Born Sadaho Maeda, Japanese actor and martial artist Shin’ichi “Sonny” Chiba would be one of the more prolific action stars of his era. From early work on tokusatsu programs to English-language performances in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Fast… Read More ›
Month: September 2024
José Lourenço’s feature debut “Young Werther” will charm most audiences, rom-com or otherwise. [TIFF]
It is not an unfair statement to say that I am fond of the romantic comedy genre; it hits a sweet spot for my personal taste and certainly can be charming and enjoyable even if it is far-fetched and schlocky…. Read More ›
A full pew of talent on all sides of the pulpit delivers a flawless thriller in “Conclave.” [TIFF]
How does one, specifically Edward Berger, follow up All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)? With one of the most interesting and captivating stories about selecting a new Pope and the events that happen during the conclave. For a task… Read More ›
Drama “Really Happy Someday” captures how the process of becoming your true self is far from linear. [TIFF]
Having been a fan of musical theatre practically my entire life, I can only assume the trepidations, hardships, and sheer determination and power one needs to go through being a live performer and dealing with the day-to-day challenges. There is… Read More ›
Check out “Mr. K” any time you like, but you can never leave. [TIFF]
Remember actors who were in some of your favourite movies growing up or who are part of your core memory and you casually think whatever happened to them? Ever think that way about Crispin Glover (9; Charlie’s Angels)? If yes,… Read More ›
“Anora” writer/director Sean Baker does what he does best in bringing out incredible performances from his cast. [TIFF]
I want to preface this with the fact that I am a fan of Sean Baker (writer, director, producer, editor). I think his last three movies (Tangerine (2015), Florida Project (2017), and Red Rocket (2021)) are all incredible pieces of… Read More ›
“Inside Out 2” arrives on home video to provide an opportunity for audiences of all ages to recognize their best senses of self.
No matter what age you are, there’s never a bad time to pick up a new skill to help you engage with your emotions or guide someone else’s. By learning to regulate, each of us is more capable of dealing… Read More ›
Apocalyptic musical “The End” is both chaotic and balanced to mixed results. [TIFF]
Musicals about the apocalypse or the end of the world are certainly not new territory, but they all succeed to various mileage. While there is no world where a Mad Max-type movie is going to put to song, Joshua Oppenheimer’s… Read More ›
Actor Kaniehtiio Horn establishes herself as a fierce writer and director in her debut feature “Seeds.” [TIFF]
Directing and writing your first feature is certainly a daunting task, but to also star in the vehicle, making yourself a triple threat, is certainly a large task. However, Kaniehtiio Horn (Possessor; Alice, Darling) not only decides to grab that… Read More ›
“A League of Their Own” reaffirms that a woman’s place is at home … and first, second, and third in 4K UHD.
For the last 32 years, there’s been one thing that athletes and non-athletes alike understand: there’s no crying in baseball. These five words are uttered by Tom Hanks’s Rockford Peaches manager Jimmy Dugan to Bitty Schram’s Evelyn Gardner, the right… Read More ›
The fists and comedy fly fast and hit hard in Yuen Woo-ping’s “The Miracle Fighters,” newly restored in 2K from Eureka Entertainment.
There are few names in action that command respect in the way that Yuen Woo-ping does. A stuntman turned actor, writer, and director, Yuen Woo-ping is responsible for films like Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master (1979) and Donnie Yen’s Tiger Cage… Read More ›
Book-to-film adaptation “The Watchers” stumbles on pacing and dialog in Ishana Night Shyamalan’s feature debut.
Back in April, at the beginning of a particularly sleepy 12-hour shift manning the box office of the downtown Durham theatre in which I work, I opened A.M. Shine’s The Watchers on my Kindle, having impulsively downloaded it via the… Read More ›
“Watchmen: Chapter 1” offers a fresh adaptation that’s as close to the source graphic novel as it can be.
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” – Roman poet Juvenal in Satires. So often, the general public takes it for granted that someone will protect them. With stories featuring The Phantom and The Shadow as preludes to the birth of Superman and… Read More ›
Is “The Garfield Movie” the Nermal of “Garfield” films? Only one way to find out and that’s on home video.
“I hate Mondays.” As a child of the 1980s, I felt this phrase deep in my bones, which is likely why I owned several of the Jim Davis-created Garfield book collections so that I could revisit the three-to-four panel adventures… Read More ›
Lee Cipolla’s adaptation of “Rally Caps” will have you donning your own.
Truth is a matter of perspective. We know this, but we tend to forget it during the daily moments of our lives. What we see, what we hear, and how we react is all sifted through our experience, so, often,… Read More ›