TIFF ’26: Smudge the Blades dir. Cody Lightning

I love underdog sports movies, and I know I’m not the only one, because they keep cycling around, but Cody Lightning has taken the trope in his new feature and done something wonderful with it. The team we are introduced to, Treaty 6 Blades, is an indigenous team playing in the country league in Northern…

Blockade Billy (2010) – Stephen King

Somehow I missed this one, so when I came across the fun little harcover (love that cover art) in a local used book store, I snapped it up. It contains the (too) short novella Blockade Billy and a short story called Morality. Morality was interesting it sees the disintegration of a couple’s relationship over a…

Dial M for Murder (1954) – Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock pairs with writer Frederick Knott to bring his stage play, Dial M for Murder to the big screen in this captivating and thrilling adaptation. The film features a top-tier cast, the luminous Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings and John Williams. Everyone has secrets in this engaging film. Kelly is Margot Wendice, a wealthy…

The Trees (2021) – Percival Everett

With two books, Percival Everett has become one of my favorite authors. I loved his take on Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in James. And when I read the blurb on The Trees I knew I had to take a look. I didn’t know that I would be blown away by it. Everett…

The Producers (1967) – Mel Brooks

Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder star in Mel Brooks’ Oscar winning comedy The Producers. Scoring the Academy award for Best Original Screenplay, this one is a hoot from beginning to end. It also saw Wilder get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Mostel stars as Max Bialystock, a producer, who will do anything to make…

Northern Exposure (1995) – Buss Stop, and Ursa Minor

Buss Stop was penned by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess. It debuted on 24 April, 1995. Michelle (Teri Polo) is mounting a production of Bus Stop but runs into problems. Ron (Doug Ballard) wants Erick (Don McManus) to be cast and as a way of making sure it happens, pays Michelle the rest of the…

Northern Exposure (1994) – Grand Prix, and Blood Ties

Maurice (Barry Corbin) is having Cicely host a a wheel chair race that he is sponsoring in Grand Priz. Written by Barbara Hall, this episode was first broadcast on 9 May, 1994. But the racer he is personally sponsoring doesn’t want to be the person that Maurice wants him to be. While the town is…

Twisters (2024) – Lee Isaac Chung

I love Twister. Unabashedly. Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, some fun tunes, some solid (mostly) effects (cow!) and some great pacing and set pieces. So I was both excited and nervous when Twisters was announced. There’s some nice nods to the original film, and there’s some pretty easy character set-up. You…

The Vigil (2019) – Keith Thomas

Once again, it’s thanks to Mike Flanagan and his podcast, Director’s Commentary, for introducing me to a film that I may have missed out on. The Vigil is a wonderful little horror film that has a quick runtime of ninety minutes, and uses every one of those to tell an engaging and spooky story. Yakov…