Director Robert Zemeckis brought the Back to the Future trilogy to a conclusion with 1990’s Back to the Future Part III, blending the science fiction and comedy of the previous films with a healthy dose of Western. Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s story, transferred into a screenplay by Gale, pays off in numerous ways and makes nods both to where the films have come from, as well as the genre of movie Westerns. And it brings back the leading actors, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, as well as a number of supporting actors, some of whom are in new roles this time out – characters who are nonetheless familiar to us already. <continue reading>
Category Archives: Big Screen
Back to the Future Part II (1989) – In Review
After the success of Back to the Future, it was inevitable that there would be sequels. Director Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale fashioned two screenplays to complete a trilogy and filmed the second and third films together, releasing Back to the Future Part II in 1989, picking up right where things left off and sending the two heroes thirty years into the future, an alternate present, and back where it all began in 1955. It retains the sense of humour and good pacing of the original, takes things into some dark directions, and ends up giving us a thrilling cliffhanger ending. <continue reading>
Back to the Future (1985) – In Review
Thirty years ago director Robert Zemeckis brought Back to the Future to the big screen, a comedic science fiction film starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. Taken from a script by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the story grew out of the notion by Gale as to whether or not he and his father could have been friends had he met him in high school. The film became a big success at the box office and won critical acclaim, establishing itself as a classic. <continue reading>
Fantastic Four (2015) – In Review
If anything, perhaps this will throw some much needed cold ice on that much overused term reboot. Fantastic Four turned up in theatres, a reboot of the comic book franchise after two previous films from 2005 and 2007, both of which had their problems but in retrospect worked much better than this. <continue reading>
Ant-Man (2015) – In Review
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around awhile, giving us epic films in a cohesive, connected world. Now that universe goes into a smaller direction with the release of Ant-Man, a film following two lead characters who have both worn the identity in the comics, and who, while very different in backgrounds, have some common ground. <continue reading>
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – In Review
Avengers: Age of Ultron reunited director Joss Whedon with the cast making up the original film, along with some new faces, up against a threat even more drastic than before, arguably the greatest enemy the team has ever faced in comics: the genocidal robot Ultron. <continue reading>
The Interview, the Terrorists, and Fighting for Our Culture
Truth to tell, judging from the trailer, The Interview isn’t a movie I’d dash out to see. Oh, some of the bits in the trailer I saw (the final one) looked cute, and if I got a copy of the DVD or Blu-ray (ordinarily at a low price) I’d probably keep it, but it’s not the kind of comedy I really like. <continue reading>
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – In Review
Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest in the series of films from Marvel Studios, a space faring romp through the cosmos with a gleefully anarchic sense of fun. Director James Gunn helms the film, working with fellow screenwriter Nicole Perlman in telling a story of a group of misfits out among the stars confronting threats and learning to work together. <continue reading>