The Bell Lightbox is Illuminated

As most film festival fans know by this point, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is well underway, and Sunday marked the opening and public unveiling of the new Bell Lightbox – a multi-purpose building that will function as a movie theatre (there are five theatres, with different seating capacities), a learning centre, film resource centre, and headquarters for the TIFF group.

I’ll have more thoughts on the building, its’ post-TIFF activities, and such, but for now the focus is on the aims of its stewards, and its’ unveiling this past Sunday. Naturally, I had a commitment I was snookered into maintaining, so in place of the photos and material I would’ve taken & written, here are some selected images and thoughts.

Those wanting a more personable background on the building’s development pre-unveiling Sept. 12th should read this lengthy piece at The Walrus.

The opening of the Bell Lightbox was covered in Torontoist (with pictures), and the street party / concert with K’naan was highlighted at BlogTO. The Star’s coverage was tepid but they also offer a link to a video montage by the Canadian Press.

I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews of the new theatres – particularly the 500-seat theatre which can exhibit everything (70mm, digital, 3D, and movies with live musical accompaniment) – so I’m very keen on checking out the theatrical roster when TIFF launches its Essential Cinema series September 23.

Film music fans should take note of the series, which will include Caligari in Concert (live score performance headed by Andrew Downing), DJ Spooky’s Rebirth of a Nation, Greed with Do Make Say Think, Metropolis with a new score for the uncut version by Gabriel Thibaudeau, Man with a Movie Camera scored by the Michael Nyman Band, The Passion of Joan of Arc and Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, and Sherlock Jr. with the Fern Lindzon Sextet.

Further details and scheduling info can be found at TIFF’s In Concert section.

And since we’re on the subject of classic movies given a new spin with contemporary scores, I’ll have an interview next week with Brandon Hocura, who band VOWLS performed an original score to Kenji Mizoguchi’s The Water Magician (1933) this past summer at the Shinsedai Cinema Festival.

Mark R. Hasan, Editor
KQEK.com

Big Screen Hamlet

There are only a handful of films I kick myself for having missed on the big screen, and near the top is the 4 hour version of Hamlet, starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh in 1996.

The shorter version was doing the rounds, but there was a special 70mm engagement at the York Cinemas, a place beloved by film connoisseurs for the big screen and superb sound system that was always top-notch. Most epics played at the York (Gandhi being a favourite), and it was a natural place to catch a movie that, due to its length and dialogue-heavy content, probably wouldn’t come back to the screen for a while.

I’m not sure exactly how or why I failed to catch it, but I did; this in spite of the trailer constantly teasing the viewer with that spectacular shot of confetti reigned down on the royal court while an immobile figure of Hamlet stood somberly in the foreground.

The film did get a VHS and laserdisc release, each showcasing the fabulous widescreen cinematography by Alex Thomson – a personal favourite for lensing Alien 3 (1992), The Krays (1990), Legend (1985), and The Keep (1983). With the exception of The Krays, not all great films (ahem), but worth watching (perhaps with stimulants) for the cinematography and respective music scores.

Apparently legal issues kept the film off home video for a while – Columbia / Sony owned the distribution rights for a while – but around 2000 the film was back in circulation via Warner Home Video. Its absence on DVD may have been due to distributor concerns over its length, in terms of which version – 242 mins, or the ‘safety’ 150 mins. cut? – to release, and whether its 70mm elements made it worth putting in the queue for a proper HD transfer than a stop-gap to keep fans quiet for a while.

Fans are certainly happy the 2007 DVD and 2010 Blu-ray are widely available, but I gather teachers now have a more powerful tool to use in their literature classes, because the only version available now is the one originally intended by Branagh and original production company Castle Rock: the uncut monster, known affectionately as the Eternity version.

The version show in my high school was the 1948 Olivier version, which was gloomy, mopey, engrossing, and blessed with William Walton’s most depressing score – an assault that left an indelible impression, making that version quite special to me. The only flaw that I could never get passed was Ophelia’s death, floating down the river in song with her flowers like an extract from a comedy sketch. It was bathos, and thankfully the scene (and its preceding dramatic strains) was given a more sobering translation by Branagh.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a work of art, but it’s also been a popular target for satirists because everyone knows the basic story, if not quotes used, re-quoted, or appropriated in other mediums.

No other parody stands out better than that episode (“The Producer”) of Gilligan’s Island in which the idiot castaways mount a musical version of Hamlet for a stranded producer. Three songs managed to worm their way into brains of young viewers (like me), which is why there are probably other adults besides myself who chuckle when phrases like “Hamlet, my dear, your problem is clear,” “Get thee to a nunnary, a nunnary, a nunnary” or “To be or not to be” are said in some variance or approximation.

It may sound silly to say Branagh’s version locked up those echoing parodies, but it did. More importantly, the uncut text is so involving that one may well quietly mourn the end of the saga, because for 4 hours, one was plunged into their tragic world.

