This morning, DC Comics officially unveiled their upcoming slate of Watchmen prequel comics. The series/graphic novel, originally created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, remains one of the most successful and acclaimed works of comic book fiction in history. Fan reaction to the notion of anything new not being created by the original team is pretty well documented: They do not want it unless it was written by Alan Moore. So DC, being clever, has decided to do what they did with Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Characters not so long ago and release new content that will not directly affect the tone or the message of the original masterpiece… or “cash cow” as it has become known as of late. To quote Alan Moore from the New York Times, “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago…I don’t want money,” he said. “What I want is for this not to happen. As far as I know, there weren’t that many prequels or sequels to ‘Moby Dick.’”

Hilariously ironic comments from Moore aside, let’s look at these Watchmen prequels as a chance to get some truly awesome work from great creators. While I agree to a degree with Moore’s statement about the company being dependent on 25 year old ideas, I also remember the idea of playing in your friend’s sandbox. They have all the cool toys and you can use them while you’re there, but at the end of the day they have to go back into your friend’s house. Unless they sell those toys at a garage sale, your awesome adventures are solely in their hands. Which is why comic fans shouldn’t be upset about what happens to any of their beloved characters. DC owns the characters, not Alan Moore. And given the success of Zack Snyder’s movie, this move should come as no surprise.

We get to see some of the best creators on the planet (and J. Michael Stracynski) work on one of the most cherished comic properties out there. Darwyn Cooke, Amanda Conner, Jae Lee, and JG Jones are all amazing, but when was the last time you saw them complete regular series work that lasted more than three issues? Everyone wins. These are not just challenging works for the creators, but challenging works for fans, which makes Before Watchmen an exciting project to be around for.

Do I like that DC had to pull from a 25 year old story? Not really, but that’s the nature of the business. Success sells, and while yes I would love those creators to be creating new and original content for the company, I am happy that I get to see them flex their muscles with interesting characters like the Watchmen. I just hope that this does not turn out to be like the disaster that was the All-Star Line.

What say you? Leave a comment below or share this in the social media realm.

BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:

RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

Nicolas Coppola began his career with bit parts in his uncle’s 80s output like Rumble Fish and Peggy Sue Got Married, but eventually took a stage name to avoid familial connections. Like virtually every young actor in the 80s, he starred in a high school rom-com. His assignment in the cornball genre was Valley Girl (screening January 28^th at 10pm), a film that, particularly in hindsight, is a campy delight. These days, Cage can chew enough scenery at will to turn a bland role into a hilarious lunatic, but was a little more controlled back then. He developed a reputation as a nutso character actor before audiences got used to his schtick. He managed to find a few movies suited to his magically misplaced intensity like the Coen Brothers’ live-action cartoon Raising Arizona (still his best movie in a conventional sense, screening February 25^th at 10pm), David Lynch’s perverted fairytale Wild At Heart (February 11, 10pm), and the so insane you have to see-it-to-believe it Vampire’s Kiss (April 7, 10pm, the only movie in the line up in which he eats a live cockroach).

People who followed Cage’s development from the beginning knew the man was a titanic force of overacting at the time, but he plunked together enough prestigious projects amongst the silly movies that he also had some serious critical appreciation brewing. That peaked with an Oscar win in 1995 for Leaving Las Vegas. Now, when any actor picks up that trophy, they briefly become in control of their own destiny in La-La Land. While most mortals would try to turn that opportunity into a string of prestigious roles, little Nicky went another route. Unlike the rest of the world, Cage saw himself as an action star and within two years unleashed The Rock (February 4, 10pm), Con Air (February 18, 10pm), and Face/Off (March 3, 10pm) onto the world. They were all monster hits and suddenly Cage was a superstar. While all three of those movies were pretty damn great, Con Air holds special distinction. That tale of a renegade plane full of prisoners is one of the funniest movies of the 90s. Every scene is either deliberately or indeliberately hilarious. With Cage hysterically miscast as a spurned former army officer with fists classified as lethal weapons, long stringy locks of hair that defied the realities of a receding hairline, and a smooth Southern drawl, it kicked the camp phase of his career into high gear.

