By John C.   In 1975 audiences were first introduced to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Originally failing at the box office, a few years later it went on to become a cult sensation of midnight showings and outrageous costumes.  35 years later, it still remains a movie that’s simply so over the top, it’s entertaining.… Read More The Rocky Horror Picture & Glee Show should both be watched this Halloween

By John C.   As the story goes, on October 26th, 1985, the eccentric Dr. Emmet Brown (Christopher Lloyd) was ready to drive his Delorean 25 years into the future, but a twist of fate involving terrorists instead sent teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) 30 years back.  In 1955, McFly had to ensure that… Read More From the past to the future: 25 years later, timeless classic still holds up

  By John C.   Canadian-born directors have created blockbusters time and time again, and big-budget movies filmed right here in Toronto have scored with audiences all over the world.  So why have many of our homegrown features not been a force at the box office?  I’m hoping this will all change with Michael McGowan’s… Read More Will Canada “Score” with “A Hockey Musical?”

By John C. I finished my review of Secretariat by writing that “the film races past the finish line and emerges a bona fide winner.”  I found this to be endlessly true of the movie’s entertainment value, but I sincerely hoped this would also be the case with it’s financial success. The Disney film opened… Read More “Secretariat” is off to a slow start, but can it pick up speed?

By John C. David Fincher’s The Social Network has been getting ‘friended’ by critics since the first screenings, and the film opened this weekend to strong box office returns.  On its way to a Best Picture nomination, it is, of course, the brilliant and controversial bio-pic of Mark Zuckerberg who created the ever-popular social networking… Read More The Social Network – Keeping it real without Facebook

By John C. When reviewing the masterful Never Let Me Go I was cautious not to spoil any of the plot.  It tells a story ripe for discussion, but this discussion should not be had before knowing the story.  The film premiered at TIFF and opened in limited release to decidedly mixed reviews this past Friday. If… Read More Never Let Me Go: deeper thoughts on a heartbreaking story

By John C. What started with a hockey musical, ended with the people calling the brilliant portrait of a king’s stutter the best movie they’d seen over the past 11 days.  Once again, this weekend brought the end of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, but with the outstanding list of films, we couldn’t have… Read More The King’s Speech for People’s Choice and the Bell Lightbox are just some of the standouts of a perfect festival

By John C. When you think of the Toronto International Film Festival, besides movies, one of the things you’re going to think of is all the parties.  And TIFF parties are often associated with upscale clubs populated by celebrities and shots of SKYY vodka.  But perhaps the biggest party of this year’s festival was one… Read More A fun block party and thoughts on the Bell Lightbox

By John C. For the first time in quite some time a Friday has come without a new review.  But with the only big release being Resident Evil: Afterlife, there wasn’t actually much of note opening.  Although that hardly matters to Torontonians as there are numerous great films playing over the next week at TIFF.  We’ll… Read More Fall Preview 2010

By John C. With film festivals getting into full swing and the majority of upcoming films just begging to be called Oscar bait, there’s no denying that we’re getting into awards season territory yet again.  Every year this is the time that serious contenders start to roll in left, right and centre.  And on September… Read More Can ‘Dragons’ soar with the Academy?

By John C. For the second week in a row, I’m talking Oscars.  But this time the focus is entirely on the upcoming contenders from indie power studio, Fox Searchlight.  Founded in 1994 as the independent branch of 20th Century Fox, they are one of those studios that – more often than not – offers… Read More This Fall, Fox Searchlight has Four Films in the Oscar Field

For the second year in a row, Disney brought Tron: Legacy to Fan Expo in Toronto.   Here are our thoughts and pictures from the event, mainly focusing on today’s Tron panel.  Fan Expo started yesterday, August 27th, and runs until tomorrow, August 29th.  All in all, this is a fun time to be had… Read More Coverage of ‘Tron: Legacy’ at Fan Expo

By John C. Opening in limited release on July 9th, Lisa Cholodenko’s The Kids Are All Right has been getting high praise and is already on many critics top ten lists.  It’s also the kind of film that the Academy would recognize – especially in recent years – with a Best Picture nomination.  With a… Read More ‘The Kids’ Oscar chances are still ‘All Right,’ but there are many contenders yet to come

By John C. I normally wouldn’t devote two articles in a row to the same subject, but all could not have been said before even seeing the final episode.  This is also my shortest weekly column to date – another first. I was up late last night watching – and taping – the final episode… Read More The Balcony is Closed – Final Thoughts on At The Movies

By John C. After 35 years on the air, in one form or another, At The Movies will air its final episode this weekend.  Although the show has undergone many changes over the years, this is the representation of the end of an era.  When I interviewed current co-hosts Michael Phillips and A.O. (Tony) Scott… Read More At The Movies – The End of an Era

By John C. Last Thursday, an email landed in my inbox alerting me to an upcoming film titled Monsters.  Opening in Canada on October 29th – distributed by D Films – it’s an independent sci-fi/horror effort that has already garnered buzz on the festival circuit.  But it’s not as much the film that had me… Read More Monsters: A Look at an Upcoming Indie Film

By John C.   Every film seen with an audience is a shared experience.  We laugh, we cry, we think with complete strangers.  When a film is seen with friends, than the opportunity is there for discussion afterwards.  I truly believe that it’s just as important to be able to tell people with a smile… Read More Interpreting Inception: A Film That Keeps You Talking

By John C. There is a scene in John Hughes’ 1991 film Curly Sue, where the characters watch a 3D movie.  They put on their cardboard glasses and reach out and grab at the screen, all the while laughing and having a good time.  Once again, this is something that we’ve been experiencing quite a… Read More Glasses On: Perspectives on the Third Dimension

By John C. What do a 70-year old art picture and a slick, summer blockbuster have in common?  The answer is simple.  Absolutely nothing, yet at the same time, so much.  Disney’s latest, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – reviews coming Wednesday – was, as the credits say, “suggested by” the iconic segment of Walt Disney’s Fantasia.… Read More The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: A Misunderstood Triumph, and a Fun Summer Blockbuster

By John C. Last week I went to see Pixar’s latest masterpiece, Toy Story 3, for a second time – something I’d been meaning to do since I first saw the film.  The only difference between my two viewings were the number of people in the auditorium, and the fact that I first saw the… Read More Toy Story 3: Revisiting An Undeniably Moving Finale to a Perfect Series