I have been a Spielberg fan for as long as I can remember. The first film he saw was The Greatest Show On Earth, which affected him. Mine was Jaws, and I can say the same thing. Over the decades I have followed him on his storytelling journey, embracing each new film that came along,…
Tag: fiction
Purple Rain (1984) – Albert Magnoli
Prince was an icon on the verge and his film Purple Rain catapulted him to legend. Using his own life as the basis for the film, the story features electrical musical performances, sometimes subpar to adequate acting, and an engaging tale that highlights everything that he was capable of. Prince plays the Kid who tries…
In the Mouth of Madness (1994) – John Carpenter
I got to rewatch on of my favourite John Carpenter films for the blog this week, In the Mouth of Madness, which brings Lovecraftian horror to the screen in a way that hadn’t been done before, and honestly helped introduce me to his writing, which albeit is racist, but also incredibly unnerving and frightening, happily…
Fake Blood (2017) – Rob Grant
Whether Canadian film-makers Rob Grant and Mike Kovac movie is fact or fiction isn’t the point of their latest cinematic effort. What is important is the film’s subject matter, and the commentary it makes on film, violence in cinema and the responsibility of the film-makers. Opening Friday at the Carlton here in Toronto, Fake Blood,…
Quantum Leap (1992) – It’s a Wonderful Leap and Moments to Live
It’s a Wonderful Leap for Sam (Scott Bakula) when he finds himself as a New York cab driver, Max Greenman, in a contest to win his own taxi medallion. It’s 10 May, 1958, and Sam is about to realise he has more help on his side than just Al (Dean Stockwell). This episode first aired…
The Accusation (2017) – Bandi
Due out this week from Anansi Press is this beautiful collection of stories, the first fiction to come out of North Korea. They say write what you know, and while I recognise that these stories are fiction, they have their roots in the real world, and as such, give the reader a fascinating glance inside…
Inglorious Basterds (2009) – Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino’s revisionist WWII film, Inglorious Basterds is the final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film following my screening of The Dam Busters. As always, his scripts and films attract some great talent, and this time around we have Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Til Schweiger , Diane Kruger, Eli Roth…
Blu-Ray Review: Star Trek – Beyond (2016) – Justin Lin
Beaming in on Blu-Ray and DVD today from Paramount Pictures is the latest entry in the reboot or Kelvin-verse Star Trek series. I’d previously reviewed my theatrical experience of the film here, so I was eager to see how my impressions of it changed when viewed at home. I actually found myself enjoying it more. Knowing…
The Trap (2015) – Melanie Raabe
There is an immediacy to Melanie Raabe’s debut novel, The Trap, which sees its English release this week, via House of Anansi Press here in Toronto. Translated from German the captivating tale draws the reader into the world that she has created, much as her character, author Linda Conrads, is drawn into the situations…
Hot Docs 2016: Beware the Slenderman – Irene Taylor Brodsky
Having its international premiere last night at the Lightbox, Irene Taylor Brodsky’s film is a slick looking, unnerving and surprisingly emotional look at the blurring of fiction and reality in the modern age, as two young girls, Anissa and Morgan succumb to the terrors and stories of the internet created character of the Slenderman,…
The Mind Reels 