Yep, two years after Oscar glory, Cage was playing such absurd roles with a ludicrous level of commitment that brought him into William Shatner territory. It was never 100% clear if he was doing it on purpose, but given how hysterical he could be in flicks like Brian DePalma’s Snake Eyes (March 17, 10pm the only film that allows Cage to overact for thirteen unbroken minutes in a luscious tracking shot) it didn’t matter. As one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Cage had the right to go insane and thankfully did it onscreen as well as off. He managed to take his screaming shenanigans to new heights in The Wicker Man (March 10, 10pm), a film that bombed theatrically, but soon became a viral video phenomenon with all it’s bee-stinging, lady-punching glory and of course, that goddamn honey.

Critical opinion seemed to wane on Cage during this period, but he popped up with a few surprises. First there was the Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman oddity Adaptation (March 24, 10pm) in which he gave an excellent performance as the neurotic/wild man Kaufman twins (perhaps because he finally got to co-star with his favorite actor). Then came his amazing collaboration with Werner Herzog on the bizarro sequel/remake Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call: New Orleans (March 31, 10pm). Cage’s performance as an out-of-control cop for Herzog took his manic insanity to heights I doubt even he dreamed possible. The dark comedy was so hilarious that it seemed to suggest Cage was in on the joke and deliberately stepped over-the-line in some of his most reviled works. Granted, some of the unfortunate flicks that followed may have put that theory into question, but the Nicolas Cage crap-shoot is part of the fun of following his career. Every time you buy a ticket to ride Cage train, you have an equal shot of seeing the best or worst movie of the year (okay, maybe not equal, but he does make some gems).

The question that has filled many a geeky message board remains, is Nicolas Cage a good actor or a bad actor? I can’t pretend to know the answer, but I would respond with a resounding, “who cares?” This is a man who has provided us with some of the best and worst performances of the last thirty years. Every time he swaggers onto a screen a little tired and a little wired, you can guarantee to be entertained. Frankly, what more could you want from a movie star? Cage may run the gamut from gold to shit in a single scene at times, but he could never be accused of being boring. With Toronto’s million dollar movie Mecca offering hours of Cagey goodness over the couple months, it’s a good time to be a cinephile with a sweet tooth for trash and the perfect way to kill time before the next Nic Cage epic is released on the usual three-month cycle.

Bangkok Dangerous: The Cinema of Nicolas Cage kicks off January 28 at 10:00 PM with Valley Girl.

Related video: Nicolas Cage Losing His Shit

The nominees for this year’s Can-Oscars, better and more formally know as the Genie Awards (now entering its 32nd year of existence), have been announced, and while there aren’t necessarily many surprises in what’s included there’s always room to complain about it.

Leading the pack with 13 nominations, including nods for best picture and director, is Quebecois director Jean-Marc Vallee’s Café de Flore, a mind bending and somewhat divisive journey through sight, sound, and the lives of a modern day divorced jet setting DJ and a 1960s French single mother trying to raise a son with Down syndrome. The film, which was also recently named to TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten, also scored notices for supporting actress Vanessa Paradis, supporting actor Marin Gerrier, and for Vallee’s original screenplay, amongst a slew of technical notices.

Following close behind with 11 nominations was the arguably not all that Canadian A Dangerous Method. While directed by stalwart director David Cronenberg (who is also up for best director alongside Vallee for another best picture nominee), the film features only some Canadian talent in front of and behind the camera and was largely filmed and financed in Europe. Also receiving nominations for the film are actors Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender for their work as scholarly rivals Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, respectively.

Joining Café de Flore and Dangerous Method in the race for Best Picture are the heartbreaking TIFF 2011 Best Canadian Feature Monsieur Lazhar, the crowd pleasing Quebecios surrogate father slacker comedy Starbuck, and, somewhat surprisingly, last summer’s Rachel Weisz starring political thriller The Whistleblower.

While four of the five nominees for best picture also secured spots for their directors, Starbuck director Ken Scott found his place in the category taken by first time feature director Steven Silver for his work on the photojournalist drama The Bang Bang Club. While not up for a best picture nomination, Silver’s film also received notices for Vancouver’s Taylor Kitsch for best supporting actor and for his adapted screenplay from Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva’s best selling book.

Possibly the most glaring omissions from the best picture category belong to Nathan Morlando’s well received debut feature Edwin Boyd, about the famed Toronto bank robber and folk hero, and Sarah Polley’s latest film, Take This Waltz. While Morlando was even shut out for his work on Boyd’s screenplay, lead actor Scott Speedman, supporting actor Kevin Durand, and supporting actress Charlotte Sullivan were all recognized for their efforts.

