An Awkward Sexual Adventure

Komedie

Beschikbaar voor VOD: 11 juni 2013

Regie: Sean Garrity

Cast: Jonas Chernick (The Border, Degrassi, An Awkward Sexual Adventure), Vik Sahay (American Reunion), Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek, Mother!), Sarah Manninen (The Prince & Me)

Wanneer boekhouder Jordan Abrams zijn levenslange vriendin Rachel eindelijk ten huwelijk vraagt, krijgt hij het deksel op de neus: hij is waardeloos in bed. En zelfs dat klinkt beter dan het is. Gefrustreerd door haar onbevredigende seksleven besluit Rachel hem te dumpen. Voor stijve hark Jordan begint nu een wanhopige zoektocht om sekservaring op te doen en elementaire basistechnieken aan te leren. Vastbesloten om Rachel te heroveren, schakelt hij de hulp in van Julia, een berooide paaldanseres die hem inwijdt in de wondere wereld van stripclubs, massagesalons, rollenspellen en SM. Maar hoewel Julia alles blijkt te weten over seks, heeft ze moeite met emoties. Komt het ooit nog goed tussen Jordan en Julia – pardon, Rachel! – of komt het zoals het komt?

Reviews

• Tiff.net: sharply directed ... a very funny script ... exceptional cast. And, perhaps unusually for a sex comedy, it's surprisingly educational...
• Variety.com: briskly paced farce does offer a winning performance by Emily Hampshire
• Thetfs.ca: It's funny (at least one scene made me laugh until I cried), sweet, relatable and it feels like a Hollywood romantic comedy. The chemistry between Chernick and Hampshire makes for an extremely watchable comedy.
• Thematinee.ca: This movie is really funny ... well-concieved and well-executed.
• Screendaily.com: Chernick isn't shy about exploring Jordan's endless humiliations and his sexual unattractiveness. Yet he brings complexity and some fresh laughs to nerd-dom with his accountant's-eye-view of life and love.
• Filmslatemagazine.com: uses humor as an instrument for insight ... brought to life thanks to Hampshire and Chernick's offbeat and highly watchable chemistry. Must-sees at the festival.
• Whistler Film Festival: undoubtfully the funniest Canadian sex comedy ever made.
• TheStar.com: Filmmaking sparks and a combustible cast set this rom-com blazing. Packed with randy cheer, not at all afraid to push that 18A Ontario film rating to the limit, Chernick and Hampshire make a grand pair.

Awards

• Calgary International Film Festival 2012: People's Choice Award
• Whistler Film Festival 2012: Audience Award

The End of Sex

Komedie, Romantische komedie

Beschikbaar voor VOD: 6 juli 2023

Regie: Sean Garrity

Cast: Jonas Chernick (The Border, Degrassi, An Awkward Sexual Adventure), Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek, Mother!)

Een gelukkig getrouwd koppel komt tot de vaststelling dat hun seksbeleving een routineuze rompslomp is geworden. Het logeerkamp van hun twee dochters is dan ook het ideale moment om het roer om te gooien. Kunnen fantasieën, seksperimentjes, en een bevriend koppel dat zelf op scheiden staat, de magie van weleer terugbrengen?

De doorleefde vertolkingen en de chemie tussen de geloofwaardige personages maakt van The End of Sex een beurtelings tenenkrommende en hartverwarmende komedie over de onvermijdelijke evolutie die elke relatie te zijner tijd moet ondergaan. 

Reviews

• Digitaljournal.com: Funny because it feels so true. Does an excellent job of embracing and showcasing the humour of their situation. Chernick and Hampshire deliver excellent performances, nailing the chemistry essential to the narrative's success, as well as exhibiting spot-on comedic timing.
• Screenzealots.com: Finds humor in clumsy sexual encounters and increasingly uncomfortable situations. Impeccably cast, with believeable actors playing equally credible characters.
• Skonmovies.com: Harmless fun about a couple trying to spice up their marriage.
• Shockya.com: Fun and provides a humorous look at the way that marriage, and any relationship, can change over time.
• Solzyatthemovies.com: This is the sort of film where the comedy just writes itself, especially with the situations that they find themselves in. A proven winner for any distributor acquiring the film out of Toronto (!)
• Thatshelf.com: Chernick and Hampshire display great chemistry throughout. Their performances allow the characters to feel like relatable people rather than caricatures. A sharp and refreshing comedy, The End of Sex is a perfect date night flick.

