Geek 4 Podcast Review

Title: Geek 4
Year(s): 2020- ???
Host. Michael W. Boyce
Country: Canada
Language: English

Geek 4, click HERE for a link, is the latest venture by film professor and academic dean Michael W. Boyce (He has claimed the W is for Wind. I've heard it's William. It's a mystery.) Boyce interviews a caveat of intriguing integral intellectuals who all have one thing in common; they are Geeks 4 something. Geeks 4 Mystery Science Theatre 3000, James Bond, Star Wars, Football etc. There's a good chance you'll find something that fits your interests. 

Geek 4, at its present state, is a 20-40 minute weekly podcast that dives deep into pop culture, nostalgia and the state of general geekery. 

I must admit, this is probably far too early to review the podcast as it's in its beginning stages, but I feel like Boyce has already given us some quality interviews. Dr.Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) gave great energy to the show & emphasized the importance of asking more from our entertainment ("James Bond doesn't have to be sexist"). Tara Maslowsky (@TaraMaslowsky) explored grief & demonstrated how fanhood brings people together. DoubleEM Melissa Martin (@DoubleEmMartin) explained the importance of language and history in understanding society and culture. Geek 4 doesn't tread shallow water. 

Though I'd love these nuanced conversations to go longer & I suspect they will as Boyce become more comfortable (or less busy, because he is an academic dean irl) the 20-40 minute length of Geek 4 feels about right. It's about the length of a Twilight Zone episode. Long enough to keep you on your toes, and short enough to keep you coming back for more. 

I'm looking forward to future episodes of this engaging podcast that, at least presently, has a feminist edge to it. Too many podcasts are male guest heavy, I'm glad that Boyce is going in the opposite direction. Geek 4 is a show for those who reflect about & engage with the media they consume.

Get new episodes on apple, stitcher or the link above.

Follow @geek4 & @mwboyce on twitter & instagram.  

TIFF 2020 Review: Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time

Title: Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Year: 2020
Director: Lili Horvat
Country: Hungary
Language: Hungarian

Having seen Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad (1961) earlier in the year, I can confidently say that I am no stranger to weird artsy fartsy European flicks where one person thinks they met, but the other is very confused about the whole ordeal. Directed by Lili Horvat, Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time is a weird wild film that will have you scratching your head thinking "what did I just see?" 

Márta (Natassa Stork), a 40-year-old neurosurgeon, falls in love. She leaves her shining American career behind and returns to Budapest to start a new life with the man (Viktor Bedo). But the love of her life claims that they have never met before.

Positioning the story in the same framework as Sylvia Plath's Mad Girl’s Love Song, Horvat's film has a well structured complex script that intelligently dissects themes of memory, temporal deconstruction, time and psychology. It's a fascinating puzzle of a film that drives on suspense & leaves the audience with a sense of awe and wonder. 

The broody exteriors of budapest are gorgeously shot by cinematographer Róbert Maly. The scenes around the city, mainly of Marta following her man, remind me of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Infact the atmosphere of engima entrapped within this picture will make one wonder if this is a similar feature about obsession. Horvat is careful to not reveal to much, and the actress (Stork) does a phenomenal job at making us wonder about if she's a reliable narrator. 

A film like Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time is bound to polarize viewers. At Venice the film received high praise; in Toronto not too many people are feeling it. A common criticism is that the ending is too neatly wrapped up, and doesn't satisfy, but I suspect there is more at play. Though I have not seen any other film of Lili Horvat's , based on this picture alone she seems to be a master film-maker. 

TIFF 2020 Review: Pieces of a Woman

Title: Pieces of a Woman
Year: 2020
Director: Kornel Mundruczo
Country: Canada
Language: English

My seventh feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, Pieces of a Woman is part of a trend of TIFF 2020 movies; the title card comes very late into the picture. We see the title immediately after an unbroken 23 minute sequence where Martha (Vanessa Kirby) writhes in pain as she is giving birth at home with her husband Scan (Shia LaBeouf) and midwife (Molly Parker) by her side. It's a distubring, gut-wrenching, heart breaking scene that would deserve an Oscar if it were a short film by itself. 

In this picture,a grieving woman (Vanessa Kirby) embarks on an emotional journey after the loss of her baby.

