POPnology at the Ontario Science Centre

It’s summer vacation, time for camps, bike rides, beaches, family trips, seemingly endless days spread out before the young to enjoy, to forget the long reach of scholastic achievement, teachers, and books. So how can you make learning fun, and ensure that the entire family is entertained? Combine education with entertainment, with movies, and pop…

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – Elia Kazan

Tennessee Williams’ classic tale comes to the big screen in this 1951 adaptation that is my next stop in DK Canada’s The Movie Book. Now, lets be clear, I’ve never been a fan of Marlon Brando, not ever, he just kind of annoys me, and has his career progressed his lack of professionalism just became…

Sunset Boulevard (1950) – Billy Wilder

As I return to the films of yesteryear, thanks to DK Canada’s The Movie Book, I settled in for a film that I’ve never been sure I wanted to watch, Sunset Boulevard. I just never imagined it would be my thing, but it does have a great pedigree including a cast that includes Gloria Swanson…

Before Midnight (2013) – Richard Linklater

Nine years after Before Sunset, and almost twenty since Before Sunrise, we check in with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) again. And this is the next title from DK Canada’s The Movie Book’s What Else to Watch list following my screening of Boyhood. Travelling in Greece as a family, including two daughters, the…

Before Sunset (2004) – Richard Linklater

I return to the brilliant The Movie Book from DK Canada, as I continue to work my way through the What Else to Watch list following my screening of Boyhood. I got a bottle of wine, and settled in for the follow up to Before Sunrise… Before Sunset. Nine years after the release of Before…

Before Sunrise (1995) – Richard Linklater

Following my screening of Boyhood, as recommended by DK Canada’s highly enjoyable The Movie Book, it’s now time to dive into the What Else to Watch titles that accompany it. First up is Before Sunrise starring Linklater’s good friend, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy. Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) are two travellers who meets on…

Boyhood (2014) – Richard Linklater

To keep things fresh and entertaining with DK Canada’s fascinating The Movie Book I’ve decided to do some leaping back and forth through the book, so that there is a larger variety of film. So I leapt to the very end of the book, and the last film highlighted is Richard Linklater’s brilliant Boyhood. Filmed…

Solo: A Star Wars Story – The Official Guide (2018) – Pablo Hidalgo

As a Star Wars fan, hell, as a pop culture fan, DK Canada gets me. Their constantly growing library of books, no matter what the subject, are always fun, informative, filled with trivia, gorgeous photos and illustrations, and always seem to be designed to give us a closer look at the subject matter. The official…

Samurai Rebellion (1967) – Masaki Kobayashi

Toshiro Mifune headlines in this fantastic film that is the next recommendation on the What Else to Watch list in DK Canada’s The Movie Book following my screening of Rashomon. A movie that centres on honour, pride, justice and love Kobayashi’s film is a riveting watch, with a brilliant climax. Mifune stars as Isaburo Sasahara, a…

Red Beard (1965) – Akira Kurosawa

Red Beard is the next recommendation from the What Else to Watch list in DK Canada’s The Movie Book, following my screening of Rashomon. This film marks the last collaboration between Kurosawa, and iconic Japanese actor, Toshiro Mifune. Over a sprawling, and engaging three hours, Kurosawa explores humanism and existentialism through this adaption of a…