Films That Matter
What Could Have Been: Shopworn
It’s usually hard to bet against Barbara Stanwyck. Starting her career in the late 1920s, within a few years she was already churning out star making roles as plucky working class girls who could rise to the top: think Ten Cents a Dance (1931) and Baby Face (1933) – both reviewed here on Filmizon, only to further elevate herself during the film noir era with starring roles like Double Indemnity (1944) and The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) – also both on Filmizon, she even conquered television later in her career as matriarch Victoria Barkley in 112 episodes of Big Valley from the mid to late 1960s. In other words, it’s rather unusual to see her in a clunker... though with the film looked at here today, Shopworn (1932), directed by Nick Grinde, Stanwyck herself described it as, “one of those terrible pictures they sandwiched in when you started”.
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Trekonderoga: The Journey Back
August 27, 2017Over misty mountains and through coniferously wooded dales, I made the three plus hour trek back through the picturesque Adirondacks, returning to the beautiful town of Ticonderoga, New York. Nestled between striking Lake Champlain, Lake George and the Vermont border, the third annual Trekonderoga, the aptly named convention, provides fans of the original Star Trek series with a multitude of opportunities and activities. Starting on Friday, the 25th of August and running through the weekend, attendees were able to tour the meticulously constructed set of the original USS Enterprise, see the Batmobile, browse through a plethora of vendors, listen to a wide array of panels, and meet their favourite celebrities – a rich, nuanced and vivid experience for all those looking to collect, learn, and make long lasting memories.
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Fantastic Beasts – Connecting the Dots to the Potter Universe
June 14, 2017As a change of pace, I thought that it would be fun to take a look at Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, not from a review perspective, but rather, to connect some of the dots to the Harry Potter franchise (be it novels or movies). Right off the bat, we hear John Williams’ iconic score from the first Potter feature (when the Warner Bros. logo appears), which then transitions into an original composition from James Newton Howard. Written for the screen by J.K. Rowling (her first time writing a script, there is no one better to build upon the imaginative world she created more than 20 years ago) and set in the Roaring 20s, specifically 1926, the story follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) on his many adventures – the name may mean something to true Potter afficionados, as he is the author of one of the Hogwarts required textbooks, which just happens to have the same title as the film. The tale takes place just prior to said book’s publication, with the Brit taking a trip to New York City. As he explores the metropolis, many of you may chuckle when an anti-witch group leader asks, "are you a seeker?", to which he slyly replies, "I’m more of a chaser, really" – a quidditch joke for those in the know.
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Get Your CAPE On 3.0
April 30, 2017This past weekend saw costumes, comic books and celebrities, as the third iteration of CAPE – Cornwall and Area Pop Expo, came to town. There was something for all, as crowds surfed through a plethora of booths, looking for their favourite vintage video games, that elusive comic book, kooky new board games, or a certain desirable trading card. Likewise, cosplayers, both new and old, littered the floor. The always entertaining Dr. Stevil was even making his way around the venue on roller-skates – perhaps with a new maniacal plan to take over the world.
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Oscar Predictions 2017
February 25, 2017Predicted winners, who should win, and my favourites from this year's Oscars (the 89th Academy Awards). Catch up on all of the buzz before the big event.
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Ushering in 2017
January 10, 2017Here’s hoping that everyone has been enjoying the beginning of 2017. The end of last year was certainly a difficult one for us film fans, as we lost both Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher and her mother, icon Debbie Reynolds just one day apart. This followed the loss of so many other iconic actors, ranging from Alan Rickman (one of the best voices in the business) to Robert Vaughn (the last living member of The Magnificent Seven), and many, many more. Thankfully, we have their work to remind us of their amazing talents. Yet, it was not all doom and gloom – it was exciting to be able to witness two milestone birthdays, as two members of Hollywood royalty, Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland, both turned one hundred this past year.
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Here Alone Entertains at St. Lawrence Film Festival
September 11, 2016Last weekend, on Saturday the 3rd of September to be exact, the St. Lawrence International Film Festival held an upscale special screening/gala in the beautiful Performing Arts Centre at SUNY Potsdam in historic Potsdam, NY. Bringing an audience together from both the United States and Canada, the event was hosted by Ogdensburg native Mark Valley. The star television actor charted the course for the evening, mixing equal parts class and humour as he lightened the mood prior to the screening of the Tribeca Audience Award Winning horror suspense thriller Here Alone.