The Beguiled (1971) – Don Siegel

  Clint Eastwood stars in the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Red Badge of Courage. He plays John McBurney, a Yankee soldier who is injured during the course of the war, and is discovered by a student at a Southern All Girls School….

Red Rising (2014) – Pierce Brown

  With hints of the Hunger Games, Battle Royale, Ender’s Game and the guise of an educational setting, Pierce Brown’s science fiction novel, Red Rising, the first of a trilogy, is strongly written and completely engrossing. I’ll admit it took me about the first third of the book to get really hooked on the story,…

Sing Street (2016) – John Carney

  Sheer joy. There were no other words to express my experience with John Carney’s latest film. Sometimes a film comes along at just the right time in your life, and serves to reminds you of something you’ve always known but you kind of need that obvious callback. And music does that. It doesn’t matter…

Beetlejuice (1988) – Tim Burton

  The next family recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my viewing of The Wizard of Oz is this classic Tim Burton film starring Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Winona Ryder. Baldwin and Davis are a loving married couple, Adam and Barbara. They…

East Side Sushi (2014) – Anthony Lucero

  Starting a theatrical run in select cities State-side, is this perfect little concoction that delighted, entertained, and fired my appetite. Director Anthony Lucreo has whipped up a splendid little offering that is wonderfully cast, doesn’t cheat or talk down to its audience, and makes us feel for all of the characters involved. At the film’s…

TIFF 2015: P.S. Jerusalem (2015) – Danae Elon

  Having its World Premiere today at Scotiabank, and screening again on the 16th and the 19th is this poignant and powerful documentary from filmmaker Danae Elon. Elon invites us into the life of her and her family, as she documents a journey of the heart, and the search and discovery of home. Born in Jerusalem,…

Fan Expo 2015

  For some people, it’s Christmas, for others, it’s the smell of freshly sharpened pencils signifying the start of another school year… this weekend, is one of my favorite celebrations… Fan Expo. Sue and I have been very lucky in not only our attendance as fans, but in our coverage as media of Fan Expo. We’ve…

Toronto Fringe: All Our Yesterdays

Bold, beautiful, and packing a powerful emotional punch, All Our Yesterdays from writer/director Chloe Hung features masterful performances from Amanda Weise and Chiamaka Umeh. In April of 2014, 276 girls in Chibook, Nigeria were abducted by the Boko Haram (western education is forbidden), simply because they were seeking an education. Stolen as they sat down…

Padre Padrone (1977) – The Taviani Brothers 

  The next film from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book’s recommendation for my screening of Last Tango in Paris, is this rather somber film, that is based on the true story of its author, Gavino Ledda. Often dark, the film follows Gavino (Saverio Marconi), a young Sardinian, trying to be his…

Parents Night and The Bigger Issue

  We came to this stage production late in its run, as life just seems to keep happening, but we were lucky enough to get into the Theatre Passe Muraille last night to have a look at this dynamic, fun, and driven production of two of playwright George F. Walker’s pieces, Parents Night and The…