A man with neurofibromatosis undergoes an experimental procedure to cure his disfigured appearance in A Different Man. Edward (Sebastian Stan) is an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis, resulting in disfiguring tumours on his face. Edward lives a lonely life in an apartment complex, though he is treated with kindness by his new neighbour Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), …
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Prisoners rehabilitate themselves as members of a theatre program in Sing Sing. John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo) is a prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and a founding member of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre program at the prison. Before their latest production directed by Brent Buell (Paul Raci), the RTA brings on …
An actor recovering from his addictions experiences disruptive behaviour as he shoots a demonic possession film in The Exorcism. Anthony Miller (Russell Crowe) is a down-on-his-luck actor recovering from a drug and alcohol addiction that has left him in an estranged relationship with his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins). Anthony is hired by director Peter (Adam …
UPDATE: Since I originally wrote this review, it has come to my attention that director Morgan Neville utilized A.I. technology to recreate Anthony Bourdain’s voice for the film’s narration. This, of course, raises some serious ethical concerns and it does recontextualize the documentary somewhat. However, my original thoughts on the film remain unedited below. The …
David Arquette tries to redeem himself to the world of professional wrestling in You Cannot Kill David Arquette. In 2000, while promoting the film Ready to Rumble, David Arquette was infamously booked to win the WCW World Championship. This move ended up infuriating the wrestling world and stalling Arquette’s acting career. Nearly two decades later, …
Two brothers join a special acting agency to take down a cult in Special Actors. Kazuto (Kazuto Osawa) has aspirations to become an actor but has a problem of frequently fainting while under stress. One day Kazuto is reunited with his younger brother Hiroki (Hiroki Kono), who introduces Kazuto to the “Special Actors” agency, which …
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon head to Greece for their fourth culinary adventure in The Trip to Greece. Marking a decade of culinary excursions, Steve and Rob set off to follow the path of Odysseus in Greece for an Observer article, this time written by Rob instead of the career-focused Steve. However, during the trip, Steve …
A man searches for a lost love in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Luo Hongwu (Huang Jue) returns home to Kaili for his father’s funeral. While there, Luo decides to search for his old love Wan Qiwen (Tang Wei), who continues to haunt him. His search eventually leads him to a festival in a small …
The correspondence between a child actor and TV celebrity changes both of their lives in The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. In 2006, 11 year old child actor Rupert Turner (Jacob Tremblay) is shocked by the news that his favourite actor John F. Donovan (Kit Harington) was found dead at the age of 29. A …
The story behind the making of the infamous “so bad, it’s good” cult classic The Room is told in The Disaster Artist. Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) is an aspiring actor living in San Francisco. During an acting class in 1998, Greg meets the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and is struck by his fearless stage presence. They two …
Two friends have trouble making a film about a man who kills his dog in Modern Classic. Jono (Jonathon M.B. Hunter) is trying to find funding to make his black and white art film Doldrums, starring his friend Dave (David Grimes) as a drunk who accidentally killed his dog. When their efforts to pitch to producers …
BBC journalist Louis Theroux sets out to make a film about Scientology in My Scientology Movie. The Church of Scientology is probably one of the most controversial organizations in the world. Combining spirituality and technology, Scientology is most well-known for the number of celebrities among its membership, most infamously Tom Cruise. Louis Theroux and director John Dowler set …
Adam Nimoy pays tribute to the life and career of his famous father in For the Love of Spock. Leonard Nimoy had been acting since the early 1950s, when he was cast by Gene Roddenberry to play the Vulcan Spock in the 1966 series Star Trek. Spock quickly became one of the most popular characters …
An improv troupe puts an an annual comedy event in honour of their mentor in Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon. When he died in 1999, Del Close was a mostly unknown figure in comedy, even though he influenced and mentored multiple comedy superstars, such as Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Robin Williams, Tina …
BBC journalist Louis Theroux sets out to make a film about Scientology in My Scientology Movie. The Church of Scientology is probably one of the most controversial organizations in the world. Combining spirituality and technology, Scientology is most well-known for the number of celebrities among its membership, most infamously Tom Cruise. Louis Theroux and director John Dowler …
Previously unreleased recordings of Marlon Brando narrate the story of his career in Listen to Me Marlon. Throughout his lifetime, Marlon Brando kept an archive of over 200 hours of personal audio recordings. These recordings are used to get inside the notoriously reclusive actor’s head, as he provides a reflection on his career, as well …
From filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel) comes this dark comedy about a past his prime actor trying to prove himself. Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is a former Hollywood movie star, who was famous two decades ago for playing a superhero named “Birdman.” Riggan is trying to prove himself as a serious actor by directing and …
Sarah Polley has been in the spotlight for pretty much her entire life. She began as a child actress and is known by many for her role on the CBC series Road to Avonlea. As an adult, she was one known for mostly indie and Canadian films (aside from a starring role in Zack Snyder’s …
I am not going to waste too much of my energy talking about this “film,” which has ended up being my least favourite of Hot Docs. So, James Franco was shooting a guest role on General Hospital and there was some behind the scenes footage shot. According to the introduction by the co-director, there wasn’t really …