Welcome to the weekend. I am the new FSR editor specifically covering Saturday and Sunday, and I’m kicking off, as I will each Saturday morning, with a recap of the site’s coverage from the previous seven days. I’ll start by getting the formality over with in linking to my own “Better Know a Reject” introductory profile. I’m actually not full of myself, but that post didn’t really fit anywhere else in this roundup.
Now, let’s play catch up.
TIFF Begins
First of all, this week saw the start of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, and our man Andrew Robinson is on the beat. Ahead of the opening, he offered a list of 12 Most Anticipated Movies playing the event, including new works from the Wachowskis, Terrence Malick and Joss Whedon. First up from Andrew’s onsite coverage is a review of the “interesting” but “a bit uneven” documentary Far Out Isn’t Far Enough. Also reviewed as part of the fest, Rian Johnson’s Looper got an ‘A’ from newly joined Reject Louis Plamondon.
Dredd 3D is screening at TIFF as part of the Midnight Madness program, and we took a look at a motion comic prologue to the upcoming action film.
We also checked out the trailer for TIFF selection A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, an animated epic that should obviously appeal to fans of the British comedy legend(s). Fans of the troupe should also read Cole’s list of 6 Filmmaking Tips From Monty Python.
Home Viewing
If you’re looking for some intoxicating fun this weekend, rent Re-Animator, pick up some sort of alcohol and chug along with Kevin’s latest DVD Drinking Game. Just don’t get so inebriated that a bear steals your underwear. Watch the animated short The Unconscious Homeless Man to see what we mean.
Other home video options can be found in Brian’s list of new Netflix streaming recommendations, which include Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky and The Snowtown Murders (I’ll also vouch for Jiro Dreams of Sushi). And Rob reviewed two Japanese exploitation films on DVD, True Story of a Woman in Jail: Sex Hell and Eros School: Feels So Good.
Neil reviewed The Terminator Anthology Blu-ray box set, praising the packaging but admitting there’s otherwise no reason to buy the item unless you simply don’t already own the films in this format. Going deeper, Justin detailed 42 things learned from the commentary by James Cameron and William Wisher, Jr., on the Terminator 2: Judgment Day disc.
Or you can win a Blu-ray of the genre-transcending stoner comedy High School by telling us a funny story here. And you can win a Blu-ray box set of all four Indiana Jones films as well as a fedora and whip by sharing a pitch for Part 5 here.
TV columnist Amber Humphrey defended the revolutionary charm of The Big Bang Theory.
The Big Screen
In this week’s Austin Cinematic Limits, Don has your weekly Austin film calendar along with a look at the fall film festivals coming up in the city, including Fantastic Fest and the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival. Speaking of Fantastic Fest, they announced the event will conclude with the world premiere of the Red Dawn remake and unveiled this year’s “Content Icons” for our guessing pleasure. Tease yourself some more and watch the NSFW trailer for Fantastic Fest selection Vanishing Waves, which has Rob sold.
Not in Austin? How about Washington, DC? If so, you should attend our early screening of Sinister on September 25 and get a free collector’s poster while also getting to enjoy one of our favorite horror films of the year.
As for the wider theatrical market, Neil offered optimism about upcoming 3D re-releases of Pixar’s Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc., Cole reviewed [Rec] 3: Genesis, Rob reviewed The Inbetweeners Movie, Robert Levin reviewed Branded and we reposted Alison’s Sundance review of The Words and Kate’s Sundance review of Bachelorette.
She may not have liked The Words, but Alison delivered an appreciation for Marcelo Zarvos’s score for the film in her Aural Fixation column.
Of course movie ticket sales are down again this year. In response to the report, Cole told Hollywood to wake up.
In this week’s podcast, Kevin offered Hollywood some tips to be learned from successful video game makers.
In this week’s Culture Warrior, Landon offers a spoiler-filled analysis of David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, which stars Robert Pattinson.
Speaking of that actor, in this week’s Boiling Point, Robert Fure, having enough of the Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart breakup coverage, went off on the news media for treating petty gossip as anything but. His basic complaint is that too infrequently the “Movies,” “TV” and “Entertainment” sections of news organizations’ websites have actual movie, TV and entertainment news other than celebrities’ personal business.
Trailers
That former couple can meanwhile be seen in the liberties-hinting trailer for Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.
Our first look at one of the billion Wizard of Oz movies coming out (Dorothy of Oz) “looks pretty lame” and low quality, according to Cole. But the trailer for OFFICIAL SEQUEL!!! A Christmas Story 2 is the most offensive ever made, according to Rob. Also shared for your viewing was the confusing trailer for Atlas Shrugged Part 2.
How about a trailer for a film that looks good? Well, there’s Wuthering Heights, which features a quote from Kate’s Sundance review, so there’s something.
Then there are the spots for hunters only: Cole looked at the new spot for This Must Be The Place, which stars Sean Penn as a glam goth Nazi killer, Nathan shared the trailer for Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, which he said “appears to just be pure, unabashed, witch hunting craziness.” Could it even be intended as a parody of the very Hollywood trend it’s adding to? Liam Neeson awkwardly introducing the trailer for Taken 2 was unfortunately clearly not self-parody.