Carrie Villeneuve

My first 2009 VIFF movie was Puck Hogs, about a rec hockey team that's perenially in last place and is about to get the boot from the league completely for being losers in general. They get one last kick at the can, or, er, puck at the net, to prove that their love of the game is greater than their combined talents, and that that alone should mean something. I can't believe how often and out loud I laughed during this movie: the characters are stock characters from any misfits movie and the story is a straightforward last-shot-at-redemption tale, yet each misfit had some quality of endearment and the physical comedy was so outrageous that I was laughing with them not at them. Puck Hogs was one of two films director William P. Sonoda had screening this year, the second was Coopers' Camera, and already I'm feeling the VIFF pinch as Coopers' Camera only had two festival screenings--on the first Saturday and Sunday no less, like Puck Hogs--and so everyone else is out of luck for the time being.

Afterwards, I met up with Shannon and we squeaked into the sold out It's Not Anime shorts program. The first short, Barbee Butcher, was short,Barbee Butcher was my favourite until Lighteaded, because those creatures were just so darn cute, and sticking a lit wick in your head is funny.

But then Lightheaded was only my favourite until Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty:

And Granny just gets more demented in the next five minutes.

It's Not Anime plays again at Granville 7, Tuesday, Oct 6th at 2:00pm, tickets at the door only, and Tuesday, Oct 13th, 12:20pm.