For teachers, the film will likely intensify the play’s impact (and bore others), but it’ll also give them more material with which to discuss the work, the politics, and the nuances of grief that drove a prince into a fatal state of madness.

Mark R. Hasan, Editor
KQEK.com

Library Music, Part 3

August 3rd I ran a lengthy interview with director Jeff Carney and producer Jim Cirronella regarding the making of their Night of the Living Dead [NOTLD] documentary, Autopsy of the Dead, and in addition to the doc, Cirronella and I also discussed the related CD, subtitled ‘They Won’t Stay Dead,’ which features the complete stock music cues used in NOTLD.

During the course of producing the album, Cirronella learned details about the Capitol Hi-Q library from which director George Romero drew his cues. As is often the case with long-gone stock music libraries of yesteryear, little is known or has been written down in great detail, which made the quest to identify and legally release the NOTLD cues so challenging.

In Part 1 of this series, we covered the 3-disc release of The Prisoner: The Complete Chappelle Recorded Music Library Cues, and in Part 2 the magnifying glass was aimed at the Valentino library. This time the library stems from the United States, and as Cirronella explains, the cues are very much a part of American culture, given material was featured in TV shows, cartoons, B-films, and cult movies.

At the end of Part 3, I’ve pasted links to archived discussions on a few message boards so readers will get an idea of the fan base that’s out there – articulate and passionate admirers of music that’s more than esoteric nostalgia.

I’m still waiting for the release of those Rocket Robin Hood and The Amazing Spider-Man cues… I can’t be the only one….

Mark R. Hasan, Editor
KQEK.com

2010 Gemini Award Nominees on Home Video

Announced earlier this week are the Gemini Award nominees (Gemini = TV, not film, not music, right?).

The awards show will be broadcast on Global and Showcase Nov. 13. The full list is available as a PDF file at the organization’s website, and I’ve snipped and pasted the main categories, plus the best music nominees. Note: titles available on home video are hyperlinked to Amazon.ca for further info.

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Best Comedy Program or Series

Dan For Mayor

(Sad Glasses Productions Inc., QVF Inc.)

Kevin White, Mark Farrell, Paul Mather, Susan Murdoch

Less Than Kind

(Breakthrough Entertainment, Buffalo Gal Pictures)

Ira Levy, Phyllis Laing, Peter Williamson, Mark McKinney, Marvin Kaye, Chris Sheasgreen, Paula Smith, Garry Campbell

Little Mosque on the Prairie

(WestWind Pictures Ltd.)

Clark Donnelly, Colin Brunton, Mary Darling, Michael Snook

Pure Pwnage

(TV For Noobs Productions Inc., ROFLMAO Productions Inc., Sphinx Productions, Duopoly)

Geoff Lapaire, Jarett Cale, Derek Harvie

Rick Mercer Report

(Island Edge Inc.)

Gerald Lunz, Rick Mercer

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Best Dramatic Mini-Series

Alice

(Alice Productions Inc, Studio 8 Films (UK))

Matthew O'Connor, Alex Brown, Jamie Brown, Robert Halmi Sr., Robert Halmi, Jr., Michael O'Connor,

Lisa Richardson

The Phantom

(Muse Entertainment Ent. Inc.)

Michael Prupas, Robert Halmi Jr., Robert Halmi Sr., Irene Litinsky

The Summit

(Shaftesbury Films Inc., Media Headquarters)

Christina Jennings, Justin Bodle, Robert Cohen, Shari Cohen, Scott Garvie, Adam Haight, Robin Neinstein,

Ewa Radwanska

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Best Dramatic Series

Durham County

(Back Alley Film Productions Ltd. /Muse Entertainment Ent. Inc., Muse Entertainment Enterprise)

Adrienne Mitchell, Laurie Finstad Knizhnik, Janis Lundman, Michael Prupas

Flashpoint

(Flashpoint Season 2, Pink Sky Inc., Avamar Ent)

Anne Marie La Traverse, Bill Mustos

Republic of Doyle

(Republic Season II Inc., Malachy Season 1, Inc.)

Allan Hawco, Rob Blackie, John Vatcher

Stargate Universe

(Stargate Universe I Inc.)

