Bruce McDonald Movies
Bruce McDonald, critically acclaimed director of The Tracey Fragments, teams with author Tony Burgess to adapt Burgess' own novel about a small town in the grip of a mysterious frenzy. It may be Valentine's Day, but for caustic radio personality Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) that's just another reason to be miserable. Mazzy used to be a certified radio superstar, but working in Pontypool is a far shot from working in the big city. Today, however, as Mazzy prepares for his regular routine of reading the weather, updating school closings, and pleading his case for a little on-air controversy to producer Sydney Bryer (Lisa Houle), the appearance of an unexpected figure signals the beginning of a disturbing phenomenon in the small town of Pontypool. Heading to work, Mazzy is nearly run over by a distraught woman who seems to have lost her grip on reality. Later, reports of a shoot-out between provincial police and a group of local ice fishers are made even more bizarre by the revelation that they were all screaming gibberish, running around nude, and missing body parts. By the time a riot breaks out in Dr. Mendez's (Hrant Alianak) office, it's obvious to Mazzy that the residents of Pontypool are suffering from a strange form of contagious dementia, but what has caused this bizarre outbreak and, more importantly, how can it be stopped? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, (more)
A 15-year-old girl navigates a dangerous urban landscape in search of the brother whom she has hypnotized into believing he is a dog in director Bruce McDonald's pop-infused, 21st century variation on The Catcher in the Rye. When the viewer first meets Tracey (Juno's Ellen Page), she is sitting naked in the back of a bus with only a flimsy shower curtain to guard her from the elements. Tracey is the broken product of an unstable home; her father (Ari Cohen) regards his children as "accidents," and her catatonic mother (Erin McMurtry) only pauses from watching television long enough to light up another cigarette. Upon discovering that a botched hypnosis experiment between Tracey and her younger brother, Sonny, has left the young boy emotionally transformed into a canine, the decision is made to send Tracey to a psychiatrist. Tormented by her classmates and lost in fantasies about her boyfriend and rock & roll savior Billy Zero (Slim Twig), the emotionally complex young woman has become enamored with a new student at school who doesn't even realize she exists. Later, when Sonny disappears, Tracey takes it upon herself to locate her missing sibling and make sure that he finds his way back home. While at first it appears that benevolent rent boy Lance (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos) may be her guiding light through the darkened city streets, Tracey quickly learns that to trust is to place your life in the hands of someone who may sell you out at a moment's notice. Now naked and desperate in the middle of a labyrinthine metropolitan nightmare, Tracey makes it her mission to find Sonny no matter how harrowing her quest may become. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Page, Ari Cohen, (more)
A series of massive tidal waves decimate the entire East Coast, leading a renegade expert on man made ecological disasters and weapons of mass destruction to suspect that a force far more human than Mother Nature is at work in this terrifying mini-series starring Angus Macfayden, Tom Skerritt, and Karin Vanasse. The first wave hit the East Coast without warning, with subsequent tsunamis following in quick succession. Before long towns all along the coast have been destroyed, and scientists are at a loss to explain just where these gigantic waves originated. When top scientists fail to find a conventional explanation for the waves, renegade ecological expert John McAdams (Macfayden) is called upon to offer a hypothesis. Upon consulting with Oceanographic Institute genius Sophie Marleau (Vanasse), McAdams begins to suspect that the waves are man made disasters specifically designed to keep the population in check. After McAdams makes his suspicions public, another scientist attempts to uncover who is behind the conspiracy and is promptly murdered - leaving McAdams as the prime suspect in the killing. Later, McAdams discovers the true identity of the terrorist whose sub-aquatic nuclear missiles are holding an entire country in fear. But as the earth begins to quake and the seas begin to swell once again, it may already be too late to stop the latest attack. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angus MacFadyen, Karine Vanasse, (more)
- 2004
