Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) – Stephen Herek

I forgot how much I loved this film. This was one of my go-tos in the mid-90s. It was a film I recommended constantly, one I played in the store, and loved Richard Dreyfuss’ performance as the titular Mr. Holland. An ode to teachers, the film follows Mr, Holland, as he takes a teaching position…

TIFF 25: Retreat dir. Ted Evans

Ted Evans wrote and directed this engaging thriller that takes us inside the lives of Eva (Anne Zander) and Matt (James Joseph Boyle) when Eva joins Matt and a collection of deaf people living at a residence they know as Chilmark. Under the watchful eye, and guidance of Mia (Sophie Stone), the residents are establishing…

Space: 1999 (1975) – Alpha Child, and Dragon’s Domain

Moonbase Alpha continues it’s not exactly lonely journey through space – there is a lot of life out there apparently, and all so conveniently close for storytelling purposes. First up this week, Koenig (Martin Landau), Dr. Russell (Barbara Bain) and Professor Bergman (Barry Morse) meet the Alpha Child. Written by Christopher Penfold and Edward di…

A Quiet Place (2018) – Blu-Ray Review

The horror game-changer, A Quiet Place, hit blu-ray and DVD this week from Paramount Pictures, and it’s just as amazing and terrifying in your home theatre. Director and star John Krasinksi (who also had his hand in the screenplay – and for some people will always be Jim from The Office, though this film definitely…

Tommy (1975) – Ken Russell

As I dig into the recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Grease, I got rather excited about what I would see, and if there would be anything I hadn’t screened before. In fact there was. The Who’s Tommy. Playing like an experimental film that is undeniably…

Quantum Leap (1991) – Private Dancer and Piano Man

Sam (Scott Bakula) finds himself in the body of a male stripper, Rod ‘The Bod’ in Private Dancer. Written by Paul Brown this episode first aired on 20 March, 1991. As Rod, Al (Dean Stockwell) informs Sam that he is there to help a young, deaf, waitress, and hopeful dancer, Dianna (Rhondee Beriault) and stop…

Magnum, p.i. (1986) – One Picture is Worth & Straight and Narrow

  Thomas (Tom Selleck) comes to the aid of a deaf painter, Linda Andrews (Stephanie Dunnam) in the first episode this week. One Picture is Worth originally aired 8 October, 1986, and was written by James L. Novack. Linda is a witness to a bank robbery that saw four people killed, but when the murderer, Jack…