Explosive performances and memorable tunes highlight The Vancouver Playhouse’s newest treat: La Cage aux Folles. Perfect timing sees this comic gem light up the holiday spirit. Relationships can be tricky at the best of times. Plans of mar­riage can further ramp up emo­tions. Imagine the difficulty of the son of gay parents about to marry a girl whose mom and dad are in­tolerant. This provides the hilarity behind La Cage aux Folles, a new tour de farce that truly wears its heart on its sleeve.

Fantasies come true for a nov­ice 23 year old in My Week with Marilyn, a sharp story from Alli­ance Films now delighting audi­ences at the Ridge Cinema in Vancouver and the International Village Cinemas. Romantic movies can take many twists and turns. A bit out of the box is the surprisingly re­freshing Alliance Films release My Weekend with Marilyn. Yes, the Marilyn we’re speaking of here is in fact Marilyn Monroe, the blonde goddess. Here, however, the film charts a troubled course for the young actress as she heads to England to make a movie before her big hit Some Like it Hot.

Families are always excited to watch Disney on Ice because of the new adven­tures shown everytime. We watched the Disney on Ice presents DISNEY•PIXAR’S TOY STORY 3 last November 23 at PNE and as usual it was a sold out event. The show keeps on getting beter and better every year.

Paramount Studios hits the jackpot with Puss in Boots, a great tongue in check escapade from Dreamworks now showing off at Empire Oakridge Cinemas, Colossus and Cineplex Odeon Theatres throughout B.C. Done properly, animated mov­ies can be a hoot. Dreamworks pioneered the use of smart adult content mixed with juvenile antics in the Shrek series. Now Puss in Boots, an offshoot of this wacky fairy tale journey, comes full cir­cle with the introduction of that fabled character into a film all it’s own. Smart Paramount Studios is the big winner here, along with kids of all ages, as this foxy feline makes an impressive debut.

Vancouver, BC. – Migrante BC, a commu­nity-based organization of Filipino migrants and immigrants, is proud to be the co-presenter of the Canadian film premiere of “The Learning” at the 15th Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF). “The Learning” is a powerful documentary that explores the real cost of the sacrifices made by Filipino overseas workers (OFWs). The film, di­rected, produced and written by Ramona S. Diaz, will be premiered on Sunday, November 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinema in Vancouver.

Here the title says it all. 1911 or 1911 Revolution is an epic tale of intrigue deep inside early China from Variance Films now unfolding at International Village Theatre. Making movies about historical events often is a daunting task. Set in the Orient, 1911 is a first class look at the upheaval in China during that same year. Brought to Canada by Variance Films this 117 minute movie is well acted and has enough spectacle to keep viewers in tune throughout its duration.