Christmas is less than a month away which means get ready to be bombarded with Christmas themed tv episodes, movies, and well basically Christmas everything all the time.  Some of you probably hate this, but for me it really is the happiest time of year….Nothing can bring me down (till January).

This list is my continuation from last year, with a couple of repeats (for obvious reasons), and even though some of them may not seem very Christmas-y, you’ll see why and hopefully include these in your yearly watch list, if you haven’t already. Fill your cup with your drink of choice (rum + eggnog & coffee/hot chocolate + Bailey’s are my staples), load your torrent browser, or however you get movies, and get comfy.

We’re 5 days away until the Toronto International Film Festival begins. With over 300+ films and counting being screened around the city from September 6 – 16 it’s going to be difficult to narrow down your choices. No worries though, we’ve combed over many of the films and norrowed it down to 21. Before you get too excited mark September 2 in your calender NOW! This is when individual tickets go on sale and you can be sure that they are going to go fast. Let’s go to the movies!

It’s not hard to imagine someone being frowned upon by their family for being part of a punk rock band, but in time would become comfortable and eventually supportive of their son/ daughter/ niece nephew, dreams and ideals. Well at least in the western world this is not hard to imagine, but in the People’s Republic of China, rebelling against society almost immediately means parental disapproval, and in many instances being outcasted by your family. Nevermind the music, this is what Andrew Field’s and Jud Willmont’s documentary DOWN: Indie Rock Music in the PRC is truly about.

Battleship is pretty much everything you want (read: I want) in a summer blockbuster: Rihanna, aliens, OK CGI, cheesy dialogue, summer tan sweat, a reunion of Friday Night Lights, & Rihanna.  Before we get into the complexities of this film, let me just briefly let know what it’s about: The film opens with NASA sending a signal through deep space to let Planet-G (an Earth-like planet far far away) know about us, all the meanwhile some nerd is saying “THis ISss A BAdd IdeA”. Cut to > Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgard; they are in a lifelong relationship, and even though they truely love each other, Taylor can’t seem to get things together, so to get him on the right track Alex recruits him to the navy where they can be together 4ever. Taylor has a big ego so he needs a beard…it’s Brooklyn Dekker. She adds big tits and blonde hair to Battleship..Oh and she’s Liam Neeson’s daughter (He’s the Admiral) . Anyways, the NASA signal makes connect and 5 alien ships head towards Earth to scout our planet and eventually try and signal back to the homeland to let them know that they can come on over and take over.

After BATTLESHIP, I needed to see another film Taylor Kitsch was born to star in: JOHN CARTER. This CGI heavy sci-fi action film really nails it by showcasing that when you’re magically transported to mars by some god like minions, it’s easy to adapt, you’ll be able to jump real high and a lot, and you’ll become celebrated hero.  You will also meet another beautiful wife material princess, and befriend a fast mutt. If you need a life boost, JOHN CARTER is the movie for you, it will help you see the person you will become..on MARS.

AHHH! I seriously cannot believe how much Whedon their has been in my life lately. From the Buffy reruns that air everyday on MUCH MUSIC, to Cabin In The Woods, and now The Avengers, Joss is all I can/want to think about :)

JOSS WHEDON IS A GENIUS,  a clever cult genius. It’s actually kinda strange (in a good way) that we’re getting so much Joss in our lives considering mostly everything he does is not well received by the average overweight American public…BIG SHOCK! But thankfully Paramount and Marvel Studios have faith in him to write and direct not only the best blockbuster of the summer, but one of the greatest superhero movies OF ALL TIME.

Originally set for release in 2009, through MGM Studios, but because of bankruptcy issues, it’s been thrown around so many times through development hell up until now.  Joss Whedon’s Cabin In The Woods could not have came out at a better time to coincide with the hype for the major epic super awesome summer blockbuster, The Avengers, and to make this cult icon a soon to be a household name.  In true Whedon fashion, you have no idea what you’re in for, but I guarantee it’s a hilariously gory ride into the unknown.

At first glance Jiro Dreams of Sushi seems like a movie about, well, sushi, but not too far underneath the surface it’s actually a story about dedication and hard work.  85 year old Jiro Ono is the worlds best sushi as art as food chef in the world, with 3 Michelin stars, because of his dedicated to the craft at a very young age (9), and of course because of his sheer talent. If you’re thinking about flying to Japan for Jiro, you might want to think about it a few months in advance; to get a seat at his 10 seat restaurant underground there is a 2 month to a year wait list, and the starting price for a meal that will last about 15 minutes, will run you about 30 000 YEN (~$375).   The beautiful cinematography done by director David Gelb has you watering at the mouth, almost as if you can taste the juicy pieces.  When each piece is served and you can see the juices and the slight movement of the sushi move on the freshly cleaned plate, the taste is right at your fingertips and you can see the perfection that has gone into each and every piece.

Here’s the trailer for Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson’s new epic documentary Samsara., a sorta sequal to their 1992, film Baraka.  If you haven’t seen Baraka, it’s about life, the planet, nature, technology, and past civilizations.  Just like Baraka, Samsara has no plot, no and no dialogue, just beautiful shots relating to different aspects of the world shot completely on 70mm film, in over 25 countries.  Basically, this a movie that either needs to be seen on an IMAX screen or on a home projector, projecting a 1080p resolution.
Samsara  first screened at TIFF in 2011 and will be getting an official release this August.

Below, we’ve embedded Baraka in full. The best way to enjoy this if you don’t have a 1080p projector or even access to HIGH DEF, is to get comfy and smoke your brains out.

It’s Friday the 13th, and obviously tonight you’re gonna want to watch a horror movie…right? If you decide you want to get spooked tonight, sit back and plug in french film Martyrs (2008) by Pascal Laugier. Martyrs not only will having you gripping the side of the couch, it will also allow you to reflect on what it means to transcend, and how you can potentially get there. Martyrs moves very quickly with new twists happening what seems like every 15 minutes, so the best way to go into this film is exactly how I did…with little information and the mentality that “this horror movie isn’t gonna take me there *sigh*”. Oh and before we go any further, you have to know that this movie is EXTREMELY VIOLENT & FULL OF GORE. ENJOY :)

With an estimated budget for $100 million you would think The Hunger Games wouldn’t have come off so…cheap. Don’t get me wrong, the film is a brilliant portrayal of the book, and does an amazing job at highlighting the cruel dystopian world Katniss and co. live in, but where the film really falls short is the portrayal of the Capital, and the people who keep the districts in check.

Its been 13 years since American Pie hit theaters, and maybe because I was 13 young and dumb, and about to head off into High School, but I remember American Pie being the funniest movies of ALL TIME portraying an completely accurate idea of exactly what High School was going to be like. OBVIOUSLY it wasn’t. University was a little more similar. Regardless, American Reunion hits theaters April 6, and its gonna be a blast. Jim and boys are back, but the most exciting cast members to see back on the silver screen are Tara Reid and Natasha Lyonne. Last I Heard of Natasha was she was smoking crack on the streets of New York, and Tara was still…well being Vicki 24/7. Check out the Red Band trailer below.

Levi Strauss & Co. has been around since 1853.  Levi’s is known today as the leader and creator of jeans, but what you may not know is when they starting producing workwear, they had no idea they were going to be creating a pair of workwear we today know as jeans.   Levi’s As America: A Riveting Icon is a 45 minute documentary exploring the to beginning of the company, which is still being heavily researched, and how they have become the most recognizable, and sought after brand in the world.