How to Blow Up a Pipeline

It felt more like a heist film rather than a "Fight Club" manifesto on the need for radical environmental terrorists. So it's not as preachy as it could have been - quite frankly, I think it could have used a bit more Tyler Durden spice; but it's a minor criticism. "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" is pretty much what it sounds like, a group of environmental activists decide to take action and blow up an oil pipeline in Texas to help stop climate change. Will this film plant some potentially explosive ideas for people? For sure! Will it cause conversations on the environment to erupt? I certainly hope so. But is it a good movie? Absolutely yes! Think of  William Friedkin's "Sorcerer," or Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" combined with "American Animals" and  "Hell or High Water." It's an exciting film that will keep you duct- taped to your seat like an explosive device waiting to explode. Catch this one in the theatres before time runs out - trust me, it's the bomb. 

Evil Dead Rise

It's too early to say for sure but "Evil Dead Rise" might end up being my favourite horror film of 2023 (it's only April after all). If you are unfamiliar with the "Evil Dead" series of films, well it doesn't really matter; although if you are, your enjoyment factor will go up by at least the length of a chainsaw. What's it all about? A single mom and her three kids are living in a run down apartment building which was built atop a former bank. When an earthquake hits, it opens a hole into the bank vault where the book of the dead is discovered. Through old vinyl (just in time for Record Store Day!) the book is activated and EVIL is released. Blood, guts, and lots of vomit come next. With nods to past "Evil Dead" movies, it also pays homage to Kubrick's "The Shining" (elevators full of blood) and John Carpenter's "The Thing"  (bug-like mutated mushed monsters). The whole thing is a total bloody gross out and I loved it. Catch this elevator ride to hell in theatres now and don't forget to bring your cheese-grater (wink). 

The Lost King

Last year gave us a documentary film entitled "Jurassic Punk" about the life and times of computer animator, Steve 'Spaz' Williams. He is responsible for the ground breaking computer animation of "Jurassic Park." Oscars were handed out - not to Spaz. He didn't even get thanked in the speeches people made when they received their awards based on Spaz's work. What has this got to do with "The Lost King?" Well essentially it's the same story but with entirely different subject matter. The story is of the uncredited, the disbelieved, the discarded; someone who despite being ignored and/or dismissed, goes on to achieve something extraordinary and in the end, others take credit for their work ("Batman & Bill" is yet another great example). "The Lost King" is the story of Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) as an amateur historian looking for the grave site of King Richard III. Philippa is dismissed at every turn but she presses on, largely supported by her ex-husband John (Steve Coogan). Philippa is a tad bonkers, hallucinating King Richard sitting outside her bedroom window; eventually winding up having full conversations with him. Philippa didn't get the credit she deserved at the time but now she has this film. Catch this fascinating film in rep theatres or on streaming services when it becomes available.   

Beef

Have you been missing "The White Lotus?" Looking for another dark comedy about the lives of damaged people? Then look no further, "Beef" is your new show. What's it all about? What begins as a road rage incident between Danny (Steven Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong) quickly devolves into a series of escalating acts of aggression post caught-on-doorbell-footage of their car incident. Amy has a successful houseplant business, a stay at home husband, and some mental health issues around sex, aggression, and self-esteem. Danny on the other hand is a petty criminal, with a brother, a serious criminal cousin, and a dream to build his Korean parents their dream home. Danny is a borderline sociopath; so is Amy really. This "War of the Roses" style comedy is a hoot if you take your comedies black (think "Fargo"). The show mocks the art world; it's also a satire on wealth and religion; and it's a commentary on what it's like to be Asian in a predominantly white culture. This show is smart, entertaining, and fast paced. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong are both bloody great. Catch this binge worthy, middle-finger-giving satire on Netflix now.    

