Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Danny Boyle

  The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of On The Waterfront is this immensely enjoyable tale. Boyle’s kinetic, energetic film style is well-served in this film, that is a dramatic, heart-on-its-sleeve film that one 8 academy awards and that year’s ceremonies, including Best Picture, Best…

Frank (2014) – Lenny Abrahamson

  Michael Fassbender is the titular Frank in this amusing and entertaining dark comedy that is being released to DVD and Blu-Ray today from Magnolia Home Entertainment. The film follows a young, would-be musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), and how he becomes involved in a rather eccentric pop band that is fronted by Frank, who never…

The Sopranos: The Complete Series

  Releasing from HBO today, available for the first time on Blu-ray, is the critically acclaimed mobster family drama that wowed and wooed fans and critics alike around the world. HBO was kind enough to give me an early look, and I was happy to dive in. Over the years I’d tried to get into this…

1982 (2012) – Jian Ghomeshi

  My mom gave me this book two Christmases ago when it first came out, and I just got to it now. It seems rather fitting, because whether Jian knew it or not, he was my first celebrity interview, I conducted it while I was interning at FLY.FM in Kingston, and was a huge Moxy…

All is Lost (2013) – J.C. Chandor

  I’m a huge Robert Redford fan, and I love boats and ships so this one seemed like a sure match for me. Played with almost no dialogue (what there is, is few and far between, and scant at that), Redford is the lone soul aboard the Virginia Jean. A competent and resourceful sailor he…

Pulp Fiction (1994) – Quentin Tarantino

  Pulp Fiction, quite possibly the best film in Tarantino’s oeuvre, is the next title in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film comedy section for me to take a look at. While not necessarily a full-out comedy, it is neither a full-out drama nor thriller either. What it does have is a fantastic…

The Graduate (1967) – Mike Nichols

  Continuing with the recommendations from The Rules of The Game from The Great Movies -100 Years of Film book, I sat down to rewatch this classic film that sees Dustin Hoffman as a young man, Benjamin, unable to connect with the world around him – the expectations of his parents weigh him down, he…

True Detective – Season 1

Released today on Blu-Ray and DVD from HBO is the first season of the stellar police thriller, True Detective. Created and completely written by Nic Pizzolatto and starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey with the entire 8 episode series directed by Cary Fukunaga this show is intelligent, dark, captivating and gritty. Set in Louisiana, the series…

Kill Bill (2003/2004) – Quentin Tarantino

  The 101 Action Movies brought me the fantastic 4th film of writer/director Quentin Tarantino to view again. Broken up over 2 films, released 6 months apart, this film is the ultimate homage to 70s films, be it, the revenge flick, the kung-fu flick, the exploitation flick, it pays respect to all of them, as…

Toronto After Dark: The Machine (2013) – Caradog W. James

  Sci-Fi night at Toronto After Dark, graciously hosted at Scotiabank Theatre this year, continued with a late night screening of the UK science fiction flick, The Machine, starring Toby Stephens, Caity Lotz, and Denis Lawson. Using Blade Runner, Terminator and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica as its launching point, a number of the festival organizers were chatting…