If anyone has ever said that animation isn’t an art form, they’ve never seen a Hayao Miyazaki film. Beloved by fans and critics alike, his films take viewers on journeys through strange lands populated with unusual characters and they always have an emotional core that connects to the audience. And you know you’re watching it…
Tag: characters
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – Wes Anderson
The framing, the quirky characters, the details, the whipsmart dialogue and its delivery. Every time I watch a Wes Anderson film that one becomes my new favourite until I watch another one. I love how he tells his stories, how his characters interact, and all the little moments, styles, and touches that make a Wes…
The Guns of Navarone (1961) – J. Lee Thompson
I’m going to go on the record here before I write this one up. This is the first time I have watched The Guns of Navarone. I watched the semi-sequel, Force 10 From Navarone because it was Harrison Ford, sure, but never saw the original. I buckled up and settled in for an incredibly tense,…
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Ghost Ship (1988) – Diane Carey
Diane Carey can be forgiven for a lot of the portrayals in Ghost Ship, the first novel in The Next Generation series released by Pocket Books following the novelization of the pilot episode. The book was largely written before there was any casting in place, and she could only rely on the show’s bible to…
Swan Song (1987) – Robert McCammon
I remember seeing the original cover for this paperback in a variety of book racks when I was a teen, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I didn’t recognize the name of Robert McCammon at the time, though since that time Boy’s Life has become one of my favourite books. I didn’t…
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 1 4K Review
Paramount Canada and Star Trek had the perfect gift for me as we sit here on the eve of the premiere of season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season one of the fantastic series on 4k. This marks the first time any of the Star Trek television series have been released on 4K,…
Kung Fu Hustle (2004) – Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow not only directed Kung Fu Hustle, but he starred in it and had a hand in the script. And what he delivers is a wild action-comedy seasoned with some pop culture references as well as seeming to exist in a Warner Brothers cartoon. Set in 1940s China, the story follows a troubled man,…
The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion (2018) – Park Hoon-jung
I had a look at the Korean action thriller The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion this week, and while this style of story has been done a number of times before this one was done in a solid and entertaining way that kept the plot, the twists, and action beats coming. That being said,…
Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season 3 DVD Review
Everyone’s favourite California-class starship is back! The USS Cerritos blazes onto DVD from Paramount Pictures this week coming in an extras-packed double disc set. Filled with plenty of laughs as well as true Star Trek stories, Lower Decks has garnered a following that loves the jokes and stays for the characters, and season three is…
End of Watch (2016) – Stephen King
The final novel in the Bill Hodges trilogy, End of Watch, adds a bit of the supernatural flavour that King is known for as Brady Hartsfield, the Mercedes Killer from Mr. Mercedes returns for a final confrontation with retired police detective Hodges, his partner Holly Gibney, and their friend Jerome. The thread of material woven…
The Mind Reels 