Several factors were in play to draw me into this screening, not the least of which was a fascination with what kind of director would so desire to remain anonymous that he would wear a mask on set and not even divulge his real name to anyone? That and the fact that kids can…
Red Czarina Productions
Sue and I met Rebecca Sandulak over the summer, and got to spend time with her and interview her for our show. She along with some other talented and wonderful women have formed Red Czarina Productions ( http://www.redczarina.com/ ) working on film and stage projects. The ladies are featured in the photo to the left, taken…
TIFF 2012: Disconnect – Henry Alex Rubin
For someone who had directed only documentaries thus far, Henry Alex Rubin has manged to create a very human and genuine first feature that’s both thought-provoking and full of and heart. Disconnect is an up-close and in-depth look at various forms of social media, and how we use the internet to draw us all…
The Jewel of The Nile (1985)
After the troubling experience of Cannibal Holocaust, I decided to lighten it up a bit, and just revisit a fun, if not great movie. So I decided to catch up with Jack T Colton (Michael Douglas), Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner – who I think never looked better than when she was in this pair of…
The Crimes of Mike Recket (2012) – Bruce Sweeney
Every now and then a movie comes along that takes you completely by surprise. Award-winning filmmaker Bruce Sweeney’s new film The Crimes of Mike Recket does just that. A neo-noir police procedural thriller dealing in murder, real estate fraud, dogs, a crook who believes his own lies and two stalwart cops. Nicholas Lea plays the titular Mike…
TIFF 2012: Ghost Graduation – Javier Ruiz Caldera
I have to admit, I was secretly really excited to see this movie, but part of me was worried that it wouldn’t be as good as I hoped it would be. The plot description was, essentially, written for my 80’s-lovin’ self: Five students – a rebel, a jock, a pretty and popular pregnant girl,…
Apollo 13 (1995)
I love this film. Like The Hunt For Red October before it, this was one of those films that I put on in the video store during my shift because it is heavily dialogue driven, a great score, fantastic actors, and just carried me through my day. And like Contact, I won’t watch it for…
TIFF 2012: Lore – Cate Shortland
Bright new talent Saskia Rosendahl stars as Lore, a young girl who has to make her way across war-torn Germany near the end of WWII, with her much younger siblings in tow, including her infant brother, Peter. They are trying to get safely to their grandmother’s home in Hamburg after their parents have been…
TIFF 2012: Blackbird – Jason Buxton
The premise of this one intrigued me enough that I was willing to take a chance on it and hope for the best. I didn’t actually know much about it going in, which I think allowed me to take the journey it was offering even more completely, and I am glad that I did. …
TIFF 2012: Mr. Pip – Andrew Adamson
Whenever I hear that a film that is coming out has been based on a novel, I am usually prepared to just like it, at best. Movies are rarely as good as the book, and so I automatically go in with slightly lowered expectations as a result. Even – as in this case –…
The Mind Reels 