‘The Thing’ is a grotesquely eloquent special FX extravaganza; a startling exploration of suspense and paranoia, a psychological horror-thriller (that can mentally scar the uninitiated), and it’s an absolutely ingenious film; directed by horror aficionado – John Carpenter. This movie leaves a lasting impression on anyone who watches it. 

It’s a truly well-crafted piece of cerebral horror, playing off a person’s natural phobias and the human inclination to suspect those around them, watching ‘The Thing’ is a paranoia inducing experience. The majority of us do not deal well with isolation and claustrophobic environments, this is an absolute truth. As a piece of cinema, ‘The Thing’ highlights this truth; and succeeds in exploring the effects it can have on the human psyche. 

‘The Thing’ (1982) is a remake of ‘The Thing from Another World’ (1951) a black & white classic film that was also said to have pioneered progress in the area of visual effects. 

“I don’t want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me.” – Jack Costello

‘The Departed’ is a 2006 Irish-American crime-thriller directed by Martin Scorsese.

It is considered by many to be one of his seminal, modern motion pictures. It’s a tour-de-force – incorporating the finer elements of filmmaking that Scorsese has acquired through a long and storied career. The acting, pacing, score, visuals, editing, and an expertly crafted narrative; all come together to form something truly riveting and roguishly romantic. With little touches of comedy and stylistic wit, that work to balance out the more somber moments — in my ardent opinion, ‘The Departed’ is among the most moving crime-capers put to screen, rivaled only by ‘Casino’ – one of Scorsese’s formerly oft lauded gangster epics.

‘Down Below’ is a soon to be released Grindhouse horror-film by director Spyder Dobrofsky. It doesn’t fully outshine its predecessors in the horror-genre, but it does manage to deliver a viewing exp. that proves to be quite a heap of fun — if you like a heavy serving of “kitsch” with your scary movies.

‘Down Below’ is a low-budget gem (albeit with some imperfections) providing standout performances from Doug Jones, Bai Ling, Alexis Knapp, and David Steen as the mysterious “Mr Monday”. The narrative is somewhat Lynchian in its approach, reminiscent of the director’s smaller pictures: ‘Mulholland Drive’, and ‘The Lost Highway’ – in that it gives the viewer visually disconnected scenes in an attempt to construe the apprehension and confusion the characters are going through. Flashbacks, dream sequences, and nonlinear storytelling are all utilized to abandon.

‘GoldenEye’, is the 17th installment in the James Bond film series, a post-cold war action/spy-thriller that capitalizes on the real world tensions left over from the collapse of the USSR. ‘GoldenEye’ – the first film to dispense with reliance on Ian Fleming’s literary works for source material, and it had the near impossible job of revitalizing a franchise that many thought to have lost its mass appeal.

Martin Campbell directed this feature, it stars Pierce Brosnan in the lead role as the charismatic and dangerous secret agent – 007. Sean Bean stars as well: playing the part of Alec Trevelyan/006  – a turncoat MI6 agent, the main villain of the film. Judi Dench takes over for Robert Brown in the role of “M”, and we’re introduced to Isabella Scaruptco as Natalya Simonova — a hacker turned Russian defector — and eventually, Bond’s love interest and ally. 

Famke Janssen is stunning as Xenia Onatopp: a salacious JANUS agent working against Bond, who is shown to be more than capable as an assassin. And finally, Desmond Llewelyn reprises his role as series stand-by “Q”, the man who provides Bond with his equipment and state-of-the-art gadgets.

So, is “real” cinema destined to “go the way of the dinosaur” in the age of digital media and streaming platforms?

Yes, it seems highly likely. 

“In a groundbreaking moment, Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in a deal that puts a major Hollywood studio back in the business of owning a movie theater for the first time in more than 75 years with certain exceptions.”

Jun 12, 2024

The Hollywood Reporter [1]

Judging by this recent move, fiduciary projections are not looking good for Cineplex, Odeon, and other major cinemas. These larger chains are going to have to find some miraculous cost-cutting measures or face reality – streaming media is winning.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

If there’s a better film with Jeff Bridges in the leading role — I’m absolutely sure — I don’t know what it is. ‘The Big Lebowski’ is a mind-bending, hilarity inducing, neo-noir crime-dramedy with nihilistic and absurd overtones, and some pretty absurd nihilists as well. 

What I mean to say is this; the movie is bizarre – in the best kind of way. 

