Category Archives: Commentary

As cinemas reopen in Nova Scotia, will you go to the movies?

June 30, 2020 flawintheiris

Confirmation... At Last Yesterday I saw a couple reports that the theatrical experience is returning to our Maritime province, and today it looks confirmed. On Monday morning a local Cineplex employee posted on Instagram, listing a number of Cineplex Cinemas in the region that will reopen on July 3rd. He indicated the Scotiabank Theatre in…Read More

Emerging Lens Film Festival 2020 on now

June 11, 2020 flawintheiris

It's the 10th anniversary of this local film festival, and it arrives on a strange year — what with a pandemic that's still raging around the world. This is the first film fest to launch in Halifax amidst this social distancing time, and as a result has pivoted to an all-online, all-free model. The Emerging…Read More

Do you remember movie ads in newspapers?

June 7, 2020 flawintheiris

For reasons lost in time, I saved a copy of a Toronto Star supplement called The Weekend from February 2, 1991. I stumbled upon it a few days ago when going through some old files. I know it was 29 years ago — an eternity in the information age — but opening this newspaper was…Read More

FLAW IN THE IRIS: The Film Podcast… so far

March 31, 2020 flawintheiris

My sporadically active podcast launched a little more than two years ago to scratch an itch that I'd had going back to my radio broadcast about movies on CKDU 88.1FM in Halifax, The Love & Hate Movie Show (2005-2009). The idea is that a lot of the best things about film appreciation are the conversations…Read More

Cineplex closed — so what now?

March 17, 2020 flawintheiris

On Monday, Cineplex announced it's closing its 165 cinemas across the country. They'll remain shuttered until at least April 2. https://twitter.com/CineplexMovies/status/1239719325445033985 On the same day. NBCUniversal, one of the United States' biggest entertainment companies, announced it is breaking the theatrical window and will release Universal Pictures films currently screening in cinemas around North America —…Read More

Should we go to the movies right now?

March 15, 2020 flawintheiris

This is a question I've been asking myself a lot in the past couple of days. Regular readers of this blog will know I go to the cinema once or twice a week to review new releases, and also show up on CTV to preview what's new in cinemas. (I sometimes also review films now…Read More

Halifax Black Film Festival, Carbon Arc, LENS ME YOUR EARS and CTV

February 28, 2020 flawintheiris

There's a lot going on right now. For starters, there's the Halifax Black Film Festival, the 4th annual edition now running three days, from Friday through Sunday, February 28 to March 1. The festival is crammed full of feature films, shorts, documentaries, and panel discussions at the Halifax Central Library on Saturday. Highlights of the…Read More

Harrison Ford forgets where he made K:19 The Widowmaker

February 27, 2020 flawintheiris

It was almost 20 years ago, so I guess I can cut the guy some slack. And Nova Scotia is almost as far away from Los Angeles as Newfoundland. https://youtu.be/XNN1Hbg9oNU?t=1016Read More

2020 Academy Awards + CTV Film Guru Update + Carbon Arc Cinema returns

February 7, 2020 flawintheiris

THE OSCARS Sunday night is the 92nd Academy Awards. I'll be cheering mostly for Parasite, which is head and shoulders better than most of the movies with which it's in competition—though, granted, I still have a few of the Best International Film nominees to see. I can't deny a real concern that the times are…Read More

FLAW IN THE IRIS: THE FILM PODCAST and LENS ME YOUR EARS updates!

December 23, 2019 flawintheiris

If you're a podcast listener and a fan of film, allow me to humbly offer some seasonal fun for your ears! On FLAW IN THE IRIS: THE FILM PODCAST, this month's episodes have been all about the best movies of the past 10 years. Up now is my conversation on that subject with Helen O'Hara,…Read More