Film Fan Fridays for Friday March 4, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday March 4, 2011! Wow. March. How did that happen? Time goes so quickly but at least this month is one where we have lots of anticipated releases and this week starts us off strong with a solid 8 films to choose from!

In limited release this week we have not one but two Canadian films out of the whopping 5 limited releases with Denis Côté's Curling a selection from Canada's Top Ten 2010 and also being presented as a part of the New Auteurs series at TIFF Lightbox and Funkytown a 70's set film centred on a disco in Montreal in the mid 70's starring Patrick Huard (Bon Cop, Bad Cop). We also have the drama Nora's Will along with I Love You Phillip Morris a comedy but based on true story & person so it's got a so-crazy-it's-true view and even more craziness with Machete Maidens Unleased! documentary on genre films made in Philippines in the 1970's & 1980's.

In wide release this week we have 3 films hitting lots of theatres including The Adjustment Bureau based on the short story "The Adjustment Team" by Philip K. Dick. and the film is a romance/thriller centred on a politician (Matt Damon) and a ballerina (Emily Blunt) and has a mildly science fiction feel going on and I'm am super excited for this one, so much so that I've not been watching the trailers for months! One film that kept shifting months and was originally going to come out last year is Beastly, another adaptation this time of a book to film adaptation of the book Beastly by Alex Flinn, which is a modern day a re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast following a high schooler who has everything Kyle (Alex Pettyfer of I Am Number Four) but miffs off the wrong girl. Last up for wide releases is the animated film Rango featuring the voice talents of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant and Abigail Breslin.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screenings

Back to the 80's at TIFF Lightbox
Continues and this weeks 80s selection is: The Dark Crystal playing Saturday March 5, 2011 at 2pm.

Defending the Indefensible
The Toronto Underground presents the first night in an interesting new monthly series called Defending the Indefensible where local film critics, scholars and bloggers defend a film that time and public opinion has been unkind too. I think that's a pretty freaking awesome adventure. They start it all of with Alien: Resurrection and Freddy Got Fingered showing this Friday March 4, 2011 at 7pm & 9:30pm respectively.

New Auteurs: Denis Côté
Great opportunity to see the works of Denis Côté including new release of Curling as well as Carcasses, Nos vies privées / Our Private Lives, Les états nordiques and more. Runs at TIFF Lightbox from March 5 - 8, 2011.

Friday March 4, 2011 Releases

The Adjustment Bureau
Dir: George Nolfi - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terrance Stamp, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Beastly
Dir: Daniel Barnz (Phoebe in Wonderland)
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Neil Patrick Harris, Lisa Gay Hamilton
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Curling
Writer/Dir: Denis Côté (Carcasses, Nos vies privées / Our Private Lives)
Cast: Emmanuel Bilodeau, Philomène Bilodeau, Sophie Desmarais
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Funkytown
Dir: Daniel Roby (White Skin)
Cast: Patrick Huard, Justin Chatwin, Sarah Mutch, Romina D'Ugo
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

I Love You Phillip Morris
Dir: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan MacGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro
USA/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Machete Maidens Unleased!
Dir: Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!)
Documentary
Australia
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Nora's Will
Writer/Dir: Mariana Chenillo (Revolución)
Cast: Fernando Luján, Enrique Arreola, Ari Brickman
Mexico
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Rango
Dir: Gore Verbinski (The Ring (2002), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
Voices: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of March 4, 2011**