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Toronto Readers! Edgar Wright Takes Over The Bloor Cinema!!!

Published at:  Feb 25, 2009 12:49:19 AM CST

Beaks here...



One of the benefits of Edgar Wright hanging out in your city for an extended period of time? He'll commandeer your local repertory house and screen a load of classic movies!

This Saturday (February 28th), Edgar will fire up the Great White North variation on his popular "Wright Stuff" festival with a double feature of SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ (and, as an extra enticement, the uncut "Don't" trailer from GRINDHOUSE). From there, he'll offer up some of the same titles he screened in L.A. over a year ago (RIKI-OH, HEAD, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE), while mixing in stuff that makes me want to hop a plane to Toronto tomorrow. THE WANDERERS and THE WARRIORS back-to-back? I'm always up for Walter Hill's live-action comic book on the big screen (few movies play better with an audience), but it's not often that you get to check out Phillip Kaufman's still underrated teenage street gang drama (based on Richard Price's must-read first novel). So jealous.

According to the below press release, Edgar will be doing introductions and post-film Q&As for the February 28th and March 1st screenings. And there's a possibility he'll attend more if he can tear himself away from that SCOTT PILGRIM flicker he's directing. Enjoy, you bastards.





Edgar Wright coming to Bloor Cinema

Shaun of the Dead filmmaker curating series Feb. 28-Apr. 12


Following its successful Kevin Smith Fest, the Bloor Cinema is proud to announce that filmmaker Edgar Wright (director/co-writer, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) will be presenting The Wright Stuff, a selection of his favourite movies every week from March 1st through April 12th.

Visit http://www.bloorcinema.com and http://edgarwrighthere.com/the-wright-stuff-toronto/ for further details.

Wright, currently in town shooting the Toronto-set Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley), has chosen a diverse collection of films, from kung fu classics (Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer, Jackie Chan's Drunken Master 2) to semi-forgotten musical treasures (Busby Berkeley's Dames, The Monkees' Head) to Torontopocalypse nightmares (David Cronenberg's The Brood, Don McKellar's Last Night). The Bloor will also be showing a double bill of Wright's own films on Saturday, February 28th, and a marathon of his TV series Spaced (originally broadcast from 1999-2001 on the UK 's Channel 4) on Sunday, March 22nd.

Wright will be introducing and doing Q&As following the February 28th and March 1st screenings, and will also attend the others, his schedule permitting.

Single movie tickets are $8 for Bloor Cinema members and $11 for non-members. Double bills are $14 for members and $17 for non-members. (Non-member prices include a six-month Bloor membership.)

A pass for all screenings is $90, or $75 if not including Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Pass-holders receive priority seating and 10% off Silver Snail products from the merchandise table set up at various screenings. Passes are available in advance via TOtix (http://totix.ca), Silver Snail, and the Bloor Cinema box office.


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

7:00 Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

Wright and star Simon Pegg send a bloody valentine to George Romero and the resurgent popularity of zombie movies, giving the genre a wry British twist.

9:30 Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)

Wright and Pegg reteamed to pay manly homage to action movies, pondering what would happen if a little Michael Bay ADD carnage were injected into a village in the English countryside.

Edgar says, "Watching my two films in other countries is always a trip. Both are weirdly very personal to me: the first being a love/hate letter to London , and in the second I gleefully tear up my very own home town. Clearly I have issues.

"I shall also be bringing an uncut version of DON'T, which features at least seven extra utterances of 'Don't!'"

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

7:00 Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, 2001)

Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) broke through in North America with this kung fu comedy that plays like a live-action cartoon.

9:30 Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (Ngai Kai Lam, 1991)

Based on the manga by Masahiko Takajo and Saruwatari Tetsuya, this comically brutal film is probably best known in North America as the source of the head-crushing clip played nightly on The Daily Show and The Late Late Show during their respective Craig Kilborn eras.

Edgar says, "What a double. Shaolin Soccer blew my mind back in 2001 and deserves even more recognition in the Western world as the magical, hilarious crowd pleaser it is. And as for Riki-Oh, if you haven't seen it before prepare for sheer, bloody awesomeness. You won't believe your peepers. Anyone who has seen it before, is already in line."

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

7:00 The Wanderers (Philip Kaufman, 1979)

Ken Wahl and Karen Allen star in this New York gang film from the director of The Right Stuff and Henry & June.

9:30 The Warriors (Walter Hill, 1979)

This bizarre update of The Odyssey tells the story of the titular posse making its back way home through the territories of rival gangs.

Edgar says, "In 1979, not one but two colourful New York gang films were born. One was a period piece, Philip Kaufman's fantastic 60s-set The Wanderers, and the other is now a period piece, the colourful, incendiary The Warriors. Both are rightly considered cult classics. Come along to both, and argue about which gang is harder: the Baseball Furies or the Ducky Boys. Please: no slashing seats."

