Films That Matter
A Law Unto Themselves
The front door to an apartment swings open... an unseen figure walks through the living area and approaches a beautiful blonde woman wearing a robe as she walks around the bathroom... he then deliberately empties the barrel of his revolver into her – this is the jarring cold opening to the film noir Illegal (1955), and one thing is for sure, it knows how to grab your attention. Funnily enough, this was the third adaptation of the 1929 play “The Mouthpiece” by Frank J. Collins, following Mouthpiece (1932) and The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) – and they say movies are remade too much today. Flash to Victor Scott (Edward G. Robinson), a district attorney who is wise to all the angles and is graced with a silver tongue. With an unyielding desire to win (he got it from growing up and fighting his way out of the slums), he argues every case like it is his last.
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Star Pick with Tony D
A Movie You Couldn’t RefuseThe GodfatherJanuary 18, 2016It is not hard to argue that the classic 1972 crime film The Godfather is the biggest movie to come out of that decade and transcend the generations (that is, if we do not count its 1974 sequel – which is of equal popularity and importance).
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Grifter has Tenuous Grip in this Film Noir
Night and the CityJanuary 15, 2016In 1950, just prior to being blacklisted, director Jules Dassin was sent to make a film in London, England – being warned by producer Darryl F. Zanuck that it would most likely be the last movie he would make. What came of this venture was the classic film-noir Night and the City.
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A Masterclass in Screenwriting
12 Angry MenJanuary 10, 2016If there is one thing that films often lack, especially in the twenty-first century, it is a solid script. One classic motion picture that demonstrates a near perfect screenplay is the iconic 1957 movie 12 Angry Men.
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Where the Limelight Never Fades
LimelightJanuary 5, 2016There may not be a man who better exemplifies the heights in which one can rise and then fall than the legendary Charlie Chaplin. The British immigrant perfectly illustrates the ‘American Dream’. He started as a vaudeville performer, then became a silent film star – he had already signed a million dollar contract in the 1910's. By early 1919, he had formed United Artists with partners Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith – giving him control over the quality of his beloved product.
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Star Pick with Joe Kraemer
Take a Return Journey to a Galaxy Far, Far AwayStar Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeDecember 27, 2015Star Wars is the talk of the town once again. Episode 7, entitled The Force Awakens is sweeping the box office by storm. So, perhaps it is wise to return to the year 1977 to look at the first film: A New Hope.
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Star Pick with Jacques Demers
Demers Enjoyed the Box of ChocolatesForrest GumpDecember 17, 2014Sen. Jacques Demers, the former head coach of the Montreal Canadiens who led the team to its last Stanley Cup in 1993 and Habs analyst on RDS, was another one of the roasters at the recent Children's Treatment Centre roast of Guy Lauzon. The man spoke very highly of the worthwhile cause and earlier in the evening he spoke to me of his two favourite movies, the first of which will be discussed today.
