Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – Alfonso Cuaron

Despite the box office success of the previous two Harry Potter films, the franchise really comes into its own with a change of directors, the masteful Alfonso Cuaron settles into the chair taking over from Chris Columbus who moved into a producer’s role for this entry. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint return for…

Never Send Flowers (1993) – John Gardner

James Bond is back, and while I’ve enjoyed Gardner’s efforts with Ian Fleming’s 007, with the minor exception of The Man From Barbarossa, this entry, his thirteenth (of sixteen) feels like a real stumble. It seems to want to be more in line with the cinematic 007, but without a solid story, or set pieces…

Hannibal (2001) – Ridley Scott

Anthony Hopkins returns to his iconic role of the cannibalistic doctor, Hannibal Lector in the sequel to the brilliant The Silence of the Lambs. This film shows up in Ten Bad Dates with De Niro on a list of films that it is painful to like. Jodie Foster and director Jonathan Demme elected not to…

True Romance (1993) – Tony Scott

DK Books’ brings me a 90s classic that is on the What Else to Watch list following The Movie Book’s recommendation of Bonnie & Clyde. Directed by Tony Scott, featuring his flashy, gaudy style, and a script by Quentin Tarantino that is rife with his pop culture references and sharp dialogue, True Romance is a…

JFK (1991) – Oliver Stone

The final film in the What Else to Watch list of DK Canada’s The Movie Book, following my viewing of Battleship Potemkin is Oliver Stone’s three hour historical, and dramatic exploration of the Kennedy assassination in 1963. The film follows Jim Garrison’s (Kevin Costner) real-life investigation into the case, perhaps compiling the most comprehensive look…

Lost In Space (1998) – Stephen Hopkins

  The next big adventure in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book is the big-screen reboot of the classic 60s television series, Lost in Space. Boasting an all-star cast, William Hurt, Gary Oldman, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Lacy Chabert, and Matt LeBlanc, the film follows the family Robinson as they leave the dying earth to prepare the…

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) – Matt Reeves

  It’s back to the Apes saga as I dive into the most recent sequel as I continue my way through the Sci-Fi Chronicles. Set a decade or two after the previous film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Caesar (mo-capped by Andy Serkis) is leading a growing nation of evolved apes. But…

Batman Begins (2005) – Christopher Nolan

  Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale take over the reigns of one of DC’s greatest characters, Batman, in the next film to be watched for the Sci-Fi Chronicles book, and the last one to review, as I’ve reviewed Nolan’s latter entries into the trilogy before. On reflection this morning, as much as I like this…

RoboCop (2014) – Jose Padiha

  The other remake I watched this week, after the Evil Dead debacle, was the new Robocop. Lacking the over-the-top violence and comic book nature, not to mention the skewering social commentary of the original, there’s not a lot to redeem this film. And I feel sorry for viewers who come to this one first…

The Dark Knight (2008) – Christoper Nolan

  The 101 Action Movies brings the second installment in Nolan’s version of the famous DC character, Batman, for me to rewatch. This one is epic, sprawling, with a vast cast, and a number of villains from the Caped Crusader’s Rogues Gallery, this time around we have appearances from Dr. Crane aka The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy),…