TIFF Picks - September 13, 2011

Hard Core Logo II – Bruce MacDonald

TIFF synopsis: “Bruce MacDonald’s post-modernist, wryly self-conscious Hard Core Logo II, the sequel to his celebrated punk-rock faux doc, doesn’t so much mock the notion of sequels as take a blow torch to it. Protagonist is “Bruce” (McDonald), the director in the original film. He’s been living the Hollywood life in Laurel Canyon, until his series is cancelled and the only gig offered him is a doc for Wiccan TV about a singer, Care Failure, who claims she’s been possessed by Joe Dick, the leader of the punk band Hard Core Logo and the principal in “Bruce”’s doc. The focus here is the filmmaking process, but the film also poses questions about the unavoidably invasive role of the documentary filmmaker -- and, more significantly, friendship and betrayal within the film world. ”

Why I want to see it: Bruce McDonald always makes interesting films and rarely misses the mark. I am curious to see how much of the film actually links back to the original Hard Core Logo

Screening Times

Tuesday September 13

Scotiabank Theatre 4

10:15pm

Saturday September 17

AMC 3

12:45pm

Damsels in Distress – Whit Stillman

TIFF synopsis: “Back after a thirteen-year hiatus, Whit Stillman returns with Damsels in Distress- a film that is distinctly offbeat, even manic, compared to his classic nineties comedies of manners, and yet retains his precise wit and refined dialogue. Damsels in Distress takes a unique look into the psyche of privileged American youth, focusing on a group of undergraduates at a leafy East Coast university that has only recently begun to accept female students. ”

Why I want to see it: Finally, after thirteen-years of waiting, a new Whit Stillman film is released!

Screening Times

Tuesday September 13

Visa Screening Room (Elgin)

6:00pm

Wednesday September 14

Scotiabank Theatre 4

9:15am

Amy George – Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas.

TIFF synopsis: “A feast for the heart and mind alike, filled with tender moments of daily teenage life turned upside-down by clumsy desire and hormonal hiccups, Amy George tells the story of Jesse, the 13 year old only child of Riverdale intellectuals.”

Why I want to see it: A coming-of-age film that has faint a The Squid and the Whale vibe.

Screening Times

Tuesday September 13

AMC 9

6:00pm

Thursday September 15

AMC 2

9:15pm

Saturday September 17

AMC 10

12:30pm