A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Reviews of films made in Canada and United States including all films made by Hollywood.
Alfred Hitchcock, “Shadow of a Doubt” (1942) A dark film that explores the potential for violence beneath the patina of an apparently happy family, “Shadow of…
Park Chanwook, “Stoker” (2013) Appropriately Chanwook Park’s Hollywood directing debut is a psychological thriller featuring an oddball protagonist who has lived a life of isolation for…
Werner Herzog, “My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?” (2009) In this film, based on an actual incident, director Werner Herzog pursues his life-long fascination…
Shane Carruth, “Upstream Color” (2012) Since making “Primer”, Shane Carruth’s career as film director and producer has definitely leapt ahead. There is still a rough-edged quality…
J Searle Dawley, “Frankenstein” (1910) Made by Edison Studios in 1910, this is the first adaptation of the famous Gothic horror novel by Mary Shelley onto…
Andre de Toth, “House of Wax” (1953) “House of Wax” was the movie that established Vincent Price as a horror film icon and in itself is…
Alex Cox, “Repo Man” (1984) Dare I say that with the passage of time, this little cult science fiction comedy thriller film will come to be…
Atom Egoyan, “The Sweet Hereafter” (1997) It won quite a few Best Film and Director awards and was nominated for Best Director and Screenplay Oscars but…
Terry Gilliam, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1998) From that period of Johnny Depp’s acting career when the films he was making were actually quite…
“Breaking Inequality” (2013) An urgent and impassioned documentary made to appeal to all Americans, “Breaking Inequality” focuses on the corrupt links that tie the United States…