Joely Collins (daughter of singer Phil Collins) stars in this film about the real-life 1995 murder trial in which juror Gillian Guess began sleeping with one of the defendants. Finally getting the attention she has craved since childhood, Gillian appears on a sleazy late-night talk show to tell her tale. Through flashbacks brought on by her narrative, the audience watches as Gillian grows from a groupie to a would-be college student, bored and unfulfilled, eventually leading to the circumstances surrounding her 15 minutes of fame. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joely Collins, Hugh Dillon, (more)
- 2002
Ted (Scott Lowell) has his gay porn website, "Jerkatwork.net," up and running. While it's just live streaming video of guys pleasuring themselves, Ted naturally thought to include a "boss screen" to protect those who visit the site while they should be working. Michael (Hal Sparks) has a lot of work to do to get the comic store running smoothly, but Emmett (Peter Paige), Deb (Sharon Gless), and Vic (Jack Wetherall) are all pitching in. Michael also meets Ben (Robert Gant), a handsome professor from Carnegie Mellon who's looking for comic books with a gay subtext. When he discovers what an expert Michael is on the subject, he invites him to give a lecture to his class. Michael has many qualms about giving the lecture, but he's certainly attracted to Ben. Justin (Randy Harrison) convinces the art school to let him stay on by showing the dean some of his new work, created with the assistance of a computer. Justin and Brian (Gale Harold) are behaving more and more like a couple, but the rest of the gang don't expect that to last. Sure enough, their relationship is tested when Justin comes home to find Brian in bed with another guy. Ted turns to Emmett for help when his main "performer" quits suddenly due to Ted's miserly ways. Emmett turns out to have a surprising talent. Lindsay (Thea Gill) lets Mel (Michelle Clunie) know she's disgusted with Ted's newfound career, prompting Mel to reveal a secret about her own past. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Brian (Gale Harold) and Justin (Randy Harrison) engage in some group sex. Later, Brian's sister, Claire (Kirsten Kieferle), pays a visit and insists that Brian help her take care of their mother (Lynne Deragon). When Brian reluctantly takes his mom to church, he's a little surprised to learn that her parish priest, Reverend Tom Butterfield (John Ralston), whom she speaks of very fondly, was a participant his recent orgy. When his mother discovers that Brian is gay, she tells him he's going to Hell, and he considers shattering her illusions about her church. Ted (Scott Lowell) discovers a perk of success when he attracts the attention of Thor (David Christo) one evening at Babylon. But Ted is so exhausted from working so hard that he doesn't know if he'll be able to perform sexually. Emmett (Peter Paige) gives him some Viagra, which turns out to work a little too well. Michael (Hal Sparks) risks humiliating himself in a desperate effort to get Ben (Robert Gant) to give him another chance. He also risks damaging his relationship with Deb (Sharon Gless), who still doesn't want Michael dating a man who's HIV-positive. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Michael (Hal Sparks) decides to throw Ben (Robert Gant) a surprise birthday party, and steals his Palm Pilot so he can get phone numbers for all of Ben's friends. Despite Ben's expressed desire to celebrate quietly, Michael enlists Emmett (Peter Paige) to design a big Far East-themed soiree. Michael isn't sure whether or not to invite Debbie (Sharon Gless), who still doesn't seem to accept his relationship. Things go badly when Ben delivers an unhappy surprise of his own. Justin (Randy Harrison) is also having a birthday, but Brian (Gale Harold) lets everyone know that he doesn't believe that the mere act of being born is worthy of celebration. So Melanie (Michelle Clunie) and Lindsay (Thea Gill) cheer Justin up by taking him to a concert, where he's attracted to Ethan (Fabrizio Filippo), a hot young violin prodigy. Justin approaches Ethan after the concert, and sparks fly, but Justin breaks things off to go back to Brian, who, shamed by Debbie, has arranged a Brian-style birthday surprise for Justin. Ted (Scott Lowell), meanwhile, tries to raise Emmett's spirits by taking him to a festive gay church service. There, Ted meets Luke (Jason Knight), and they hit it off. Their relationship develops quickly, but Ted has trouble telling the saintly Luke that he runs a porn site for a living. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Canadian cult director Bruce McDonald spins this slick noir-thriller about an innocent outsider caught up in the gritty underworld of Toronto. After narrowly escaping her East End Montréal apartment getting torched by a sadistic motorcycle gang, Claire (Juliette Lewis) flees for Toronto where she believes her long lost lover Billy can help her out. Unfortunately, she knows no one else in the city, since Billy is no where to be found, and she does not speak a word of English. She soon encounters sleazy gangster Eddie (Mickey Rourke) and his tough-as-nails moll, Lily (Gina Gershon), who try to draw her into their sleazy business manners. When one of the deals turns ugly, Claire is forced to flee for her life into the heart of the city. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliette Lewis, Gina Gershon, (more)
