As Chris (John Corbett) reads Call of the Wild by Jack London to Cicely over the air, Holling (John Cullum) and Maurice (Barry Corbin) head deep into the woods to lay a dead friend to rest. They have a coffin ready to go, they saddle up the horses and head out into the snow, bonding…
Tag: tension
TIFF24: Heretic dir. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods deliver a masterclass in anxiety-inducing tension with Heretic. Shot brilliantly with tight close-ups, Beck and Woods continually ratchet things up even as they present a theology lesson that is as conversation-starting as the film is unnerving. Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are young Mormons canvassing for…
TIFF24: The Seed of the Sacred Fig dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
Rasoulof examines the patriarchy and religious law in the microcosm of the family in The Seed of the Sacred Fig. For some it can be a tough watch, as it incorporates actual footage from the 2022 protests in Iran following the death Masha Amini who died while in police custody, charged with improperly wearing her…
Family Ties (1989) – Wrap Around the Clock (Parts 1 and 2), Mr. Keaton Takes a Vacation, and Alex Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (Parts 1 and 2)
The series is coming to an end, and Katie Ford delivered a two-part episode that aired as one special broadcast on 23 April, 1989. And it wouldn’t be the end of the series if it didn’t give us yet another clip show, and the fact that they had to make it an hour-long… ugh. Andy…
Final Destination (2000) – James Wong
Death doesn’t like to be cheated, especially by twenty-somethings playing teenagers as we see in the first installment in the multi-film series christened Final Destination. Written by X-files alumus James Wong and Glen Morgan alongside Jeffrey Reddick from a story developed by Reddick, the horror thriller is fairly basic, with a number of familiar faces….
Blow Out (1981) – Brian De Palma
With a film like Blow Out it is very easy to see why comparisons to Hitchcock were made throughout De Palma’s career. A fantastic thriller that makes unique use of camera angles, framing, shots and the all important sound aspect of film. John Travolta headlines as Jack a soundman for low-budget horror movies who is…
Suspicion (1941) – Alfred Hitchcock
Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine star in Hitchcock’s Suspicion. Nominated for Best Picture, Fontaine walked away with a Best Actress Oscar, and she is nothing short of fantastic. Grant is Johnnie Aysgarth, a charming rogue with a penchant for detective novels, a penniless playboy who seems to be conning and gaslighting everyone from his friend,…
Starman (1986) – Best Buddies, and Secrets
Paul (Robert Hays) begins having dreams, something he hasn’t done before, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg for what is going to happen to he and Scott (Christopher Daniel Barnes) in Best Buddies. Written by Leon Tokatyan, it first aired on 24 October, 1986. As their road trip to find Jenny Hayden continues,…
Family Ties (1987/1988) – Anniversary Waltz, Miracle in Columbus, and The Play’s the Thing
Hot on the trail of last week’s clip show comes an episode that was produced in 1983 for the second season. For some reason it sat on the shelf until 1987. Written by Alan Uger, this episode was finally broadcast on 16 December, 1987. It’s Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse’s (Meredith Baxter) 20th Anniversary. While…
Magnum P.I. (2021) – Killer on the Midnight Watch, and Someone to Watch Over Me
Magnum (Jay Hernandez) is having nightmares about the white Range Rover, so it’s probably a good thing that he and Higgins (Perdita Weeks) get a case involving an overeager neighbourhood watch community who believes that one of the people in their area is a serial killer. Written by Gene Hong this episode was first broadcast…
The Mind Reels 