TIFF 25: California Schemin’ dir. James McAvoy

I had never heard of Silibil ‘n’ Brains, but knowing this was James McAvoy’s directorial debut I had to check it out. It’s based on a true story, and it’s very entertaining. Gavin (Seamus McLean Ross) and Billy (Samuel Bottomley) are just a couple of blokes from Dundee, Scotland. They dream big, and those dreams…

TIFF24: Vice is Broke dir. Eddie Huang

Eddie Huang, a chef and former Vice host lays out the horrible truth of Vice, and Vice Media’s rise and fall when it declared bankruptcy. Intent on getting his residuals, Huang went after Shane Smith, one of the co-founders who alongside Gavin McInnes (yes that Gavin McInnes) built the company up, and then fell victim…

TIFF ’23: Concrete Utopia

Concrete Utopia from South Korea has its North American premiere here at TIFF, and this one is definitely a must-see. While arguably a little heavy-handed in its messaging, the film is a captivating two-hour exploration of the human condition, our faults, and our hopes. An apocalyptic event has struck Seoul, and it seems the only…

Undisclosed (2017) – Steve Alten

I want to believe. I’ve said it before on this blog and in my own personal life, I’ve been fascinated by the possibilities of what and who may be out there and the idea that maybe we’ve already been in contact with. Consequently, I’m aware of Steven Greer, a former emergency room doctor who has…

The Kaiju Preservation Society (2022) – John Scalzi

John Scalzi knows how to tell a great story, and he proves it with The Kaiju Preservation Society, which is a thunderously enjoyable tale that gives us a fun and unique look at the horror/science fiction subgenre that is populated with stories of kaiju. Throwing nods to classic kaiju like Godzilla and newer ones like…

The Equalizer (1987) – Suspicion of Innocence, and In the Money

Vincent D’Onofrio comes back for a second go-round with The Equalizer in Suspicion of Innocence. Written by Robert Eisele it first debuted on 30 September, 1987. Davey (D’Onofrio) is a mentally challenged young man who is happy with his job, he interacts well with his co-workers and likes his friend, Will (William Converse-Roberts). Things turn…

Cloud Atlas (2012) – Lana & Lilly Wachowski and Tom Tykwer

I remember hearing about Cloud Atlas while it was in production and that Tom Hanks was being associated with it, as well as the directors of The Matrix. Consequently, I made sure to pick up a copy of the novel, by David Mitchell from the local library and worked my way through it, enjoying how…

Dante’s Inferno (1935) – Harry Lachman

Spencer Tracy gets a glimpse of hell in the next title featured in DK Books’ Monsters in the Movies, Dante’s Inferno. Tracy plays Carter, a forceful and determined young man, who finds success and a pathway to greed, avarice and more when he joins a concessionaire run by Pop McWade (Henry B. Walthall). After a…

Faust (1926) – F.W. Murnau

Man can Murnau make a film, and I was more than delighted to sit down and watch the director’s silent film version of the story of Faust as the next title in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies. Filled with special effects that feature a number that still stand up today, the story follows a…

Dry Summer (1963) – Metin Erksan

The Directory in DK Canada’s The Movie Book is continuing to supply exceptional films from around the globe, and today’s entry is a Turkish film that strikes a familiar chord about possession and greed. The story follows a pair of brothers, Osman (Erol Tas), and Hasan (Ulvi Dogan), a pair of farmers that are caught…