Tag Archives: Hollywood

Where’s the Oscar bait?

Friday is Halloween. It makes sense a crappy—in most reviewers' opinions, anyway—horror movie is in cinemas, Ouija. But since the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the traditional start of the season where Hollywood studios release their best stuff, we haven't seen much that's award-worthy. I'm talking about prestige pictures. Where are they? It's as if it's… Read More

A Bad Summer at the Movies

I'm back, FITI readers. I've been away the past few weeks—in New York and London—but am now returned to Halifax and gearing up for the fall cinema season, where the bombast of the summer grows quiet, replaced by the sophistication and awards-bait pictures of the fall. A host of quality films—now showing at festivals in Telluride… Read More

The Movie Star Roster 2014

Jack Nicholson once said, and I'm paraphrasing, here, that anyone who gets to be a lead in a Hollywood movie has something special. Why? Because too many people want it. If the star didn't have some of that magic pixie dust that appeals to audiences, someone else would have gotten the gig. That shit doesn't… Read More

Million Dollar Arm review

Directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Thomas McCarthy I went to see this Disney picture for a few reasons. I liked the sound of the true-to-life angle, it's based on the story of two young guys from India who were brought to the US to take a shot at being baseball pitchers. I liked the creative… Read More

X-Men: Days Of Future Past review

Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Simon Kinburg from a story by Kinburg, Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn I never really understood why 20th Century Fox chose to prematurely conclude the X-Men franchise.  Fox officially called it quits as a trilogy, with Brent Ratner's limp X-Men: The Last Stand back in 2006. Yes, Singer's beneath-the-skin understanding… Read More

Godzilla (2014) review

Directed by Gareth Edwards , written by Max Borenstein, from a story by David Callaham. Well, folks, Godzilla is here. The beloved gigantic radioactive lizard with the fiery breath is the star of his own American movie once again. Those of you with fond memories of the Toho Studios movies going back to the 1950s… Read More

Blockbuster Blues 2014: The Good and The Grim Prospects for This Season at The Movies

This summer's blockbuster selection looks pretty dire, I gotta say. In April we had Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Transcendence. This month we've got The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Godzilla and X-Men: Days of Future Past. These are big-budget science fiction and fantasy films, highly anticipated, which make all in the Nerd Nation very happy—and me too. But the first three are… Read More

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 review

Directed by Marc Webb Written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt, adapting the Marvel comic created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko My friend Dave, who loves superhero movies, and I disagreed on this one, and I had to admit that maybe my enjoyment of it was at least partly the… Read More