There is a fun, if not a good movie somewhere in this mess of a mummy film that is my next stop in the mummy chapter of DK Canada’s highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book. Unfortunately there are a number of things holding it back, there are some casting changes that affect onscreen chemistry,…
Tag: cgi
Shazam! (2019) – Blu-Ray Review
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has been a little shaky since its launch, but with Wonder Woman, Warner Brothers and DC Comics proved they could do it right, and tell an empowering story. Then there was the fumble that was Justice League. Aquaman showed that they could do a big budget, CGI-filled action set piece…
War of the Worlds (1989) – The Raising of Lazarus, and The Angel of Death
This week we come to the conclusion of Season 1 of Paramount Pictures’ War of the Worlds television series, and by my count, I think the morthren are definitely winning. The Raising of Lazarus, the season’s penultimate episode was written by Durnford King, and aired on 8 May, 1989. Team Blackwood may have their hands…
Captain Marvel (2019) – Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
It took a decade, but this week Marvel brings us their first female led superhero film. Giving us a quick respite before diving into Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel brings us a unique Marvel movie, and not just because it has a female as the lead. Captain Marvel is irreverent, playful, and puts a new spin…
Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018) – Peyton Reed
Opening this Friday is the next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and The Wasp. While lacking the originality of the first film (and its desire to repeat the beats and moments that made the first one such a unique success), this one still succeeds and does so best when it focuses on the…
Alien: Covenant (2017) – Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott returns to the science fiction genre again and retreads things that have gone before in Alien: Covenant. The latest film in the seemingly indefatigable series connects the previous film, the divisive Prometheus with the first film in the series, 1979 Alien, both directed by Scott. And while I didn’t hate it, the film…
Tron: Legacy (2010) -Joseph Kosinski
Tron was a big part of my childhood. I remember seeing it in the theatre, and I remember my father falling asleep next to my sister while I was enraptured by the film. The use of computer technology, and the blossoming game world that seemed to fascinate every 80s kid was up there on the…
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – Zack Snyder
The Hero’s Code. It apparently means nothing to Batman (Ben Affleck). It apparently means nothing to Superman (Henry Cavill). And that’s troubling, because as a child, they were two of the characters I grew up with that taught me what it was. But even worse, the creative forces behind the scenes of the latest…
JeruZalem (2015) – Doron and Yoav Paz
Opening today in Toronto at the Carlton Cinema, and also being released on VOD, is this could-have-been-great found footage (don’t we have enough of these yet?) from the Paz brothers. This time, the film’s camera is supposedly in the form of a pair of Smart Glasses. This ends up being a nice touch, because…
Niagara Integrated Film Festival 2015
Against the backdrop of wine country with the dull thrum of the falls imaginable at the farthest edge of earshot, members of the film and wine industry gather to make connections, share experiences and celebrate the finer things in life – film and a good vino. And I was fortunate enough to be invited…
Jurassic World (2015) – Colin Trevorrow
The Park is open! It’s time to go back to Isla Nublar to take a look at the latest update to the world created by Steven Spielberg (who serves as Executive Producer), and author, the late Michael Crichton. And while it is fun to see dinosaurs on the big screen again, there is only…
The Strain Set Visit
Tonight, Gullermo del Toro presents a new vision in terror as the series premiere of The Strain launches a new kind of vampire. Back in March, I was invited to the set to have a look at what goes on behind the scenes and along with some fellow media types (a number of whom…
