I am long overdue in coming to the Demons series that sees Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento working together to deliver a non-stop gorefest hinged on the flimsiest of plots. The plot isn’t the point, even the characters aren’t too important coming across as little more than stereotypes, instead it’s all about the practical and…
Tag: screening
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) – 4K Review
Sony Pictures’ release of their Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 brings me another iconic film that was missing from my viewing history, the Robert Benton film, Kramer vs. Kramer. Based on the novel by Avery Corman the film stars Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as the titular Kramers. Hoffman is Ted Kramer,…
The Goddess of Yantai (2018) – Ian Hamilton
Ava Lee returns in a book that allows for the forensic accountant’s take on the film world and the darkness it hides, as she and her girlfriend, Pang Fai, a Chinese film star are caught up in the corruption and actions of the Chinese Movie Syndicate. Hitting bookshelves in the next week, Anansi Press lets…
The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Peter Jackson
As I return to the Family genre of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book I am greeted by an old friend, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the final family film recommendation. I grew up with the book. I was introduced to The Hobbit via the Arthur Rankin…
Toronto After Dark 2017: Poor Agnes – Navin Ramaswaran
The second feature screening tonight at Scotiabank Theatre as part of the Toronto After Dark film festival is another new favourite. Poor Agnes, having its Toronto premiere this eve, is a disturbing drama that haunts and troubles even as its story captivates. Agnes (Lora Burke) is a serial killer, and she is a master at…
Man with a Movie Camera (1929) – Dziga Vertov
Vertov’s engaging documentary is the next stop in DK Canada’s The Movie Book. It falls solidly and enjoyably in the What Else to Watch list of Battleship Potemkin. A man, Mikhail Kaufman, wanders the city and captures the daily life of the Soviet Union in a brilliantly engaging way, marrying idea to image as only…
The Twilight Zone (1959) – The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine, Walking Distance, and Escape Clause
My exploration of the dark corners of the universe captured in The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series, available from Paramount, continues this week with three spooky episodes. Up first is The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine which aired on 23 October, 1959, and was penned by Rod Serling. The tale follows Barbara Jean Trenton (Ida Lupino) an ageing…
Toronto After Dark 2016: War On Everyone – John Micheal McDonagh
My time with the 2016 Toronto After Dark film festival got underway last night with the exceptional, brash, bold, politically incorrect, devastatingly hilarious War On Everyone. I think the only thing I would have changed about it is the name, everything else, totally worked for me. Now, as a caveat, part of the enjoyment of…
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Trek and My Birthday
It’s October 12, my birthday, if you hadn’t circled it on your calendar, and TIFF Bell Lightbox will be my birthday starbase today apparently. First up, at 6:30 this evening is the first of the fantastic sounding Trek Talks programs, this evening’s topic, An Astronaut’s Voyage to the Final Frontier. Presented by Lt. Col. Jeremy…
TIFF 2015: Portal to Hell – Vivieno Caldinelli
TIFF tends to be filled with hidden gems, each one tucked away and made all the more pleasing when you find it. So let Sue and I give you a little nudge in the right direction… Portal To Hell!!! is part of the Short Cuts Programme 4 and is nothing short of pure gold. Running…
The Mind Reels 