TIFF ’26: The Spiral dir. Paolo Strippoli

A Faustian thriller that drips with dread, The Spiral is fantastic TIFF fare. It will not only appeal to the Midnight Madness crowd for which it was selected, but also countless film lovers as it plays within the genre, but also raises lots ot morality questions, and is executed seamlessly and skillfully. Spirals can be…

Battlestar Galactica (2005) – Pegasus (Extended Episode)

I remember when the episode of Pegasus aired, 23 September 2005. Me, my friends and co-workers loved it. We all made sure to listen to Ronald D. Moore’s weekly podcast talking about the episode, and when we heard about the extended cut when the season was to be released to home video, we were super-excited….

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…

The Green Knight (2021) – David Lowery

The Green Knight is a stunning and lyrical film that completely blew me away with its storytelling and visuals. Using the 14th-century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as its launching basis, Lowery’s tale is fantastical and beautiful, telling the tale of a young Gawain (Dev Patel) looking to make his way in the…

The Departed (2006) – Martin Scorsese

I come to a rather interesting list in the Ten Bad Dates With De Niro book that has a couple of films that I haven’t previously covered for the blog. It’s a list of remakes that are arguably better than the original. And the critical reception, not to mention that of the audience, would seem…

The White Ribbon (2009) – Micheal Haneke

I’m finishing up the main body of DK Canada’s exceptional The Movie Book, and Haneke’s The White Ribbon is a fantastic film to wrap up the main section of the book. Set a few short years before the First World War, this Golden Globe winning film is a somber, thoughtful affair on sins, youth, tradition,…

Toronto After Dark 2019 – Werewolf (2018) – Adrian Panek

A unique entry in Toronto After Dark’s film festival has its Canadian premiere at Scotiabank Theater this evening, the Polish film Werewolf. Filled with shades of Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Werewolf shows the horror of war, the deconstruction of our humanity by the most brutal cruelty man has ever known, the Nazis and their…

Mystic River (2003) – Clint Eastwood

The next film from DK Canada’s The Movie Book as I tackle the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Sweet Hereafter is this exemplary film from Clint Eastwood. The movie stars Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. The film follows three childhood friends,…

True Grit (2010) – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

DK Canada’s The Movie Book brings me another classic Coen Brothers film as I explore the What Else to Watch list following the recommendation of Fargo. My curiosity was piqued when I first heard about the idea that the Coen Brothers were going to remake the iconic western that originally starring John Wayne, with one…