Ti West and Mia Goth shot X, and its prequel film, Pearl back to back. In both Mia plays Pearl. In X she’s a psychotic octogenarian, but in Pearl, we get to see her as she was, when she too dreamed of getting off the farm and chasing dreams of fame to become a star….
Fringe (2011) – The Last Sam Weiss, and The Day We Died
While Peter (Joshua Jackson) remains in a coma, watched over by Walter (John Noble) and Astrid (Jasika Nicole), the strange destructive events continue and Olivia (Anna Torv) teams up with Sam Weiss (Kevin Corrigan) to find a way to outsmart the Device and allow Peter to stop it. Written by Monica Owusu-Breen and Alison Schapker…
TIFF ’22: Glass Onion – A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig return in a second Knives Out film, and Craig, along with everyone else involved in the production seems to be having the time of their life. Craig’s detective, Benoit Blanc, finds himself caught up in a whole new mystery this time around, and while there is a tonal shift from…
TIFF ’22: Good Night Oppy
I love documentaries about space exploration, the sense of discovery, wonder and hope that permeates them, and humanity when we set our sights on a goal. Director Ryan White understands those feelings and shares them, and guides us on a fantastic journey to the planet Mars. In 2003, two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, were launched…
TIFF ’22: Empire of Light
Writer/director Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light is a beautiful and emotional achievement, celebrating the beauty of cinema while allowing its star, Olivia Colman to deliver a powerful, layered and nuanced performance as Hillary. She’s a woman of a certain age who suffers from a mental illness, which she has to contend with in her day-to-day…
Gerald’s Game (2017) – Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan delivered his first Stephen King adaptation with Gerald’s Game, and it’s a fantastic nerve-shredding examination of self, secrets, and survival. Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) head to their remote lake house to work on their relationship, after years of marriage things have gotten a little tired and stale, and they plan…
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – Steven Spielberg
I love the Indiana Jones films (yes, even some parts in the fourth) and while Raiders of the Lost Ark will always be my favorite, Last Crusade is etched in my memory for personal reasons. It was the summer of 1989, I had just graduated high school, it was my last summer living in Bermuda,…
TIFF ’22: Women Talking
Writer-director Sarh Polley lends her powerful voice to bringing Miriam Toews’ brilliant and acclaimed novel to the screen. What Polley delivers is a stunning, conversation-starting piece that examines patriarchy, power, faith, hope, and dreams for the future. In a remote Mennonite community, a gathering of women takes place to figure out their future. They’ve been…
TIFF ’22: The Lost King
Director Stephen Frears guides Sally Hawkins’ quest for the burial place of Richard III. She takes on the real-life role of Philippa Langley, an amateur historian, who turned away from the established historical ‘facts’ of Richard III as a usurper and began a hunt for his final resting place. Based on Langley’s own book, which…
Hill Street Blues (1981) – Life, Death, Eternity, and I Never Promised You a Rose, Marvin
Gregory Hoblit and Lee David Zlotoff penned Life, Death, Eternity which first aired on 14 March, 1981. Hey look! There’s Dwight Schultz! There’s no heat in the precinct (and the repairman has dropped dead) while Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) continues the investigation of the murdered prostitute, which may interfere with his chances of being promoted…
The Mind Reels 