The Dichotomy of Toronto Film Fans

The 2009 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is now but a memory. The hundreds that jammed the theatres, restaurants, and coffee bars have now returned to their normal life.

Having witnessed sell out shows and long lineups for "rush" seats, something occurred to me while attending a couple of post-Fest screenings.

Granted, this is just an observation, but it is something I want to get off my chest.

There seems to be a dichotomy amongst Toronto film fans. Like vampires, they seem to come out only for a certain period of time (i.e. ten days in September). Perhaps it's just me, but I recently attended a Saturday night screening of Summer Hours at a midtown theatre, where the audience amounted to a total of 12 people!

A week or so later, I took in a screening of Third, a rarely seen Polish film that ended a mini Polish Film Festival at the Revue Cinema. Besides myself, there were five other people in the audience. Now, prior to this film, there was a screening of Andrzej Wajda's Katyn, the 2007 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film. By the looks of the crowd streaming out after, there appeared to be a good turn out for this.

But for the most part, where are all those people that jammed festival theatres, dying to see those rarely-screened-in-Toronto films? If this is the norm the rest of the year, I can understand why theatres are reluctant to screen anything other than Hollywood fare.

Or, is it just me? Did I just happen to choose the wrong time or film to see? I invite your comments on this. Do Toronto film fans not support screenings the other 355 days of the year?

Be that as it may, I shall perceive the flipside of all of this as benefit. With a limited number of patrons, I have no problems finding the perfect seat.

Radio Jive - The New Spirit of Radio

For awhile now, I have lamented the fact that FM radio in the Toronto area has denigrated to bland, generic pap, typically segregated per genre, and as per the CRTC, and (in the U.S.) FAA guidelines.

Feeling particularly blessed to have lived through what I consider a particularly creative period of local radio, from the 60's to the early 90's, I realize that I now have the power through this blog to perpetuate the creativity of that era.

When FM radio was in it's infancy, as the high quality signal alternative to AM, programming was quite often left up to the imagination and whim of the DJ. I fondly recall listening to Larry Green, David Marsden, and (the late) David Pritchard on CHUM-FM. I can even recall Larry playing Weather Report's "Birdland" back to back with The Beatles from Sgt. Pepper! That was the first time I had heard Weather Report!

As the decade progressed, modern radio, it seems, did not keep up the creative pace. News of pirate radio stations off the coast of the UK, filtered back to Canada. A true alternative was creeping into the subculture of radio. DJ's and radio personnel not happy with the changes happening vainly tried keeping that "spirit" alive.

This, of course, brings me to the launch of CFNY-FM, a small local station destined to bring the "Spirit of Radio" to Toronto listeners, or whomever could pick up their low powered signal. Fans exchanged antenna configurations, hoping to boost the signal into their home and car. I'm sure the same scenario was being played out in cities across North America during this time. An underground movement that was a step up from freeform college radio, but with the same attitude.

CFNY became "the little station that could", ignoring playlists, and creating their own. Keeping their ear to the ground in the local music scene, they helped launch many a struggling musician's career. Keeping up with the music scenes in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and across the pond in the UK, they were responsible for bringing New Wave and Punk to local airwaves, bands that are now regularly playlisted on Adult Contemporary stations. As they slowly gained popularity, so did the strength of their broadcast signal. Soon it was "cool" to listen to CFNY.

Power trio, Rush, a band whose music was usually relegated to Toronto's Classic Rock station, Q107, honored the station with it's song, "The Spirit of Radio".

Eventually, the station was swallowed up by big corporate radio, and the inevitable programming changes slowly began to happen. Today, the station is a mere ghost of it's former self. Despite the return of respected Program Director Alan Cross, there was no real perceived changes happening. I'm sure his powers are limited. But, the "spirit" of that old programming lives on, as fan websites such as The Spirit of Radio celebrate the station, the staff, and the sound that was. A forum even exists for fans to discuss everything from finding rare songs from the station's old playlist to finding current listening alternatives.

One such alternative has been from the mind of one of CFNY's originals, David Marsden, who carries the torch on Thursday and Friday nights on his show, The Marsden Theatre, on The Rock 94.9. Like most FM stations, you can listen via a live stream on the net.

Which brings me to Radio Jive, the creative output of CFNY's other madman of the airwaves, the Live Earl Jive (pictured above, from the archives of spiritofradio.ca). Thanks to modern technology, and the "anyone can start up their own radio station" ideology, Earl has rekindled the Spirit over the freedom of the internet. A modern form of pirate radio, he can now give us a taste of what CFNY could have become, not to mention memories of his show back in the 80's. His programming choices of genre-blending tracks from Sinatra to Stockhausen, Abba to ABC, and Beatles to beat, interspersed with tongue-in-cheek satirical "news" headlines from the funny people at The Onion, make for a totally eclectic mix. It certainly is a welcome relief from what passes as modern music on radio today.

