As I return to the films of yesteryear, thanks to DK Canada’s The Movie Book, I settled in for a film that I’ve never been sure I wanted to watch, Sunset Boulevard. I just never imagined it would be my thing, but it does have a great pedigree including a cast that includes Gloria Swanson…
Tag: writing
Uncommon Type (2017) – Tom Hanks
I’ve been a fan of Tom Hanks’ since Bosom Buddies, I’ve watched him grow from a comedic actor to one of my favourite all time actors. I have delighted in his career, and love when he steps away from the front of the camera to work behind it, directing, producing, writing. It was his writing…
South Park: The Complete Fourth Season
Boy bands, a haphazard adaptation of Great Expectations that takes a really strange left turn, fat camps, racism, more religion, moving onto the fourth grade – which necessitates new opening credits, and of course some new characters that become just as central to the small mountain town as Stan, Kyle Cartman and Kenny. In a…
Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy) – Ghost Light
A spooky house, strange wait staff, secrets, monsters, aliens… Ghost Light is a lot of fun, and the Doctor (McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) have a heck of a time, as the Companion confronts a bit of her past. Written by Marc Platt, and encapsulated in a tightly paced and enjoyable three parts, Ghost Light…
The View from The Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood (2009) – Nicholas Meyer
I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I got to see Nicholas Meyer’s introduction to the Director’s Cut of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on my birthday, and then to see him the next day at one of the fascinating Trek Talks being hosted by the TIFF Bell Lightbox in celebration of the…
Stranger Things (2016) – Season 1
Picture a Stephen King novel directed by Steven Spielberg, with a score by John Carpenter, and a beautifully balanced touch of nostalgia and you have the wondrous, scary, funny, and exciting ride that is Netflix’s latest winner, Stranger Things. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the series is set in Indiana in the year,…
Toronto Screenwriting Conference – The Mind Reels Interviews
The Toronto Screenwriting Conference weekend may be over, but, the ideas, and creative juices are still flowing. Sue and I have been throwing around all manner of ideas, from writing a spec script to get in the habit of writing for the television format, to tossing around story ideas for series that we would…
Toronto Screenwriting Conference 2016 Day 2
The creativity and writing began early as day 2 of the Toronto Screenwriting Conference got underway this morning with showrunner Stephen Falk (Orange is the New Black, Weeds, and You’re the Worst) took to the stage to talks about how to break a season, or specifically how he and his writer’s room, break a…
Toronto Screenwriting Conference 2016 Day One
Not that I need a break from Hot Docs yet, if ever, but there is a lot going on this weekend, and Sue and I were delighted to be invited back for our fourth time to cover the Toronto Screenwriting Conference. The conference is always amazing, and Sue and I start with the best…
Girls: Season 4
Releasing today from HBO on Blu-Ray and DVD is Lena Dunham’s captivating and entertaining series, that follows, Hannah (Dunham), Marnie (Allison Williams), Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) a group of twenty-somethings that are trying to get their lives not only sorted, but started. Thanks to HBO, I’ve been with the series since…
The Mind Reels 