The Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book’s next title and recommendations are a series of Woody Allen films, which should be interesting, because I’ve never been a huge fan. The main title of the section is Manhattan, and I’m a little divided on it. Backed with some beautiful Gershwin tunes, and shot in…
Tag: writer
Hot Docs 2014: Kung Fu Elliot (Matthew Bauckman & Jaret Belliveau)
Screening for the final time toady at the Scotiabank Theatre at 9:30 is this highly entertaining, often funny, film about no-budget movies, bad acting, ‘good’ kung fu, and lies. In Moncton, New Brunswick, we are introduced to Elliot Scott and his girlfriend Linda. Elliot’s only desire is to be Canada’s kung fu star, like his heroes…
Sinister (2012) – Scott Derrickson
Alright, it took me a while to get around to seeing this one. I didn’t love it, but I certainly didn’t hate it. In a bit of a dick move, true crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), moves his family into a house that was the crime scene of the current book he’s working…
Hue and Cry (1947) – Charles Crichton
The first of the recommendations from Kind Hearts and Coronets from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and as much as I enjoyed seeing Alec Guinness in multiple roles, meeting various forms of death, this one was a surprise and a delight. This is a film I had never even heard…
The Great Dictator (1940) – Charlie Chaplin
The Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book continues to provide me with films I hadn’t seen before, as I continue my quick tour of recommendations following my viewing of The Gold Rush. This film, is probably my least favorite of the bunch so far, and despite its strong message, given by Chaplin…
Night of the Living Dead Live
I don’t get to see enough stage and theater productions, but it’s shows like this that are guaranteed to get me out and sitting excitedly in a seat. At the beginning of its three-week run, Night of the Living Dead Live, currently on stage at the Theatre Passe Muraille on Ryerson Ave, is not…
Girls – Season 1 & Season 2
HBO was kind enough to send me a copy of Girls Season 2 this week on blu-ray, which is the only excuse I needed to run out and pick up season 1. I’d been intrigued by the idea of the show since a number of guests mentioned it during our interviews, so I was…
Police Story (1985) – Jackie Chan
For this entry on the 101 Action Movies, Jackie Chan directs, stars, and choreographs in a no holds barred, knock-down stunt-filled flick. With an opening sequence that Bay stole for Bad Boys II, which sees a trio of vehicles busting their way through a shanty town, Chan keeps the action and the humor coming full…
Stalker (1979) – Andrey Tarkovskiy
Andrey Tarkovskiy, who last showed up on the 101 Sci-Fi Movies list with the epic Solaris, brings us another epic science fiction film dealing with human nature, faith, hope, inspiration, science and creation. Something happened, was it a meteorite, was it an alien craft… no one knows. But something happened in a remote corner of…
Patch Town Set Visit
In a destitute looking corner of Toronto (though it’s actually only about two blocks from my own apartment) a battered grey factory building stands defiant, imposing itself against the chilling winter wind. Inside it, however, a fantastic world is springing to life. A world that was first imagined by Craig Goodwill in his imaginative…
The Mind Reels 