Captain’s log: stardate 43421.9 The Vengeance Factor, a Riker (Jobathan Frakes) episode first aired on 20 November, 1989. The Enterprise is transporting Sovereign Marouk (Nancy Parsons) to a meeting with an offshoot tribe of her planet’s inhabitants, known as Gatherers. Picard (Patrick Stewart) is hosting peace talks between the troubled sides, and is hoping that…
Month: October 2017
Annabelle: Creation (2017) – David F. Sandberg
Over the course of four films, Warner Brothers has created a cinematic universe that imbued studio horror movies with a sense of fun. And now, the fourth film in the Conjuring Cinematic Universe comes home with the release of Annabelle: Creation to blu-ray and DVD. Serving as a prequel to the previous film, the first…
Billy Elliot (2000) – Stephen Daldry
The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my viewing of West Side Story isn’t necessarily a musical, but it definitely shares the same love of dance. Billy Elliot, which has since inspired a stage musical perfectly captures joy in dance and simultaneously juxtaposes the ordinary events of day…
The Mummy (1932) – Karl Freund
Somehow in my exposure to the Universal Monsters, and classic films I had missed this Boris Karloff classic that allowed the Mummy (Karloff) to join the ranks of such classic monsters as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Now, thanks to DK Canada’s The Movie Book,…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Lodger, and The Pandorica Opens
James Corden shows up this week in the very entertaining episode, The Lodger. Written by Gareth Roberts, this episode first aired on 12 June, 2010. The Doctor (Smith) is separated from Amy (Karen Gillan) and the TARDIS by a mysterious event that seems to be located around a flat that houses Craig Owens (Corden). So,…
Toronto After Dark 2017: Tragedy Girls – Tyler MacIntyre
BFFs, LOLs, LIKES, RETWEETs and MURDER. The Toronto After Dark film festival comes to a close this evening at Scotibank Theatre with the Toronto premiere of the exceptional dark comedy, Tragedy Girls. A Heathers for the cyber age, the film follows two students and best friends, Sadie (Brianna Hildebrand) and McKayla (Alexandra Shipp) who are…
Evita (1996) – Alan Parker
Let’s face it, they can’t all be winners. I’m enjoying the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and have always enjoyed a good musical. Unfortunately, this one, Evita, a recommendation following my screening of West Side Story just couldn’t hold my attention. A theatrical adaptation of the long running stage musical featuring music…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – The Enemy, and The Price
Captain’s log: stardate 43349.2 David Kemper and Michael Piller bring us another strong Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) story with The Enemy. This one first aired on 6 November, 1989, and further cemented Season Three as the season when things really came together. Arriving at the planet Galondancor in response to a distress signal, the…
Toronto After Dark 2017: Poor Agnes – Navin Ramaswaran
The second feature screening tonight at Scotiabank Theatre as part of the Toronto After Dark film festival is another new favourite. Poor Agnes, having its Toronto premiere this eve, is a disturbing drama that haunts and troubles even as its story captivates. Agnes (Lora Burke) is a serial killer, and she is a master at…
Toronto After Dark 2017: Game of Death – Sebastien Landry & Laurence Morais-Lagace
Tonight at 7pm Toronto After Dark unveils Game of Death with its Toronto premiere at Scotiabank Theatre. Imagine if Jumanji made you kill people. That’s the impetus behind the film as a group of millennials find themselves playing a board game where they have to kill (or be killed) to survive. This is a great…
The Mind Reels 