Roger Ebert’s Journal and TIFF
This year I’m doubling my number of screenings to 21. Roger Ebert is seeing 49 films! That’s 6 films a day! I don’t know how he does it and finds time to write about them.
The film that Ebert anticipates the most is Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans starring Nic Cage, directed by Werner Herzog. I love Herzog’s films and have a ticket to the North American premiere next Tuesday. Can’t wait!
Ebert nails the festival experience on its head when he writes:
How it happens is, you’re standing in line and hear buzz about something. Or a trusted friend provides a title you must see. Or you go to a movie you haven’t heard much about, just on a hunch, and it turns out to be “Juno.”
I saw Juno when it premiered at the Ryerson Theatre two years ago. I still remember director Jason Reitman saying that screenwriter Diablo Cody was going to be the next big thing in Hollywood. She went on to win the Oscar that year and Juno became a big hit.
Sometimes you get lucky with your film selections and you get to share in the initial buzz and excitement of a really great film.
The two films I can’t wait to see are Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done. The film I dread the most is Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist. It was the first film to sell out and it has crossed my mind a few times to sell the ticket for $100 to some desperate soul in the rush line.
Posted in 2009 TIFF at 1:34 AM
Comments
Hey Jay,
I’ve got Antichrist Thursday and My Son, My Son… next Wednesday. I’m always fascinated by von Trier’s storytelling, especially his darker films. I’m looking forward to my Herzog pick too, but have not been blown away by his work of late, preferring still his German films of the ’70s and early ’80s (though I still think Rescue Dawn deserved more attention, especially for Steve Zahn).
I’ll look for you there.
Posted by: Mark Levine on September 9, 2009 9:22 AM
I’ve heard that von Trier’s latest is very dark. I’m either going to come out of the theatre damaged (psychologically) or enlightened. Either way, I’m afraid. Very afraid.
I saw Herzog’s Rescue Dawn when it played at TIFF a couple of years ago and enjoyed it a lot. I have to admit that his latest doc Encounters at the End of the World wasn’t very inspiring. Hopefully Bad Lieutenant will be a great film.
Posted by: jay 
on September 9, 2009 9:16 PM
‘Encounters At The End of the World’ was a huge disappointment IMO.
Posted by: DrewK 
on September 12, 2009 12:03 PM
