Happy Friday, everybody! Here’s some movie stuff you might want to know about this weekend.
But first, one of those uncomfortable worlds-colliding moments we try to acknowledge in the business.
There’s this movie, Peepers, screening at the Royal tonight through Sunday. It’s a comedy about a clique of voyeurs who peek in the windows of Montreal, and how their obsessive dynamic is disrupted by the arrival of a gung-ho grad student (Janine Theriault) who inserts herself into their midst. It’s a fun little picture, made for almost no money but boasting a talented cast and a clever script.
The thing is, one of the producers is a friend of mine – Mark Slutsky, whom I’ve known since his days as a film critic for the Montreal Mirror – so I’m leery about formally endorsing it. But if that sounds like something you would like to see, you should go and see it. Mark’s short film, Sorry, Rabbi! – which bowed at the Toronto Film Festival last month – will be playing with it, so consider that additional incentive. (The lovely and talented Jessica Paré appears in both films. Further incentive!)
Also in theatres this weekend: The Toronto Polish Film Festival, Ekran, takes over the Revue Cinema tonight through Sunday, giving some screen space to features, documentaries and shorts that would otherwise struggle for a local playdate.
The opening-night gala, Wonderful Summer (tonight, 8 pm), tells the light-hearted and very specifically Eastern European tale of a young woman (Helena Sujecka) whose ability to communicate with the dead helps her through her coming of age, while Erratum (Sunday, 6:30 pm) examines the path to a different sort of maturity, as a settled-down accountant (Tomasz Kot) finds himself back home to consider the choices he’s made on the way to becoming a husband and father. There’s plenty of other programming, as well check out the festival schedule for more details.
And if you’ve been noticing the posters for National Community Day around Cineplex theatres, no, it’s not a big-screen festival of Dan Harmon’s brilliant sitcom – which is kind of a shame, as the zombie episode would be awesome to watch with a packed house, and it’s perfectly suited to the season. Instead, Cineplex is devoting this Saturday morning to free screenings and discounted candy and soft drinks, with all proceeds donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Click here for a list of participating theatres and the films that will be screening at each one, and brace yourself for an afternoon with your hopped-up kids afterward.
