Does Canadian cinema accurately reflect our culture, or has it been soaking in maple syrup for far too long?

There are problems with the funding system in Canada. There are. They've been outlined before by far smarter and more knowledgable people than Evan Rissi. The hubris on this guy is unbelievable. As if no one's ever tried to make a commercial movie in Canada because they're too busy throwing hockey bags in the background. But you do often have to seek these movies out. That's because they're independent films, every single one, which means they will never have the budget to compete with the Hollywood. Not that people aren't trying. Good luck getting your movie traction in a multiplex. But you could say the same about a bunch of really interesting American movies made in the last decade.

Let's talk about three Canadian co-productions last year that got a little attention - Room, Brooklyn and The Witch. Smart producers are teaming up these days to open up more funding streams and markets. Or let's talk about what the Soskia Sisters are doing, or Astron 6, or Matt Johnson - he's one of those people who's better stated the problem with the funding paradigm than this guy. But crap, his movies are harder to find than London Has Fallen, so they must suck right? Then there's Wolfcop, Beyond the Black Rainbow, The Colony, Hobo with a Shotgun, Jack Brooks Monster Slayer, and Afflicted. Or brand new movies I'm personally looking forward to, like Sleeping Giant, Closet Monster, Antibirth....

But who cares, because this guy's gonna save us all, right? No one's ever tried anything like this before. An 80's throwback buddy movie with a dated Rocky montage spoof is all we've needed, all this time. Move over Villeneuve, Cronenberg, Dolan, Polley, Maddin, McDonald, Vallee, and Dowse - this kid's gonna go ahead and show you what you've done wrong by making the first Canadian movie that doesn't suck.

There's a way of working to improve the system - or of outright rejecting the system - without throwing stones at people who've worked way harder for way longer than you.

/r/CanadianFilm Thread Link - news.nationalpost.com