City of God (2002) – Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund

City of God, based on a true story is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Taxi Driver. Brutally violent, jarring in its depictions, and beautifully made the film is a one of a kind experience that takes us into the slums just outside of…

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) – Norman Jewison

It’s time to dig into some of the previously un-reviewed (for me) recommendations in the Musical section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and I was rather surprised with how much I enjoyed Norman Jewison’s anachronistic adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic rock opera. Christian theology has never really been my…

TIFF Bell Lightbox: Trek Talks with Dr. Mae Jemison

TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fantastic series of Trek Talks came to a close last night with a passionate and humorous talk by doctor, and former astronaut, Mae Jemison. Her talk drew a lot of attention, and her love of both the science and arts was on full display as she entertained and informed, igniting and rousing…

Quantum Leap (1989) – What Price, Gloria? and Blind Faith

  Deborah Pratt writes her first episode of the series, What Price, Gloria? and becomes one of the strongest voices of the show, so much so that when the new introduction is put in place, it’s her voice selling the show. Airing on 25 October, 1989, the episode finds Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) leaping into…

Hot Docs 2016: Operation Avalanche – Matt Johnson

  It’s right there in the title, Operation Avalanche, it’s a snow job. This faux documentary is played straight, pretending to be a film edited together from film shot by a pair of agents (Matt Johnson and Owen Williams) posing as filmmakers, working on a documentary about the Apollo program at the height of the…

Jetsons: The Movie (1990) – Joseph Barbera & William Hanna

  Decades after the original series left the air, though it was reinvigorated in the 80s, the Jetsons found their way to the big-screen and that is my next stop with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Set in the late 21st century, George (George O’Hanlon), wife, Jane (Penny Singleton), daughter, Judy (my teen crush, Tiffany), son…

Field of Dreams (1989) – Phil Alden Robinson

  The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of Raging Bull is this beautiful and highly enjoyable film from Phil Alden Robinson who wrote and directed the film based on the book Shoeless Joe Jackson by W. P. Kinsella. Kevin Costner plays Ray Kinsella, an Iowa…

Hot Docs 2014: In Country (Mike Attie & Meghan O’Hara)

Screening for the second time of the festival today at 12:30pm at the Lightbox is this reality blurring documentary about a group of veterans as well as some everyday people, who reenact the Vietnam War. Weaving through the footage shot in Oregon with newsreels, sounds and images from the actual war, the line between what is…