REVIEW: Man of Steel [2013]

“It wouldn’t be much of a surrender if I resisted” After Bryan Singer’s misguided attempt to stay true to original cinematic canon by having Superman Returns follow Richard Donner’s two Christopher Reeve starrers ultimately failed, a hard reboot was necessary. With DC Comics getting increasingly outplayed by every new expansion of the Marvel universe, it’s no surprise they would hand creative franchise control over to the man who reinvigorated their brand on the big screen in 2008. Producer Christopher Nolan not only found a way to rinse the ugly taste…

Read More

REVIEW: Angels & Demons [2009]

“Faith is a gift I’ve yet to receive” Author Dan Brown has a writing style that suits mainstream America. The guy is a consummate fixture on bestseller lists and frankly he deserves it. I read The Da Vinci Code and it was a page-turner; I remember not being able to put it down as new discoveries were made and the intricate plot unraveled. However, when the movie version came out, I was very under-whelmed by what Ron Howard did. He took all the excitement out of the novel by painting…

Read More

TIFF08 REVIEW: Adam Resurrected [2008]

“Everyone likes the circus” Paul Schrader’s film Adam Resurrected truly caught me off guard at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. I literally had no clue for what was in store, no knowledge of the plot or anything. The credits unveil Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe, two character actor stalwarts, making me think that this thing could be interesting. And then came the disturbing yet stunning close-up of Goldblum’s eyes, both staring straight at the audience. With voice-over narration, his left eye goes sideways while the right stays static. I…

Read More