The Coen. Bros directed this underground hit, which went on to become one of the most popular cult films ever made. ‘The Big Lebowski’ may even have spawned an entire culture of hipsters, ushering in the era of beard wax and men’s shaving clubs. It’s a film that screams “quirky” in a way that lets you know it’s not f**cking around. If you expected a straight-up narrative with formulaic characters and archetypes, look somewhere else. 

Like a pulp era adventure-fantasy novel came to life, ‘King Kong’ delivers fast-paced action with a bang — and melodrama by the bucket-full.

• ‘Heart of Darkness’ is referenced in the movie, Jimmy is reading it.  Successful nod to a literary classic.

• Begins with some suspense but quickly course-corrects with silly antics; the hamfisted comedy on-screen harkens back to early era cinema. Is stylistically similar to Disney epics like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Jungle Cruise’ — both a positive and a negative, more on that later!

• The homage/tribute to the 1930s version; nice touch, in this movie we are watching the expedition that “filmed” the first King Kong motion picture. The (implied) contrast between the original colourless visuals vs the high-gloss saturated look of the newer film is very pleasing. Breathing new life into iconic imagery isn’t just a gimmick; this movie knows that.

In ‘Dune’ the visual opulence is awe inspiring — innate architectures, panoramic shots of natural beauty; seamless scene transitions, remarkable compositions, and of course expert colour grading. The cinematography is truly unique — unlike any science fiction film that has come before — save maybe ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

 Denis Villenieuve directed this picture ‘Dune: Part I’ magnificently, managing to undo the stigma caused by the failings of previous adaptations of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece. 

Much like the spice melange, ‘Dune’ is now the hottest commodity in the known universe.

He’s charismatic enough to make the role memorable and has the star-power to sell tickets.

Comic book villains often deliver a triumphant final speech – no one else delivers monologues like Robert Downey; no one. He’s top tier!

The characters of Iron Man and Dr. Doom are symmetrical in a thematic sense. Both are billionaire sycophants who seek to control the world around them. And they both wear masks — so there’s that.

Comics are a medium that often rely on “heel turns”, a term borrowed from wrestling that refers to the moment when a heroic figure turns into a “heel” or a villain. In essence this recasting is in keeping with tradition — especially if Doom ends up being a Tony Stark variant. [1]

“Logic points to Downey’s Doctor Doom being from the same world that is home to the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps, which takes place in an alternate version of Earth within the vast multiverse. It is possible, while feeling oddly implausible, for Victor von Doom to look like Tony Stark on that alternate Earth.”

– Ryan Reynolds is a massively experienced actor with 61 pictures and 24 television series listed in his filmography.

– He made sure that ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ did not end up with an inflated budget; ensuring that the film had the same “micro-budget feel” as the previous two entries. [1] IMDb.com

-Reynolds is a Canadian actor who was born in Vancouver, BC.

-He’s one of the higher paid entertainers working today, with a net worth of $350 million USD (2024).

-Ryan’s earlier attempts at appearing in superhero properties ended in spectacular failure, ”Green Lantern’ and ‘X-Men Wolverine: Origins’ were critical-flops and commercial losses, both motion pictures featured the actor in a key role.

-Reynolds first rose to prominence with his breakout film National Lampoon’s ‘Van Wilder’ (2002).

Kingsman: The Secret Service

What a ride!

Hold my umbrella as I regale you with a tale of secret agents, Oxford whites and technocrat billionaires. If you took Ian Flemming and added Guy Ritchie’s sensibilities – the outcome would be: Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman’ movies. ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ is an absurdist nightmare with cheeky overtones; providing levity for an audience that otherwise might be nonplussed with the now rather tired tropes of the spy thriller genre.

Colin Firth takes the lead – starring as Harry Hart AKA agent “Gallahad” – a pastiche of British superspy James Bond and ‘Get Smart’s’ Maxwell Smart. Agent Gallahad is a man not to be trifled with; he’s humanity’s last hope to prevent a planned doomsday event, working alongside a new agent-in-training, “Eggsy” – played expertly by Taron Eggerton.

‘Madame Web’ defines mediocrity.

Albeit, it’s not nearly as awful as most critics would have you believe. It doesn’t reach ‘Morbius’ levels of bad – yet, this movie is so bland and predictable – that it’s (essentially) the cinematic equivalent of paint-by-numbers. Which begs the question: how did the filmmaker manage to botch the more formulaic aspects of this movie?

