I thought I would change it up a bit… Today, I bring you a list of my top 10 Holiday movies as a recommendation for anyone looking for something to watch tonight.

10. Rankin/Bass Christmas Shorts

9. Miracle on 34th Street

8. White Christmas

7. Elf

6. Home Alone

5. A Christmas Story

4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

3. Scrooged

2. Love, Actually

1. It’s A Wonderful Life

and as a bonus… just because I didn’t want to make it an uneven list…..

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Plot Synopsis:
“This isn’t a love story, this is a story about love,” being the tagline for this film, pretty much sums up the entire plot. Tom still believes, even in today’s cynical society, that love can change, consume and conquer all. Summer, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in any of that, but Tom won’t let that change anything. He pursues her endlessly, falling in love with not only Summer, but the very idea of love and how it might be able to change people and the world, regardless of the odds.

Cast:
Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Geoffrey Arend

Director:
Mark Webb

Review:
500 Days of Summer is like a fairy tale gone wrong… but in a good way. I have never seen any movie that so eloquently captures what it’s like to have your heart completely and utterly broken in 2009. In those 500 days, we are allowed to view the beginning, middle and end to a relationship, and anyone who has ever loved someone knows what that looks like.

The soundtrack is absolutely fabulous with songs from The Smiths, She & Him, Regina Spektor, etc… You really feel the emotions that Tom is going through throughout the film strictly because the music is so perfectly matched with all of the scenes.

The cinematography and writing were absolutely beautiful, and probably my favourite part of the entire film. The split screen between Tom’s reality and his expectations in a particular scene, the dance sequence, the colours, everything.. it was just beautiful to look at. I especially liked the fact that, in terms of colour scheme, they stuck to one colour, blue, which really brought the entire film together, visually.

500 Days of Summer is one of my favourite films of all time, and not because it’s a Citizen Kane or a Godfather, but because it’s so real. And any movie that allows you to relate to it so well, has to be given a chance. So go see it!!!!

Rating:
5/5

By the way, heres a link to a short video that Zooey and Joseph made for the film, with music from She & Him in the background.

Oooh what a night!! Yes, everyone Thursday May 14^th was the night… the Opening Nite Gala of the 19^th Annual LGBT Film Festival of Toronto. Even though I did say Gala which equals PARTAY it was still a Film Festival.

So the night began with a double feature; the first movie The Island was a short by Home-grown talent Trevor Anderson. The short was one to remember… combined with animation it brought to life a fan mail he once received. The Island explored in quite the humorous fashion… A utopia shall we say where all is well for gay men… Where one is free to roam, do as one feels and wishes… A quintessential Fag Island as Trevor put it himself.

The feature film was Patrik, Age 1.5... LOVE IT, LOVE IT, AND LOVE IT!! This film really did it for me… It’s a Swedish film directed by Ella Lemhagen whom I must say truly captured the trials and tribulations of a homosexual relationship. The film explores a marriage between Goran and Sven who are a happily married urban professional couple, who give it all up for a life in Suburbia where they hope to raise a family. The couple fights its way through the BS to get the family they’ve always wanted… But hopes and dreams become unravelled when the family they thought would be ideal isn’t. The relationship begins to decay when they learn the child they were promised age 1.5 was a pipe-dream… only to be given a 15 yr old Patrik, who’s got a bad attitude and an even rougher past. The stress and disruption of the new life with Patrik puts a rift between the couple, one that is too deep to pass and Sven leaves Goran. Despite all the challenges faced by the characters in the end everyone finds what they have been looking for.

And off we went to the Gala after party, held at the best venue ever The Bata Shoe Museum. Two of my faves; shoes and parties… Doesn’t get any better. The venue spilled with people from all angles some mingled and took in the shoes (sorry I was drooling) while others spent the night sipping on wine from Barefoot. Now, it was time to CUT SOME RUG, which would be my personal fave…

The night’s soundtrack was supplied by a leading force in the Canadian scene, DJ Deko-ze, voted as one of the best T.O. DJs . The non-stop tunes came out one after another from good ol’ bump n hustle, to disco anthems… that had me spinning on the dance floor (and yea that was me that fell).

One of the best moments of the night for me was getting to see the renowned Mark Payne perform. In true fashion he was dolled from head to toe looking like a walking ball of Hollywood glitz and glamour, the entrance was priceless as he shimmed down the staircase, intriguing the crowd with every step and song note bellowed. All I can say is… Ooooh what a night.. and yes LGBT knows how to PARTAY!!!