In TV and movies, sex scenes are getting explicit enough to the point where some are wondering if the actors are actually doing it or not. At least one critic is bandying about the phrase "hard-core art."

The back story on how the third version of director Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi film came to be. Hint: commerce trumped art!

A Hong Kong martial arts kicktacular featuring the stellar team of actor/mayhem choreographer Donnie Yen and director Wilson Yip!

This hasn't been the best of TIFF times for me. You could say it was the worst of times, or at least tough times at TIFF.

I have found myself posing the following question to me: When, o when, will I leave a theatre thinking, "yessss!!"?

I have done so. Flash Point did the trick.

I attended a "Doc Talk" session on covering war. The panelists were Michael Tucker (Gunner Palace, The Prisoner, Or How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair and the forthcoming Bullet-Proof Salesman) and Ellen Spiro and TV legend Phil Donahue, co-directors of Body of War.

Saw Takashi Miike's latest effort. Not one of his best, but a fine piece of entertainment none the less.

A story of one young girl's day trying to get some schooling in post-Taliban but still-medieval Afghanistan.

In the Second World War, Klaus Barbie developed a reputation as a ruthless, efficient -- even sadistic -- interrogator and counter-terrorism officer for the SS in Lyon, France. He earned the nickname "The Butcher of Lyon."

So when the war ended, what do you do with a guy like that? Well, for one thing, you don't waste his skills by prosecuting him as a war criminal. You put him to work fighting Soviet communism.

You know you're in trouble when the programmer starts out by cautioning that this is a movie primarily made for Algerians, but hopefully the rest of us will get something out of it.

Overheard in a TIFF line-up:

A TIFF volunteer is explaining what's going in terms of the line-ups for screenings of two films.

When she asked if everyone got it, some woman with a Midwestern accent said: "That was good. You were really clear." And then added, in a voice about 15 decibels lower: "... for a Canadian."

The 77-year-old zombie king still has it! :)

I speak of George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead, although it's more of a very solid double than a fence-clearing home run.

Let's say that sometime in the next six to 12 months, you're in your favourite video store looking for a French movie about city kids plunged into a nighmarish rural hell.

If you come across director Xavier Gens' Frontiere(s) during your search, keeping on looking. Don't stop until you find Haute Tension, Calvaire or Sheitan, which is da bomb of the three!

Actually, Frontiere(s) screens again on Friday, but it ain't worth paying TIFF prices to see it, my friends.

The Globe and Mail's Leah McLaren on the realities of covering something like TIFF.

From a notebook item by The Globe and Mail's Johanna Schneller:

For a few years now, Canadian reporters have been pretty much shut out of print interviews with the biggest stars, having to cadge quotes from press conferences while their U.S. colleagues hog the one-on-one slots.

Now there's further evidence that print is a dying medium at TIFF: Even some of the biggest American print outlets seem to be feeling the pinch, with management shortening the purse strings on reporters' expenses.

Four staffers from People magazine, who used to stay at the Marriott on Bloor Street, have been bumped to the cheaper Marriott on Bay. ...

How are those poor bastards supposed to have any feelings of self-respect whatsoever if they find themselves isolated -- no, marooned -- way down at the Marriott on Bay?!?! That's by the Eaton Centre, for Christ's sake! :)

Some enterprising souls have started up Trash Palace, billing itself as "Toronto's classiest cinema." :)

They will be showing 16mm versions of some classic B cinema.

The one that caught my eye is Macon County Line, which will screen on Nov. 9 (the theatre's location is a closely guarded secret. You find out when you buy the ticket).

Max Baer Jr. (Jethro of The Beverly Hillbillies TV show fame) wrote, produced and starred in this 1974 tale of a nasty southern sheriff who mistakes some road trippers for murderous thugs.

One reason I remember this is because Baer suffered some reversals of financial fortune in the period before the film. This quote from one interview stuck with me: "I'm gonna make so much fuckin' money, they'll never be able to take it away from me!"

One should note that Macon County Line came on the heels of 1973's Walking Tall, starring Joe Don Baker. The two of them inspired a succession of southern hell movies. One would think Walking Tall should be coming to the Trash Palace at some future point. And what about Billy Jack?!?!

Another that caught my eye is Leslie Nielsen starring as a kung fu assassin in the 1978 film Project: Kill ("this is not a comedy," the flyer warns).

Do with this information what you will.

The Toronto Star had a look at TIFF buzz films. The paper followed up to day with some capsule reviews of selected films.

Very helpful, except the deadline for advance ticket orders was Friday at 1 p.m.

Some of the ones they tout are gala films, which are pretty much sold out, according to the chatter in the TIFF box office down at College Park.

And for those looking to buy tickets next week, many more films will be sold out as the advance pass buyers get first crack.

Ultimately, the Star is advising what films to see at a time when your probability of being able to see them has dropped precipitiously. They should have published this stuff on Thursday.

Now had 70 capsule reviews that day. I guess they were trying to be useful to their readers.

I shouldn't go soft on the Globe. It has really low-balled its advance TIFF coverage this year. The Seven Days pullout had one story that mentioned 11 films plus another that mentioned CanCon titles, but again, many of those were already sold out by the time a prospective TIFF-goer saw it. Most of the Globe's coverage focused on star-watching. The paper does promise 50 capsule reviews next week, which will be helpful for the rush crowd, I guess.