TIFF 25: Retreat dir. Ted Evans

Ted Evans wrote and directed this engaging thriller that takes us inside the lives of Eva (Anne Zander) and Matt (James Joseph Boyle) when Eva joins Matt and a collection of deaf people living at a residence they know as Chilmark. Under the watchful eye, and guidance of Mia (Sophie Stone), the residents are establishing…

Baywatch (2017) – Seth Gordon

I’ll be honest, I quite enjoyed the big screen adaptation of the cult favorite Baywatch. One could argue it’s not as entertaining as the 21 Jumpstreet films, but it ended up being damned fun, and pokes fun at the entire series, while honoring it at the same time. And it’s got a beautiful-looking cast to…

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) – 4K Review

Stanley Kramer’s funny, provocative, and poignant Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner from 1967 has been a hole in my viewing history for far too long. With the arrival of Sony’s release of Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4, I was able to remedy that, and I was finally able to settle in and…

Episode Thirteen (2023) – Craig DiLouie

Orbit Books brings me my first real creepy novel of 2023, Episode Thirteen. Using the familiar structure of the found footage genre, something that has been co-opted successfully for all of the ghost-hunting shows that seem to plague reality television, DiLouie compiles a literary found footage film, offering up video transcripts, EVP recordings, text messages,…

Miami Vice (1986) – The Fix, and Payback

Detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas) investigate a dirty judge in The Fix. Written by Chuck Adamson, the episode first aired on 7 March, 1986. When the Vice team busts a dealer, in a buy that goes bad, the judge, Ferguson (Bill Russell), overseeing her case sets a paltry bond,…

Anna Christie (1930) – Clarence Brown

  It’s time to spend a little more time with Greta Garbo, following my screening of Anna Karenina for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. The first recommendation comes with a fairly high pedigree, Anna Christie was Garbo’s first sound film, which saw her nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, and…

Toronto After Dark Spotlight – The Dirties (2013) – Matthew Johnson

  The Toronto After Dark Film Festival has been known for showing edgy, darker films, controversial films… None could possibly be more so than this film from Director Matthew Johnson, as it takes on the subject of bullying culminating in a school shooting. That right there tells you it’s not going to be an easy…

TIFF – The Dick Knost Show (2013) – Bruce Sweeney

  Bruce Sweeney`s latest character piece, you`ll recall I highly enjoyed The Crimes of Mike Recket, is a look at the world of sports radio, specifically the acid-tongued, quick-witted, numbers-driven Dick Knost (a hilarious turn by Thomas Scholte). He is controversial, and after he sends a number of inflammatory tweets, his network higher-ups finally have the…