Bind. A preview of WIFF 2010 ao your Canadian pride by attending the 10“ Whistler International Film Festival The aero By Angela Espinoza, Arts Reviewer Canada, particularly Vancouver and Toronto, should be proud of holding the title “Hollywood North”. On one hand, our film industry continues to flourish, despite the occasional bankruptcy. But on the other hand, we’re repeatedly snubbed in terms of a film’s story actually taking place in Canada. For example, despite the numerous unedited BC license plates, apparently Hot Tub Time Machine takes place in the fictional Kodiak Valley. Either way, Canada has established a respectable film community — and yet, I bet you didn’t know there was a Whistler International Film Festival. Yes, surprisingly, this year will be the 10" anniversary of the Whistler International Film Festival (WIFF). In past years, WIFF has showcased a variety of Canadian premieres, such as Tom Ford’s Academy Award- nominated A Single Man (2009) and The Trotsky (2009), filmed in Montreal. There are also a number of awards handed out each year of varying cash prizes ranging from $500 to $15,000. If this amount seems low, keep in mind that many of the contests are limited to (mostly) independent Canadian films. Also remember that any decent filmmaker can make gold from even several thousand dollars. This year’s WIFF line-up is once again short but sweet, as they will be showing well over fifty films. Two pieces worth mentioning are directed by Ontario’s Bruce ~~» ~~ [< debatable whether or not 6 McDonald; they are Trigger and the long-awaited sequel to Hard Core Logo (1996). In Trigger, we see Molly Parker and Tracy Wright (1958-2010) portray two ex-rockers who, after twelve years, rekindle their friendship and remember the chaotic good times. In Hard Core Logo 2, fourteen years after the original punk- themed dramedy, Bruce takes his mockumentary stance in a different direction. This time, he’s focusing on a real Canadian punk band — Die Mannequin. Lead singer Care Failure has apparently channeled the spirit of Hard Core Logo’s Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon), which leads Bruce and his team to track her down in a mental hospital. Several films that played at this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival will also be shown at WIFF. In case you missed it at VIFF, the highly acclaimed Incendies, selected as Canada’s entry into the 83™ Academy Awards’ Foreign Film registry, will have a single showing on December 5. The same can be said for L’amour fou, which will have two showings. L’amour fou is a documentary about the late renowned fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, whose stupendous career and life is discussed by friends and his long-time lover, Pierre Bergé. Additional pieces you might find interesting range from numerous student-made short films to an American documentary simply titled The People vs. George Lucas. The festival runs from December 1-5, and with snow soon to come, odds are you'll be up there anyway, so why not? By TK Kwon Title: Thor (Marvel Studios) What: Reckless Norse God Thor (Hemsworth) reignites an ancient war and is sentenced to live on Earth as a human as a villain in Asgard uses the dark forces in order to invade Earth. Who: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins When: May 6", 2011 Why: With many great stars in the cast, if the studio has written a favourable script this superhero movie should be one to keep an eye on. Title: X-Men: First Class (20" Century Fox) What: The popular X-Men franchise steps back to the past of how Xavier (McAvoy) and Magneto (Fassbender) worked together to combat the evil Sebastian Shaw (Bacon). Who: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon When: June 3", 2011 (tentative) Why: Planned as a trilogy, this first instalment will show whether or not a timeline shift is a welcomed move for the X-Men franchise. Title: Green Lantern (Warner Bros.) What: U.S. Air Force pilot Hal Jordan (Reynolds) becomes the first Earthling to be inducted into the Green Lantern Corps in order to combat the galactic evil known as Parallax. Who: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong When: June 17", 2011 + Why: It’s the first Green Lantern movie, I’ve been waiting for this film Top 5 comic book movies to watch for From the dark knight to the blackest night, here’s a peek at some of the es superhero movies for ages, and here’s hoping it can live up to its hype. Title: Captain America: The First Avenger (Marvel Studios) What: Steve Rogers (Evans) volunteers to participate in the U.S. Military’s top secret Super Soldier Program during World War II to combat HYDRA’s commander, the Red Skull (Weaving). Who: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell When: July 22, 2011 Why: Set as a precursor to the hyped up Avengers movie, it will be interesting to see whether or not Evans is up to the task of fleshing out the superhero who represents the red, white, and blue. Title: The Dark Knight Rises (Legendary Pictures) What: The final chapter of Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman trilogy, Batman (Bale) along with Commissioner Gordon (Oldman) aims to take down an unknown villain to keep Gotham City safe. Who: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine When: July 20", 2012 (tentative) Why: With very little information being released on the film, the script now finished and filming slated to start early next year. This film will keep fans on their toes, especially after The Dark Knight’s blockbuster release in 2008 which earned over a billion dollars worldwide. Many are hoping this film will follow up or overtake its predecessor as the best Batman film.