Films That Matter
Safety First
Like a severe and utterly serious version of Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 satirical dark comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, you would think that Fail Safe would have been the original release in theatres that was then later spoofed, yet that is not the case. Released approximately six months later in the same year, as you might imagine, it led to very poor returns at the box office – dare I say it (as the film deals with this subject matter)... it was a bomb! Despite that, over time, it has become a bonafide classic. Based upon Eugene Burdick’s 1962 novel of the same name and directed by Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon), he introduces us to our main players by way of little vignettes.
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Annie Get Your Gun
Gun CrazyMay 16, 2016I am sure most of you have heard of the classic 1967 crime flick Bonnie and Clyde. Perhaps a film that is lesser known and is also based off of Great Depression bandits Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker (though the two characters have different names) is the legendary 1950 film noir Gun Crazy – which, when viewed, will clearly be seen as a precursor to the Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway offering.
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Star Pick with Marilyn Ghigliotti
Love After DeathGhostMay 12, 2016There was always something highly entertaining about the late Patrick Swayze, whether he was having a comedic dance off against Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live, or he was the criminal mastermind of a surfer gang in the action flick Point Break. He always brought a charming, entertaining and realistic human side to the characters that he portrayed. One role that epitomises his varied career is the romantic dramedy Ghost.
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The Cat Came Back
The Cat Came BackMay 9, 2016As a child, I was enamoured with a kooky Canadian animated short film called The Cat Came Back. Available on VHS (for those of you too young to remember what this is, ask your parents) at my local library, I would take it out every time I entered the historic building. It is likely that I played a huge part in wearing down that cassette tape. Thanks to the National Film Board of Canada, who produced the flick, it is available for free on their website.
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Vigilante Justice USA/UK Style
Dirty HarryGet CarterMay 6, 2016Dirty Harry, starring the legendary Clint Eastwood, has to be one of the most iconic characters in film history. Eastwood truly brings the essence of Harry Callahan to life, delivering a gritty performance that captures the hero’s gruff, no nonsense ways and vigilante-style justice. In 1971, the same year Eastwood starred in Dirty Harry, Michael Caine was cast as the lead in a British motion picture called Get Carter, which carries many of the same themes.
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A Southern Delicacy
Fried Green TomatoesMay 3, 2016Certain novels, and their respective films, capture the beautiful yet complicated nature of the American south. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and To Kill a Mockingbird are two such examples. A third book that has been transformed into a motion picture that illustrates this intriguing subject is Jon Avnet’s 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes.
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Join the Madness
Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever ToldMay 1, 2016Though I consider myself well versed in most areas of film, I must say that I knew nothing about the horror cult classic Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told, until I began researching for my interview with Beverly Washburn, who starred in this quirky motion picture that was filmed in 1964, though it was only released in 1967 (due to issues with finances and poor distribution).