COMPLETE LIST OF THE WRIGHT STUFF SCREENINGS:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

7:00 Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

9:30 Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

7:00 Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, 2001)

9:30 Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (Ngai Kai Lam, 1991)

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

7:00 The Wanderers (Philip Kaufman, 1979)

9:30 The Warriors (Walter Hill, 1979)

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

9:45 Head (Bob Rafelson, 1968)

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

7:00 Dames (Ray Enright & Busby Berkeley, 1934)

9:00 Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma, 1974)

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

5:00 Spaced Marathon (Edgar Wright, 1999-2001)

SUNDAY, APRIL 5

7:00 Kung Fu film TBA

9:30: Drunken Master 2 (Chia-Liang Liu, 1994)

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

7:00 The Brood (David Cronenberg, 1979)

9:00 Last Night (Don McKellar, 1998)



    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:05:06 PM CST

    First

    by kid idioteque

    Cool stuff like this never happens in my city.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:05:13 PM CST

    I love Toronto.

    by derlanghaarige

    Greatest city in the world. I wish I would live there. In general and not just to witness events like this.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:12:41 PM CST

    Toronto really is a great city.

    by lonegun

    Torontonians love their movies, too. And not just the common multiplex stuff. They populate the repertoire cinemas, frequent independent and foreign film screenings and have loads of cool alternative movie rental shops. My kind of place.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:17:49 PM CST

    Toronto

    by lochkray

    And they have a giant phallic symbol right in the middle of their downtown - Right beside a sports stadium that has striking similarities to a vagina!!! I don't know if that makes it my kind of city, but man, it catches your attention.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:22:27 PM CST

    Toronto Film Fest Midnight Madness there was great

    by stormwatcher

    Saw Bubba HoTep there with the MAN and Mickey Rourke for Spun. What a great time. The only slighlty marginal memory is the 4 Feathers.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:28:09 PM CST

    Bloor Cinema

    by xon50

    I'm suprised nothing has been said on the boards about this earlier. Especially since this has been announced for about 2 or 3 weeks now. Edgar opened for Kevin Smith at his Q&A and also was highly advertised during the Kevin Smith festival at the Bloor.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 3:31:58 PM CST

    And Toronto is full of nice people!

    by derlanghaarige

    Pretty much everytime I looked at the map to find out where the fuck I was, someone came to me and asked me if I needed help and began to chat with me without stealing my money bag or stabbing me in the throat. They seriously just wanted to help! Can you imagine that? I try to cross a street and suddenly an old lady starts talking to me (long hair, dressed in black) about the nice weather!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 4:18:52 PM CST

    Phantom is fucking awesome!

    by stuntcock mike

  • Feb 24, 2009 4:32:31 PM CST

    The party of the first part gives the party of

    by thepilgrim

    The second part, and his associates full power to with him at their pleasure, to rule, to send, to fetch, or carry him or his, be it either body, soul, flesh, blood or goods.
    "All articles which have been excluded shall be deemed included"
    Phantom Of The Paradise rules!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 4:34:19 PM CST

    SHHH!

    by adelai niska

    I don't have tickets yet. Don't go inviting other people to buy them all up!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 4:40:58 PM CST

    "PHOEEEENIXXXXXXXX"

    by stuntcock mike

  • Feb 24, 2009 5:25:51 PM CST

    i was in that theater about a year ago

    by robamenta

    and watched 2001. it was a total hoot. a couple of hicks in front of me were incredibly frustrated by the film, untill they stormed off about 20 min into the movie..i think they were expecting star wars laser blasts and explosions or something! it was hilarious..i mean how could you not know what 2001 is?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 5:52:46 PM CST

    Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!!!!!

    by mistahtibbs

    I'm working nights....
    damn.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 5:56:04 PM CST

    Lockray!

    by mistahtibbs

    Re: a giant phallic symbol...see if you can find the Frantics' classic sketch where the architect of the CN Tower is interviewed and when asked for his inspiration states, "a big dick... ...you know, a hardon so big even Rochester could get off on it."
    Damn, I loved their comedy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 5:58:41 PM CST

    ...oh, and the classic Frantics' song...

    by mistahtibbs

    ..."You Scare the Shit Out of Me."
    It's the only song I can play and sing in its entirety on the guitar.
    Oh, and I wish I wasn't working this weekend because I'd have tickets baby.
    shit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 6:20:28 PM CST

    I live literally a 5 minute subway ride away...

    by vanchimera

    ...I'm going to do my best to attend at least a couple flicks. Should be good times.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 24, 2009 8:17:02 PM CST

    So convinced that Wright should be directing that POTP redo.

    by anna valerious

    I really do hope DePalma's aware of this. (And I know that Paul Williams is ALREADY aware of it, seeing as he was the guest for the LA screening.) And hell, I've been watching a lot of "Spaced"...even though I still think Noel Fielding would make a great Winslow/Phantom...that would sing. (If you don't know who I'm talking about, wait until "The Mighty Boosh" shows up on Adult Swim.)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 25, 2009 1:20:25 AM CST

    kevin Smith chilled at the bloor for 3 nights 2 weeks ago

    by thedark0knight

    ill def be there for this.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 25, 2009 1:52:53 AM CST

    Im going

    by burgerking

    To see Wright's movies and to see The Warriors. AWESOME

    Reply to Talkback

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