By John C. As the first weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival came to a close back in September, it was already clear that Silver Linings Playbook would emerge as one of the biggest success stories of the early awards season.  Fast forward a few months after it picked up the coveted People’s Choice… Read More How Success at the Box Office Could Lead to Oscars for “Silver Linings Playbook”

By John C. This afternoon, Bob Iger announced that Disney has acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, and is planning a new Star Wars trilogy that will start with the long rumoured Episode 7 in 2015.  The news immediately blew up on the internet, with many people skeptical of the announcement.  As a longtime Star Wars… Read More Breaking News: Disney Acquires Lucasfilm and “Star Wars”

By John C. There are certain films that get watched every year around Halloween, and one of the finest examples of a ghost story done right is the 1999 psychological thriller The Sixth Sense.  Although it isn’t celebrating any sort of significant milestone, besides this year marking the somehow appropriate thirteenth anniversary, it’s the sort… Read More “The Sixth Sense” is a Halloween Classic

By John C. It’s hard to believe that this past June marked the thirtieth anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s timeless masterpiece E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a milestone that was celebrated with a brand new Blu-ray edition from Universal Studios Home Entertainment just two weeks ago. The film was originally released back in 1982, when it was met… Read More After Thirty Years, Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” Remains a Timeless Masterpiece

By John C. The complaint of predictability is often heard throughout Oscar season.  By this time last year, it was already pretty clear that eventual Best Picture winner The Artist was the clear favourite going into the season, and had been since it premiered at Cannes. A few weeks ago, this year’s Oscar race did… Read More Early Predictions for the Upcoming Oscar Season

By John C. The summer has come to a close and the season is destined to be remembered for Carly Rae Jepsen’s catchy pop song “Call Me Maybe” playing on the radio and a bunch of films both big and small that all found their place at the movie theatre.  Just like I noted before… Read More Highlights of the Summer Movie Season

By John C. We all loved Hope Springs.  It’s the sort of adult drama that elevates the summer movie season to a more mature level, and a film that deserves the backing of critics to encourage audiences to give it a chance.  But there is one question I have been asking since first seeing the… Read More Will “Hope Springs” Get Meryl Streep Her 18th Oscar Nomination?

By John C. Every decade since 1952, British Film Institute magazine Sight & Sound has compiled a list of what selected critics from around the world consider to be the ten best and most influential films of all time.  Since 1962, Citizen Kane has always comfortably sat in the top spot.  But the Orson Welles masterpiece… Read More According to Sight & Sound, “Vertigo” has Dethroned “Citizen Kane”

By John C. There is a reason why Singin’ in the Rain is still regarded as a quintessential classic and widely considered to be among the best big screen musicals of all time.  The reason is because it’s a great movie that still holds up and feels fresh, despite celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year. … Read More “What a Glorious Feeling, I’m Happy Again” as “Singin’ in the Rain” Turns Sixty

By John C. As a writer, perhaps one of the most jarring questions is how do you talk about something that can’t be explained?  This is what I have been feeling time and again since Friday morning, when we were faced with publishing our very positive reviews of The Dark Knight Rises in the wake… Read More How Do You Talk About Something That Can’t Be Explained?