The first 23 minutes of Pieces of a Woman is phenomenal in regards to direction, camerawork, scripting and acting. Vanessa Kirby should win many awards for her sheer intensity & desire to get across the pain of childbirth. After this Oscar worthy scene, the film skips forwards in time, dropping in on the characters every couple of week. Our cast is always in turmoil, with emotions cranked up to 11. Many scenes come across as a Douglas Sirk  melodrama, bordering on camp. 

The emotions never have time to breathe, at times Pieces of a Woman has the frenetic pacing of an action movie & the fragmented sections always take us to odd locations. One moment we're at a funeral home discussing graves, the next we're at a courtroom setting complete with a last minute change of heart speech. You want to love this film, but you're constantly pushed away by the execution of the material. 

Pieces of a Woman was a worthwhile watch, and is enjoyable if viewed as an over-the-top camp melodrama like Magnificent Obsession & All that Heaven Allows. If viewed without any irony, this film falls quite short past the brilliant opening scene. 

TIFF 2020 Review: David Byrne's American Utopia

Title: American Utopia
Year: 2020
Director: David Byrne 
Country: US
Language: English

Spike Lee is one of my favourite directors and when I heard a film of his would debut at Toronto International Film Festival I jumped at the chance to see it. This will be my seventh feature, one of three in a single day (these festivals can be tiring). The film, hosted by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, is an extravagant concert doc that is both much needed escapism and a reminder that we need to speed up progress on important things like climate change. 

Spike Lee documents the former Talking Heads frontman's brilliant, timely 2019 Broadway show, based on his recent album and tour of the same name.

"The pope don't mean shit to a doooog" Bryne sings more than halfway through the picture. I enjoy concert docs- and this may be my favourite. American Utopia a more scaled down intimate outing than his Stop Making Sense concert directed by Jonathon Demme. It is an incredible treat; eccentric acting, wacky dancing (choreographed by Annie B Parson) and both the host and supporting cast are full of charm and charisma. 

American Utopia is a wild ride that one can escape in, while also being full of messsages about voting (when you leave the broadway show you're given a voter id card) , climate change and the future of America. There is a tribute to the NFL star and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick, and Byrne also does a tremendous cover verson of Janelle Monáe’s Hell You Talmabout. The concert leaves you with plenty to think about, perhaps expanding your own political views. 

David Byrne's spectacle is a concert picture that demands not to be missed. I found myself tremendously enjoying the many hits Bryne sang, leaving a big smile on my face as the film ended. "Burning down the house". People talk about "They don't make pictures like those anymore!." well... they didn't make films like these 30 years ago! 

TIFF 2020 Review: New Order

Title: New Order 
Year: 2020
Director: Michel Franco
Country: Mexico
Language: Spanish

The 6th film I've seen digitally from Toronto International Film Festival, Michel Franco's New Order has been the only somewhat polarizing picture between my spouse and I, so far. They found it empty; a lot of flash & shock, but little substance. Whereas I disagreed with their view, but not dramatically. After seeing the heartwarming Summer of 85' and the deliberately paced Nomadland, it was nice (if that's an appropriate word to use)  to see a picture so chaotic. 

In Mexico city a wedding takes place among the wealthy, but stirring within the city is a military coupe that threatens everybody. 

New Order feels like Haneke's Funny Games meets The Purge meets Killing Fields. It's shocking and disturbing; carnage lurks around every corner. It's a thriller about civil disobedience & the rage of the underclass that assaults our psyche with an unpredictable story that never lets up. Playing better as pure horror, rather than drama, this film is fairly unnerving even for those who like this kinda stuff. 

Michel Franco has no problem graphically desplaying the worst of human violence which, admittedly, detracted from the pictures' main message. The mass murder and depravity, some of which I had to skip,  that take centre stage in the second half of the film almost feel like a gorification of violence rather than a condemnation of it. New Order is sometimes too chaotic for its own good & could do with more exposition. 

Though I ultimately did find some enjoyment within the frenzy, this will be my least favourite of TIFF 2020 because of its lack of humanity and compassion. Even the soldiers in Alfonso Cauron's Roma were more sympathetic than these faceless creatures.