All this picture required was standard superhero fare:

tell an origin story, craft a villain with little to no characterization, and finish it all with an action set-piece atop some towering structure – skyscraper, scaffolding, monument, etc. If this formula was followed – we would’ve had an average Marvel movie.

Not a masterpiece, but enjoyable viewing nonetheless.

Why, then, is Sony Pictures Madame Web worse than your run-of-the-mill Marvel flick?

‘Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent’ sticks to the proven formula of a Dick Wolfe production; while combining cultural aspects of Canada –  to great success. As a longtime fan of the franchise and a self-admitted “procedural drama junkie”, I’m a fairly good judge of what makes a cop-show work. Dialogue and pacing is one of the most important factors. Each episode is a self-contained mystery, so the story needs to be engaging yet delivered somewhat opaquely. Anticipation and intrigue is key.

The pilot episode’s plot is fairly straightforward:

 A crypto mogul is missing after attending an event on Lake Ontario, taking with him hundreds of millions in cash from his clients. Has he absconded with the money or is it possible that foul play is involved? 

1. Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor and performer.

2. Playing the superhero “Wolverine” has been very profitable for Jackman. Four of his five highest grossing movies are part of the X-men film franchise. But there is one role that has earned him pay on par with this; his turn as P.T. Barnum in the musical-epic ‘The Greatest Showman’. [1]

3. Jackman is known for starting his career on stage, performing in theatrical productions like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Oklahoma!’ – earning an award nomination for the latter.

4. He had the privilege of hosting the 81st Academy Awards (2009).

5. His full name is Hugh Michael Jackman.

6. The actor’s film debut came all the way back in 1999, in a little known independant movie ‘Erskineville Kings’.

7. Hugh Jackman was named Sexiest Man Alive by People.com/Magazine. But the “Aussie” celeb isn’t the only actor from Down Under who’s earned that moniker – Chris Hemsworth shares the title – however, Hugh was first! [2]

‘Made in Canada’ 

is a CBC Television scripted-comedy series that ran for five consecutive seasons between the years of 1998 – 2003. It lampoons the television industry – focusing specifically on Canadian content and productions; and the often hilarious struggles of marketing, broadcasting, and the day-to-day running of an office. It’s a precursor to shows like ‘30 Rock’, and more tangentially ‘The Office’ (UK & USA). 

This is a must-watch series.

Here’s a quote from IMDb to sum it up:

“Richard Strong” (Rick Mercer): 

[first line of the series] All my life I wanted to make movies. A good movie can change lives. A great movie can change the world. But television, it’s different. It’s not about making a difference. Television’s about making one thing only. Money. [1]

The man who started it all – Sir Sean Connery – receives the honour of being star of the WDM(c) choice for No 1 top 007 film of all-time. 

Screw being a knight, this is way better. 

 Connery’s ability to play James Bond is bar none. He brings a certain vitriole; suave, yet ready to leap-into-action at any moment. I’m sure – it could be argued that Craig portrayed the character with more physicality along with a cool, cold-demeanor. I won’t deny that, however Connery managed a certain poise while giving a highly charismatic turn as the globe-trotting secret agent. His facial acting conveyed superb tact and ego; 007’s trademark attributes. And the man’s innate classiness went a long way in convincing the audience that he excelled at espionage within high society.

Connery was hands down the most suited in the role of master-of-disguise, something that later Bond entries tend to overlook. In his role as an MI6 agent, James Bond needs to blend in amongst: Fortune 500 billionaires, oligarchs, oil tycoons, and international royalty – as well as other rich and powerful figures. Sean Connery always managed to play the character with a dash of poshness, actuated by the refined edge of 007, a characteristic lifted directly from the pages of Ian Flemming’s novels.

1. Her cinematic debut came with Spiderman: Homecoming in 2017, playing the role of “MJ Watson” – an indirect adaptation of Mary-Jane Watson from the comics, Peter Parker’s off-and-on-again squeeze. Zendaya’s on-screen character is named Michelle Jones-Watson, a slight alteration on the source material.

2. Zendaya enjoys watching the Harry Potter films more often than you would think, being quoted as saying, “People think I’m crazy, but I watch Harry Potter, like, once a day.” [1] BusinessInsider.com

3. Her heritage is African-Americana, Scottish, and German.

4. She holds the record for youngest contestant of ‘Dancing with the Stars’, finishing 2nd place in the competition — at just 16 years of age.

