This past Saturday, a wonderful event was held in Cornwall, when television personality Steve Paikin spoke to a packed audience along with author Art Milnes about their respective books, politics in North America and a number of historical topics – all to raise money for the Children’s Treatment Centre. It was both an entertaining and enriching experience that left the crowd wanting more.
Paikin is perhaps best known for being the knowledgeable and euphonious host of TVO’s current affairs program The Agenda, in which he entertains experts, covering a whole range of subjects from politics to social issues. Also a well respected author, he just released his seventh book entitled, Bill Davis: Nation Builder, and Not So Bland After All – it takes an in depth look at the long serving Ontario Premier. He has also written several other texts on politics, as well as one on Canada’s national pastime – hockey. Paikin is also one of Canada’s go to moderators when it comes to political debates, with him having covered the federal and provincial festivities three times respectively. The man has also dabbled in producing documentaries, with 1993’s Return to the Warsaw Ghetto gaining worldwide acclaim, bringing home awards from the U.S. International Film and Video Festival, the Yorkton Film Festival in Saskatchewan, as well as at the Shanghai Film Festival. As a final note, you can often tell how successful a journalist has been by taking a look at who they’ve interviewed. Paikin’s list is impressive, with just one example being Mikhail Gorbachev.
I was fortunate enough to speak with the journalist following the successful event. Knowing that he is a huge fan of Ol’ Blue Eyes, we chatted Frank Sinatra, history, his nightly program The Agenda, and of course, film. After picking his brain on his top World War I and II pictures, it did not take long for the thoughtful man to highlight his favourite film of all-time, the iconic 1972 Francis Ford Coppola crime drama, The Godfather. Referencing the fact that he has seen it at least twenty times, he feels confident to declare that it is the perfect movie. Watch the interview below to also hear him explain why Part 1 stands a step above the similarly lauded Part 2.
As I’ve already reviewed the motion picture, feel free to click on the link to revisit my Star Pick with talented Juno award winning MonkeyJunk guitarist Tony D: http://filmizon.com/movie_reviews/a-movie-you-couldnt-refuse/ It was also placed at number one by iconic character actor Ron Perlman – find out why here: http://filmizon.com/movie_reviews/worth-a-repeat/
Once again, I’d like to thank Steve Paikin for giving me some time after a long day. Hopefully you will visit, or revisit, his favourite film – so, grab a cannoli, pretend they’re cotton balls, and agree that this is an offer that you can’t refuse.