Films That Matter
Stealers Wheel
A film noir with some eccentricities, The Big Steal (1949), directed by then third time film maker Don Siegel (who would go on to make such greats as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry, and Escape from Alcatraz), plays like a long chase within a longer chase, while the meeting between gent and femme is something akin to a will they/won’t they screwball comedy. The usually laconic Lt. Duke Halliday (Robert Mitchum) is in quite the conundrum, as he has been robbed of a U.S. Army payroll totaling a whopping three hundred grand by swindler Jim Fiske (Patric Knowles). On the lam in Mexico (a rather rare noir location, also think Ride the Pink Horse and Touch of Evil), Halliday is on his trail... but the problem is, so is his superior – Captain Vincent Blake (William Bendix), who, of course, thinks it was actually the Lieutenant who ran off with the money.
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A Barrel of Bloody Laughs
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsSeptember 18, 2016Numerous robberies, black market sales, an underground high stakes poker game, and traffic violations abound in Guy Richie’s first motion picture – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Featuring the now iconic director’s signature style, Richie fills his intricately plotted, multifaceted storyline with fast paced editing, even faster paced dialogue, his oddball sense of humour, rich personas, and eye-catching style that consists of both sepia tones as well as vivid colours. Though the tale consists of many varied characters, Eddy (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap (Dexter Fletcher) and Bacon (Jason Statham) make up the main gang. They are a group of friends that have been together since childhood and have been small time crooks for nearly as long.
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Star Pick with Sean Astin
I Love L.A. . . . ConfidentialL.A. ConfidentialSeptember 13, 2016A few months back, I was fortunate enough to speak with Sean Astin. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past three decades, Astin has starred in a plethora of memorable classics. With his mother being the late Patty Duke (Oscar winner – The Miracle Worker), he had large shoes to fill. Starting off with a bang, Astin, in his early teenage years, took on the role of Mikey in Richard Donner’s 1985 fantasy flick The Goonies. Following this, he has continued making wonderful motion pictures, including 1993's Rudy, 1998's Bulworth, as well as playing the beloved role of Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also showed off his comedic talents in 2004's 50 First Dates and 2006's Click. He has also conquered the television world, portraying Lynn McGill in ‘Day 5’ of 24 (a very strong season), as well as Jim Kent in Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain.
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Star Pick with Felix Silla
Great Things Come in Small PackagesHigh NoonSeptember 6, 2016While at Trekonderoga on August 13th, 2016, the Ticonderoga, NY, comic con that is all things Star Trek (including the brilliant recreation of the original Starship Enterprise) , I was lucky enough to be able to interview several interesting actors – one of whom was Felix Silla, a man who has left an indelible yet oft hidden mark on the television and film industry over his five plus decades of work. Before I begin, I would like to thank the Trekonderoga staff for setting me up in such a wonderful (noise free) room for my interviews, with a beautiful background of the hilly, forested Adirondacks that frame the excellent three day event. The man behind the mask (or hair), was born in Italy in 1937, eventually making his way to the United States on November 24th, 1955, where the trained circus performer toured with the iconic Ringling Bros. circus (for seven years) and the Barnum & Bailey Show. Using his 3' 11" versatile frame to his advantage, he eventually made his way into show business in the early 1960s, taking on a plethora of intriguing roles. His big break came when he was cast as Cousin Itt on the original Addams Family television series in 1965.
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A Rabbit and a Gent Walk Into a Bar…
HarveySeptember 4, 2016If a stage play is to be successful, it needs to rely on the strength of two very important aspects – its actors and sharp dialogue. The one thing that I have come to notice when watching an adaptation of a play is that the dialogue that transitions over to the big screen is almost always beautifully written, unbelievably witty and surprisingly eloquent. There is perhaps no better example of this than the 1950 classic Harvey. Mary Chase adapts her own Pulitzer Prize winning play (with some help from Oscar Brodley), bringing with her Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull, two actors who had already tackled the material on the stage. Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, a kindly and charming gentleman who comes from a well-to-do family. He has a lovely demeanor, but is thought to drink too much (he does spend most of his days frequenting bars) . . . and also just happens to be friends with an invisible, six foot three and a half inch tall rabbit named Harvey.
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Star Pick with Steve Coulter
Cool Pick for Dog Days of SummerDog Day AfternoonAugust 30, 2016Back in April of 2016, I sat down with actor Steve Coulter (twice). He was one of the special guests attending the Cornwall and Area Pop Expo (CAPE). The character actor, who has had a plethora of interesting roles over his career, is perhaps best remembered as the kind hearted, intellectual Reg Monroe (the mastermind behind the walled compound of Alexandria) on the ever popular series The Walking Dead. He has also had a recurring role as Amishman Elijah Bowman on the standout Cinemax series Banshee. On the film front, he has worked with horror maestro James Wan an impressive five times, including as Father Gordon in The Conjuring and its sequel, as well as playing Carl in Insidious: Chapter’s 2 and 3. He also portrayed Roger, a lawyer, in one of my favourites – Mr. Brooks. Mr. Coulter was gracious enough to be interviewed twice, once as part of a local Cogeco special, while on day two of CAPE, we chatted all things Banshee. Check out both meetings below to hear some great stories from all the things mentioned above, as well as his favourite film.
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Star Pick with John 'Moose' Wensink
Paint Your Wagon; An Oddly Entertaining MusicalPaint Your WagonAugust 23, 2016Back in September 2013, former heavyweight tough guy for the Boston Bruins, John ‘Moose’ Wensink, was roasted in Cornwall to raise money for the Children's Treatment Centre. Following the event, I interviewed the former NHLer. When asked what his favourite film of all-time was, he quickly proclaimed Paint Your Wagon. When asked why, he simply replied, "Why not?" This article, with a few changes added, is the same that was published back on December 17th, 2014. I recently golfed with Wensink at Upper Canada Golf Course in Morrisburg, Ontario (on July 22nd, 2016), and he was gracious enough to expand on the interview we did back in 2013. You can see the video interview down below, where the man takes us through his storied career and expands on his love of Paint Your Wagon.