5. Zendaya won an Emmy for her portrayal of “Rue” in the HBO series ‘Euphoria’.

6. She is a part of the main cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune duology, playing the Fremen “Chani Kynes”; future companion and concubine of Paul Atredes – the main character of the story.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately in the news, on social media, and all over that thing we call “the internet” — mostly centered around the recent failings of blockbuster films, and what that means for the film industry.

Is this just a temporary dip in the market, or is it a symptom of a much larger problem?

Well, there’s a number of contributing factors to consider — first and foremost — the ubiquitous rise of streaming platforms as the preferred method for watching movies and television. Indeed, even the term TV is seeing a downtrend in usage, as most have adopted the term “streaming series” when referring to the long-form content that apps like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and Disney+ host.

The tonally alacritous adaptation of a hugely popular video game franchise, Fallout (a Prime Original) is a smashing success – critics and fans alike agree that the show manages to deliver a surreal, quirky, and hilariously authentic take on the source material. Bethesda Game Studios was the company responsible for kicking off the Fallout franchise success, peaking in the mid 2000’s with Fallout 3 & Fallout New Vegas. The show incorporates aspects from both those entries into the series and the more recent as well; namely Fallout 4, Fallout 76.

Ella Purnell and Walter Goggins seem to be the two leads of the show ; both of them garnering the greatest amount of screen time, and occupying equally important positions within the narrative, however Aron Moten occupies the unusual spot of tritagonist — complicating the plot structure somewhat. 

If I were to guess – it’s the look of the film.

That (VFX) over-glossed aesthetic is not helping ticket sales at all. 

The original was a low-budget Australian picture, gritty, and grounded in realism – being of the exploitation era of filmmaking, the first Mad Max was shot with camera/lenses that were extremely low-grade. This ensured it had a “mockumentary” feel and look, even though that’s not the genre the ‘Mad Max’ films belonged to. The closest comparison I can think of is Dennis Hopper’s ‘Easy Rider’ or ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, both titles heralded the revolution of independent films in the 70s. Then as budgets inflated; each subsequent release became more slick and polished, continuing to this day with the latest entry, ‘Furiosa’. 

His pictures are iconic, visually stunning, and often enigmatic. An auteur, Bong Joon-ho  봉준호 utilizes a cinematic tone that is simultaneously plangent and hopeful.

A South Korean filmmaker that has the joy of being the recipient of the only Academy Award for Best Picture awarded to a film that’s not in english, Joon-ho has more accolades than any other international director, writer, producer. He continues to craft award winning cinema that lampoons societal issues; examining the differences between standards of living among the poor and rich – with stories that commonly have dark comedic undertones.

Is Tarantino the best new-age director of our lifetime?

Quite probably.

Is ‘Jackie Brown’ one of his most underappreciated films – regardless of the cult status it’s gained in the years since its inception?

Also, yes.

One of the lesser known Tarantino classics – adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel of the same name, ‘Jackie Brown’ is a story about a woman who’s nearing middle-age and has landed herself in a heap of legal trouble. With her wits, charms, and guile – will she get herself out of the jam? Well, when 70s grindhouse star Pam Grier is playing a character; “she ain’t nobody’s sucka”.

See Grier’s other films, ‘Coffy’ and ‘Foxy Brown’ for examples of this.

Directed & Written by: Quentin Tarantino 

Original date of Release: December 25th / 1997

I’m a sucker for a good arthouse film. 

‘Ex Machina’ is definitely that – and much more.

Directed by Alex Garland in 2015, this film is an introspection on life, love, and creation; through the lens of artificial intelligence. With all the recent advancements in AI – I figured it was time to cover a fine piece of filmmaking that takes an in-depth look at the concept of synthetically created people.

 Once relegated to science fiction; the creation of “Turing tested” androids now seems like a distinct possibility – in the years to come. As of late, every company has begun to invest in AI Language Models, Automated Processes (driver assist, autopilot, Amazon’s Just Walk Out), and fully autonomous robots for personal and commercial use.

1. Robert Downey Jr. is one of the highest paid actors in the world; holding the 8th, 9th, and 10th spot for “Highest-earning actors for a single production” (List of highest paid actors – Wikipedia).

2. He is known for his ability to improvise dialogue and for his extended monologues on-screen.

3. When is his birthday? Robert Downey Jr. was born on April 4th / 1965.

4. In Christopher Nolan’s film, ‘Oppenheimer’ he portrayed Former Acting Secretary of US Commerce ‘Lewis Strauss’ one of the first members of the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and a pivotal figure in WW2.

