Freejack (1992) – Geoff Murphy

Is Freejack great? No one is under that impression. Is it fun? Definitely. Sure, it falls apart in the final act, and some of the special effects are questionable (though some are very well-used) but the rest of the ride is fairly enjoyable as Emilio Estevez chews scenery, Rene Russo looks stunning, and Anthony Hopkins…

Amistad (1997) – Steven Spielberg

Spielberg returns to another examination of humanity and history with his 1997 film Amistad. Based on an actual event in 1839, the film explores a revolt of Mende captives aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad. When the captives take over the ship they demand that the surviving crew take them back to Africa, but instead,…

Red 2 (2013) – Dean Parisot

Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, and John Malkovich are back in Red 2, a sequel that came hot on the heels of the previous film, and added some more star power to its roster with Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lee Byung-Hun, Steven Berkoff, and David Thewlis. Frank (Willis) gets the band back…

Magic (1978) – Richard Attenborough

Somehow this title has slipped through the cracks of my viewing, and I had never seen it before I threw it on for the next misadventure with Killer Dolls as featured in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book. Its directed by Richard Attenborough, written by William Goldman, based on his own novel, stars Anthony…

Hannibal (2001) – Ridley Scott

Anthony Hopkins returns to his iconic role of the cannibalistic doctor, Hannibal Lector in the sequel to the brilliant The Silence of the Lambs. This film shows up in Ten Bad Dates with De Niro on a list of films that it is painful to like. Jodie Foster and director Jonathan Demme elected not to…

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – Ron Howard

I’m very particular about my holiday specials when it comes to television and movies. My treasured titles are very select, and I get very put out when a new one is thrust upon me. I love A Charlie Brown Christmas, Emmett Otter, John Denver & The Muppets, The Muppet Family Christmas (I like my Muppets),…

Beowulf (2007) – Robert Zemeckis

I’m enjoying exploring DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book, and the current chapter on Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales is bringing me all manner of film to partake in. Today, it brings me Robert Zemeckis’ take on the epic poem Beowulf. Always a technically inovative director, Zemeckis decided to make the film with computer…

The Bounty (1984) – Roger Donaldson

The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my return to the action genre and my screening of The Pirates of the Caribbean, is The Bounty. This one has everything working for it, a score by Vangelis, an all-star cast including Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis,…

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – Taika Waititi

Marvel and Disney unveil their latest foray into the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) with a new instalment in the Thor series. It’s loud, it’s fun, but lacking a bit of an emotional punch in its final act. This time out Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been out travelling the cosmos, leaving both Earth and Asgard behind….

Chaplin (1992) Richard Attenborough

As I return to DK Canada’s The Movie Book, the next film they highlight is the Chaplin classic, City Lights. That is a title I’d previously reviewed, and so I dove write into What Else to Watch, as I had already reviewed his key movies, and the first one on the list I hadn’t previously…