When the musical made the leap from stage to screen, it opened everything up, not just in terms of accessibility for the viewing audience, but the scope of the storytelling canvas – things were no longer confined to a stage, the settings, the choreography, the characters could live in a whole new way. Cameras could…
Tag: music
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – David Yates
This is it. It all led to this film, after seven films, the Harry Potter franchise comes to its close with this, the second part of the adaptation of the seventh and final novel. Picking up where the first film left off with Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) claiming the Elder Wand, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma…
TIFF 2021: Jagged dir. Alison Klayman
Alanis Morissette. Heralbum Jagged Little Pill is practically synonymous with the 90s. And so many of us can’t help but remember where we were when we heard it, bought it, played it over and over. Critics talked about how angry it sounded, while I remember thinking how human it sounded, how relatable, and how it…
Beverly Hills 90210 – The Ultimate Collection
Teen drama. The words are synonomous whether you watch television or not, because every teen is drama, whether they admit or not. And Darren Star knew he had struck gold when he took typical teen stories, filled with angst, love, heartbreak and social issues and placed them in what, thanks to the show, has become…
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…
Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) – Don Coscarelli
The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) returns to the screen for a third time in the second sequel to the 1977 cult phenomenon, Phantasm. The film not only gives viewers a quick recap, it runs us right up to the cliffhanger conclusion of the second film, and then welcomes A. Micheal Baldwin back to the role…
In the Mouth of Madness (1994) – John Carpenter
I got to rewatch on of my favourite John Carpenter films for the blog this week, In the Mouth of Madness, which brings Lovecraftian horror to the screen in a way that hadn’t been done before, and honestly helped introduce me to his writing, which albeit is racist, but also incredibly unnerving and frightening, happily…
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) – Amy Heckerling
Amy Heckerling directs from a Cameron Crowe screenplay, which he adapted from his own book, so you knew going on that with Heckerling and Crowe on board the film was in good hands. And then the cast was filled with up and comers, and an iconic scene which any teen boy who grew up in…
Iron Eagle (1986) – Sidney J. Furie
Shortly before Top Gun hit theatres, another jet fighter movie took to the skies, this time it was the F-16 Eagle, in the military fantasy, Iron Eagle. I say fantasy, because this film pretty much embodies every young boy’s dream of being a hero, of going against impossible odds, and proving to his father that…
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) – Richard Donner
Roger Murtaugh’s (Danny Glover) retirement is only ten days away, so you can be assured that he and Riggs (Mel Gibson) are going to find their way into trouble in the third entry in the Lethal Weapon franchise. Reuniting director Richard Donner with all the familiar faces that have populated the universe returning, as well…
