Canada,
2004, 83 min
Shown in 2005
CREDITS
- dir
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Rob Stefaniuk
- prod
-
Mihkel Harilaid, Craig Fleming
- scr
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Rob Stefaniuk
- cam
-
Gregor Hagey
- editor
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Warren P. Sonoda, Rob Stefaniuk
- mus
-
John Kastner
- cast
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Rob Stefaniuk, Nicole deBoer, Bruce Hunter, Joe Flaherty, John Kapelos, Boyd Banks, Seán Cullen, Graham Greene
- source
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Black Walk/ Decade Distribution, 99 Sudbury St, Unit 101, Toronto M6J 3S7, Canada. FAX: 416-533-2016. EMAIL: brandy@blackwalk.com.
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COMMENTS
Rob Stefaniuk in person.
OTHER
Phil (played by writer/director Rob Stefaniuk) is an interstellar being who lands in a remote Canadian wilderness and takes up residence with a wisdom-spouting beaver—a sure-to-be-controversial pairing not often seen in today’s cinema. Though Phil first appears as a menacing, screeching monster out of H.R. Giger, he rapidly takes human form so as to be more cuddly and appealing to local townsfolk (and nearby woodland creatures). Told that whisky is medicine by his newfound pal Joey (Brad McGinnis), the gregarious alien soon finds himself a raging alcoholic on the run from American secret agents (who have a very cool secret office under Niagara Falls). When his bent for booze lands him in jail, he finds Jesus, forms a Christian bar band and develops a cult following. Meanwhile, the anti-UFO forces hire a formidable French Canadian contract killer named Madame Madame (Nicole deBoer) to remove Phil from existence. To bring this nutty plot to life, Stefaniuk employs the best comedic talent Canada has to offer (Joe Flaherty, Bruce Hunter, Seán Cullen), takes cues from classic sketch comedy shows and plays with expectations every step of the way. Peppering his silly stew with numerous visual sight gags and verbal guffaws, he has created a debut feature of intergalactic proportions.
—Rod Armstrong
FACTOID #304
After its U.S. premiere at the 1969 Festival, the print of Z by Costa-Gavras was stolen from the locked projection room of the Masonic Auditorium.
