The Equalizer (1986/1987) – Heartstrings, and High Performance

McCall (Edward Woodward) gets involved in bringing down an illegal adoption scheme when a new mother, Vanessa (Michele Dotrice) comes to him for aid when her newborn is taken from her before she even leaves the hospital with him. Heartstrings was written by Loraine Despres and it first aired on 17 December, 1986. Joining him…

Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019) – Stephen Cognetti

Found footage can be hit or miss. To attempt a trilogy what works solely with that sub-genre is pretty ambitious, and I think, for the most part, writer/director Stephen Cognetti pulls it off. And if you watch all three films in close succession, as I have, they flow a lot better, and he wraps everything…

In the Heights (2021) – 4K Review

Musicals, when done right, can be a powerful thing, and Warner Brothers 4K release of In the Heights isn’t just a musical done right, it is joy captured on film, and the images and sound practically pop off the screen in crystal clear celebration. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for this beautiful film,…

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) – Jay Roach

It’s odd that this one ends up in DK Books’ Monsters in the Movies, but it comes in under the mechanical menaces section of the book because of the dangerous fembots that menace the titular hero. Mike Myers not only stars in this send up of spy films, but he also wrote it, paying homage…

Miami Vice (1984) – The Great McCarthy, and Glades

Vice cops Crockett (Don Johnson) and Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas) enter the fast-paced world of speedboat racing, when they go undercover to stop a drug smuggler who is using the race to funnel drugs into Miami. The Great McCarthy was written by Joel Surnow and Philip Reed. It debuted on 16 November, 1984, and added…

Da Vinci’s Demons: Season 3

  Releasing from Anchor Bay today is the final season of David S. Goyer’s series that follows the times and trials of a young Leonardo Da Vinci. The ten episodes, spanning three discs, bring the series to a satisfying conclusion, though I will be sad to see Tom Riley leave the series behind, I quite…

Juno (2007) – Jason Reitman

  Jason Reitman crafts a delightful little film working from a script by Diablo Cody and starring Ellen Page in this recommendation from Great Movies – 100 Years of Film and my screening of Rules of the Game. Ellen Page is the titular Juno, a junior high school student, who after a night with her…

Hot Docs 2014: Before the Last Curtain Falls (Thomas Wallner)

Having its World Premiere this evening at 8:30, at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, this gorgeously shot film is a stirring documentary about performance, love and sexuality. The center of the film’s focus is a group of aging gay and trans cabaret performers who have gone on tour with their beautifully choreographed stage show, Gardenia. Now, the tour…

Da Vinci’s Demons Season 1 – Blu-Ray

  Anchor Bay Canada was kind enough to send me a copy of the first season of Da Vinci’s Demons, which was released on September 3. I was a little behind, even with our peripheral coverage of TIFF. But no sooner did I start this series when I was completely hooked. From David S. Goyer,…