Brother

I thought the Canadian Screen Awards would have a clear winner this year with "Riceboy Sleeps," but then I watched "Brother;" the new film co-written and directed by Clement Virgo. Here we have another immigrant story of a single mother, this time raising two boys in Scarborough in the 90s while she works full time; even doing late night shifts, leaving the boys alone - we do what we need to do. "Brother" is also about the relationship between older, confident, handsome, and charming, Francis (Aaron Pierre) and his younger, shy, timid brother, Michael (Lamar Johnson). Francis leads his brother into dangerous situations (climbing electric towers, leaving their apartment at night while their mother is working, etc.) but also gets him out of them (thwarting bullies, thwarting physical attacks, etc.). We know from the outset that something bad has happened to Francis and the film's journey is one of discovery (what happened?) and one of mourning and grief. "Brother" is also about being black and growing up on the tough streets of Scarborough. The film switches back and forth from different timelines, moving from childhood to adolescence, to post-Francis with surprising coherence and ease. "John Wick" can fire off thousands of bullets and nobody cares about a single one.  When "Brother" fires off a weapon, the impact of each shot is felt and noticed like somebody dropped a piano out a three story window. Catch one of the best Canadian films of the year in theatres now. 

Air

This is the true story of how the Air Jordan Nike basketball shoe became to be. If you were wondering how this could possibly be a movie, let alone a good one, a riveting one, well you're not alone. Even after watching the trailer, I thought, "I don't know about this." There is a nostalgia factor here at play for people my age or older. The mid 1980s, for the Gen-X crowd, well that's our youth, so to go back there, this is part of the charm of "Air." Every since "Stranger Things" came out, the flood of nostalgic 80s films and TV has developed into its own pipeline of material. "Tetris" currently streaming on Apple+ is another example. What makes "Air" so good are the performances of  Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Viola Davis, and Chris Tucker. Everyone here is fabulous. And Ben Affleck does more than just a competent job at directing, he's good. I think we could lump this film into the docudrama category of great films such as "Moneyball," "The Big Short," "Hoosiers," and "The Social Network;" these are big films to compare to - if the shoe fits. Catch this slam dunk at theatres near you. 

Riceboy Sleeps

I was on the verge of tears for most of the film. I'm sure this will win best picture at the Canadian film awards. It's really a gut punch of a film. This is the story of So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) and her immigration to Canada with her young son,  Dong-Hyun (played by Dohyun Noel Hwang then by Ethan Hwang as a teenager - both are excellent). Set in the 1990s, this story of cultural integration into Canadian white society is deeply affecting. Writer, director, and star, Anthony Shim, has created an immigration story which rings true. I'm not an immigrant but my mother was and from her stories, being an outsider is always tough, especially when we are dealing with children (who often don't know how to behave when confronted with something foreign). Shim captures Dong-Hyun's childhood experience brilliantly. This is also the story of a mother's relentless love for her child and how she would climb a mountain for him; almost literally in this case. When the story takes a dark turn, mother and son travel to Korea to reconnect with Dong-Hyun's father's parents. Again, Shim films beats with honest notes, one after the next, when Dong-Hyun hangs out with his young uncle and his grandparents. This is a special film, so try to catch it at a Canadian rep cinema near you or on streaming services when available. 

Smoking Causes Coughing

With a breezy runtime of 80 minutes, is such a short film worth your time? Absolutely! What's it all about? Well it's bonkers. It's a French film from writer/director Quentin Dupieux. His film "Mandibles" was the first film I remember seeing at the reopening of the Bytowne Theatre during the COVID pandemic. I loved "Mandibles." This time around, Dupieux has created a series of short stories, strung together with the help of Power-Rangers-looking like super heroes known as The Tobacco Force. These heroes, (after battling a giant rubber turtle and exploding it by giving it cancer - yes, this is the dark and twisted mind of Dupieux, and I love it) are sent on a retreat to build group cohesion. Their boss is a drooling rat Muppet whom women adore. Put on your thinking helmet and be prepared for a slow, dark, existential French horror comedy - and talking fish that tell outrageous stories! Catch this one in rep theatres near you.