent in tow) to find his girlfriend (Natalie Victoria) and find out how exactly he became a zombie.

What DeadHeads lacks in production value, it makes up for in heart. Yes, the film tries too hard at times. Yes, despite the unusual concept the story is clichéd and full of plot holes. And yes, you’d better believe the multitude of 80′s pop culture references-for-the-sake-of-references become a bit stale (kudos on a very obscure Transformers reference though.) But despite these shortcomings, the two leads throw everything they’ve got at these roles, bringing life and energy to the quickly decomposing Mike and Brent.

As a mash-up of two genres, the film has certain obligations that it needs to satisfy — A buddy comedy needs a straight man and a goofball, after all. This kind of film relies on the chemistry of its leads as the central pillar of the operation, even when said characters are rotting, reanimated corpses. The back and forth between stoner-zombie Brent and uptight Mike is one of the film’s strongest element. And, as it turns out, buddy comedy dynamics work surprisingly well against the backdrop of a zombie uprising; surviving as zombies in a hostile human-filled world is harder than it looks. It was refreshing to see things from the zombie’s perspective for once. The undead duo are repeatedly thrown into situations that go from ridiculous to absurd very quickly. More could have been done on this front, but given the budgetary constraints it’s understandable that the filmmakers needed to keep the film small in scope.

DeadHeads is a film that mostly knows what it is. You won’t find Romero-style social allegory, big budget thrills, or anything terribly original here, but you will find a fun little mash-up about a zombie in love.

Confirmed guests include Paul McGillion (Stargate: Atlantis, Star Trek), Eisner Award Hall of Fame writer Marv Wolfman (DCU Online, Crisis on Infinite Earths), and artists Mike Deodato Jr. (Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman), John McCrea (“Hitman, Transmetropolitan) and Barry Kitson (Uncanny X-Force, FF”). More guest announcements are sure to be made over the coming months.

“Wizard World Toronto Comic Con has grown tremendously in its first two years, making this move to the Metro Toronto Convention Center a natural,” said John Macaluso of the Wizard World Board of Directors. A larger venue with the more convenient and accessible location? This move sounds like a win-win for both Wizard World and Canadian convention goers. Dork Shelf will be there with bells on. And no, that doesn’t mean we’re dressing up like Khal Drogo.

The 2012 Wizard World Toronto Comic Con is set to take place April 14-15 at the MTCC. More information here.

The festival runs from October 20 – 27 at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Be sure to visit the Toronto After Dark website for the full schedule of films playing this year.

Below you can find a few of our picks for the fest. There are many great films playing at Toronto After Dark this year, but we think these ones are particularly noteworthy

Redline, dir. Takeshi Koike

A film that could easily be described as a mash-up of Speed Racer and Death Race 2000, Redline takes futuristic auto racing to a place where most cars never go: outer space! This break-neck anime feature from the animation gurus at Madhouse was seven years in the making. Blisteringly fast-paced and beautifully realized, Redline is unlike any anime you’ve ever seen. The film follows JP, an up-and-coming race jockey who qualifies to compete in the Redline – the galaxy’s most dangerous (and lucrative) race.

Redline features the voice talents of Takuya Kimura, Yû Aoi, and Tadanobu Asano.

Screenings: Saturday, Oct. 22, 4.15pm at Toronto Underground Cinema
More info here.

The Divide, dir. Xavier Gens

Sheltered in the basement of an apartment building, eight survivors of a nuclear apocalypse have trouble surviving one another. Think of The Divide as a post-apocalyptic riff on Lord of the Flies, only with adults, fallout, and no beach. Director Xavier Gens made a splash on the horror scene with his bleak and brutal 2007 film Frontier(s). The Divide looks to be a claustrophobic return to form for Gens. Seriously though, what is with this guy and axes?!

The Divide stars Michael Biehn, Rosanna Arquette, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Eklund, and Lauren German.

Screenings: Tuesday, Oct 25, 7.00pm at Toronto Underground Cinema
More info here.

The Innkeepers, dir. Ti West

Director Ti West (House of the Devil) tackles the well-tread haunted hotel subgenre head on with The Innkeepers. A New England hotel with a history of unearthly phenomenon and mysterious sightings is about to be shut down. With only one weekend left before the hotel is shuttered forever, two employees take it upon themselves to uncover the secrets of the old inn.

 The Innkeepers stars Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, and Kelly McGillis.

Screenings: Thursday, Oct 27, 9.45pm at Toronto Underground Cinema
More info here.

Featuring nearly 100 films (mostly documentary), the 2011 edition of Planet in Focus kicks off tomorrow, October 12th, and runs until Sunday, October 16th. Below is a short list of the films that we think are worth watching, but for more of the films playing at the festival be sure to check out the full Planet in Focus 2011 schedule here.

Revenge of the Electric Car, dir. Chris Paine

It’s not often that a documentary warrants a sequel, but if there were ever a subject matter worth revisiting it would be the storied tale of the electric car. Revenge of the Electric Car is director Chris Paine’s follow-up to his sobering doc Who Killed The Electric Car? The film is a decidedly optimistic look at the emerging field of electric vehicle production and four individuals at the centre of this EV renaissance. Revenge of the Electric Car is the opening night gala of Planet in Focus 2011.

Screening: Oct 12 2011 – 7:00 PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
More info here.

Darwin, dir. Nick Brandestini

A documentary portrait of the isolated California community of Darwin – population 35. Inhabited by hippies, artists, miners, and ex-cons trying to live off the grid, the town — which has no government or economy of any kind — struggles to get by in the shadow of a military base and bombing range. What makes the residents of this shade of a town decide to stay?

Screening: Oct 15 2011 – 9:30 PM at the ROM
More info here.

