V – The Miniseries (1983) – Part One

Writer/director Kenneth Johnson gave us a modern retelling of the Nazi Third Reich in the event mini-series that so impacted me, and countless others, when it first debuted on 1 May, 1983. It was all I talked about in school, finishing up the sixth grade. I didn’t get to see it all when it aired,…

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) – Robert Rodriguez

The solid team of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino paired up for the first time with From Dusk Til Dawn the next stop in the vampire section of Monsters in the Movies, the wonderful coffee table tome from DK Canada. Featuring an all star cast, as well as being stacked with cult favorites, the film…

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2007) – Stephen King

Stephen King’s fantastic opus comes to its pic conclusion this week in the most epic way possible, and it’s a stunning read. Picking up where the previous installment left off, the ride doesn’t let up until the very last page as Roland Deschain and his ka-tet are reunited across worlds. We join up again with…

TAD 2018: The Dark (2018) – Justin P. Lange

Having had its Toronto premiere last week at Toronto After Dark, writer/director Justin P. Lange’s film, an Austrian-Canadian co-production hits VOD today. Despite its bloody and horrific trappings, The Dark is a gentle tale that sees a young girl, Mina (Nadia Alexander, best known for her work in The Sinner) become a monster because of…

TAD 2018: Robbery (2018) – Corey Stanton

Toronto After Dark, my favorite film festival, playing at the Scotibank Theatre, breaks from the norm this eve, which for them the supernatural, aliens, blood and gore, and goes out on a limb with a Canadian crime drama. And full disclosure, I know some of the folk involved in the film, including my friend Samantha…

The Big Red One (1980) – Samuel Fuller

Samuel Fuller wrote and directed the final film recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Saving Private Ryan. This title closes out my time with it. The tagline for the film says it best, “The real glory of war is surviving.” And that is what the heart…

The Incredibles 2 (2018) – Brad Bird

It’s been twenty-three years since Pixar became THE name in family entertainment, and it has been fourteen years since we last checked in with the Parr family, known collectively as The Incredibles. Brad Bird, the writer-director of the first film serves in the same capacity in this film. And while we may have waited fourteen…

Sophie’s Choice (1982) – Alan J. Pakula

The recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film for my screening of Schindler’s List are all powerful and exceptional films, and the first one featured some truly stunning performances. Adapted from the novel by William Styron, Pakula adapted and directed this moving and stunning film that sees Meryl Streep, in an Oscar…

Paddington 2 (2017) – Blu-Ray Review

Hitting blu-ray and DVD today from Warner Brothers is the brilliant follow-up to the 2014 hit, Paddington. Ben Whishaw returns to voice the iconic bear in the red hat and the blue duffle coat, as he continues to win hearts around London, and the world. The first film boasted a truckload of recognisable English talent,…