Not too small, not too big, appears to have been the guiding principle behind a redesign of The Guardian.

The financial success of March of the Penguins is helping create a brighter future for documentary filmmakers.

Apparently some U.S. social conservatives love the March of the Penguins because it promotes family values.

I don't think so.

This film by Korean director Chan-Wook Park is bleak, violent, compelling and damned near unforgettable.

The Salon blurb: George Clooney's second directorial project refuses to sacrifice craftsmanship to polemics, even as it kicks the pants of the contemporary media.

Here are some capsule reviews of what I saw at TIFF, in chronological order (links to full postings where appropriate):

At last week's Toronto International Film Festival, I saw Midnight Madness: From the margins to the mainstream. It was an affectionate look at the heyday of what we could call cult cinema.

But I'm afraid the panelists they had to talk about it afterwards are stuck in the past.

If you're a serious fan of martial arts films and you live in T.O., there was exactly one place for you to be Friday night: At Ryerson theatre watching SPL.

Note: It's showing at 6 p.m. Saturday too, if you want to try seeing it on a last-minute basis.

March of the Penguins is the second-highest grossing documentary in history, and now conservatives are enthusiastically touting it because in their minds, it promotes family values.

If you liked Ong Bak, you won't necessarily wet your pants over Banlieue 13, but you will leave the theatre with a big, sloppy grin on your face.

And as you ride your adrenaline rush out the door, you will exult to yourself: "Man, I just saw some amazing action sequences!"