By John Corrado ★½ (out of 4) When a mysterious ship starts hovering above the earth, and the first four waves of an alien invasion unfold, the humans are either wiped out by viruses and dwindling resources, or forced to join the army. When high schooler Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) gets separated from her father (Ron Livingston), she… Read More Blu-ray Review: The 5th Wave
By John Corrado One of the most critically acclaimed horror films in recent memory, The Witch takes place in 1630, when a deeply religious family relocates to a rural farm property in New England. But when crops start to fail, and their newborn child mysteriously disappears, the father (Ralph Ineson) comes to believe they have been… Read More Blu-ray Release: The Witch
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) When Cassie Cranston (Jewel Staite) returns to the prudish small town of Beaver’s Ridge for her mother’s funeral, years after an embarrassing incident as a teenager had her labelled the “town slut” and led to a career as a sex columnist, the eccentric locals convince her to plan an orgy.… Read More Review: How to Plan An Orgy in a Small Town
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Still reeling from his sister’s suicide, Shane (Andrew Martin) dreams of finally getting away from his small Native community in Northern Ontario, and going to university in Toronto with his secret boyfriend David (Harley Legarde-Beacham). But his depressed mother (Jennifer Podemski), dwindling money and being forced to hide his… Read More Review: Fire Song
By John Corrado There are many things about Easy Rider, which received a new Criterion Collection release on Blu-ray last week, that remain iconic. The sweeping images of motorcycles riding along wide open landscapes, a soundtrack featuring some of the best rock songs of the era, and Jack Nicholson’s first of many unforgettable Oscar-nominated roles. But it’s the… Read More Criterion Review: Easy Rider
By John Corrado Hot Docs has come to a close, but before we officially wrap things up until next year, below are my thoughts on the final few films that I had the chance to see. I have also included links to my previous sets of reviews at the bottom of this post, so that you can look… Read More #HotDocs16: Final Batch of Reviews
By John Corrado We have now reached the final weekend of Hot Docs, and below are my thoughts on some more films that I had the chance to see over the last few days. Please come back on Monday for my final batch of reviews, and you can find more info on any remaining showtimes through the links… Read More #HotDocs16: Fourth Batch of Reviews
By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) A master of finding intersecting lines between comedy and drama, writer-director Lorene Scafaria has crafted a touching and yet still often laugh out loud funny film in The Meddler, using feel good humour to sensitively explore the different ways people grieve. This is the sort of film you can see… Read More Review: The Meddler
By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Eugene (Dylan Harman) is a young man with Down Syndrome, who still believes in the power of rainbows to deliver gold. Living in Toronto and riddled by extreme poverty, he practically has to take care of himself alongside his terminally ill mother. Eugene sets out to find the proverbial… Read More Review: The Rainbow Kid
Captain America: Civil War Review By John Corrado ★★½ (out of 4) The latest superhero teamup, a concept that has grown less novel since the first Avengers four years ago, Captain America: Civil War packs a lot of stuff into its 146 minute running time. To be sure, there are things here that do work, but after a certain point… Read More Three Views: Captain America: Civil War
By John Corrado Although we are coming up to the final weekend of Hot Docs, there are still plenty of films left to screen. Below are my thoughts on eight more that I saw this week, including several standouts and fascinating conversation starters. Please come back for more reviews over the weekend, and you can find info… Read More #HotDocs16: Third Batch of Reviews
By John Corrado To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Top Gun this year, Paramount is releasing a brand new steelbook edition of the classic 1986 action film. Starring Tom Cruise in one of his most iconic roles, and featuring a great soundtrack, this remains a campy and entertaining staple of its decade. Although this release… Read More Blu-ray Review: Top Gun: 30th Anniversary Edition Steelbook
By John Corrado The first weekend of Hot Docs has just come to a close, and below are my thoughts on nine films that I had the chance to see over the last three days. Please come back for more reviews throughout the rest of the festival, and you can find info on tickets and showtimes through the links in the… Read More #HotDocs16: Second Batch of Reviews
By John Corrado The 2016 edition of Hot Docs kicks off tonight, and below are my thoughts on ten films that I had the chance to screen in advance, to give you a small sampling of what to expect from this year’s lineup. Please come back for more capsule reviews throughout the festival, and you… Read More #HotDocs16: First Batch of Reviews
By John Corrado Paramount has just put out this brand new edition of The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official First Season on DVD, including all thirty six episodes from the inaugural season of the beloved classic sitcom, digitally remastered for the first time ever. Originally broadcast between 1962 and 1963, the 5-disc set starts with both the original and extended versions… Read More DVD Review: The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official First Season
By John Corrado ★★½ (out of 4) A house fire and bag of stolen money forces the stories of a grieving young bartender (Anton Yelchin) who returns to his hometown following the death of his parents, a haunted fire survivor (Zooey Deschanel) whom he falls in love with, and a dangerous thief (John Hawkes) out for vengeance, to… Read More DVD Review: The Driftless Area
By John Corrado ★★★★ (out of 4) The feeling of watching Sing Street, the latest and for me greatest music-themed drama from director John Carney, is best described partway through the film. The moment comes when the troubled aspiring model Raphina (Lucy Boynton) talks to our lovestruck teenaged protagonist Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) about learning how… Read More Review: Sing Street
By John Corrado ★★ (out of 4) Beginning with a frantic 911 call over the opening credits, Body starts off on a solid and intriguing note, introducing us to its trio of young female characters over a Scrabble game. Their banter has a natural, mumblecore quality to it, with the added dread of knowing that something bad… Read More Review: Body
By John Corrado Telling the “mostly true” story of Miss Shephard (Maggie Smith), an eccentric senior who lives in the back of a beat up old van that ends up parked in the driveway of struggling writer Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings), The Lady in the Van is a small gem that is absolutely worth seeing on Blu-ray. Managing… Read More Blu-ray Release: The Lady in the Van
By John Corrado ★★ (out of 4) Neil Clarke (Simon Pegg) is an average guy in England, who works as a teacher and dreams of finishing his novel, while also pining for the affection of his downstairs neighbour Catherine (Kate Beckinsale). But things change when a group of five aliens (voiced by the remaining members… Read More DVD Review: Absolutely Anything
The Joy of Movies 