Polley’s film, on the other hand, which still doesn’t open for a couple of months, seems to be losing a lot of its curiosity since TIFF with only two nominations: one for lead actress Michelle Williams and the other for makeup.

Outside the margins of the major categories, the fight for Best Documentary Feature looks to be a very strong one with Jay Cheel’s delightfully funny Beauty Day going head to head with Julia Ivanova’s indelibly powerful Family Portrait in Black and White. That’s to say nothing of the political intrigue of The Guantanamo Trap, David York’s stellar Wiebo’s War, and Isabelle Lavigne’s La Nuit. Despite the star power in the other categories, the documentary contingent holds the greatest number of “must see” films. Any one of these five could’ve had a chance at besting some of the actual best picture nominees. This might be the most interesting category to see play out of the night.

The 32nd annual Genie Awards will air on CBC on March 8th. For a full list of nominees, head to genieawards.ca.

Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch statue

Of course with Spielberg releasing two films this year we got two scores from the legendary John Williams, at least one of which he’ll surely see a nomination for. Considering that critics can’t seem to find enough top 10 lists to put The Artist on, a film in which the score makes up the entire soundscape, Ludovic Bource will likely see a nomination along with many of the other artists who worked on this film.  Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would have been unwatchable without the score provided by last year’s winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, so we should expect to see their names on the nomination list again this year. Another safe bet would be Canada’s own Howard Shore for his work on Hugo. Since James Horner and Hans Zimmer don’t seem to be in the running this year, I can only confidently predict 4/5 of the nominations (assuming Williams only gets one), that being said I’m gonna throw established composer Thomas Newman’s name out there for The Help. So what do you think, did I nail it?

Danny Elfman is another vet whom people love, but since the films he provided scores for this year (Real Steel and Restless) probably won’t show up in many other categories, his chances for recognition diminish. I don’t know why, that’s just how the Academy rolls.

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 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.

King’s Bounty: Legions, the Facebook free-to-play version of 1C Company’s role-playing game, opened the doors to its beta realm this week. From early impressions of Legions, the free browser-based version proved surprisingly robust, and might be the best video game using the Facebook platform to date.

In King’s Bounty, you build an army to serve local barons who need bandits scattered or library basements cleaned of spiders (seriously). The format closely resembles the Heroes of Might & Magic games: battles are fought on a grid, and your units’ numbers are just as important as their current HP level – the more troops you have per unit, the stronger they are. The battles are faithfully recreated in Legions, with most music, graphics, and abilities transferred over. Magic is pared down to single-use scrolls instead of the large list of spells that were upgradable using magic crystals, but you’ll find the battles simple enough that you don’t need them to simply survive. In fact, the difficulty curve has been pared down overall, which is a relief considering the sadistic nature of Armored Princess especially.

Some Facebook-centric features, such as sending your troops on patrol to earn experience points while you’re offline, have been added, but micro-transactions and connecting with friends for the sake of progress are thankfully pushed to the periphery. There’s even a full-screen function to help those in denial that they’re even playing on the same platform as Farmville.

The trademark King’s Bounty humour seems intact, as well. My training session was run by a stern man named Instructor Paincraft, and the first main storyline quest was called Very Important Secret Assignment (capital letters are crucial here). No zombie wives yet, although I hold out hope.

King’s Bounty: Legions is playable on Facebook right now! 2009′s KB: The Legend and its expansion/sequel KB: Armored Princess are available on Steam for PC.

Click to enlarge.

The first shot of Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Dark Knight Rises surfaced today. Played by Anne Hathaway, the cat burglar (real name Selina Kyle) wears leather and a high-tech visor of some sort, while riding a bike that looks an awful lot like the one Christian Bale’s Batman has been known to use. Maybe the pod-racer-with-huge-wheels look is just really popular in Gotham these days.

It’s the first confirmation that Catwoman, and not simply Selina Kyle, will appear in the film. The lack of cat ears and/or whips suggests that this may not be the only look she’ll sport throughout the course of the movie, but anyone with the memories of Halle Berry’s 2004 performance as the character (or half the character, to pick nits) may consider this an improvement.