Brad Wright, Carl Binder, Robert Cooper, John Lenic, N. John Smith

The Tudors

(Peace Arch Entertainment, PA Tudors III Inc., TM Productions)

John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Morgan O'Sullivan

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role

Robert Carlyle - Stargate Universe - Human

Louis Ferreira - Stargate Universe - Justice

Allan Hawco - Republic of Doyle - The Fall of the Republic

Luke Kirby - Cra$h & Burn - Closure

Michael Riley - Being Erica - Being Dr. Tom

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

K.C. Collins - Guns

Bruce Greenwood - The Summit

Jared Keeso - Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

Andrew Lee Potts - Alice

Peter Outerbridge - Deadliest Sea

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role

Lynda Boyd - Republic of Doyle - He Sleeps With the Chips

Caroline Cave - Cra$h & Burn - Forget to Remember

Hélène Joy - Durham County - Little Lost Children

Grace Park - The Border - Hate Metal

Victoria Snow - Paradise Falls - Following Orders

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Liane Balaban - Abroad

Sun Li - Iron Road

Caterina Scorsone – Alice

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Best Original Music Score for a Documentary Program or Series

Ramachandra Borcar - Karsh Is History

Claude Castonguay, Mona Laviolette - Reel Injun

Jim McGrath - Empire of the Word - The Magic of Reading

Shawn Pierce - The Secret World of Shoplifting

Philip Strong - Cat Ladies

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Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Program, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Christopher Dedrick - The Good Times Are Killing Me

Kenny Neal Jr., Misha Chillack - Guns

Lawrence Shragge - Iron Road

Tom Third - The Summit

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Best Original Music Score for a Program or Series

Amin Bhatia, Ari Posner - Flashpoint - One Wrong Move

Robert Carli - Bloodletting And Miraculous Cures - Isolation

Robert Carli - Murdoch Mysteries - Me, Myself, & Murdoch

Joel Goldsmith - Stargate Universe - Light

James Jandrisch - The Guard - At Sea

Trevor Morris - The Tudors - Episode 304

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Best Original Music Score for an Animated Program or Series

Brian Carson - Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 - Mag Wheels

John Evans - Guess With Jess - How Can We Decorate the Christmas Tree?

Ross Nykiforuk - Wapos Bay - The Hardest Lesson

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Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series

Jarett Cale, Geoff Lapaire - Pure Pwnage - The Day the Lan Centre Stood Still

Jenn Engels - Less Than Kind - Fatso Loves Lesbo

Rick Green, Duncan McKenzie - History Bites - The Filthy Stinking Rich

Marvin Kaye, Chris Sheasgreen - Less Than Kind - Third Death's The Charm

Bruce McCulloch, Dave Foley - Kids In The Hall: Death Comes To Town - Dead Man Walking

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Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Tim Cherry - Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

Jennifer Holness, Sudz Sutherland - Guns

John Krizanc - The Summit

Leah McLaren - Abroad

Moze Mossanen - Nureyev

Nick Willing – Alice

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Best Writing in a Dramatic Series

Philip Bedard, Larry Lalonde - Murdoch Mysteries - Hangman

Jeremy Boxen - Cra$h & Burn - Sunday Bloody Sunday

Mark Haroun - Heartland - The Haunting of Hanley Barn

Alex Levine - The Border - Missing In Action

Ian Weir - Flashpoint - The Fortress

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Mark R. Hasan, Editor
KQEK.com

2010 Emmy Winners on Home Video

The Prime Time Emmy Awards were broadcast on ABC (US) and CTV (Canada) this past Sunday night, and here's a quick tally of the winners.

Hyperlinked titles are or have been slated for home video release, and those wanting the full list of winners can download the PDF list of the main categories at the official Emmy site HERE

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Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - 62nd Primetime Emmy Award Nominations

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Outstanding Comedy Series

-Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television --- Sept. 21

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Outstanding Drama Series

-Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television

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Outstanding Miniseries

-The Pacific • HBO • Playtone and Dreamworks in association with HBO --- Nov. 2

Miniseries

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Outstanding Made For Television Movie

-Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films

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Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

-The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC

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Outstanding Animated Program

- Disney Prep & Landing • ABC • Walt Disney Animation Studios

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Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

-The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television - Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper --- Season 3 arrives Sept. 14

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Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

-Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television - Bryan Cranston as Walter White

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Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

-You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films - Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian --- Oct. 26

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Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

-Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber; A Caryn Mandabach Production - Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton

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Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

-The Closer • TNT • The Shephard/Robin Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television - Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson

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Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

-Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films - Claire Danes as Temple Grandin

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Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

-Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television - Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker

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Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

-Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television - Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman

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Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

-Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films - David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock

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Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

-Glee• FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV - Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester --- Season 2 arrives Sept. 14

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Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

-The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions - Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma --- Sept. 14

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Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

-Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films - Julia Ormond as Eustacia (Temple's Mom)

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Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

- Modern Family • Pilot • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television

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Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

-Mad Men • Shut The Door. Have A Seat. • AMC • Lionsgate Television

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Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

-You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films

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Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)

-24 • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM • FOX • Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox TV in association w/Teakwood Lane Productions - Sean P. Callery, Music by

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Outstanding Music Composition For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special



(Original Dramatic Score)

-Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films - Alex Wurman, Music by

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Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

-Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber; A Caryn Mandabach Production - Wendy Melvoin, Music By Lisa Coleman

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Mark R. Hasan, Editor
KQEK.com