Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Movies to adore

  • Benedict Cumberbatch could nab a Best Actor Oscar nod for "The Fifth Estate." (TIFF, DreamWorks, Frank Connor)
    The Toronto International Film Festival is widely regarded as the unofficial kickoff to Oscar season. TIFF is where the major studios roll out their big prestige projects and character pieces in order to build buzz and critical chatter for the holidays.
    As an event that attracts both the film industry and the general public, TIFF has been an excellent bellwether for future award season success, and the 2013 edition of the festival is no different. Here are our Oscar predictions for films, filmmakers, and actors appearing at TIFF 2013.
    Best Picture
    "12 Years A Slave" is getting some early awards season buzz. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    Let’s get the big one out of the way right off the bat: The Best Picture category at the Oscars is the be-all-and-end-all of movie awards. Numerous TIFF movies have won the coveted award in the past (films like “American Beauty,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” and “The King's Speech”), so there’s already a strong Toronto-Oscar correlation.
    Many factors determine the Best Picture nominees, but it mostly boils down to strength of concept, cast, execution,
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  • George A. Romero poses with zombie fans at the 2009 Midnight Madness screening of "Survival of the Dead." (Malcolm Taylor/Getty Images)
    Do you like genre movies?
    You know, good stuff like horror, science fiction, western, crime, and kung fu flicks – basically, the complete opposite of what you might expect to find at a major international film festival. You do? Great! So then you must know about Midnight Madness, the Toronto International Film Festival's long-running genre film programme, right?
    Away from the gala premieres and swanky after parties, tucked away in the middle of a university campus, is the Ryerson Theatre, current home to Midnight Madness and Toronto’s temple of terror, gore, action and intrigue during the festival. You won’t see European arthouse movies or Oscar contenders here. In the tradition of grindhouse theatres and cult movie nights, Midnight Madness is all about pure, unadulterated film fun, viewed late at night with over 1,000 like-minded cinema lovers.
    Genre movies have long enjoyed a prime spot at TIFF thanks to Midnight Madness, something not offered by other festivals like Cannes and Venice.
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  • The Toronto International Film Festival is just around the corner and if you were lucky enough to score an invite to one of the many fabulous parties, you'll need something amazing to wear. But before you max out the credit card, consider these few simple tips for getting red carpet ready on a budget.

     Get the look for less    There are many ways to score designer looks for less. Not only is it sale season, but year 'round you can shop at consignment and vintage shops for gently used labels at a fraction of the price. Another great spot to hunt for loot is stores like Winners, which allow you to shop the runway and enjoy major discounts.

    Also see: How to amp up your red carpet beauty look for less
    Dress vs. accessories

    When it comes to red carpet ready looks, it's best to go one of two ways: an over-the-top dress with simple accessories or statement-making accessories with a basic dress. This way you'll be pouring funds in one direction or the other, not going overboard with a head-to-toe
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  • Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
    In the first part of this ongoing series, we take a look at actors who are likely to break out at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
    First on our list is Spanish-born German actor Daniel Brühl. While it may seem strange to consider a 35-year-old with nearly 60 credits to his name an up-and-comer, Brühl is still largely unknown outside of Europe. However, with two very high-profile films set to play at TIFF this year, Brühl's fortunes are likely to change when the fest kicks off.
    What do you know him from?
    Melanie Laurent and Daniel Brühl in Quentin Tarantino's Brühl is probably best known to North American audiences for his role as German sniper and war hero Fredrick Zoller in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.”
    Read More »
  • The Toronto International Film Festival is Hollywood’s time to shine in the Great White North. For 10 celebrity-filled days, downtown Toronto will be draped in red carpet and bombarded by flash bulbs as Hollywood A-listers and top-tier directors unveil their latest prestige projects.
    Even though many of Hollywood’s TIFF offerings will be released in the weeks and months following the festival (making a pricy admission a hard sell), getting to see these potential Oscar contenders first (with the cast and crew in attendance, no less) still make these movies a huge draw at the festival.
    Here are six big Hollywood flicks that are sure to have people talking at TIFF 2013.
    “Gravity”

    While things don’t get much more “Hollywood” than an $80 million techno-thriller starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, TIFF flick “Gravity” also happens to be the first film from acclaimed Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón since 2006's "Children of Men." Star power and serious filmmaking cred! The film follows
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  • If you're heading out to a red carpet premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival, it's easy to glam up your beauty look without breaking the bank. As M.A.C senior artist Melissa Gibson explains, the easiest way to achieve drama on a budget is through bold lipstick.

    Go glam with a bold lip and defined brows, like Lily Collins. (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)Go burgundy!
    Rather than going the obviously route with bright red or pink, try diving into one of the season's deep burgundy pouts. Melissa used M.A.C Retro Matte Lipstick in Pre-Raphaelite. This matte colour has great staying power, but for an even longer lasting finish, try prepping the lip with a primer (Melissa used M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip) to smooth the surface, then discourage the pigment from shifting and even out the base by using a lip pencil. Melissa chose M.A.C Cherry Lip Pencil for a boost of bright colour underneath. Then, rather than simply lining the lips, she filled them in completely, giving the lipstick something to grip. This will also serve as back up colour as the evening progresses. Finish by
    Read More »
  • When you think of the Toronto International Film Festival, Hollywood Oscar contenders and international arthouse films are usually what come to mind. And with good cause: Those are the movies that tend to get the bulk of the spotlight at TIFF every year.
    But the annual festival is also showcase for the best actors, filmmakers, and films that Canada has to offer. With new work from established Canuck filmmakers and rising stars alike, TIFF 2013 is a particularly good year for Canadian movies. If you’re looking for something homegrown to see at the festival, here are five Canadian films to watch for at TIFF 2013.

    “The F Word”


    Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan in "The F Word."



    One of three TIFF films starring former “Harry Potter” Daniel Radcliffe, “The F Word” is the latest from “Goon” director Michael Dowse. A romantic comedy about being in the “friend zone,” the movie follows Wallace (Radcliffe), a lovelorn med-school dropout who falls for Chantry (Zoe Kazan), a girl with whom he feels an instant connection but who just
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  • Director Denis Villeneueve. (Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
    It's extremely rare for any filmmaker to have two movies at the Toronto International Film Festival in one year. In fact, it’s not very often that a director even has two films out in the same year. However, Quebec’s Denis Villeneuve (“Incendies”) is apparently the exception to those rules. His latest films “Prisoners” and “Enemy” are both set to play during the opening weekend of TIFF 2013.
    After Villeneuve’s “Incendies” earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011, the director was quickly tapped by Warner Bros. to helm “Prisoners” – a long-in-development crime thriller about the father of missing young girl who kidnaps the person he suspects is behind his daughter’s disappearance. Based on Aaron Guzikowski’s Black List screenplay, “Prisoners” stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo, and Viola Davis.
    Under normal circumstances, “Prisoners” might have a little bit of Oscar talk based on its tremendous cast and disturbing subject matter alone, but when you throw in the promising script and a talented filmmaker like Villeneuve, you get a movie that
    Read More »
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