War of the Colossal Beast (1958) – Bert I. Gordon

The monster mash continues as I work my way through the Atomic Mutations chapter in DK Canada’s very enjoyable, Monsters in the Movies. Bert Gordon returns to direct the follow-up sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man, but you don’t have to have seen the first one to wtch this one, as there’s a flashback sequence…

Goldfinger (1959) – Ian Fleming

This week’s 007 is the seventh novel in the series, and while it bears some similarities to the film that would eventually spring from it, it is also very much it’s own thing. Secret Agent James Bond finishes up a mission in Mexico, like a pre-credits adventure, which does get alluded to in the film…

Octaman (1971) – Harry Essex

Harry Essex who wrote the Universal Monster classic, Creature From the Black Lagoon, goes back to the well with this tale that he wrote and directed, and also features some early work by Rick Baker, who had his hand in the design and build of the monster costume. Octaman is the next title up in…

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) – Blu-Ray Review

From the opening moments of Dark Fate, this does feel like the Terminator film we’ve been waiting for, because as much as the film series has been about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800, it’s also, when it’s at its best, about Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton, who returns to the series in style).  Or rather, the balance of…

The Croning (2012) – Laird Barron

This week’s book shelf brings a bit of cosmic horror as I delve into Laird Bannon’s novel, The Croning. The story spans the decades of one man, and the horrors that are around him, and the realization that these nightmare terrors are real. It’s unnverving, as we are introduced to geologist Don Miller, and his…

Moonlighting (1987/1988) – Father Knows Last, and Los Dos Dipestos

Will Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) and David (Bruce Willis) share a scene together this week? Let’s find out! First up is Father Knows Last, written by Kerry Ehrin, this episode first aired on 15 December, 1987. While Maddie deals with morning sickness, the Blue Moon Detective Agency is on the verge of being shut down, it’s…

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) – Sam Peckinpah

The next big title covered in DK Canada’s highly enjoyable and informative The Movie Book is the exemplary The Wild Bunch. Having previously covered it I moved onto the What Else to Watch list, and discovered a film I had often heard of but until now, had never seen. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo…

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) – Robert Rodriguez

The solid team of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino paired up for the first time with From Dusk Til Dawn the next stop in the vampire section of Monsters in the Movies, the wonderful coffee table tome from DK Canada. Featuring an all star cast, as well as being stacked with cult favorites, the film…

TAD2018: Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) – Issa Lopez

Toronto After Dark gets underway this evening at the Scotiabank Theatre with its opening night film, Tigers Are Not Afraid. Hailing from Mexico, this film kicks off the festival with a darkly beautiful story that has hints of del Toro, and invites us into the troubled lives of a group of children. Screening at 7pm…

Toronto After Dark 2018

It’s that time of year again, and it seems Toronto always knows what to get me for my birthday – a film festival. Specifically the Toronto After Dark film festival. Running October 11th through to the 19th the genre festival features films from around the globe that highlight horror, action and science fiction films that…