Midnight Madness at TIFF is always a lot of fun, and some great genre films get scheduled that are designed to deliver to the late-night audience. Sleep hopes to do that this week. A Korean entry to the film festival from writer/director Jason Yu. It’s his first feature film, and Yu creates a tense, moody…
Tag: themes
Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny (2023) – James Mangold
James Mangold is not Steven Spielberg. No one said he was. But stepping into a film series whose other four instalments were directed by Spielberg, comparisons will be drawn as Harrison Ford grabs his whip and fedora and settles into the iconic role of Indiana Jones one last time. There are lots of things to…
M3GAN (2022) – Gerard Johnstone
So I finally took a look at the Blumhouse horror M3GAN, and was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed a couple of the themes at work in it, the actual need for physical interaction, to get away from apps, screens and interact with those around you. Sure, the climax, and scenes leading up to it, go a…
Rocky IV (1985) – Sylvester Stallone
There are some flaws in the fourth entry in the Rocky series (I’m looking at that ridiculous robot) and I’m not sure the themes of East vs. West, hubris, and capitalism carry through all the way, because, despite all of the things Rocky (Sylvester Stallone who also wrote and directed) gives up during the course…
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) – Sam Liu
I remember, not that it was that long ago now when the DC animated movie adaption of the iconic graphic novel The Killing Joke was released. Fans were in an uproar about the addition of a plot frontloaded to the beginning of the film which reveals Batman (wonderfully voiced by Kevin Conroy) had sexual relations…
The Menu (2022) – Mark Mylod
The Menu is a remarkable thriller sauteed with a little comedy to deliver a confection that may not meet with delight with all moviegoers’ palettes, but if you’ve got a cynical streak, especially as it leans towards societal behaviours and elitism, this one will be met with a chef’s kiss. The story follows a group…
Lincoln (2012) – Steven Spielberg
Daniel Day-Lewis takes the titular role in Spielberg’s masterful film about the iconic president and his struggle to pass the 13th Amendment in support of his Emancipation Proclamation, even as the Civil War continues to tear the country apart. Filled with themes and ideas that are still sad, and frighteningly relevant, this looks at a…
Escape From L.A. (1996) – 4K Review
You either love this film or you don’t. There’s really no two ways about it. Some of it is so out there, that you can’t help but roll your eyes. But if you want to see director John Carpenter, and star Kurt Russell bringing their anti-hero Snake Plissken back to the screen some fifteen years…
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) – Blu-Ray Review
Writer/director Mike Flanagan has been on my one to watch list since Occulus, I love how he tells his tales of the supernatural, and when he adapted The Haunting of Hill House, I had to share that with everyone, as I was sucked in by each episode, and was left an emotional wreck by the…
Star Trek: Discovery (2018) – Will You Take My Hand?
Captain’s log: 2257 Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts write the teleplay for the first season finale of Star Trek: Discovery from a story by Berg, Harberts and Akiva Goldsman, who also directs. It first aired on 11 February, 2018, and ended with a moment that excited some fans, and infuriated others. With Georgiou (Michelle…
The Mind Reels 