Moody, broody vampires are the next stop in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, by legendary director, John Landis. Adapted from Anne Rice’s novel, with an uncredited rewrite by Jordan, the film headlines Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas as three of the author’s iconic vampires, Lestat, Louis, and Armand respectively. And while Cruise…
Tag: tragedy
The Wild One (1953) – Laslo Benedek
It’s time to dig into the What Else to Watch list of DK Canada’s The Movie Book following its recommendation of A Streetcar Named Desire, and it’s time for another Marlon Brando film. Over a career that includes tons of iconic roles, this one must be near the top, and yet, it’s still not enough…
Ran (1985) – Akira Kurosawa
I return to the War section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and settle in for Ran, Kurosawa’s epic opus. Taking its inspiration from Shakespeare’s King Lear, the film is a visual masterpiece delving into tragedy, drama and action. It is also one of the top recommendations on the What Else…
Black Hollow Cage (2017) – Sadrac Gonzalez-Perellon
Opening today at the Carlton theatre here in Toronto is this slow-burn of a sci-fi drama from writer-director Sadrac Gonzalez-Perellon. Set in the not so faraway future, the story follows a young girl, Alice (Lowena McDonell) who lives in a remote house in the forest with he father, Adam (Julian Nicholson) and a dog she…
Once Upon a Time in America (1983) – Sergio Leone
Clocking in at almost four hours long, Leone’s cinematic adaptation of Harry Grey’s original novel is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Godfather. Robert De Niro stars as David ‘Noodles’ Aaronson, a gangster, who after fleeing New York returns over thirty years later…
West Side Story (1961) – Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins direct the film that brings me back to the musical genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Stephen Sondheim pens the lyrics for this Academy Award winning musical (including Best Picture) that is an updated retelling of Shakespeare’s beautiful tragedy Romeo & Juliet with Richard Beymer…
Street Angel (1928) – Frank Borzage
The next film on the What Else to Watch list following the recommendation of Murnau’s Sunrise in DK Book’s engaging and informative The Movie Book is Street Angel from 1928. Set in Naples, Janet Gaynor plays Angela, a young woman turned prostitute to pay her rent. Trouble rears its head though when she is arrested…
The Hands of Orlac (1924) – Robert Wiene
The next film The Movie Book from Dk Books recommends is Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This is a film I had previously reviewed so I checked out the Key Movies of his career as endorsed by this collection, and found, The Hands of Orlac. A silent film from 1924, this is an…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – Long Distance Call, A Hundred Yards Over the Rim, and The Rip Van Winkle Caper
Paramount Pictures dares me to go deeper into The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series on blu-ray, and I took them up on it. First up this week is Long Distance Call. Written by Charles Beaumont and William Idelson, this episode had its premiere on 31 March, 1961. Young Bill Mumy (making his first of three…
The Devout (2015) – Connor Gaston
Opening at the Carlton Cinema here in Toronto is this lovingly crafted, intimate drama that is bound to move viewers even as it raises questions of belief, faith and hope. The debut effort of writer/director Connor Gaston was shot in Victoria, British Columbia. It is a beautiful film that features perfectly on point, and gently…
The Mind Reels 