Films That Matter
Bungle in the Jungle
Nestled between two of Cecil B. DeMille’s massively successful historical epics (that he is so well known for), namely The Sign of the Cross (1932) and Cleopatra (1934), he directed two box office failures, This Day and Age (1933) and the movie reviewed here today, Four Frightened People (1934). Released just prior to the end of the Pre-Code era, DeMille’s early dramatic jungle adventure was reworked on the fly – which is partially why it is one of the iconic director’s middling efforts.
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Make Space for this Room
RoomJanuary 31, 2016Though most people would call the highly regarded Academy Award nominated film Room a searing drama, to me, if you boil it down to its base element, it is a horror picture – not the type that we now call horror, with chainsaws, gore and excessive violence, but one that causes the viewer to feel fear and shock in the most realistic and human of ways, thus making it a very powerful and hard-hitting viewing experience. And a highly worthwhile one at that.
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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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A Wild Ride
The NymphetsDecember 14, 2015Sometimes the opening credits of a film can signal the type of experience you are in for and this is clearly the case with Gary Gardner’s The Nymphets. The credits are large, bold and frantically paced, which, along with the similarly themed musical score, highlights that we are in for quite the ride.
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Darkness Shines Bright
Darkness on the Edge of TownDecember 8, 2015It is not often that I am able to review a movie that claims to be an Irish Shakespearian Western, but that is simply, or perhaps complexly, what Patrick Ryan’s feature film directorial debut Darkness on the Edge of Town is.
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Star Pick with Eric Duncan
One Man’s Long Road to RedemptionAmerican History XJanuary 28, 2015Though it may feel like it has been a while, I return once again to my reporting on the celebrities of the Children's Treatment Centre Roast of Guy Lauzon. Having covered the panel prior to Christmas, I now tackle the event's master of ceremonies, North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan (one of the youngest mayors in the history of Canada, the youngest Warden of SD&G in its 165-year history and chair for the Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus).
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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.
