Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Shockwave Part II, and Carbon Creek

Captain’s log: February, 2152 Rick Berman and Brannon Braga pen the season two opener of Enterprise, which resolves the Shockwave cliffhanger. The season debuted on 18 September, 2002. While Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) is seemingly marooned in the 31st century with Daniels (Matt Winston), the crew of the Enterprise is taken prisoner by the Suliban….

Casino Royale (1953) – Ian Fleming

Some twenty years ago, my sister gifted me with six of Ian Fleming’s original James Bond adventures. First printings from the Macmillan Company, these wonderful little hardcovers were in great condition but sans books jackets. I hadn’t read any of the Fleming Bonds since my early teens, when I was in the midst of discovering…

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) – Wes Craven

My exploration of the zombie genre with DK Canada’s eminently enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book continues with this over-fictionalized adaption of a real anthropological exploration and documentation of real-life zombies by ethnobotanist Wade Davis. Director Wes Craven used Davis’ book of the same name as the launching point for his horror film starring Bill…

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) – Kathyrn Bigelow

The multi-Oscar nominated Zero Dark Thirty (out of six nominations, it only took home Best Sound Editing) is the next title on the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Battle of Algiers for DK Canada’s highly enjoyable The Movie Book. Kathryn Bigelow puts Jessica Chastain front and center as Maya, in…

The Battle of Algiers (1966) – Gillo Pontecorvo

The next big title in DK Canada’s The Movie Book is a film that, perhaps, resonates with even more importance now than it did when it was first released. Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers is a fascinating, brutal, and dark watch that shows us the true face of war and it’s effect on all sides…

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995) – The Die is Cast, and Explorers

Station log: stardate unknown Ronald D. Moore pens the conclusion to last week’s cliffhanger in this episode that first aired on 1 May, 1995. Tain (Paul Dolley) with Garak (Andrew Robinson) at his side, along with an uneasy alliance with the Romulans prepares to enter the Gamma Quadrant through the wormhole in their search for…

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…

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – Carl Theodor Dreyer

No makeup, close-ups and harsh lighting put Maria Falconetti on the screen as Joan of Arc in a way that hasn’t been seen since. Carl Dreyer’s retelling of the story of the French heroine is the next big title in DK Book’s The Movie Book. We are invited to take a front row seat for…