TIFF 2020 Review: Summer of 85'

Title: Summer of 85'

Year: 2020

Director: Francois Ozon
Country: France

Language: French

I have seen a few of Francois Ozon's previous work (I have been meaning to see Frantz for quite some time) and while I've always been impressed, I never felt truly connected to his work. During the Toronto Film Festival of 2020 I decided "go to" a digital screening of Summer of 85 on a whim. Leading up to the screening I've heard mixed reviews, but my initial reaction is astonishment. This is fantastic cinema. I adore this film.


Two men, one named Alexis (Felix Lefebvre) & another named David (Benjamin Voisin) fall in love in a seaside resort in Normandy after Davis rescues Alexis from a capsized boat.


Based on the British 1982 YA novel Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers, Ozon transports the characters to Northern France. Ozon initially makes the picture seem like an obsessive pulp noir thriller, which may have also made a decent film, but I'm glad the picture is ultimately about intense love and intense grief. Summer of 85' is a tender story that tugs at one's heartstrings and gives us a wonderful piece of lgbttq art.


The cinematography, by Hichame Alaouie, is gorgeous. The mise en scene evoke the 80's and the choice of pastel colors remind me of french films before that period, like Jacques Demy's Young Girls of Rocheforte. The score is wonderful; albeit the soul of the picture is its use of Rod Stewart's Sailing which acts very much like Cat Stevens' music did in Harold and Maude, emphasizing a change in the main character.


Though several viewers have said the script can be frustrating and border on formulaic (too similar to Call Me By Your Name) I feel this is a great picture and spoke very deeply to me. Summer of 85 seems like a simple love story, but a great discussion about youth & grief is to be had within this picture. Breathtaking to say the least.

TIFF 2020 Review: One Night in Miami

Title: One Night in Miami 
Year: 2020
Director: Regina King
Country: US
Language: English

Of all the films at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, One Night in Miami was the picture I was looking forward to the most. Four towering African American icons (Cassius Clay, Malcolm X, Sam Cook & Jim Brown) at varying levels of their fame, in one night, in one room. Sounds like a screenwriters wet dream, but it did actually happen in real life. This is the fourth film I watched digitally from TIFF and perhaps the one I'll enjoy the most. 

Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) , Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) , Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) gather to discuss their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.

Like most films adapted from a play (Kemp Powers wrote the play) that is set in primarily one location,  dialogue and performances are the driving force. I was impressed by the casting; Kingsley does a remarkable job getting Malcolm X's mannerisms down, moreso than Denzel Washington did in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1993). Goree gives a physical precense to Ali that is more in-tune with the real man than Will Smith in Ali (2001). 

Though there is little "action", One Night in Miami has an intoxicating centerpiece discussion that drives the importance of African American people's roles in society. Thtough their discussion we understand the conflicts within the Civil Rights Movement and dive into a discourse of toxic masculinity. I appreciate the main internal struggle, which is "What is the obligation of an artist to his society?" 

One can see parallels to the current Black Lives Matter Movement in the struggles of our four main characters. As a white male, I found myself priveleged to be a fly-on-the-wall during these disucssions of great importance. I left the film asking myself many questions "what should I be doing to help black lives matter?" and I feel many audience members will come out feeling the same way. 

TIFF 2020 Review: Shadow in the Cloud

 Title: Shadow in the Cloud 
Year: 2020
Director: Roseanne Liang 
Country: New Zealand 
Language: English

My 3rd of 10 digital films at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the marketing for Roseanne Liang's Shadow in the Cloud initially made me assume this would be a retelling of the famous Twilight Zone story Terror at 20,000 Feet, however many people on twitter proved me wrong as they've claimed it's an "inventive exciting action/horror romp with awesome budget cgi" That was enough to get me hyped!

In this, a female WWII pilot (Chloe Grace Moretz)  traveling with top secret documents on a B-17 Flying Fortress encounters an evil presence on board the flight.

Holy hell! Shadow in the Cloud is a pulpy piece of B-movie gold that would have been a wild ride if it were screened live at Midnight Madness. It's more of a "wtf" did I just see flick than outright horror, with inventive surprises kept me on the edge of my sofa. The fairly short run-time (1hr 23min) ensures its familiar yet ludidrous concept never overstays its welcome. 

