Against All Odds (1984) – Taylor Hackford

Jeff Bridges, Rachel Ward and James Woods star in this noir-esque film that fumbles visually, as far as I’m concerned. Everyone knows the hit song by Phil Collins that came out of this film, and honestly, when it’s used over the end credits that shows a crying and struggling to smile Ward, it’s got a…

Mission to Mars (2000) – Brian De Palma

Director Brian De Palma delivers what feels like his spin on Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, unfortunately the shoddy and very obvious CGI in a number of the sequences of the film, and especially during the climax when a practical effects would have served better, and leant a stronger reality to the film, which needed…

Shogun (1980) – Disc 4

We come to the conclusion of James Clavell’s epic Japanese tale this week (it was definitely quicker to get through the miniseries than the novel – course I was fourteen at the time) as I delve into the fourth disc of the DVD set which has the fifth and final episode. Adapted by Eric Bercovici,…

The Red Shoes (1948) – Micheal Powell and Emeric Pressburger

The Directory in DK Canada’s The Movie Book continues to introduce me to classic films I haven’t seen, and today they introduced me to the Oscar winning film, The Red Shoes. Taking home awards from the Academy for Art & Set Direction as well as Best Music, the story follows the life and career of…

Hearts in Atlantis (1999) – Stephen King

I delight in digging into Stephen King books, and ones I haven’t read are becoming fewer and far between, Hearts in Atlantis, however, was one I hadn’t read before. Composed of two novellas and three short stories this is King taking on the 60s, and examines it as only King could, with an ear for…

Mystic River (2003) – Clint Eastwood

The next film from DK Canada’s The Movie Book as I tackle the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Sweet Hereafter is this exemplary film from Clint Eastwood. The movie stars Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. The film follows three childhood friends,…

Pet Sematary (1989) – Mary Lambert

DK Canada’s Monster in the Movies continues to guide me through their chapter on zombies, and Paramount’s first adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel arguably falls well within the realm of the undead. It became a cult classic, and the film has aged fairly well, it is, however, populated with television actors, which at…

The Sweet Hereafter (1997) – Atom Egoyan

Atom Egoyan’s heartbreaking, and powerful film (something I was fortunate enough to be able to tell the director in person) is the next stop in DK Canada’s The Movie Book. Based on the novel by Russell Banks, which Egoyan adapted as well as directed the film features great performances by Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Bruce…