By Marie-Renée Goulet My favourite movie genre is by far biographical movies. I love history, and I find some people and events fascinating. I love how I can escape to a different time and place, knowing that much attention has been paid to the details of a specific era. Frequently, we see a headline in…
By Craig Leask What was it about the 1970’s – that decade full of contradiction and change? The Vietnam War (1955–1975) was in full swing and escalating with no sign of resolution and the oil crisis was ravaging the economy. These factors led to a restless population and, for the first time, a public who…
By Alan Hurst Film comedy had a good year in 1996. The critically acclaimed Fargo and Jerry Maguire were major critical and box office hits. Lighter fare included Eddie Murphy’s reboot of The Nutty Professor; Mike Nichols’ glossy and laugh-out-loud Americanization of The Birdcage; the riotous teaming of Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn…
By John H. Foote (**) Watching Al Pacino thunder brilliantly through The Irishman (2019), portraying Jimmy Hoffa, earning an Oscar nomination for his work, I finally got around to re-watching Hoffa just a couple days ago. Danny DeVito directed the film written by the great playwright David Mamet and, despite the weaknesses in the film…
By John H. Foote (****) For the first time on Blu Ray, the gentle, sparse love story, and tale of redemption Tender Mercies comes to the small screens. Like a well written country and western song, Tender Mercies is all about hurtin’ and living with the pain. Life deals out some harsh cards and it…
By Alan Hurst One of the lightweight joys of movie going in the 1970’s through the 1990’s was the effervescent good time usually guaranteed by seeing Goldie Hawn on screen. She was pretty, she was funny, she had the dramatic chops when the opportunity allowed, and she was smart. Very smart. She could also sing…
By John H. Foote (***) The moment it was announced the Henry Fonda had been cast as crusty, cranky Norman Thayer in the film On Golden Pond it seemed a given the aged actor would win that long elusive Academy Award for Best Actor. Nominated just a single time for The Grapes of Wrath (1940), it…
By John H. Foote (***) The first time I saw Midnight Express (1978) I was astounded by the story, the direction, the exquisite performances of the cast, that brooding electronic score and the production design. For an 18-year old sitting in the wonderful old University Theatre on a Saturday afternoon, happily on my own, this…
By John H. Foote (***) Tom Cruise became an actor in Rain Man (1988) but he became a great actor as real life war veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, an adaptation of Kovic’s best seller, and his evolution from patriotic soldier to anti-war crusader. Cruise really is magnificent…
By Marie-Renee Goulet Are there movies that you are unable NOT to watch if you fall upon them while channel surfing? Films that feel like you just stepped into a leg hold trap, and you know you’ll have to sit there and (happily) finish it? I have a list of them. A few movies have…