So if you long for more diverse programming while working away in that office cubicle, or at home with friends, tune in. You'll find yourself coming back again and again, waiting and wondering what he'll play next.

Now, if I could only figure out how to hear Radio Jive streaming through my car radio.....

TIFF 09: Visage

Acclaimed Chinese director, Tsai Ming-Liang, whose last film, I Don't Want To Sleep Alone played at the TIFF in 2006, returns with a highly stylized, and visually surreal film, Visage.

The story centers around a Taiwanese director making a film of the story of Salome. at The Louvre in Paris. It soon becomes obvious that the boundaries between film and reality become somewhat blurred. Famed French actors Jean-Pierre Leaud and Fanny Ardant, star in the film within the film, along with Laetita Casta who plays Salome.

The film indulges heavily in a soaring soundtrack, stylized images, and startling scenes. "The image is extremely important to me. The image is central in my films," said Tsai at a press conference in Cannes this past May, where the film closed the festival there.

To tempt your visual tastebuds, here's the trailer to Visage:

TIFF 09: Partir

Director Catherine Corsini has crafted the story of a bored upper middle class housewife and her fall from grace. Kristin Scott Thomas shines as the romantically frustrated wife in love with a worker (Sergi Lopez) hired to work on their house, of course, much to the chagrin of the husband (Yvan Attal).

Comparisons to D.H. Lawrence's tale of passionate betrayal, "Lady Chatterley" have been made, although the outcome of both are very diverse. Reviews in Europe have been mixed, but Kristin Scott Thomas' performance has been getting top marks. An interesting film to be considered in your festival choices.

A subtitled trailer can be found at distributor Pyramide Films' website for the film.

TIFF 09: Baaria

From the great Italian storyteller, Giuseppe Tornatore, who gave us such wondrous tales as The Legend of 1900, Malena, The Unknown Woman, and the Oscar-winning Cinema Paradiso, comes his latest epic, Baaria.

In the tradition of fellow statesman, the late Sergio Leone, Tornatore has written and directed and autobiographical story of three generations of a family in the Sicilian village of Bagheria. Like Leone, Tornatore has chosen Ennio Morricone to compose the grand soundtrack for this 150 minute epic. The comparisons to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 have already been raised, but to Tornatore this tale is closer to his heart than the Bertolucci’s film.

As the opening film at this year’s Venice Film Festival, it became the first Italian film in 20 years to do so. Certainly one of those films best enjoyed on the big screen.

TIFF 09: Broken Embraces

Well, the 34th Toronto International Film Festival is about ready to kick off, and I thought I would preview a few selections that have caught my eye in the programme.
Today, I feature a new work from famed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar - Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Roto). A follow up to 2006's "Volver", it has been showing on European screens throughout the summer. It makes it's North American premiere in Toronto on September 10.

Lluís Homar stars as the former Mateo Blanco, an ex-director who has changed his name to Harry Caine after losing his sight in an automobile accident. (Interestingly enough, Almodovar made a spinoff short film, around the same time, called "The Cannibalistic Councillor", in which he plays a character named Mateo Blanco.)

The past comes back to haunt Mateo, with news of the death of Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez), the producer of one of Mateo/Harry's old movies ("Girls and Suitcases"). Ensuing clashes between business and family associates abound. The film flashes back to the early '90s, when Martel became involved with his secretary, Lena (Cruz). Despite his blindness, Mateo falls for Lena's beauty. A jealous Martel, in turn, commissions a documentary about the making of "Girls and Suitcases" as an excuse to keep an eye on Mateo and Lena. Martel watches as Mateo runs off with Lena, setting the stage for an elaborate plot of revenge against Mateo.

Stylized and rich in colors, specifically the colour red, Broken Embraces is a delight to the eye. Set amongst the beautiful landscapes of Ibiza and Lanzarote, the scenery captures the romance and idyllic life of the regions. It proves an interesting juxtaposition to the almost dysfunctional relationships of the film's characters.

For film buffs, Almodavar stocks his script full of movie references, including Magnificent Obsession and Fellini's 8-1/2, two films seen in Mateo's DVD collection.

Opening in the U.S. in limited release on November 20, this is one to watch for.

Enjoy the trailer....