The Superficial also has some shots of Hathaway (or a stunt double thereof) on-set surrounded by film crew here.

Which upcoming Catwoman appearance are you more excited for: The Dark Knight Rises, or as a playable character in Batman: Arkham City?

Click to enlarge.

It’s a spider-man! It’s an iron man! No, it’s a super man! Earlier today Warner Bros. released the first image of Superman from Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot, Man of Steel slated for a 2013 release. The image shows Henry Cavill as the titular ‘Man of Steel’ showing off the squareness of his jaw in a suit that replaces the vintage spandex look with the recycled basketball one people seem to really like these days.

But what’s happening in this photo? Clearly Superman is standing between us and a safe presumably containing something we want (The Dark Knight Rises?). His eyes and body language tell us that we’re not getting in, but so does the huge steel door. There also appears to be some damage done around the safe, but it looks as though that might have been caused by one of Superman’s trademark destructive entrances – superheroes are not known for respecting personal or public property. Does this image get you excited for the movie? Or are you already feeling a little disappointed?

So far my feelings toward this movie remain ambiguous. The Superman character has oft been criticized for being ‘too super’ and therefore less interesting than other heroes, a point which I agree with. On the other hand he is basically the first superhero and has survived because people find elements of his story quintessentially classic. I think a reboot a mere six years after Brian Singer’s entry into the franchise is forgivable since Superman Returns was utterly forgettable and only elicited excitement whenever it utilized John William’s classic theme – no word yet on whether Snyder will be using this music. While I don’t feel Snyder has really earned the ‘visionary’ title that marketers of his movies like to impress upon us, I did thoroughly enjoy Watchmen and think he did an admirable job with challenging material. Christopher Nolan’s under-defined involvement (producer and story credits) also bodes well (and certainly helps build buzz) for Man of Steel. The supporting cast boasts its own array of talent including Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Julia Ormond, Laurence Fishburne and professional badass Christopher Meloni.

In the early 2000s, shortly after Singer helped kick start this superhero movie revolution and just about every popular comic announced a movie adaptation, I predicted the market would become saturated with heroes, people would lose interest and studios would lose millions. Every subsequent year Hollywood has invested more and more money into proving me wrong (that’s right, it’s personal). One has to assume next summer will represent the culmination of this movement with The Avengers, Batman’s “epic conclusion” and the Spider-Man reboot providing a 1-2-3 punch that should be a hard act for Superman to follow. It will be interesting to see how to the genre fares after these high profile entries and over a decade of non-stop superheroism. With all these superheroes flying around, I’m starting to understand why people in Metropolis get so excited when they think they see a bird or a plane.

This morning, TIFF announced the full slate of Midnight Madness titles, and it’s an extremely exciting line-up featuring films from newcomers and returning vets alike. Some of the highlights include Lovely Molly – a psychological horror from the director of The Blair Witch Project, God Bless America - scathing social commentary by way of Bobcat Goldthwait, The Raid – bone-crunching martial arts action from Indonesia, and more!

Midnight Madness is where you’ll find world premieres of some of the best genre flicks of the year. This programme is for your inner dork; the place to be if you don’t feel up for the stuffiness and pretension found elsewhere in the festival. Crime, action, horror, sci-fi – it’s all here.

Check out the full line-up courtesy of TIFF.

The Day – Doug Aarniokoski, Canada (World Premiere)

In a post-apocalyptic future, an open war against humanity rages. Five survivors wander along rural back-roads, lost, starving and on the run. With dwindling food stocks and ammunition, an attempt at seeking shelter turns into a battleground where they must fight or die. Starring Ashley Bell, Dominic Monaghan and Shannyn Sossamon.

Watch the trailer for The Day here.

God Bless America – Bobcat Goldthwait, USA (World Premiere)

Loveless, jobless and possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America. With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and decides to off the stupidest, cruellest and most repellent members of society with an unusual accomplice: 16-year-old Roxy, who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement. From stand-up comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait comes a scathing and hilarious attack on all that is sacred in the United States of America.

The Incident – Alexandre Courtes, France (World Premiere)

George, Max and Ricky are in a rock band and waiting for their big breakthrough. Between small gigs and rehearsals they work in the kitchen of a high-security asylum for good pay at minimum risk – they have no physical contact with the inmates. One night just before dinnertime, a big storm shuts down the security system, the doors open and the lunatics break loose. Help is on its way and should soon arrive… they just have to survive until it does.

