Canadian film! Hypothetically.

[charloween]

Question: if you (hypothetically) had to pick one Canadian film to show to a group of international students, what would that film be?

Question the second: assuming (hypothetically) you had a limited range of Canadian films* to choose from for this screening would you choose to show Bon Cop Bad Cop?

*Including (hypothetically) Top of the Food Chain (hilarious, wacky) Last Night (depressing), The Saddest Music in the World (hilarious, wacky and depressing), Hard Core Logo (rockin' and mockin'), Videodrome (wacky, creepy), 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (arty), Waydowntown (wacky, depressing), Phil the Alien (wacky, not hilarious), Les Invasions Barbares (really freaking good), The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico** (yes, another mock-rockumentary), Gunless (hilarious in context, slightly wacky) and Ararat (genocide!)

**serrico: another source for a Strombo vid!

ETA: The results so far (between DW, LJ and Twitter) -

Votes for things on the list (i.e. DVDs I have with me):
Bon Cop Bad Cop - 7
Hard Core Logo - 5
Last Night - 2
32 Short Films About Glenn Gould - 1
Les Invasions Barbares - 1

Votes for things not on the list (i.e. I don't own them):
Le Declin de l'empire americain
Childstar
New Waterford Girl - 2
Strange Brew
Men With Brooms - 2
C.R.A.Z.Y. - 2
Scanners
Pontypool
One Week
Away from Her
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
The Big Snit

Not serious votes for:
Porky's
Cube Zero

Vehement votes against:
Les Invasions Barbares
Goin' Down the Road (also not on the list, :P)

In my collection, but no votes for:
The Saddest Music in the World
Videodrome
Waydowntown
Phil the Alien
The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico
Gunless
Ararat

Comments

[xenakis]

ok, we're talking 'relaxing with Erasmus friends' here or 'let me tell you about the greatness of Canadian film-making in an academic context' kind of thing?

If the first, definitely Bon Cop Bad Cop :D
If the second, Les Invasions Barbares, 32 short films about Glenn Gould or Ararat
And if people are familiar enough with American TV shows filmed in Vancouver, go for Hard Core Logo :P

I still haven't seen Gunless *is ashamed*

[charloween]

More of the first option - definitely not a properly academic context. I think I want one that doesn't require too much extra explanation. HCL probably works more than the others for that (but has kind of a downer ending).

Gunless mostly works, but it's kind of an extended joke about gun control wrapped in a silly dS historical AU... but it was entertaining. Better than Passchendaele.

[emef]

I really liked Last Night, though. And really didn't like Les Invasions barbares.

Also, not in your list, but I'm going to suggest them anyway (wheeeee! I make my own rules!) : Le Declin de l'empire americain, and Childstar, and also New Waterford Girl.

[charloween]

I definitely prefer Le Declin de l'empire americain over the sequel, but I'm limited to what I have on hand.

I really like Last Night, too! It's just... kind of bleak.

[emef]

(...I can upload some of those for you?)

[charloween]

(That could be awesome! I haven't seen Childstar.)

[emef]

ok so, slight problem, I only have Childstar on dvd, so it would almost be easier to just send it to you (rather than rip it and then turn it into an avi file and then separate it into parts and then upload it. Actually, the uploading would really be the complicated part. Well not so much complicated, as lengthy). So yeah, I could mail you a copy. Y/y?

[charloween]

That's fine! I will PM you my address, and attempt to digitally-render my gratitude. :)

[firstgold]

Saw your tweet without seeing this, and I said BCBC. :D

As to convincing them that Canadians care about things other than hockey? This shirt says it all.

[charloween]

I own that shirt, silly. :P Too bad I left it in TO or I'd wear it for the screening.

[firstgold]

I know you own it :D I didn't realize you had left it in TO though.

[charloween]

:P You know, limited space and a limited desire to own only witty t-shirts... *waves hand*

[firstgold]

In my books, witty t-shirts = win!

Oh! My Grade 9s finally asked me about my TARDIS key necklace. After I explained, they looked at me like "Oh crap, what kind of nerd do we have teaching us?"

[charloween]

But witty t-shirts =/= essential in a limited capacity wardrobe when one is attempting to establish one's place in a professional hierarchy. :(

Hee! THE KIND OF NERD WHO GOES TO SCHOOL TO TEACH MATH, THAT'S WHO. What, did they think you were an escaped English major?

[firstgold]

One day, I was going off on a rant about how spelling and grammar are important, and a bunch of the kids were like "Why aren't you an English teacher?"

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR IS IMPORTANT, EVEN IN SCIENCE OKAY?

Next pay cheque, I'm going to order The Oatmeal's Grammar Posters.

[charloween]

English teaching also probably involves a lower incidence of explosions.

Funny story: the uni payroll department didn't accept my National Insurance number for their system until I wrote it on a piece of paper and signed the paper. (Not to see the card, or a copy of the official Here's Your Number letter. No. Had to have the signature.) This means I haven't seen any of my part-time income since mid-January.

[firstgold]

That is weak. I hope it gets rectified soon.

[charloween]

It should be, but we'll see in a few weeks when payday comes around. Being paid monthly is also weak. I know it's more paperwork for the payroll department, but when you're getting peanuts it's nice to have those peanuts a bit more frequently.