Mr. Majestyk (1974) – Richard Flesicher

Hard working director, Richard Fleischer delivers a fairly standard action-drama that puts Charles Bronson in the spotlight. He’s surrounded by a score by Charles Bernstein and a script written by Elmore Leonard. Bronson is the titular Mr. Majesytk. He’s got himself a melon farm, and is looking to recruit some migrant workers to help him…

Jaws 50th Anniversary

What a great way to begin and end my TIFF experience this year. Even as TIFF celebrates its 50th year, so does my favourite movie of all time, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. I’ve told the story countless times of how it was my first ever film experience. I’ve seen this movie more times than any others…

TIFF24: The Last Showgirl dir. Gia Coppola

Pamela Anderson delivers a career-topping performance as Shelley an aging Vegas showgirl, whose show, Razzle Dazzle, is closing, bringing her thirty-year career to a grinding stop. Directed by Gia Coppola whose use of shallow focus lenses keeps the story on Shelley at all times, the tale looks honestly at aging and beauty in not only…

Miami Vice (1986) – Sons and Lovers, and When Irish Eyes Are Crying

Season two comes to conclusion this week when Angelina (Phanie Napoli), last seen in Calderone’s Return from season one, shows up in Sons and Lovers. Written by Dennis Cooper this episode first aired on 9 May, 1986. Angelina shows up in Miami to warn Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas) about the arrival of Calderone’s son, Orlando (John…

Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Bells of Saint John, and The Rings of Akhaten

The Doctor (Smith) encounters the Great Intelligence (Richard E. Grant) again as he continues his search for the Impossible Girl, Clara Oswin Oswald (Jenna- Louise Coleman). Written by Steven Moffat, the episode first debuted on 30 March, 2013. Things are strange from the off, when Clara is given the TARDIS’ phone number by an unknown…

Doctor Who (Peter Davison) – Enlightment

  We come to the conclusion of the Black Guardian Trilogy this week as the 20th season continues. This four part story was written by Barbara Clegg and aired from 1 to 9 March, 1983. Turlough (Mark Strickson) comes to a choice as the TARDIS finds itself involved, peripherally, in a race around the planets,…

Doctor Who (Tom Baker) – Robot

  Tom Baker is handed the keys to the TARDIS as he assumes the mantle of the Doctor in this first story of the 12th season of Doctor Who. Robot is a four-part story that was written by Terrance Dicks that aired originally from 28 December, 1974 to 18 January, 1975. As the Doctor recovers…

The Mind Reels Visits Murdoch Mysteries

  It was a sweltering July day, the 15th to be exact, when Sue and I disembarked from our bus in what felt like the middle of nowhere. And even then there was a walk through more nowhere, and down an unsuspecting road, until we stumbled ont our destination for the day. From the front, this rather…