How To Plan An Orgy In A Small Town

Komedie

Beschikbaar voor VOD: 8 maart 2016

Regie: Jeremy Lalonde

Cast: Jewel Staite (Stargate: Atlantis, The Killing), Katharine Isabelle (American Mary, Insomnia), Ennis Esmer (The Rocker, Young People Fucking), Jonas Chernick (The Border, Degrassi, An Awkward Sexual Adventure), Lauren Lee Smith (The Listener, If I Stay), James McGowan (Total Recall, Suicide Squad)

Als tiener moest Cassie Cranston (Jewel Staite - Stargate: Atlantis, The Killing) ooit opkrassen uit Beaver's Ridge, na een openbare vernedering. Nu keert de "dorpsslet" van weleer als succesvol sekscolumniste naar huis terug voor de begrafenis van haar moeder. De pittoreske Ridge blijkt nog altijd datzelfde oersaaie bastion van fatsoen en familiewaarden.

Maar onder dat laagje vernis kronkelen de lusten heviger dan ooit en wanneer haar oude "vrienden" haar sexpertise willen inschakelen voor het organiseren van een orgie, ziet ze haar kans schoon. Wie wil er immers geen boek lezen over een stel hitsige weirdo's op het platteland?

In deze gewaagde sekskomedie gaan hypocrisie en stijfdeftige keurigheid letterlijk en figuurlijk met de billen bloot en wordt slapstick perfect afgewisseld met raak geobserveerde psychologische humor. De schaamteloze ensemblecast herkent u misschien uit films als American Mary, Young People Fucking, An Awkward Sexual Adventure, The Listener en Total Recall.

Reviews

• Cinemagazine.nl: How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town’ is een lekker, zeer toegankelijke komedie, die handig balanceert tussen vulgair en ongelooflijk lief. Filmmaker Jeremy Lalonde lijkt zich geïnspireerd te hebben door Kevin Smith (‘Chasing Amy’, ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’). De karakters hebben zo hun voorspelbare trekjes, maar zijn toch voldoende psychologisch uitgediept om interessant te blijven. Naast een fantastische Jewel Staite (“Firefly”) – die heerlijk cynische one-liners mag quoten en toch charmant blijft – schittert Katharine Isabelle als foute seksgodin. Ook Lauren Lee Smith weet te overtuigen als egocentrische, opgefokte überbitch, zo iemand die niemand graag in de familie zal krijgen. Het scenario zit goed in elkaar en de meeste grappen doen wat grappen moeten doen. Niet te missen als je van scherpzinnige sekskomedies houdt. Lees de hele recensie hier.
• Dorkshelf.com: Jeremy Lalonde's delightfully named How To Plan An Orgy In A Small Town goes well beyond its titillating title to craft a little gem of a film, a droll take on the conflation of small towns and small-mindedness, finding in its provocative yet accessible storyline a way to tell a rich character piece with moments of broad silliness. Lalonde's brand of fuckery is fun, his ensemble game for whatever comes their way, unafraid to let it all hang out until the final moments. Kudos to the commitment of the performers, and applause for Lalonde and his team for making such a cheeky, fun little flick.
• Dcfilmdom.com: Hearing the title How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town is titillating, no? You get images in your head of sweet-natured types suddenly unleashing sides of them they've never even shown their dearest lover whilst surrounded by similar-minded folk. True, that's part and parcel of the film, but it's in getting to that point where the film spends its time being outrageously funny. Written and directed by Jeremy Lalonde, his script pushes friendship boundaries to their limits and still has room for sweetness alongside the delightfully vulgar. It's like a wonderful cross between Kevin Smith's two films Chasing Amy and Zack and Miri Make a Porno (which I liked, damn it!) where sexual misgivings lead to truth and hilarity. Lalonde keeps the movie fast-paced and earnest, making How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town sharp and witty, earning your laughs with gusto as it goes full steam ahead toward its – erm – climax.
• Filmpulse.net: If you're looking for a nudity-ridden, sexual saga featuring hot, pornographic-quality sex scenes, this film is not for you. Yes, the dialogue is very adult and the content extremely hypersexual, but this movie is instead an amusing, somewhat sentimental, prudish take on connecting with old friends and sticking it to your enemies.
• Assholeswatchingmovies.com: This little Canadian gem is written and directed by Jeremy Lalonde. The jokes landed. In fact, the jokes were funny to begin with, and then well-executed. So this is how you assemble a successful indie film: you work and rework the script; you find great talent.
• Influxmagazine.com: The film's plot is all about sex...there's no way around that. By the end of the film a lot of folks are having sex..in fact, pretty much everyone is. That's not exactly a surprise. But what makes the film worth seeing isn't the bits of nudity and titillation but the little stories you see as well as the fullness of the characters. I enjoyed most of the stories though I felt that they were occasionally a bit uneven and difficult to believe. At times, it seems like a comedy but at other times it's a bit dark and even sad..plus who acts like these folks?! This made the experience of watching the film a bit odd to say the least. And, overall it was still a very good and very original movie...and it's worth seeing with someone you love.