I love underdog sports movies, and I know I’m not the only one, because they keep cycling around, but Cody Lightning has taken the trope in his new feature and done something wonderful with it. The team we are introduced to, Treaty 6 Blades, is an indigenous team playing in the country league in Northern…
Tag: Canadian
TIFF ’26: Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple dir. Scot McFadyen, and Sam Dunn
I came to Rush later in life. During the 70s and 80s, I was definitely more of a pop kid (though Tom Sawyer seemed to permeate even the geek culture I was in), but when I found them- introduced to a co-worker who suggested 2112- I became a fan. I listened to all of their…
TIFF ’26: The Stunt Driver dir. Michael Dowse
There’s always time for some Canadiana at TIFF, and The Stunt Driver delivers it fantastically with lots of humour and great performances, and explores a small but fascinating corner of Canadian pop culture history that I had no clue about. In the late 70s, it seems everyone knew who Evel Knievel (Ben Foster) was. Heck,…
My Old Ass (2024) – Megan Park
Aubrey Plaza makes a few welcome appearances in this well-crafted coming-of-age tale that wonders what you would ask your older self if you were able. And would you make different choices because of the answers. Written and directed by Megan Park, this movie beautifully Canadian, shot up on Lake Muskoka, and making a number of…
TIFF 25: Degrassi – Whatever It Takes dir. Lisa Rideout
Degrassi has been with me since 1989. I was living on my own out in Halifax, and discovered it airing on television and was hooked. I recognized myself in these characters. Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to chat and befriend members of the original Degrassi Juniour High and Degrassi High cast. I was…
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) – David Zucker
What with the reboot/sequel bringing comedic laughs back to the theatre, I thought I would take a look at the original The Naked Gun, which followed on the oh-to-short Police Squad! series. Leslie Nielsen is back as Frank Drebin, and if you were worried this movie wouldn’t be funny almost forty years later, you can…
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) – Sidney Lanfield
I’ll be honest, I had never seen one of Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes before. So I figured why not go back to the beginning and check out his first film, and perhaps explore more of his turn as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic character – he did fourteen films. And joining him as Watson, who…
Stargate: Atlantis (2004) – Rising
Stargate: Atlantis launched with a feature length debut episode on 16 July, 2004. It was written by Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright. O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Daniel (Michael Shanks) shows up to assist in the launch. It’s fun, looks great and expands the Stargate universe. Dr. Weir (now played by Torri Higginson) has…
I Only Read Murder (2023) – Ian and Will Ferguson
I didn’t know where to go after I finished Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer series. I hadn’t been moved and entertained by books like that in a long time. So I decided to go the opposite way, and find something light and fun. Enter: I Only Read Murder by Canadian authors Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson. It…
The Queen (2024) – Nick Cutter
Canadian author Nick Cutter (aka Craig Davidson) really knows to deliver a tale that gets under your skin, and horrifies you, and he does it again with The Queen. Combining a coming-of-age tale with explicitly detailed body horror, this one was a page-turner from the beginning and is completely engrossing. Cutter plunges readers right into…
