A long time ago, in 1978, in a galaxy not so far away, many of us were scarred for life, by watching, with our indulging families, The Star Wars Holiday Special, an abomination that has never been re-aired, though it’s animated sequence introduced us to Boba Fett before he arrived in 1980’s The Empire Strikes…
Tag: 2021
Star Trek: Picard – The Dark Veil (2021) – James Swallow
Simon & Schuster delivers another tale set before the first season of Star Trek: Picard with The Dark Veil by James Swallow, this time centering the story on the U.S.S. Titan, and her captain William T. Riker, its counsellor, and the captain’s wife, Deanna Troi, their young sun Thaddeus (which makes what we learn of…
A Classic Horror Story (2021) – Roberto De Feo, and Paolo Strippoli
I love taking a look at foreign horror films, because all filmmakers approach the genre from their own experiences, their culture, and their influences, and what scares some people may only be entertaining to others. The Italian film, A Classic Horror Story, plays our very enjoyable, and has a couple of shifts from horror sub-genre…
Willy’s Wonderland (2021) – Kevin Lewis
Silly, goofy, and wonderfully over-the-top, the horror film, Willy’s Wonderland, is just a romp that doesn’t take itself, or the world it exists in very seriously, and it’s star, Nicholas Cage, doesn’t say a word through the entire film. His character, known only in the credits as The Janitor, is a bad-ass looking guy who’s…
Eternals (2021) – Chloe Zhao
The MCU unveils its latest film this week, and Chloe Zhao delivers the most diverse, and inclusive cast and storyline that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen to date. It’s also one of the comics in the Marvel family that I don’t know very well, but that allowed me to go into the film blissfully…
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021) – 4K Review
Paramount Pictures releases the latest film in the G.I. Joe series that reveals that franchise, three films in, is still trying to find its footing, and is already engaging in a soft reboot. This time out, we get a reimagining of the origin of two of the toys/comic book/cartoon/movies favorite characters, Snake Eyes and Storm…
TAD 2021: Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break dir. Nick Gillespie
Closing out the Toronto After Dark Film Festival today is the UK film Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break. And what a way to close the festival! Without disclosing too much, this sure fire crowd pleaser follows Paul Dood (Tom Meeten) in his pursuit of a glimmer of internet fame by auditioning for internet sensation Jack…
TAD 2021: Super Z dir. Julien de Volte, and Arnaud Tabarly
Zombie features at Toronto After Dark are never your run of the mill selections. With so many entries in this horror sub-genre, and so many ways to adapt the subject matter to social commentary, it’s unusual to find a unique offering in the field. France’s Super Z is definitely unique. Having its World Premiere virtually…
TAD 2021: The Free Fall dir. Adam Stilwell
Toronto After Dark delivers a gaslighting character thriller with The Free Fall, enjoying its Canadian premiere, and comes in as one of my favorite films of the festival. That being said, I saw the truth of what was going on before everything was revealed, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable ride. Sara (Andrea…
TAD 2021: Ditched dir. Christopher Donaldson
The Carpenter-esque, Canadian-made, Ditched is available for streaming from the Toronto After Dark film festival today. I think I enjoyed the idea of it more than the actual movie itself. Melina (Marika Sila), a paramedic, wakes up in her overturned ambulance, and has to brace herself for a long violent night of the soul, as…
The Mind Reels 