Young Guns II (1990) – Geoff Murphy

The amount my life changed between the first Young Guns, released in 1988, and Young Guns II in 1990 makes the movies themselves feel years upon years apart. Seeing that there was only two years between them is rather shocking seeing how many things happened in the space of that time. Rewatching it now Young…

Disquiet (2023) – Michael Winnick

There are some fun and familiar ideas at work in Michael Winnick’s Disquiet which is getting a limited theatrical run, and VOD release tomorrow, but it just isn’t as strong as it could be. At just under an hour and a half I still felt the editing could have been tighter, and the characters could…

TAD 2022: The Lair dir. by Neil Marshall

Neil Marshall brings us another bad-ass woman named Sinclair with his latest effort The Lair. Marshall’s films have been much loved by After Dark audiences having previously delivered such solid fare as The Descent, Doomsday (the other Sinclair), Dog Soldiers. Pairing with his lead actress Charlotte Kirk, they penned the script that sees the true…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – David Yates

This is it. It all led to this film, after seven films, the Harry Potter franchise comes to its close with this, the second part of the adaptation of the seventh and final novel. Picking up where the first film left off with Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) claiming the Elder Wand, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma…

TAD 2021: Ditched dir. Christopher Donaldson

The Carpenter-esque, Canadian-made, Ditched is available for streaming from the Toronto After Dark film festival today. I think I enjoyed the idea of it more than the actual movie itself. Melina (Marika Sila), a paramedic, wakes up in her overturned ambulance, and has to brace herself for a long violent night of the soul, as…

Warlock (1989) – Steve Miner

Back in the early 90s, I would occasionally babysit the kids next door to get some extra cash (or any for that matter, as I was trying to find a work/life balance between schooling, job hunting, and friction at home). Amongst their collection of VHS tapes there was a copy of Warlock, and I don’t…

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) – Renny Harlin

The Long Kiss Goodnight should be better than it is. It’s got quite the pedigree. Director Renny Harlin had given us Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and a solid entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series with The Dream Master. There’s a score by Alan Silvestri, a script by Shane Black (who is damned reliable…

To Live and Die In L.A. (1985) – William Friedkin

I don’t know how it happens, but between the watching and the re-watching, I constantly forget how awesome To Live and Die In L.A. is. I know it’s good, I love this movie, but I seem to be consistently stunned every time I settle in for this one. Amazingly I didn’t see this film upon…

Never Say Never Again (1983) – Irvin Kershner

Sean Connery returns to his iconic role of James Bond, in this non-canon film that is basically a beat for beat remake of the classic 007 film, Thunderball. And there’s a reason for that. Going head to head with Roger Moore’s Bond outing of Octopussy, Warner Brothers had the rights to make a 007 film…

Cujo (1983) – Lewis Teague

The film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1981 novel, Cujo, is the next title up in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, and I find myself a little divided on it. The majority of the film is, in fact, faithful to the novel until we reach the final act of the film. But we’ll get to…