Men at Work (1990) – Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez writes, directs, and stars alongside his brother, Charlie Sheen, Leslie Hope, and Keith David in a goofy comedy that allows Estevez to give nods to other films, like Rear Window and his own Stakeout. It’s silly, not entirely engaging, and it seems Estevez, even in his own films, likes to chew some of…

TAD 2021: Ditched dir. Christopher Donaldson

The Carpenter-esque, Canadian-made, Ditched is available for streaming from the Toronto After Dark film festival today. I think I enjoyed the idea of it more than the actual movie itself. Melina (Marika Sila), a paramedic, wakes up in her overturned ambulance, and has to brace herself for a long violent night of the soul, as…

Authority (2014) – Jeff VanderMeer

The second book in the Southern Reach Trilogy finds its way to the Book Shelf this week as I dive further into the strange realm of Area X first introduced in the book Annihilation, which also serves as the title of the upcoming film adaptation. This sequel, released within months of the first book takes…

Toronto Fringe: People Suck

So last night I settled in for a musical presentation at the Randolph Theatre, and was charmed by the Nutmeg Creations presentation of People Suck. Written by Peter Cavell and Megan Phillips, who also is one of the show’s stars, the performance was a series of numbers, that illustrated the very worst in people. And…