This week I chose a tag to conquer on Netflix: Canadian. In the USA, this tag did not exist, so it caught my eye. Even more so when I noticed that there were less than a hundred movies under the tag! Strange. So began my journey into Canadian cinematography.
First Winter (1982): This short little docudrama follows an Irish Gaelic family through their first winter in Canada.
Short and to the point, it shows the hardships that were faced during that time period during the winter. Definitely worth a watch. (4 of 5)
Crowsnest (2012): This flick was directed by Brenton Spencer and written by John Sheppard. It follows a group of friends on what they thought would be a fun camping trip, until they encounter a group of cannibals. This movie is filmed in the "found film" style, as if recorded as a documentary. A fun watch from start to finish, with plenty of gore to quench the soul, if you can ignore the somewhat cheesy acting. (3 of 5)
NotBad (2013): Ok, so I clicked this one because it was super short (30 minutes) and it had neat artwork on the cover. I didn't even bother reading what it was about. Turns out, it's a little documentary following some bikers from Canada on their journey to New Zealand. It's directed by Anthill Films. I'm not much for this sport, but I dug the artwork that they cleverly included throughout the little film. I don't think I can accurately give this a rating….so I won't.
Universe (1960): Wow, this little documentary was so inspiring. It focuses on an observatory in Toronto in 1960, showing how they take pictures of the galaxy. They give a good little overview of all of the planets. More than anything though, the black and white pictures of the planets and galaxy is what reeled me in and kept me watch. Amazing. Absolutely stunning. Kinda hipster-y, if you're into that kinda thing. (4 of 5)
Meltdown (2013): Another documentary. This one gives an in depth look at what really happened in the Fukushima nuclear plant during the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Terrifying to see how easy it is to fuck up an entire city with one little mishap. An interesting watch, with cheesy reenactments. (3.5 of 5)
Skinwalkers (2006): Jesus Christ, man. They always say "don't say anything if you can't say anything nice", so I think I'll take that approach with this one. Just save yourself 2 hours and don't even click on this movie. Don't be fooled by the cool movie poster. (Although it is amusing to see the coach from Goon as a cheesy werewolf.) (0.5 of 5)
The Shrine (2010): A nicely directed little horror film, with decent acting, and an intriguing story. The ending seemed rushed, but otherwise, it was worth the watch! Creepy faces are my weakness, and there were plenty of them to spare in here. (3 of 5)