5. He has grossed over 14 billion worldwide from his various projects.

6. Robert Downey Jr. helped to launch the MCU by starring in the first ‘Iron Man’ film (2008).

7. He plays “James Barris” a character in the experiential “A Scanner Darkly”, a groundbreaking indie film based on a story (of the same name) by Philip K. Dick. This movie was shot entirely using rotoscoping; a process in which animators trace over live action footage. 

Well, Harvey Weinstein is in the news again.

I’m sure you’ve heard – a recent appeals court has thrown out Weinstein’s 23 year conviction for sexual assault against three women in 2020. Before everyone floods the streets in a #METOO movement – like the world has never seen, it would pay to keep in mind that the septuagenarian film mogul is still set to serve a 16 year prison term for a conviction from another rape case in 2022.

So there is justice, kind of?

Without getting too into the nitty-gritty of the legal situation: character witnesses were introduced into the 2020 court case to supply background on Weinstein, in favour of the prosecution. At the time – the prosecution was hoping that these witnesses would establish a modus operandi for the jury, and convince them of the defendant’s (Weinstein) guilt. And it was a success – the jury ruled against Weistein, serving him a 23 year sentence in prison.

-James Cameron was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario.

-His films have earned over 8 billion in total gross sales (worldwide).

-James Cameron is one of the most prolific directors of our lifetime.

-His net worth is in excess of 800 million, which makes him the 4th richest director in the world.

-Some of his biggest (and most culturally relevant) releases include ‘Titanic’, ‘Aliens’, ‘Avatar’, ‘Avatar 2: The Way of Water’, ‘Terminator 2’, ‘Terminator’, and ‘The Abyss’.

-James Cameron’s style is bombastic. His pictures tend to incorporate massive set pieces, cutting-edge special effects, and big name actors/actresses.

-In the 90s he almost made a Spider-Man film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the web-slinger and Schwarzenegger as “Spidey’s” many-limbed foe Dr. Octopus.

-His country of birth is Canada.

-James Cameron has helped to revolutionize the special effects industry, and is seen as one of the most important progenitors of modern science fiction.

-His ability for visual composition is among the top of mainstream Hollywood directors.

Why not an apocalypse themed movie?

Ever wondered what it would be like to hang out with Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and Jay Baruchel, as they all get blitzed off their asses – during the end of the world?

If your response is “Armegeddon outta’ here!” then please, stop reading.

But if you do have a penchant for these members of the ‘Superbad’ alumni; their gross-out comedy and stoner hijinks, then by all means read on – in fact, you better be prepared for what may be the laziest movie of all-time. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily, and at its heart the meta-commentary in ‘This is the End’ about Hollywood slackers wouldn’t be complete unless the film ignores most (if not all) story structure elements; skewering Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey’ writing wheel and encouraging an hour and half of improvisational humour.

-Emerald Fennell received her first acting role in 2007, playing “Sheena” on the television series Trial & Retribution.

-Her birthday is Oct. 1st, 1985

-Emerald Fennell’s story is empowering to women everywhere; working hard for years in Hollywood and later being able to showcase her artistique inspirateur (artistic inspiration) for the masses.

-’Saltburn’ is the talk of the town, although the reception was a bit lukewarm in comparison to her last feature — the picture has still garnered praise for being an innovative reimagining of ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’. 

The film examines social hierarchies among the elite and how it affects our societal obsession with status.

Road House (2024)

I was hesitant going in.

Hell, I think we all were.

But thankfully, the pairing of Jake Gyllenhaal and Connor McGregor managed to work, and gave us a smashing update to the 80s classic that we all know and love, ‘Road House’ (1989).

Yet, there will be detractors –- those who prefer Swayze’s take on the beat-em-up action flick — which enthralled audiences with its unabashed update of a revisionist western. Interestingly, the original ‘Road House’ was a retelling of ‘Shane’, a 1957 western – that starred a laconic hero who rolled into town and went head-to-head with the local riff-raff.

Take 1 part milk-toast neurotic (Ben Stiller’s signature character trait)

and mix well with 1 manic-pixie dream girl played by Jennifer Aniston.

The result?

In the end, you get a movie that managed to achieve a level of popularity rarely seen in offbeat romantic comedies. In the early “aughts” (2001-2009) this formula was still fairly fresh, and the way in which John Hamburg directs ‘Along Came Polly’ highlights the importance of character driven comedy over laugh-a-minute antics.