Nicolas Cage headlines in Mandy, a drug-addled hallucinogenic ride in this revenge horror (?) thriller. Set in the early 80s, but filled with 70s sensibilities in sense of style and set design, Cage is Red Miller who lives out in the woods with Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough). They have a quiet life, he works is…
Tag: experimental
Stargate SG-1 (2007) – The Road Not Taken, and The Shroud
Carter (Amanda Tapping) finds herself in a parallel universe in The Road Not Taken. Written by Alan McCullough, this episode first debuted on 27 April, 2007. While testing an experimental device based on Merlin’s work, Carter’s arrival in a different universe allows her the opportunity to help hide the planet from the Ori. In effect…
The Lord of the Rings (1978) – Ralph Bakshi
The summer of ’84 was one of the defining summers of my life. It saw a lot of changes in my life, and was also the first time that I read The Lord of the Rings. I was swept up in the world, and was delighted that I’d read all three books so quickly, and…
TAD 2023: International Shorts After Dark
It’s the final day of the festival and Toronto After Dark always takes this opportunity to showcase some of the amazing genre shorts that have been submitted to them from all over the world. This year, there are ten shorts to dive into, something that is sure to tickle your fancy is to be found…
Skinamarink (2022) – Kyle Edward Ball
What could have been a descent into a childhood nightmarish dreamscape is frustratingly held back by a gimmick that overstays its welcome and leaves viewers struggling to grasp at any strands to form some kind of coherent narrative. With unusual camera angles that prevent the viewer from seeing anything of import or creating a context…
TIFF ’22: Moonage Daydream
Moonage Daydream, a film by Brett Morgen, is a frenetic, fever dream glimpse into the life, music, and art of David Bowie. Clocking in at just over two hours, the archival collage of performances and interviews combine in a colourful, kaleidoscopic form that becomes an experiential event. Morgen takes the viewer on a trippy exploration…
The Snoopy Collection – Blu-Ray Review
Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can recall reading the paperback compilations of Charles M. Schulze classic strips. The Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the only holiday specials that I must watch every year. I imagined my childhood was…
Star Trek: Voyager (1998) – Waking Moments, and Message in a Bottle
Captain’s log: stardate 51471.3 Andre Bormanis (who serves as the science consultant for both Voyager and Deep Space Nine) pens this episode that first aired on 14 January, 1998. The crew of the Voyager all seem to be suffering from night terrors, and all of them feature the exact same alien (Mark Colson) . Of…
Tommy (1975) – Ken Russell
As I dig into the recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Grease, I got rather excited about what I would see, and if there would be anything I hadn’t screened before. In fact there was. The Who’s Tommy. Playing like an experimental film that is undeniably…
Fantasia (1940) – James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, and Ben Sharpsteen
After Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s Fantasia, from 1940, was quite possibly the studio’s riskiest and definitely their most experimental film. Before 1938, the idea of animated feature was unheard of. The thought that a story could be created, and cartoon characters could be involving enough to carry an entire full length film…
The Mind Reels 