A Boy and His Dog (1975) – L.Q. Jones

  Harlan Ellison’s classic novella comes to life in this adaptation that is my next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Vic (a very young Don Johnson) is wandering the post-apocalyptic world, accompanied by his dog, Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), with whom he can communicate telepathically. Together they navigate the barbarity, the cruelty and…

The Ten Commandments (1956) – Cecil B. DeMille

  Melodrama and spectacle are the order of the day as I dive back into the Historical genre of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. DeMille’s remake of his own 1923 is a towering, four hour long epic that boasted top of the line effects (at the time), stellar casting, including Charlton…

Theeb (2014) – Naji Abu Nowar

  Opening today at the Lightbox here in Toronto, as well as Vancouver and Calgary, with additional locations to follow on December 18, is the latest work from award-winning director Naji Abu Nowar. Shot in Jordan, and being submitted as their official Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2016 Academy Awards, comes this…

Tarantula (1955) – Jack Arnold

  My time with director Jack Arnold continues, thanks to the Sci-Fi Chronicles. This time around, we find ourselves int he middle of the desert menaced by a giant spider. But don’t worry, things work out in the end, and we’re all saved by Clint Eastwood. Really. Near a small desert town, Professor Gerald Deemer…

Orphan Black S03E06 – Certain Agony of the Battlefield

  Wow what a kick in the gut last night’s episode of Orphan Black was huh? The emotional punches and revelations just kept coming, and constantly stunned me over and over… Sarah (Tatiana Maslany) still being held in Dr. Coady’s (Kyra Harper) compound (which Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy) has learned is in Mexico) and…

Avenged (2013) – Micheal S. Ojeda

  Releasing from Anchor Bay today, was this supernatural revenge thriller, that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I thought it would be a little enjoyable, but I found myself really getting into this one. Zoe (the lovely Amanda Adrienne) is a deaf/mute girl on a road trip to spend some time with her…

The Road to Oz (1909) – L. Frank Baum

  It’s time to go back to Oz, and it had to happen sooner or late. This is the fifth book in the Oz series, the fourth featuring Dorothy, and it ends up being her most disappointing trip yet. Happily, she arrives in Oz this time without having to go through a natural disaster first, and…

Echoes (2014) – Nils Timm

  Releasing today from Anchor Bay is Echoes, a film that was an official selection of both the New York City International Film Festival and the FilmQuest Film Festival where it garnered awards for best actress, best director and best screenplay. This well-produced and acted supernatural thriller ends up being fairly predictable, but its pacing and acting balance out a…

The Greatest American Hero (1981) – Pilot

  In 1981, I was living in Kingston, Ontario, I had fallen in love with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi was still a long ways off!! Television, of course, still continued to entertain me, and Stephen j. Cannell was right there keeping an occasional evening occupied with his take on…