By Alan Hurst Flipping channels a few nights ago we caught a few minutes of What’s Up Doc? (1972), probably my favourite comedy of the seventies. It was at the point in the film where Madeline Kahn – upset, wig askew – was loudly expressing her frustration with being treated so badly by her fiancé…
By John H. Foote Bruno Ganz, a brilliant actor died last Saturday. In honour of this fine artist, we celebrate his finest performance in DOWNFALL (2005). (****) Is it possible to humanize Adolf Hitler? Is it remotely possible to make human one of the greatest mass murderers in the history of mankind? A man who set a…
By John H. Foote Remember the ritual of going to the movies from our youth? As a film critic and 59 years old, I consider my youth the seventies when I discovered cinema as the most important art form on the planet. You lined up, perhaps purchasing your ticket first. The line snaked around the…
By Nick Maylor We have been talking about the forthcoming Oscars since last September at TIFF. We’ve been talking about it ever since. John and Alan have already submitted their picks for this Sunday’s ceremony. As we’ve mentioned, we’re getting a bit sick and tired of talking about them. This year’s Oscars is the most wide-open…
By Nick Maylor Superheroes can only rise to greatness when faced with a worthy threat. Any superhero film worth its salt has to have a formidable and interesting bad guy. Villains these days range from giant purple aliens to regular Joes who took a wrong turn. Some can wave their hands to launch actual moons…
By John H. Foote (****) Having seen them all, loving the Judy Garland version, loathing the Streisand version (except the songs) and being indifferent to the first version in 1937, I was at least curious to see this new one at TIFF last September. Sean Penn had hailed it a masterpiece long before critics had…
By John H. Foote OK, I am ready. I am so ready for the Oscars to be given out and we can all stop thinking, talking and writing about them. This has been without a doubt the longest, meanest and most overtly vicious awards season I have endured. And the truth be told I worry…
By Nick Maylor Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood and America’s most cherished actors. As “Weird” Al Yankovic so succinctly put it in his song “Please Don’t Nuke Us, North Korea” : Nobody doesn’t like Tom Hanks. He has proven himself to be one of the most reliable actors when it comes to delivering quality…
By Nick Maylor As the resident “geek” on the site, when it comes to talking superheroes and comic-book movies, I’m usually the one to do the exploring. We live in a time where every year sees an abundance of riches when it comes to comic-book films. Last year alone saw Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War,…
By John H. Foote Green Book was the talk of TIFF just five hours after the press screening, where the film was greeted with prolonged applause. “See Green Book” was spoken in the hallways of the Scotiabank Cinema and in the audiences as they waited for the next film to begin. That is how fast the…