The Brenaissance continues as Brendan Fraser turns in another fantastic performance, one that leans into his abilities to be both comedic, and deliver great gravitas, often in the same scene. Fraser stars as Phillip, a struggling American actor living in Japan. When he gets a gig as ‘Sad American’ at a funeral, it opens a…
Tag: connection
Stargate: Atlantis (2005) – Letters from Pegasus, and The Gift
With the Wraith hive ships still two weeks away, the Atlantis Expedition is working on plans to fight and survive. And McKay (David Hewlett) has an idea about sending a message back to Earth through the stargate. Written by Carl Binder, with excerpts by Jill E. Blotevogel, Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Peter DeLuise, Martin…
The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop (2024) – Simon Ennis
The Hobby rolls a D20 for charm! Filmmaker Simon Ennis shows us the connections, the obsessions, and the passions that have sprung up around modern board games, and the people who play them. Traveling across Canada and the United States The Hobby introduces a cross-section of society and the way they can be their best…
We’re the Millers (2013) – Rawson Marshall Thurber
It took me a while to finally get this one. I honestly didn’t think I would enjoy it. But I was wrong. It’s charming, has some laugh-out-loud moments and features Jason Sudekis surrounded by an incredibly strong, comedic cast. Sudekis plays David, a man who has spent his entire life dealing pot. He has no…
Twisters (2024) – Lee Isaac Chung
I love Twister. Unabashedly. Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, some fun tunes, some solid (mostly) effects (cow!) and some great pacing and set pieces. So I was both excited and nervous when Twisters was announced. There’s some nice nods to the original film, and there’s some pretty easy character set-up. You…
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) – George Nolfi
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt headline The Adjustment Bureau, which uses the short story The Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick as it’s launching point. Nolfi not only directed but he wrote the screenplay as well, delivering an entertaining sci-romance. Damon is David Norris, a politician on track to be the next representative from New…
Northern Exposure (1992) – Do the Right Thing, and Crime and Punishment
David Hemmings guest stars as Viktor Bobrov, a former Russian agent who arrives in Cicely, looking for a bargain on countless items, including the KGB file on Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin). Do the Right Thing was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, this episode was first broadcast on 30 November, 1992. The file seems…
Longlegs (2024) – Osgood Perkins
I really wanted to see this one in the theaters, but I could never make it work with my schedule, so when it finally popped up on a streaming service, I was all in. Immediately. And I loved it. It’s spooky, freaky, and Osgood Perkins masterfully frames his images. He makes use of negative space…
Northern Exposure (1992) – The Final Frontier, and It Happened in Juneau
While Maggie (Janine Turner) obsesses over a package that has traveled the globe for the past four years, Maurice (Barry Corbin) deals with a group of Japanese tourists who have come to Cicely to see the town, the Northern Lights, and take in the wonderful sights. The Final Frontier was written by Jeff Vlaming, this…
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 2: Earth (2006) – Zuko Alone, The Chase, and Bitter Work
Zuko Alone, written by Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, first aired on 12 May 2006. Zuko (Dante Basco) is on his own, and the episode explores his character and his past as he recalls his conflict with his father, Ozai the Firelord (Mark Hamill), as well as the fate of his mother, Ursa (Jen Cohn). The episode…
The Mind Reels 