Falling into old habits

24 hours just isn't enough. I often fall into the whole "work, life, balance" water cooler conversation. Why? Because it's bullshit. 12 hours a day, 60 hours a week and I still go home feeling guilty that I'm not a "team player", working the weekend like all the other keener newbies in the office.

Fortunately the fall season has begun and I'm about to deluge my brain with television, weird indie dramas, and rush seats to random plays or exhibits. Continuing my boycott on all gyms, which only serve to make me feel like I'm either a) wasting money for not going b)shitty for my old sweats and dirty sneakers and c) irritated when some ***hole is taking too long on the machines in front of me. Eat less and cut out sugar. Gave me the same result after years of running like a hamster on the treadmill.

Great finds...

11 Flowers (above): One of the best films to debut at TIFF, made by the celebrated filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai (Beijing Bicycle). A personal, quality film that reminded me of Stand by Me (although very different). An 11 year old boy becomes entangled in a local crime during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

We Need to Talk about Kevin: Tilda Swinton's oscar calibre role in Lionel Shriver's raw, haunting tale of a mother's love for her murderous son.

Drive: Ryan Gosling continues his winning streak with this moody action flick.

Most anticipated flick of the year? Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.. only annoy aspect of the film is the name.

TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) has turned into a bit of an over-bloated greedy pig ($22 for a BLOODY TICKET??? WTF is that?) with the line ups, hiked prices for flicks that come out in theatres in a few weeks, and annoying fans. The best part? The foreign selection that most never get access to and energetic vibrant hum of the audience.

I'm starting to get nauseated from all the gossip mongering from friends and co-workers about celebs and parties that are rockin' all over town.

It's like a broken record.

The hype is in full force, from The Town, Buried, Conviction, Little White Lies, Waiting for Superman, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and of course The King's Speech... Oscar buzz is hard to avoid as people hover around the Yorkville area hoping for a glimpse of the pampered elite and infamous.

Ever feel let down from critics raving over EVERY bloody film out there? That's all I'm hearing... "It was fantastic, what an unbelievable film blah blah blah." In a way, that's Toronto's problem. They love EVERYTHING! It's like the anti-Cannes who hates everything but shit that makes you want to kill yourself.

I'm trying to avoid a repeat of watching too many dee-pressing Oscar fare in a short period of time. The intense drama can make you want to climb over the railing, plunging into the abyss if you aren't careful. Gotta mix. Scary crap, kleenex fare, docs that get you pissed off, and stories that make you pee a little. Now that's a great festival.

I saw Easy A and The Town, both a bit overrated for my taste. Julia's Eyes and I Saw the Devil next... From slashfilm.com a DC comic tribute to Calvin and Hobbes. You can read it on imgur.

film and stars

Toronto is a glow with the up and coming Film Festival and for once I actually won a contest to attend!

Pity I'm up to my bloody neck in work and probably won't be able to go to most of them. While every nerd "casually hangs out" at popular celebrity restaurants to star watch I'll be avoiding those spots like the plague.

If you've ever lived in T.O. like I have, most of those restaurants are a bore, and even worse, attract people who are annoying as hell. Actors for the most part are just regular people who fight and bitch about getting better lines to say, and worry about screen time.

There are of course those popular, hyped films like Black Swan, Biutiful, 127 Hours... but why wait in a long line up paying DOUBLE the price of the ticket when the film is going to come out in the next month? Idiotic. The festival has exploded, with climbing ticket costs and larger crowds. B-O-R-I-N-G!

If you're going to see something, see a flick that will likely get a limited release or none at all. After all... isn't that why you go to the film festival, to see a wider, more eclectic variety of cinema? Unfortunately Studio Ghibli's film THE BORROWERS will not be showcased in Toronto...

On a more interesting front, Jonathan Stroud is out with his newest novel, Heroes of the Valley.

Title? Mediocre. I heard it's a slower read but not half bad... next on my list!