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In the fourth year of this series, expect me to interview filmmakers 补苍诲听photograph film and TV productions --聽Fifty Shades of Grey, Age of Adaline,聽Once Upon a Time, Arrow, Supernatural, Bates Motel聽and our own聽颁辞苍迟颈苍耻耻尘听补苍诲听Motive聽-- which showcase our city and sometimes put a celebrity actor or two in the frame. Find out more on my daily blog聽. |
How can 麻豆传媒映画filmmaker A. J. Bond and actor David Amito still be friends after withstanding days of psychological torture at the hands of the other?聽Stress Position聽is no Kenny vs Spenny (a comic Canadian series where two friends competed against each other with the loser performing a humiliating act). Even though there are rules --聽1. No severe pain. 2. No permanent physical damage. 3. Nothing illegal -- I was shocked at how bad it got. It's not clear how much of their suffering is performance art in their stylized white聽鈥渢orture chamber鈥�, with a steel mesh sculpture as the centre piece, but their reactions to sleeplessness, waterboarding, being forced to defecate on oneself and intimate psychological torture seemed real and true. S
Stress Position is nominated for seven Leo Awards next weekend, including Best B.C. Motion Picture, Best Director for A.J. Bond, Best Lead Performance for David Amito and Best Cinematography for Amy Bell,聽plus three other nominations.
This weekend's other dark and twisted 麻豆传媒映画offering,聽Cruel & Unusual, has its share of psychological torture but is nowhere near as raw. A teacher (David Raymond-Peck) married to one of his former English-language students finds himself in an AA-style purgatory filmed in Coquitlam's Riverview Hospital: forced to attend meetings and make declarations of his guilt alongside other presumed killers (Michael Eklund, Richard Harmon & Michelle Harrison) while re-living the death of his wife Maylon (Bernadette Saquibal) for eternity. Is he responsible? At the beginning of the film, our schlub doesn't know what's happening to him and neither do we -- what is the significance of the Langley tree? -- but the film comes to satisfying conclusion with elements of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest along the way.
From Vancouver聽writer-director Merlin Dervisevic, this debut feature is nominated for four Leo Awards next weekend, including Best Supporting Performance for Michelle Harrison.
