Alongside in-house experts Alicia Fletcher, Cameron Maitland and Emily Gagne, some of Canada’s most influential industry professionals including film critic Radheyan Simonpillai (CTV’s Your Morning and CBC Radio) journalist and Designing the Movies host Nathalie Atkinson, and TIFF’s Director of Programming Robyn Citizen will be on hand to discuss the significance of the selected films and their impact on film history. This is also the first time that the 1960s will feature in the series.
“We have another binge-able season ahead with films that will hit all the nostalgia buttons,” said Ryan Mains, Head of Production for Hollywood Suite. “There is something for everyone, from critically revered award-winning titles to raunchy boundary-pushing ones. You won’t want to miss a single episode.”
This season’s episodes include:
🎬 A Year in Film: 1968
1968 reflected the 60s tradition of upheaval, both in the real world and in Hollywood. The removal of the moralistic Production Code in favour of the new MPAA rating system allowed New Hollywood directors like Bob Rafelson and Peter Bogdanovich to make transgressive debuts. The news in 1968 was dominated by shocking moments from the Vietnam War to the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination, so escapism ruled at cinemas with sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and musicals like Funny Girl dominating the box office. When it came to re-inventing movie fantasies though, it took directors from outside America like Roger Vadim and Sergio Leone to find refreshing takes on Hollywood’s classic genres.
🎬 A Year in Film: 1972
In 1972, five White House operatives were arrested for burglarizing the Democratic National Committee offices, kicking off the Watergate Scandal. Violence erupted in Europe at the Munich Olympics, and with the increasingly explosive conflict in Ireland. Meanwhile, in America, the Equal Rights Amendment passed the Senate thanks to decades of feminist work. Francis Ford Coppola’s epic The Godfather and Bob Fosse’s adaptation of Cabaret proved to be hits with both awards bodies and audiences. Deliverance and The Poseidon Adventure made audiences reconsider their next boat trip, while comedies like What’s Up, Doc? and The Heartbreak Kid had people wondering if even the institution of marriage was safe.
🎬 A Year in Film: 1981
1981 began with the swearing-in of President Ronald Reagan, however, just a few months later his attempted assassination delayed the Oscars, shining a light on Jodie Foster, who the assailant hoped to impress. The first DeLorean hit the streets, hoping to be the car of the future, and MTV launched music videos. Raiders of The Lost Ark proved Spielberg and Lucas were the new kings of blockbuster filmmaking, while Blow Out and Mommie Dearest revealed some of the most interesting stories happening offscreen. And the Canadian tax shelter era paid off big with crossover hits like My Bloody Valentine, Scanners and Porky’s.
🎬 A Year in Film: 1996
Jamaican-Canadian Donovan Bailey became the fastest man alive, Jim Carrey was the first actor to make $20 million for The Cable Guy, and Oprah changed the face of publishing with her Book Club. Hollywood experienced an unprecedented boom in blockbuster filmmaking with massive hits like Independence Day, but rising budgets (and those record-breaking celebrity pay cheques) meant an overcrowded market with just as many flops. Teen horror made an unexpected return with hits like The Craft and Scream, but it was small films like Fargo, Bottle Rocket and Bound that introduced the next generation of directors.
🎬 A Year in Film: 2008
In 2008, Beyonce and Jay-Z tied the knot and the Large Hadron Collider was officially activated to teach us more about the universe. Neither event was big enough, though, to distract from the continuing Hollywood writers’ strike and financial crises that caused chaos in the film industry and beyond. Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight made critics reconsider superhero films, but it was Iron Man that launched a Cinematic Universe that would continue for years to come. Milk and Slumdog Millionaire proved 90s outsider directors were Oscar worthy, while comedy hits like Step Brothers showcased their stars. Unlikely romance also made a big impact with high-profile hits like Wall-E and Twilight.
