Update: Toronto Film Festival
Coverage of TIFF 2008 from three sources. First, Indie Wire clocks in with this report, including some choice quotes from Religulous creators Larry Charles and Bill Maher:
“Borat” director Larry Charles and comedian Bill Maher take on the final sacred cow by tapping their irreverance to stroke the slippery slope of skepticism when it comes to the God issue in their film, “Religulous.” Maher travels to some of the holiest sights in the world for some of the biggest names in monotheism: Jerusalem, Vatican City and Salt Lake City to openly polarize and debunk what Maher sees as the ridiculousness of religion.
“I say I’m a ‘rationalist.’ I don’t like the word ‘atheist.’ It’s too dogmatic. I don’t say there’s no God, I don’t [ultimately] know… A ‘rationalist’ is someone who bases their thinking on rational thought based on scientific evidence,” said Maher Sunday afternoon in Toronto about his personal view on faith. “We’ve become the Woodward and Bernstein of religion,” joked Charles. “We want to destroy the whole system…”
Next the Gray Lady takes a musical slant on the festival here:
Over the last three days parties celebrated movies that were intended as much to be heard as seen. “It Might Get Loud,” a documentary about the electric guitar and what it becomes in the hands of Jimmy Page, Bono and Jack White, had a Friday night bash. “Every Little Step,” a documentary about the musical “A Chorus Line,” held a dance party (naturally) on Saturday, while “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” a film about teenage love and the modern version of the perfect mix tape, rented the Tattoo Rock Parlour club in downtown Toronto a few hours later.
Finally Alex Billington from First Showing provides this movie fan’s perspective:
There is one quick story I’ve got to tell. I never actually got a press pass. I didn’t get one last year either, and I’m not entirely sure why, but this year they gave me a reason. After telling me that I am allowed to write whatever I want about their fest, I was told that because I wrote negatively about Toronto last year (calling it very unorganized, which it still is), I wasn’t allowed to get a press pass this year. What happened to freedom of speech? Once I flew out here I realized that I could just pick up an “industry” pass, so for $700 I was able to get pass that gave me the same access. I probably won’t be able to pay my rent this month, but at least I’m able to attend Toronto like I should be attending it — and that’s what counts the most.
How about that photo up top — Jack White, the Edge and Jimmy Page. Being an old rocker myself, can’t wait to see that doc “It Might Get Loud.” Which, of course, brings to mind that great bit of dialogue from This Is Spinal Tap (1984):
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and…
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it’s louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it’s one louder, isn’t it? It’s not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don’t know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don’t you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.