Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, and J.T. Walsh star in the cinematic adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel, The Russia House. Written for the screen by Tom Stoppard, the film was the first, big Western film to be shot on location in the Soviet Union. Featuring a gorgeous score by…
Tag: drama
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) – John Lee Hancock
John Lee Hancock adapts the Stephen King short story to the screen and gives us a thoughtful rumination on technology, life, forgiveness, and letting go. Jaeden Martell returns to the King-verse this time as young Craig, a student, a young man who is dealing with the death of his mother, navigating the world of high…
The Sugarland Express (1974) – Steven Spielberg
Before Spielberg was the box-office titan that he would become with 1975’s Jaws , he made his North American theatrical debut (Duel, a television movie had been released theatrically in Europe) with 1974’s Sugarland Express. Based on an actual event that occurred in 1969, the story follows Lou Jean (Goldie Hawn), her husband Clovis (William…
M*A*S*H (1981) – Bless You Hawkeye, Blood Brothers, and The Foresight Saga
Hawkeye (Alan Alda) is having some serious problems after an encounter with a patient in Bless You Hawkeye. Written by Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford this episode first debuted on 16 March, 1981. Hawkeye seems to be having an allergic reaction to something. As everyone tries to help out, and Hawkeye denies anything wrong, things…
M*A*S*H (1978) – They Call the Wind Korea, Major Ego, and Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Ken Levine and David Isaacs pen They Call the Wind Korea, which first aired on 30 October, 1978, and sees Charles (David Ogden Stiers) getting ready to leave the 4077 on his first vacation (in Tokyo no less) since he arrived. Unfortunately there’s a major storm coming in, and he can’t get a chopper out….
The Lone Gunmen (2001) – Pilot, and Bond, Jimmy Bond
The second X-Files spinoff series launched on 4 March, 2001, and was written by Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, John Shiban and Vince Gilligan, all of whom share a created by credit for it. The series follows Mulder’s ‘friends’ Frohike (Tom Braidwood), Langly (Dean Haglund), and Byers (Bruce Harwood), their magazine, The Lone Gunmen, and their…
Hardball (2001) – Blu-Ray Review
Sometimes you just want to sit back and enjoy something light with actors you love and can rely on, say like Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane. Well Paramount Canada has you covered with the blu-release of the 2001 film, Hardball. Based loosely on a true story (and the book about it by Daniel Coyle) the…
TIFF 2021: The Power of the Dog dir. Jane Campion
Combining intimate drama with dramatic landscapes has been a signature of Jane Campion’s work, and in her latest film, The Power of the Dog, which she also wrote, that mixture still holds true, giving us a different kind of western. Set in Montana, 1925, the film centres around two ranching brothers, the hard-edged, Phil (Benedict…
TIFF 2021: Petit Maman dir. Celine Sciamma
Director Celine Sciamma delivers a gentle pontification of loss, family and understanding in this gentle, and quiet drama. When Nelly’s (Josephine Sanz) grandmother dies, she regrets the fact that she didn’t get a chance to truly say goodbye to her. While her mother (Nina Meurisse) deals with her grief, and the job of clearing out…
M*A*S*H (1976) – The Nurses, The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan, and Dear Sigmund
Loretta Swit has a pair of episodes this week that allow her to shine as her character Margaret Houlihan. First up is The Nurses. Written by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, it was first broadcast on 19 October, 1976, and lets the main cast step back a bit to let a supporting cast of nurses have a little…
The Mind Reels 