TIFF ’23: Poolman

Chris Pine stars, directs and co-wrote Poolman, a sun-baked film noir that never quite finds its tone in spite of its best efforts, and feels like the love child of Chinatown and The Big Lewbowski. A pastiche of the eccentricities and lifestyles of LA, Pine populates his film with characters you could only find in…

Barbarian (2022) – Zach Cregger

Wow. Writer/director Zach Cregger blew me away with this one, completely subverting my expectations while playing with the traditional horror rules in this fantastic thriller of a film. From his framing to camera movement to casting to the way he doles out the story, Cregger plays with an increasingly film-savvy and educated horror audience and…

Almost Famous (2000) – 4K Review

I don’t know why I am constantly stunned by how sharp and beautiful a 4K picture is, but everytime I throw on a 4K disc I am completely gobsmacked, and Paramount Picture’s new release of Cameron Crowe’s brilliant, and partly autobiographical film, Almost Famous, left me absolutely gobsmacked. When I put it on, with the…

Uncommon Valor (1983) – Ted Kotcheff

Before Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone did it, while it was still a bit of a taboo subject for American society, Gene Hackman, to the strains of a James Horner score gathered to him Robert Stack, Patrick Swayze, Harold Sylvester, Fred Ward, Tim Thomerson, Randall Cobb, Reb Brown and Kwan Hi Lim to his side,…

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…

Caddyshack (1980) – Harold Ramis

Caddyshack remains one of those comedies that just stays with you. And it has stayed with me since I first saw it as a teenager in the 80s, Bill Murray and his nemesis, the gopher puppet delighted me to no end, while Chevy Chase’s zen-like and self-confident (verging on the arrogant) golf player Ty, exuded…

DC Comics Cover Art (2020) – Nick Jones

Neal Adams. Jack Kirby. George Perez. Alex Ross. Dave Gibbons. Amanda Conner. Jim Lee. John Byrne. The tip of the iceberg on a long list of distinguished and exceptional artists who have created iconic images through the years for DC Comics, aiding in the transition of the medium from being seen as ‘just for kids’…

Star Trek: Discovery (2019) – Such Sweet Sorrow Part 1 & 2

Captain’s log: stardate 1050.8 Time is running out as Leland (Alan van Sprang) as Control, and his fleet of Section 31 ships are closing in on the Discovery and the Enterprise, in this, the first part of the season two finale of Star Trek; Discovery. Written by Michelle Paradise, Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman, Such Sweet…

Star Trek: Voyager (2001) – Endgame

Captain’s log: stardate 54973.4 The final episode of Voyager, Endgame, is a feature length story that was written by Kenneth Biller and Robert Doherty from a story that Biller developed with Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. The final mission of the starship U.S.S. Voyager aired on 23 May, 2001 and was determined to wrap everything…

Burnt Offerings (1973) – Robert Marasco

Burnt Offerings is the type of tale that I’m glad I came to at this age as opposed to my early teen years when I first discovered horror novels. I say that because at that time, I would have hated it no matter who recommended it to me. I had discovered King, and The Shining…