AltWeeklies Wire
Atom Egoyan on Psychological Thrillers, the Future of Indie Cinema and 'Chloe'new
In Chloe, Atom Egoyan takes us into the seemingly pristine world of Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson, a doctor and professor respectively, who live in the upscale strata of Toronto, charming son by their side.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-30-2010 |
Reviews
Sasha Van Bon Bon Recalls Her Striptease Days in Her Stage Memoir 'Neon Nightz'new
For Sasha Van Bon Bon, there is an odd sense of nostalgia about the ’90s. The Mirror’s veteran sex columnist, who’s been doling out sage advice on all things carnal to readers for over 15 years, worked as a stripper for much of that decade.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-12-2010 |
Theater
Bruce McDonald on His Small-Town Ontario Zombie Filmnew
Here's the bit of brilliance that lies at the gut of McDonald's latest movie: Pontypool is truly horrifying for what it doesn't show us.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-13-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mike Leigh Triumphs with the Uncharacteristically Hopeful Happy-Go-Luckynew
Happy-Go-Lucky seems in tune with what will almost certainly be an Obama presidency: it is a film rife with hope and glory.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
10-24-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
'Pride and Glory' Covers Old Groundnew
This film will evoke a number of sensations, many of them intentional: horror, sorrow, anger. But Pride and Glory will undoubtedly also inspire some unintentional ones. Like déjà vu.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
10-24-2008 |
Reviews
Daniel Allen Cox Goes from Gay Porn to Literaturenew
When he was 22, Cox, then a baby-faced aspiring writer, ventured to New York where he hustled and worked in porn. Within two years, he'd graced the cover of a half dozen gay porn rags and appeared in various porn movies. Now he's penned a semi-autobiographical novel about his experiences.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
09-12-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Tanaz Eshaghian's Doc Looks at Iranian Gays Pressured to Endure Sex-Change Operationsnew
Eshaghian says Be Like Others is a film about class as much as it is about gender or sexual orientation. "If you're poor, this is when the conformity is really expected of you."
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
08-29-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Documentary 'Crazy Sexy Cancer' Confronts the Terrifying Diseasenew
For most of the film, Kris Carr presents an uplifting look at herself and several other cancer patients as they do their best to stare down the disease with dignity and courage. It makes for a documentary that's at once bitter and powerful.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
08-29-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Crazy Sexy Cancer, Kris Carr
Fatih Akin on His Complex 'The Edge of Heaven'new
For most filmgoers, the network narrative has become a crashing bore. But the Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin's latest film reinvigorates this screenwriting ploy, breathing new life into something I'd written off for dead.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
05-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Fatih Akin, The Edge of Heaven
'Emotional Arithmetic' is a Lackluster Adaptationnew
Despite a knockout cast, this film based on Matt Cohen's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, feels distant.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
Nadine Labaki on Her Lebanese Chick Flick 'Caramel'new
"Women living in the Middle East face a lot of confusing influences, the confusion between East and West," she says. "I liked the idea of five different women, with five different viewpoints and at different points in their lives, connecting through a beauty salon."
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-28-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Caramel, Nadine Labaki
Gus Van Sant on 'Paranoid Park'new
"When you're 16, that's the most important time in your life," he says. "It might not be a time when you get much done, but you're influenced by everything that's come your way. By 25, you're going to be much more frozen in your ways."
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-07-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Gus Van Sant, Paranoid Park
Quebec Filmmakers Recoil at Funding Threatsnew
The legislation would allow the federal Heritage ministry to yank funding for movies or TV shows that contain "excessive" portrayals of violence and sex.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-07-2008 |
Movies
Dance Dance Revolutionnew
Filmmaker Ian Iqbal Rashid never thought he’d end up directing How She Move. The London-based director, whose debut feature, Touch of Pink, is a gay romcom that was a hit at Sundance in 2004.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
01-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: How She Move, Ian Iqbal Rashid
Joe Balass Goes Back to Iraqnew
The filmmaker revisits a vanished Jewish community in Baghdad Twist.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
01-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Baghdad Twist, Joe Balass