Kill List – Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom (Canadian Premiere)

Eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred, ex-soldier-turned-contract-killer Jay is pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment. As they track their prey, they descend into a disturbing world that is darker and more depraved than anything they experienced on the battlefield.

Watch the trailer for Kill List here.

Livid – Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, France (World Premiere)

The directors of 2007’s Midnight Madness hit A L’Interieur (Inside) return with a twisted gothic nightmare. A young woman and her friends break into a decrepit mansion looking for treasure, only to unlock a dark secret of unspeakable horror ready to dish out bloody punishment for their greed.

Lovely Molly – Eduardo Sanchez, USA (World Premiere)

When newlywed Molly Reynolds returns to her long-abandoned family home, frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins an inexorable descent into evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. From the director of The Blair Witch Project.

The Raid – Gareth Evans, Indonesia (World Premiere)

Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building’s lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais.

Watch the trailer for The Raid here.

Sleepless Night – Frederic Jardin, France/Belgium/Luxembourg (World Premiere)

When Vincent, a double-dealing cop, steals a big bag of cocaine from some drug dealers they counter by kidnapping and threatening to kill his son if the bag isn’t returned – fast. The swap is to go down at their headquarters in a big nightclub on the outskirts of Paris, but Vincent gets caught in a spiral of deception and betrayal and must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.

Smuggler – Katsuhito Ishii, Japan (World Premiere)

After his dreams of becoming an actor go nowhere, 25-year-old Kinuta does nothing but gamble every day. Broke, framed and now neck-deep in debt, he is recruited as a smuggler – an underground mover of everything from dead bodies to illegal goods – but one cargo triggers the rage of a psychotic gangster hellbent on revenge. By acclaimed cult director Katsuhito Ishii of Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl and Funky Forest fame.

Watch the trailer for Smuggler here.

You’re Next – Adam Wingard, USA (World Premiere)

From the director-writer team that brought TIFF audiences A Horrible Way To Die in 2010 comes a new experiment in tension. A family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway. Barricaded in their secluded country home, they have
to fight off a barrage of axes, crossbows and machetes from both inside and outside the house. Unfortunately for the killers, one of the victims proves to have a talent for fighting back.

Watch the trailer for You’re Next here.

A Dangerous Method by director David Cronenberg

It’s that time of year again! With the 2011 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival just around the corner, the festival group today announced the first batch of special presentations and galas.

Toronto can expect films from some of the most important and influential directors working today. The 2011 festival will feature world premieres from directors like Luc Besson, Cameron Crowe, Mark Duplass, Roland Emmerich, Francis Ford Coppola, Marc Foster, Alexander Payne, Sarah Polley and Michael Winterbottom. The fest will also play host to North American debuts from Pedro Almodóvar, George Clooney, David Cronenberg, Ralph Fiennes, William Friedkin, Ann Hui, Madonna(huh?), Steve McQueen, Todd Solondz and Lars von Trier. It’s definitely a great line-up, be sure to check out the full list below.

And this announcement is just the tip of the iceberg. Every year TIFF showcases hundreds of the best films from Canada and around the world; we can expect more big announcements between now and early September. We’re particularly excited about what TIFF has in store for the Midnight Madness programme.

TIFF 2011 runs from September 8th to the 18th.
For more details visit the official TIFF 2011 website here.

GALAS

Albert Nobbs – Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland (World Premiere)

Butter Jim - Field Smith, USA (World Premiere)

A Dangerous Method – David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/United Kingdom/Germany/Canada (North American Premiere)

A Happy Event – Rémi Bezancon, France (World Premiere)

The Ides of March – George Clooney, USA (North American Premiere)

The Lady – Luc Besson, France/United Kingdom (World Premiere)

Moneyball - Bennett Miller, USA (World Premiere)

Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding – Bruce Beresford, USA (World Premiere)

Take this Waltz - Sarah Polley, Canada (World Premiere)

W.E. – Madonna, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

11 Flowers – Wang Xiaoshuai, China/France (World Premiere)

50/50 – Jonathan Levine, USA (World Premiere)

360 – Fernando Meirelles UK/Austria/France/Brazil (World Premiere)