- 1999
Canadian filmmaker James Dunnison directs this campy horror flick about a guy and his mother. Scrawny, leather-clad Phillip (Max Danger) is a misfit living in the basement of his mother's Toronto townhouse. Her bullying ways push him over the edge, and Phillip blows her away. Fortunately, he comes across an ancient ring that has the power to reanimate the dead. Unfortunately, his discovery provokes a horde of angry vampires. Between savage battles with mom and the undead, Phillip finds the time to fall for a sexy young medical receptionist (Sandra Guerard) who sports a different wig every time they meet. This film was screened at the 1999 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Danger, Sandra Guerard, (more)
- 1998
The flamboyant novelist who brought the world such deathless literary masterpieces as Valley of the Dolls and Once is Not Enough is the subject of this made-for-cable biopic. Michele Lee stars as Jacqueline Susann, a second-string actress and well-known party girl who turned to journalism after her marriage to producer Irving Mansfield (Peter Reigert). Though constantly surrounded by Show Business Glitterati, Susann would not achieve celebrity status herself until age 47, when she published the lurid best-seller Valley of the Dolls. Though outwardly giving the impression that she was tough as nails and utterly invulnerable, Susann in truth had her share of anguish and tragedy, coping with the challenge of raising an autistic son, struggling against substance abuse, and ultimately waging a long, losing battle against breast cancer. According to studio publicity, star Michele Lee (who also served as executive producer) wore some of Susann's own jewelry and wardrobe in the course of making the film. Largely based on the biography by Barbara Seaman, Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story made its USA network debut on December 9, 1998, several months before Bette Midler's theatrically released spin on the Susann legend, Isn't She Great. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michele Lee, Peter Riegert, (more)
Bruce McDonald directed this mock-documentary (and appears onscreen as himself) which looks at a veteran punk rock band taking one final stab at the big time. Singer Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon), guitarist Billy Tallent (Callum Keith Rennie), bassist John Oxenberger (John Pyper-Fergson), and drummer Pipefitter (Bernie Coulson) were the members of Hard Core Logo, a Vancouver-based rock band that was one of Canada's biggest and most influential punk outfits for the better part of a decade. Formed in 1978, Hard Core Logo broke up in 1991 after releasing seven albums and playing over a thousand shows; Joe went on to play the occasional solo gig, Billy moved to L.A. and has been sitting in with platinum-selling alternative pop band Jennifur while their guitarist tries to kick drugs, John has been putting his life back together after a severe nervous breakdown, and Pipefitter hasn't been doing much of anything. Word begins to circulate that Bucky Haight (Julian Richings), one of the seminal figures of Canadian punk and Joe's mentor, lost a leg (or maybe both) following a mysterious incident in which intruders shot him after breaking into his prairie farmhouse. Joe organizes a benefit for Bucky, with Hard Core Logo reuniting for the occasion; the show is a huge success, and Joe persuades Billy to join him, John, and Pipefitter for a five-date reunion tour to cash in on the benefit's notoriety. Billy, killing time while he waits to find out if his spot in Jennifur will become permanent, is more than a bit preoccupied, and his desire for professionalism doesn't mesh especially well with Joe's take-it-as-it-comes attitude -- especially after it becomes evident that Joe's purposes for reuniting the band weren't as benevolent as they seemed. Actual Canadian punk legends D.O.A. make a cameo appearance as one of Hard Core Logo's opening acts, and American punk godfather Joey Ramone appears briefly in a news report about the Bucky Haight benefit show. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A teacher belatedly discovers just how important his job really is in this emotional drama. Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) is a man with a deep love of music and a desire to write at least one piece of lasting significance. However, playing piano in cocktail lounges while he works on his own compositions doesn't pay the bills, so in 1965 he reluctantly accepts a job as a high school music teacher. Over the next 30 years, Holland is able to teach a great deal about both music and life to thousands of kids who pass through the various classes he leads and school bands he directs; however, he finds it easier to reach his students than his son Cole (played, as he grows older, by Nicholas John Renner, Joseph Anderson, and Anthony Natale), who is deaf, which drives a wedge between Glenn and his wife Iris (Glenne Headly). Richard Dreyfuss earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for Mr. Holland's Opus; the cast also includes Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, and Jay Thomas. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, (more)
This Canadian drama based on a book by W.P. Kinsella, examines the tension between Indians and Anglos in Canada from an Indian perspective. Silas Crow, who lives on a Northern Ontario reserve, wants to take a mechanic's course in Toronto with his friend Frank Fencepost. But before he can enroll, the teen must write a short narrative describing his home. The film is a series of vignette's from Crow's narrative. The vignette's are alternately funny and poignant. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Rajendra Black, Adam Beach, (more)
- 1992
Canadian actor/screenwriter Don McKellar first cut his teeth as a director with this ironic short film, starring friend and frequent collaborator David Cronenberg. Not to be confused with either Derek Jarman's or Krzysztof Kieslowski's film of the same name, the 22-minute Blue intersperses scenes of a carpet salesman obsessing over his porn collection with faux-interview segments documenting a long-in-the-tooth porn star, reminiscing about the memorable moments of her career. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Highway 61 is an offbeat, comedic road movie about a small-town Canadian barber (Don McKellar) who finds a dead body. When a woman claiming to be the corpse's roadie sister (Valerie Buhagiar), arrives in town, he agrees to drive her and the body from Ontario to New Orleans, following Highway 61 over the entire journey. Along the way, they meet several odd characters. Though the story is poorly-paced, it has enough off-center humor and the performances are engaging enough to make it worthwhile. Rockers Jello Biafra and Tav Falco make cameos. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don McKellar, Valerie Buhagiar, (more)
"In my films, you're always encouraged to remember that you're watching a collection of designed images." Thus spake Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan in describing his calculatedly non-realistic style. In keeping with his earlier works, Egoyan's Speaking Parts, though grounded in reality, could never be confused with the facts of life. Arsinee Khanjian plays a near-somnambulistic maid who carries a torch for aspiring actor Michael McManus. She obsesses on McManus by renting tapes of the films in which he's appeared as a non-speaking extra. As McManus ignores Khanjian while wooing would-be filmmaker Gabrielle Rose (he wants to star in a film based on Rose's life-saving organ donation), Khanjian develops a sort of rapport with video store manager Tony Nardi, who also harbors dreams of becoming a filmmaker. The most curious (and, to some, maddening) aspect of Speaking Parts is that all the characters physically resemble one another. What this has to do with Egoyan's "message"--if any--is unclear, but it sure works towards the director's goal of assuring that the viewers are constantly aware that they're watching a movie and not Real Life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael McManus, Arsinée Khanjian, (more)
Like its title, Roadkill is a little flat and moldy at times, but generally effective. Concert promoter Valerie Buhagiar decides to look for a legendary "lost" band called The Children of Paradise, in hopes of staging a lucrative comeback tour. Buhagiar's odyssey takes her through the backroads of Canada. En route, she stumbles upon a thrill killer-and he's one of the more normal people that she meets. Director Bruce McDonald doubles as one of the film's stars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Buhagiar, Gerry Quigley, (more)
- 1983
Opening with shots of landscapes and the sky -- and leading to the exploits of a drug addict, a young mother, and an elderly scientist -- this avant-garde film by Peter Mettler uses all the techniques of stop- and slow-motion cinematography, plus other staples of the genre to produce some arresting scenes. Winner of three awards at the 1982 Canadian Film Festival, Scissere elicited a broad range of responses from reviewers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandy MacFayden
