Films That Matter
Star Pick with Kurt Angle
It was an absolute pleasure to meet and get a quick interview with the great Kurt Angle this past summer in Ottawa. First making a name for himself on the amateur wrestling circuit, it all culminated with a gold medal win (with a broken neck, no less) at the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia. The ultimate achievement for most amateur athletes, this was not the end for Angle, but only the beginning. Just a mere two years later, he had signed on to the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE or World Wresting Entertainment), a leap that would soon find him taking professional wrestling by storm. Making his television debut in November of 1999, he was a natural, not only at the wrestling, but also on the mike.
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Star Pick with Keir Dullea
Train in VainBrief EncounterOctober 18, 2016Whilst attending Trekonderoga, the Ticonderoga comic convention that is all things Star Trek, on August 13th, 2016, I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Keir Dullea. Best known for taking on the starring role of Dr. Dave Bowman in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic space epic 2001: A Space Odyssey – he reprised the character for the film’s 1984 sequel 2010: The Year We Made Contact. Dullea has played a variety of intriguing roles over his six plus decades in the industry, getting his first lead role in 1962's David and Lisa, the actor then went on to star in 1964's The Thin Red Line, Otto Preminger’s 1965 mystery Bunny Lake is Missing, 1974's Black Christmas (often considered to be the genesis of the slasher horror film genre), and Robert De Niro’s 2006 flick The Good Shepherd, to name but a few of his film credits. The man actually highlighted a small Canadian film that he made back in 1973, titled Paperback Hero (also known as Last of the Big Guns), as being the favourite film he has worked on to this point.
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Soul Survivor?
FaustOctober 16, 2016Iconic German director F.W. Murnau is often considered to be one of the most influential filmmakers of the silent film era. Creating the first ever vampire movie, Nosferatu (a perfect example of German Expressionism) in 1922 and Sunrise (sometimes considered to be the best silent film drama of all-time – and the first motion picture he made in America) in 1927, a perhaps slightly lesser known movie (of his) that is equally as impressive is 1926's Faust: A German Folk Legend. Revolving around the age old struggle of good versus evil, the tale begins with the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) debating with an Archangel (Werner Fuetterer) about the nature of human beings. The agent of darkness believes that he will be able to corrupt the righteous, wise old sage Faust (Gösta Ekman). The two agree that, if Mephisto succeeds, the Devil will be given rule over the Earth.
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Go Go Godzilla
GodzillaOctober 13, 2016From a modern perspective, it may not be immediately recognizable that the classic 1954 monster movie Godzilla was, in many ways, a product of its time. Highlighting the anxiety of the nuclear age at the height of The Cold War, the gargantuan reptile first appears after a hydrogen bomb test in the middle of the ocean. Even this occurrence that starts off the film is based on reality, as the United States tested a giant nuclear weapon on March 1st, 1954, under the code name Castle Bravo. Fishermen, who were outside of the radius, were hit by the fallout from the blast, being covered with copious amounts of coral and radioactive ash. One man died following the event, creating an onslaught of international press that questioned these tests (though, other articles impugned the men on the vessel, suggesting that they were spies).
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Star Pick with Mike MacDonald
Young Frankenstein Never Grows OldYoung FrankensteinOctober 4, 2016I recently sat down with famed comedian Mike MacDonald, who has had much success touring North America over the past several decades. The popular comic has done it all, including performances of his stand up on Late Night with David Letterman, The Arsenio Hall Show, having comedy specials on Showtime and the CBC, as well as being a staple at the ‘Just For Laughs’ comedy festival in Montreal. He has even starred in a few movies. After his sidesplitting performance at The Port Theatre in Cornwall, Ontario (on August 19th, 2016), the funnyman was kind enough to sit down with me, telling me about some of his favourite films. He immediately referenced the parody as being his preferred type of motion picture. He eloquently and succinctly highlighted a key aspect in creating a successful parody: "when you want to piss on something, it is good for a two or three minute sketch. But to parody something for ninety minutes, you have to love the subject".
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All That Glitters is Not Gold
The Magnificent AmbersonsSeptember 30, 2016Depicting the slow decline of a wealthy family, Orson Welles’ follow up picture to Citizen Kane, 1942's The Magnificent Ambersons, provides us with a melancholic reflection on how the more simple life of the nineteenth century transitioned into a more hurried, less enjoyable one as the new century was ushered in. We are transported into the socialite world of the Ambersons, a well-to-do American family living in the then small city of Indianapolis. Residing in a gargantuan mansion, the family sit at the top of the food chain when it comes to the pecking order in the area. Welles provides the voice-over narration as he introduces us to the family, including Isabel (Dolores Costello), daughter of patriarch Major Amberson (Richard Bennett), a young lady who is being courted by the thoughtful Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten). After a disastrous attempt at performing a serenade for her, the romantic man is shunned by the young debutante – she sees his failure as an ominous sign.
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Star Pick with Matt Sobb
Don’t Skip This Hughes’ ClassicFerris Bueller's Day OffSeptember 27, 2016It is hard to fathom that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is thirty years old. Written and directed by John Hughes, it is one of the seminal comedies of the 1980s – having influenced so many future films that look at the lives of bored yet rambunctious teenagers. Not too long ago, I chatted with MonkeyJunk drummer Matt Sobb. An integral part of the three piece Juno Award winning swamp rock/blues band, the percussionist narrowed his favourite films down to two – strangely enough, both were released in 1986: Stand by Me and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (which will be discussed here today). Providing me with two very well rounded and in depth answers, check out his response down below by clicking on the video interview. The band has been busy of late, having spent much time on tour throughout Europe and the United States – they are now making their way through Canada just prior to the release of their new album, Time to Roll. Make sure to check them out if you get a chance.
