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 Amanda Bearse
Marcy’s PlaygroundTo Kill a MockingbirdJune 18, 2023It was an absolute pleasure to meet and interview Amanda Bearse at CAPE 2022 (Cornwall & Area Pop Event). A multi-talented actor and director, she is perhaps best remembered as troublesome neighbour Marcy in the long running television sitcom Married... with Children (she appeared in an impressive 259 episodes, while she also sat in the directorial chair 31times). Yet, two years earlier, she appeared in what must have seemed at the time to be a horror quickie that would come and go... except the annals of cinema history were not done with Fright Night – it becoming a true cult classic of the 1980s that is still growing its viewing audience today. After wrapping Married, she decided to step behind the camera more often than not, directing numerous television series, including The Jamie Foxx Show, Dharma & Greg, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Reba, Mad TV, to name but a few. For the first time in awhile, she is back in front of the camera with last year’s Bros and the upcoming comedy Tapawingo.
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CAPE of Good Hope
April 25, 2023After a raucous Saturday crowd, CAPE, or the Cornwall and Area Pop Event, had what has to be its biggest second day turnout yet. Excited crowds, many dressed in costume, flooded the Benson Centre, primed to explore its many booths. . . ranging from Funkos and vintage toys, to original artwork and literature, while others were looking to meet their favourite celebrities from film and television. With The Walking Dead continuing its reign as one of the supreme draws to any pop culture type weekend, organizers extraordinaire Randy Sauve and Carol Grant were able to bring in heavy hitters Cooper Andrews (who plays fan favourite Jerry... the right hand man of King Ezekiel, who first arrived on the scene in season seven)
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Candle Wick in the Wind
John Wick: Chapter 4April 9, 2023Covering some new and old ground in the longest feature of the franchise (coming in at a whopping two hours and forty-nine minutes), John Wick: Chapter 4, directed by Chad Stahelski (who has helmed each of the four films), starts us off pretty much right after the previous picture. Flipping the script a bit from the last one, Wick (Keanu Reeves), now healed (boy, does he do that quickly – though it’s supposed to be a couple months later), must deal with the claustrophobic landscape that has enveloped him due to his unsatiated revenge-filled drive. Walking the perilous path of dealing with hitmen, as well as friends and enemies (who can often switch allegiances on a dime), the memorable faces of the underground web weaver – the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), New York powerhouse – Winston (Ian McShane), his trusty concierge – Charon (Lance Reddick, who sadly passed away on March 17th), and the head of the table – Elder (George Georgiou), will all make appearances again... though perhaps not in the ways we might expect.
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Nordic Track
The NorthmanApril 2, 2023Now three movies in, there is no doubt that Robert Eggers is one of the more creative minds working in the film industry today. With The Northman (2022), the co-writer (along with Sjón), director, and producer brings forward his most accessible piece yet... but that doesn’t mean that this is not as creative, intricate, challenging, or authentic as his The VVitch and The Lighthouse. This time taking a deep dive into Norse history and mythology, it might surprise some that the main source they worked from was the story of Amleth... a tale which appears in the “Gesta Danorum” (History of the Danes) – as it is also the main inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (it is easier to spot the similarities once you are aware of the connection).
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Star Pick with Joe Gatto
No Ordinary ‘Joe’kerYoung FrankensteinMarch 12, 2023I was fortunate enough to get a quick interview with Joe Gatto after his first ever comedy show in Ottawa on March 3rd, 2023. For those of you who have somehow missed him over the years, Gatto has brought joy and hilarity to the world with buddies Sal, Q, and Murr on the comedy series Impractical Jokers. After nearly a decade on television (creating worldwide catchphrases like: “Scoopski potahtos”, “Larry!”, “Up your ass and to the left”, “Who vants to paint!”, as well as so many others), Joe parted ways with the Jokers after nine seasons to focus more on family. Despite this, you’ve had ample chances to stumble upon him – sometimes with his buds as the Jokers go viral on Youtube, or by way of his very active social media accounts... and, of course, on his comedy tours. His first time in Canada, he regaled the audience with a fantastic combination of outright jokes, venue improv, past stories, and his own unique brand of physical comedy. After nearly a two hour show (which included his friend and opener Jiggy – who has also made some appearances on Impractical Jokers), the audience left with a number of jokes and stories that could make anyone laugh, as well as several local gags that only those attending would get (who knew Canadian royalty was sitting in the theatre box).
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Spiels, Fabels, and Other Stories
The FabelmansFebruary 23, 2023Like a reflective revery, Steven Spielberg looks back at his own life with the 2022 Academy Award nominated (seven selections, including Best Picture) feature film The Fabelmans. Co-written (along with Tony Kushner) and directed by Spielberg, he creates a throwback style picture, something along the lines of the moving I Remember Mama (1948)... a sweeping retrospective of love and death, bullying and forgiveness, familial unity and division, over several decades. The Spielberg name becomes Fabelman, with Sammy replacing the name Steven (Gabriel LaBelle; as a younger child, Mateo Zoryan). We open with his parents, the weak tech genius Burt (Paul Dano) and artsy centre of attention Mitzi (Michelle Williams – in an Oscar nominated role) taking him to his first movie – 1952's The Greatest Show on Earth.