"Did she just do that!?" I asked my spouse in disbelief. Moretz unleashes an explosion of feminist fury that Hollywood wishes they could capture. Captain Marvel (2019) was never this badass, not even close. Though Shadow in the Cloud is dripping with gender politics (the #metoo movement could use Liang's storytelling abilities) the gonzo actions scenes, complete with 80's synth, keep it from being preachy. 

Roseanne Liang is a film-maker I definitley will check out again. I admire how crazed, creative and well made this picture is. Shadow in the Cloud is jaw dropping in how unrealistic it is; so fun and campy. I can't wait till more of my friends see it so I can say "DID YOU SEE HOW SHE KICKED SO MUCH ASS??" 

TIFF 2020 Review: Nomadland

Title: Nomadland
Year: 2020
Director: Chloe Zhao
Country: US
Language: English

Nomadland (2020) was, admittedly, not on my radar for the 2020 Toronto Film Festival. It was only until yesterday (09/11/2020) when the amazing reviews started pouring in that I purchased a ticket for the newest Golden Lion award winner of the Venice Film Festival. I found out the news of the win just hours before we were set to watch it.  This film is a critical hit; I wouldn't be surprised if it gets TIFF's People's Choice Award. 

The film follows Fern, a woman in her sixties (Frances McDormand) who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

Chloe Zhao's Nomadland is a stunning, mesemerizing Dickensian film with a fine tuned screenplay that emphasizes character, and chooses interaction and happenstance over story. It's an elegant picture that explores different ways of living during the timultuous times of 21st Century America. Filled with grief, but never wallowing in misery, and often having moments of joy,  the picture is quite moving in the way it follows Fern as she carves out a place for herself in society. 

Joshua James Richards’s sweeping cinematography is sure to win many Awards come Award Season. We not only see gorgeous landscapes of the country, but his slowly glide of camera through van-dwellers can feel lmost lyrical. The remarkable compositions create a stunning visual language that is only improved by Ludovico Einaudi's breathtaking score. 

Nomadland is a masterwork that evokes many emotions and, as a film buff, reminds of so many great films of the past (Barbara Loden's Wanda, for instance). The only criticism I have is that the film may not be hard enough on the social forced that create Nomads like Fern, but ultimately the film is great despite this. 

Get the Hell Out (2020) Review

Title: Get the Gell Out
Year: 2020
Director: I.Fan Wang
Country: Taiwan
Language: Mandarin

Even though I have never been to Midnight Madness (I've been a terribly poor student in Manitoba), I am a huge fan of it due to the curator Peter Kuplowski. His choice of films, which I have watched much later in the year, are a combination of the bizarre, energetic, eerie and f***ed up. Get the Hell Out will be the first Madness film I watch as the festval is still going on! It will be my first of 10 films at that I watch throughout TIFF 2020. 

In Taiwanese Parliament, a zombie outbreak occurs and it turns local politicians into rabid zombies. 

It's too bad that we are in the middle of a pandemic ourselves, because Get the Hell Out is the perfect picture to screen as a Midnight Madness experience. I found myself literally rolling over laughing during a few scenes. Its frantic, full of energy and is full of the most absurd splatter and slapstick. This has Evil Dead levels of blood drenching the frame. Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead is a beloved zombie comedy, but I feel this is the more entertaining picture. 

As Kuplowski said on his pre-midnight madness live stream on twitter (@mmadnesstiff) , just google "Taiwanese parliamenr". The real thing is violent & weird, so making a brawling film about it is not that farfetched. It's a very campy, loud, in your face kinda film, but Get the Hell Out is a much needed escape (which is weird to say considering the film is about a virus that spreads through droplets) & will likely feel very missed once I've gone through 3 or 4 TIFF tearjerkers. 

Films like this allow me to fall in love with cinema again. There is fun and inventive art being made! There still are people taking chances and not playing by typical cinematic rules. Comical and outrageous, often switching styles and making bizarre references (I thought I'd never see a Simpsons Meme in a movie)  Get the Hell Out will drop your jaw & making you simultaneously say WOW & WTF.