Entertainment through the eyes of a gay, deaf-blind male! Check them Michael’s blog – http://dorkshelf.com/
posted Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Every once in a while comes a film that is filled with so much joy, human connection, and emotional turmoil, you know that as long as it sticks the landing (i.e. has a good conclusion), it is a masterpiece. Christiaan Olwagen’s film, Kanarie, depicts the experiences of the “canaries” or men’s choir stationed in the […]
posted Sunday, April 28, 2019
I’ll be reviewing several films for the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, taking place here in Toronto from April 25th to May 5th, 2019 at various locations in the city. See below for some great films you shouldn’t miss. When We Walk Some films are heart-wrenching in their raw, naked vulnerability – When We […]
posted Thursday, April 18, 2019
Inga Can Hear is a thought-provoking documentary about the challenges faced by a Latvian “[hearing] child of Deaf adults” (CODA), who is also, perhaps, transitioning, and experiencing other growing pains as well. In its short, neat run-time of a hour, it is unable to address all the upheavals of Inga/Edward’s life, which causes me to think […]
posted Thursday, April 18, 2019
Note from Michael McNeely: Today’s column is, in the spirit of accurate representation, written by a friend of mine who is better able to indicate whether or not Special (currently on Netflix) is true to the experience of living with Cerebral Palsy. Please enjoy! This TV Series is Indeed “Special”- By Guest Contributor, Mark Langenfeld […]
posted Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Comedy often comes from a source of pain. If you cannot laugh about it, then most likely you’ll cry – and who says you can’t do both? Throughout OUT on Stage’s first season, we see first-hand how the difficult experiences of being LGBTQ can provide comedy fodder. It’s extremely difficult to review stand-up comedy, as a […]
posted Sunday, December 23, 2018
Documentaries can be curated experiences, and there is not necessarily anything wrong with that. Sweet Marie: In Studio With Erin Costelo is a documentary that offers a brief glimpse into songstress Erin Costelo’s artistic process as she attempts to churn out a record in only 10 days. See below for a Q&A with writer Erin, […]
posted Monday, December 3, 2018
Sometimes when studying popular culture, one cannot help but notice certain trends or patterns arising. For example, we are in yet another “Year of the Superhero.” We may have escaped from the zombie plagues made popular by George Romero (RIP) and Brad Pitt – or maybe not, if The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking […]
posted Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The third annual Hot Docs Podcast Festival took place in Toronto, November 1 to 5, 2018, and featured over 10 chart-topping live podcasts, and introduced a new two-day Creators Forum for podcast pros. As a deaf individual, my experiences with podcasts are unique, and with the generous support of Bloor St.’s Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, I […]
posted Monday, October 15, 2018
Is art something you frame on the wall, or an experience to remember? In Holding Patterns (1655 Dupont St., various hours, until Oct. 21), art appreciation is found in the unlikeliest of places – a storage facility. Note I said art appreciation, not art storage – who knows how many masterpieces collect dust in those […]
posted Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Hey, you. Yes, you. Wanna Revry and chill? While it may not have the same ring to it as “Netflix and chill,” Co-Founder, CEO and professional Queerator, Damian Pelliccione is hoping that this will change as his LGBTQ+ streaming service, Revry, gains more traction with viewers. In the next six months, 200 million people in over 100 […]
