Iconic Holywood writer/director Michael Mann pairs up with acclaimed novelist Meg Gardiner to revisit and expand on the world of cop Vincent Hanna, thieves Neil McCauley and Chris Shiherlis and the pursuit of their goals before and after the events portrayed in the 1995 film. Coiled like a spring, this crime thriller ratchets up the…
Tag: director
Tiff ’22: The Banshees of Inisherin
A canticle of attrition laced with verses of humour and pathos, The Banshees of Inisherin from writer-director Martin McDonagh is a perfect composition. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as Padraic and Colm. They’ve been drinking mates for years until in April of 1923, Colm decides he doesn’t want to be friends with Padraic anymore….
TIFF ’22: Empire of Light
Writer/director Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light is a beautiful and emotional achievement, celebrating the beauty of cinema while allowing its star, Olivia Colman to deliver a powerful, layered and nuanced performance as Hillary. She’s a woman of a certain age who suffers from a mental illness, which she has to contend with in her day-to-day…
TIFF ’22: Women Talking
Writer-director Sarh Polley lends her powerful voice to bringing Miriam Toews’ brilliant and acclaimed novel to the screen. What Polley delivers is a stunning, conversation-starting piece that examines patriarchy, power, faith, hope, and dreams for the future. In a remote Mennonite community, a gathering of women takes place to figure out their future. They’ve been…
Star Trek 4K – The Human Adventure Continues…
So much Trek to get through! Paramount Pictures delivers the goods with their 4K releases this week. I remember where I was the first time I saw each film, and I was a recently turned eight-year-old who sat in the theatre in CFB Borden as Christmas drew closer, and I sat and loved every minute…
Mission: Impossible (1972) – Ultimatum, and Kidnap
Murray Hamilton (the beaches will be open!) guest stars in Ultimatum. Written by Harold Livington from a story by Shirl Hendryx and Livingston, the episode all guests Donnelly Rhodes! First airing on 18 November, 1972, the episode sees the IMF on familiar ground. Phelps (Peter Graves) and his team are after a nuclear physicist, Cooper…
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) – Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan has quickly become one of my favorite writer/directors and I realized that there were still a number of his titles that I hadn’t written about for the blog. So color me happy as I dig into some other examples of his work. Ouija: Origin of Evil is, in fact, a sequel to a…
M*A*S*H (1983) – Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen
On 28 February, 1983, millions of viewers bid goodbye to the 4077th and its residents over the course of two hours. It’s one of those moments burned into my brain, and I remember exactly where I was and how emotionally it affected me. The only other time I was affected in the same way would…
Rambo (2008) – Sylvester Stallone
Stallone not only returns in one of his most iconic roles, but he also settles into the director’s chair to bring the grittiest incarnation of Vietnam vet to the screen. Continuity is key, and Rambo (Stallone) is still in the Far East, attempting to live a quiet life as best as he can, when, like…
Insidious: Chapter Three (2015) – Leigh Whannell
Writer Leigh Whannell who had penned the previous two entries in the Insidious series slips into the director’s chair for the third installment, which also serves as a prequel to the Lambert story that occupied the first two films. The film introduces us to a small family living in the city. There’s Sean (Dermot Mulroney),…
The Mind Reels 