The Whale, dir. Suzanne Chisholm & Michael Parfit

The Whale is the strange story of Luna, a young killer whale who lost contact with his pod off the coast of Vancouver Island. Desperate for companionship Luna began to follow local boaters in Nootka Sound, vying for their time and attention. The locals obliged the young orca, but it wasn’t long before Luna’s arrival set off a conflict between the Canadian government, marine mammal NGO’s and the local First Nation.

The Whale was produced by Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson, with Reynolds providing the film’s narration. The film is the closing night gala of Planet in Focus 2011.

Screening: Oct 16 2011 – 7:00PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
More info here.

The National Parks Project

Sections of The National Parks Project (which played in its entirety at Hot Docs earlier this year) will be playing at Planet in Focus 2011. The short film anthology invites some of Canada’s most talented filmmakers and musicians to take on some of Canada’s most amazing landscapes. Read our full review here.

Screenings: Being screened before multiple feature length documentaries.
More info here.

View the full Planet in Focus 2011 schedule at their official site here.

There is a certain character that just seems to crop up again and again on celluloid: the principled crook. The cinematic underworld is rife with characters like this, from Jean-Pierre Melville’s laconic hitmen to Micahel Mann’s stable of killers and thieves. They are career criminals who live by an unspoken code that places professionalism above all else – something that they seem to rarely, if ever, get in return from their lawless compatriots. With a number of crime films already under his belt, director Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher Trilogy, Bronson) has proven that he knows this dark world well. His new film Drive manages to be both an immaculate homage to the seminal crime films of Melville and Mann, and a worthy addition to a genre already full of classics.

The film’s nameless and nearly silent protagonist (Ryan Gosling) — referred to only as the driver — has an affinity for automobiles. He has a talent for fixing cars and a talent for driving them. He puts these skills to good use, working by day as a stunt driver in Hollywood movie productions and at the garage of Shannon (Bryan Cranston), a aging hustler with a limp. It’s a legitimate front for a double life. After hours he works as a wheelman for hire, spiriting thieves away from the scene of their crimes. All the driver provides is the getaway vehicle and his considerable driving skills, beyond that he refuses to get involved in the illicit activities of his employers. Confident that this detachment protects him, the driver tries to live an unremarkable existence out of his spartan apartment.

Things change when he meets his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan), a young mother raising her son, Benicio, alone. While her boyfriend — and son’s father — Standard finishes a prison sentence, the driver forms a quick bond with the pair, becoming very protective of Irene and the young boy. When Standard (Oscar Isaac) returns home from prison, the driver discovers that the ex-con owes a local crime boss for the protection he was provided in prison. Determined to protect Irene and Benicio, the driver offers to help Standard repay his debt, but events do not go to plan.

Watching Drive, it is hard to not be reminded of movies like Le Samourai and Thief. In classic neo-noir tradition, the protagonists of these films pride themselves on having no attachments; after all, any lasting relationship would be a liability in their line of work. Invariably a woman lures them out of their self-made shell and that relationship is used against them. It’s a fairly clichéd setup, but Refn breathes new life into the well-used heist-gone-wrong story with a compelling central character, strong style and moody ambience.

Drive is a very quiet film in terms of dialogue. In the spirit of “the man with no name”, its protagonist rarely speaks, and when he does his questions and statements are almost entirely utilitarian. There is an intensity to Gosling’s character that can be likened to a wild animal. Men in this world are naturally violent creatures, behind every one lies a “tiger in the jungle”. The driver, for all of his apparent virtue, is merely a beast trying to survive in a dangerous world. If the scorpion emblazoned on his jacket does not remind viewers of this fact, his many shocking outbursts of violence certainly will.

Despite his character’s less than chatty demeanour, Gosling holds the audience hostage whenever he’s on screen. He has a silent charisma that makes him perfect for the role of the driver, carrying entire scenes without so much as a word. The equally talented Carey Mulligan feels underused, as does the wonderful Christina Hendricks. Drive, like most noirs, features a male dominated world where women are mostly relegated to plot points or femme fatales. It’s unfortunate, as I’d like to have seen more of both characters.

Of all the great performances in the film, perhaps none stand out more than Albert Brooks. The actor, known mostly for his comedic roles, turns in a truly sinister performance as the gangster Bernie Rose. By the end of the film I was terrified to see what the character would do next.

Composer Cliff Martinez’s synth-heavy score infuses the film with the hot neon flavour of Michael Mann’s classic crime dramas. His score is complemented well by a mostly modern soundtrack that evokes this same feeling. The standout track “Nightcall” by French electrohouse artist Kavinsky helps to set the tone early on.

Drive is a classic crime film stripped down to the bone. The film is as much about pulling off the caper and outsmarting the crooks, as it is about character and tone. You’ve seen the tropes of this film before, but never so expertly and confidently packaged. Refn’s understanding and appreciation of the genre shine bright like high beams on a dark Los Angeles street.

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival has announced the first wave of feature films slated for this year’s event. The Canadian genre fest features some of the best and most off-beat horror, sci-fi, action and cult cinema from around the world. Some of the highlights from the recent announcement include creature wrestling feature Monster Brawl, Canadian splatterfest Father’s Day, claustro-pocalyptic The Divide, full-throttle anime Redline and horror anthology The Theatre Bizarre.

The sixth annual edition of After Dark has a new date and a new venue, a move that will likely please fans. TADFF will officially return to the Halloween season this year, running from October 20-27. The fest has also left its long time home at the Bloor Cinema (due to ongoing renovations) in favour of the entirely suitable Toronto Underground Cinema.

You can get a taste of this year’s offerings in this awesome sizzle reel put together by Toronto After Dark.

Toronto After Dark 2011 runs October 20th – 27th. For ticket info and to see the full list of announced films, be sure to visit the official Toronto After Dark Film Festival website here.