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius, France (Toronto Premiere)

Americano – Mathieu Demy, France (World Premiere)

Anonymous – Roland Emmerich, Germany (World Premiere)

A Better Life – Cédric Khan, France (World Premiere)

Burning Man – Jonathan Teplitzky, Australia (World Premiere)

Chicken with Plums – Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud, France/Germany/Belgium (North American Premiere)

Coriolanus – Ralph Fiennes, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)

Countdown – Huh Jong-ho, Korea (World Premiere)

Dark Horse – Todd Solondz, USA (North American Premiere)

The Deep Blue Sea – Terence Davies, United Kingdom (World Premiere)

The Descendants – Alexander Payne, USA (World Premiere)

Drive – Nicolas Winding Refn, USA (Canadian Premiere)

Elles – Malgoska Szumowska, France/Poland/Germany (World Premiere)

The Eye of the Storm – Fred Schepisi, Australia (International Premiere)

Friends With Kids – Jennifer Westfeldt, USA (World Premiere)

Habemus Papam – Nanni Moretti, Italy/France (North American Premiere)

Headhunters – Morten Tyldum, Norway (North American Premiere)

Hick – Derick Martini, USA (World Premiere)

The Hunter – Daniel Nettheim, Australia (World Premiere)

Jeff, Who Lives at Home – Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, USA (World Premiere)

Killer Joe – William Friedkin, USA (North American Premiere)

Like Crazy – Drake Doremus, USA (International Premiere)

Machine Gun Preacher – Marc Forster, USA (World Premiere)

Martha Marcy May Marlene – Sean Durkin, USA (Canadian Premiere)

Melancholia – Lars von Trier, Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany (North American Premiere)

The Oranges – Julian Farino, USA (World Premiere)

Pearl Jam Twenty – Cameron Crowe, USA (World Premiere)

Rampart – Oren Moverman, USA (World Premiere)

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen – Lasse Hallstrom, United Kingdom (World Premiere)

Shame – Steve McQueen, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)

A Simple Life – Ann Hui, Hong Kong, China (North American Premiere)

The Skin I Live In – Pedro Almodóvar, Spain (North American Premiere)

Take Shelter – Jeff Nichols, USA (Canadian Premiere)

Ten Year – Jamie Linden, USA (World Premiere)

Trishna – Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom (World Premiere)

Twixt – Francis Ford Coppola, USA (World Premiere)

Tyrannosaur – Paddy Considine, United Kingdom (Canadian Premiere)

We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lynne Ramsay, United Kingdom (North American Premiere)

Where Do We Go Now? – Nadine Labaki, France/Lebanon/Italy/Egypt (International Premiere)

Woman in the Fifth – Pawel Pawlikowski, France/Poland/United Kingdom (World Premiere)

The Bloor Cinema (Photo by Christopher Paulin)

It’s the end of an era for the historic Bloor Cinema, and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Annex rep theatre. Earlier today, Hot Docs announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Blue Ice Film to manage and program the theatre beginning this Fall. The group also plans to revitalize the space by making much needed upgrades to the Bloor’s technical equipment; that means new projectors, a new sound system, new seating and more. A major overhaul of the lobby and the façade are also in the works.

Given the status of Hot Docs as one of the world’s largest documentary film festivals, it should come as no surprise that theatre plans to screen primarily documentary films when it re-opens. Hot Docs has called the Bloor Cinema home for more than 12 years, so in addition to regular doc programming they will continue to host their annual festival and Doc Soup screenings at the venue. The cinema will continue to play host to other festivals as well; fans of Toronto After Dark will be relieved to know that the horror festivals will continue to call the Bloor home for the time being.

Hot Docs’ executive director Chris McDonald calls the revitalization “a remarkable opportunity”, citing independent theatres like the Bloor as an integral part of Toronto’s film culture.

It is a relief to see the cinema in the hands of devoted film-lovers like Hot Docs and not in the clutches of hungry developers eager to replace Annex landmarks with discount stores and condos. This can only be a good thing for cinema in Toronto, we are very excited to see what Hot Docs has planned for the space.

Hot Docs will be consulting with industry stakeholders and the public on their proposed changes to the theatre. Anyone interested in providing feedback should contact feedback@hotdocs.ca.

Read the full press release here.