A New York Times article says that the movie industry may be looking to the 34th Toronto International Film Festival to save what might turn out to be an otherwise lacking Academy Awards season.

American film companies are scheduled to release 40 percent fewer films than last year between September and December of this year, meaning the number of potential Oscar nominees will be significantly down. This at a time when the number of nominees for Best Picture will jump from 5 to 10, after a change in the ruling. Some appear to be wondering where all these movies are going to come from.

The Times article suggests that TIFF, which plans to screen 271 feature films, might still change the game and introduce some exciting competition into the running.

That’s what happened last year. The Mickey Rourke comeback vehicle ‘The Wrestler’ sparked an all night bidding war that saw Fox Searchlight Pictures come out victorious. Fox Searchlight’s acquisition from Warner Independent, ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ also generated TIFF buzz, winning the Toronto International Film Festival best picture award, and going on to win 8 Oscars including Best Picture.

Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,’ has had its setbacks.

First, one of the movie’s stars, Heath Ledger, died in the middle of filming. Gilliam finished it – casting Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in Ledger’s role – but then had trouble finding a distributor for the project,

Now E1 Entertainment Distribution is behind Dr. Parnassus in Canada, where it is scheduled for an October 16 release, and Sony Pictures Classics has taken on U.S. distribution and the date is set for December 25, so it will open alongside ‘Sherlock Holmes’ starring Robert Downey Jr.

But you won’t have to wait if you can make it to the Toronto International Film Festival where ‘The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus’ — which is about a travelling theatre troupe that has made a pact with the devil and also stars Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits – will screen on September 18 and 19. 

Interestingly, Variety reports that E1 has issued a review embargo on the film and journalists have been asked to sign an agreement to hold all reviews or comments until the Film Festival begins. 

It’s an odd move that E1 reportedly claims is designed to keep critics from scooping each other and killing the buzz. But said buzz would probably be difficult to kill, as the movie contains Ledger’s final performance. Also, the film screened out of competition at Cannes last May, so critics are said to be wondering why introduce the seemingly harsh restrictions at this stage of the game.

On top of that, Variety also reports that at the Toronto media screening, the fourth and fifth reels of the film were shown out of order, necessitating a second screening.

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Drew Barrymore whipped the cast into shape for her directorial debut ‘Whip It,’ set to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Juliette Lewis told MTV News that Barrymore ran a two-month-long boot camp in preparation for the film, during which the film’s stars, Lewis, Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig and Barrymore would wake up in the morning, do yoga, strength-train for two hours then go roller skating until nightfall. The result was a lot of bruises and some strong female camaraderie.

“We all felt like action heroes!” said the actress and singer.

‘Whip It,’ based on the Shauna Cross novel ‘Derby Girl,’ tells the story of Bliss Cavendar, a Texas small-town wannabe tomboy teen (Page). Pushed by her former-debutante mother (Marcia Gay Harden) to compete in beauty pageants, Bliss joins a roller derby team to escape the pressures/doldrums and discovers an undergound punk rock world. She soon finds herself leading a double life. Wiig and Barrymore are her teammates Malice in Wonderland and Smashley Simpson, while Lewis is the antagonistic nemesis/rival team captain, Iron Maven.

The story is a fictionalized autobiographical account by author and screenwriter Shauna Cross, who skated for the Texas Rollergirls.

Juliette Lewis told MTV that female roller derby culture is “a bit of wrestler culture, rock-and-roll culture, band culture and sports, because they’re all incredible athletes.”

Lewis, who has been away from Hollywood concentrating on her music career with her rock band Juliette and the Licks, speaks highly of Barrymore’s professionalism and vision, telling MTV, “She was so visually prepared.

“You can talk about scenes and emotion and acting crap all day, but at the end of the day, you have to shoot the shot. She knew what she wanted cinematically.”

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The vampire frenzy continues. And among the more compelling offerings to follow the bloody trail of ‘Twilight’ and ‘True Blood’ is the rock and roll satire ‘Suck,’ premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

MTV reports that the comedy will feature an all-star cast of punks and rockers, including former Black Flag vocalist/infamous bombast Henry Rollins, punk icon/Stooge Iggy Pop, original shock rocker Alice Cooper and electronic artist Moby.

‘Suck’ is written and directed by ‘Phil the Alien’ star/director Rob Stefaniuk, who also appears on screen as the lead singer of wannabe rock group, the Winners. The story follows the band from one pathetic dive gig to the next, until a transformative encounter with a vampire (Burning Brides guitarist/singer Dmitri Coates) turns them into rock stars. Unfortunately, the Winners’ newfound fame also brings them to the attention of vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsing, played by the inveterate Malcolm McDowell.

‘Suck’ is one of over 70 Canadian films to feature in the festival and it contains a respectable Canadian element. Alongside Ontarian Stefaniuk, the film features a cameo by Carole Pope of Rough Trade, ‘Kids in the Hall’ veteran Dave Foley as the Winners’ manager, and Jessica Pare as the bassist who apparently starts all the trouble.

Stefaniuk also helped compose 7 of the 11 songs on the soundtrack with Canadian punk icon John Kastner of the Doughboys and the Asexuals.

(Photo by PR Photos)