Author: Jordan Parker

  • REVIEW: Sharkwater sequel leaves lasting legacy for filmmaker

    REVIEW: Sharkwater sequel leaves lasting legacy for filmmaker

    This sequel to the incredible 2006 documentary comes at a perfect time, and leaves a beautiful time capsule for its director Rob Stewart. Though he passed during filming, Stewart’s mission goes full-thrust forward as this film about the mistreatment of sharks changes perceptions on the creatures. Media and pop culture would have humans believe these…

  • REVIEW: Halloween brings old-school horror back

    REVIEW: Halloween brings old-school horror back

    The masked serial killer Michael Myers first terrified generations of audiences 40 years ago. Now, with the help of the writers (and the director) of such horror classics as Your Highness and Pineapple Express, comes this insatiable, truly unbelievable sequel. If you had’ve told me the loudmouth from Eastbound & Down Danny McBride and director…

  • REVIEW: El Royale provides nothing but good times

    REVIEW: El Royale provides nothing but good times

    Bad Times at the El Royale, with its multiple perspectives on the same events, is a Tarantinoesque head-trip, and one hell of a ride. Writer/director Drew Goddard hit it big in 2012 with satirical horror film Cabin in the Woods, and has since written the screenplay for Oscar-bait film The Martian and the Daredevil Netflix…

  • REVIEW: A Star Is Born is the film of the year

    REVIEW: A Star Is Born is the film of the year

    It’s been a week since I saw this remake of A Star Is Born, and I’m still processing all the feelings I have about it. It’s the type of film that will stay with you, no matter how much time has passed. Luckily, the music sticks around as well. This is the best-composed, best-acted film…

  • REVIEW: The Wife finds beauty and agony in its quiet complexities

    REVIEW: The Wife finds beauty and agony in its quiet complexities

    This tale of two people in a marriage past its’ peak is most powerful when examining the things characters won’t say to one another. Glenn Close is a revelation as Joan, the once-talented writing student who married her college professor. Her hopes and dreams took a backseat to Joe, her husband, who is about to…

  • REVIEW: Bigger is good, but not larger than life

    REVIEW: Bigger is good, but not larger than life

    This film about the grandfathers of bodybuilding is, above all, a showcase for Tyler Hoechlin’s talent. The handsome actor has been a bit pigeon-hold on television in roles on shows Teen Wolf and 7th Heaven. However, this interesting film evokes memories of his child-actor debut in Tom Hanks mob drama Road To Perdition. He carries…

  • REVIEW: Venom an uneven origin story

    REVIEW: Venom an uneven origin story

    Comic book fans have been waiting years for a film that does Spider-Man villain Venom justice. After a poor appearance in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 in 2007, this standalone reboot has been a long time coming. But I bet fans wish they got a little better than this flick. It’s not that the film, starring…

  • REVIEW: Simple Favor weaves complex, twisted web

    REVIEW: Simple Favor weaves complex, twisted web

    A Simple Favor is one of the most devilishly inviting films of the year, chalk full of quotable lines and incredible twists. It dares you to laugh at the pitch-black nature of it all, and director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) infuses the film with the humour he’s known for, while letting the lead actresses grab the…

  • REVIEW: Clock In Its Walls a timeless adventure

    REVIEW: Clock In Its Walls a timeless adventure

    There is no better class of film than one that takes you back and fills you with nostalgia and happiness. The House With A Clock In Its Walls has all the visual effects of a modern film, but all the sensibilities of an old-time adventure film, the the vein of the fantastical Wizard of Oz.…

  • REVIEW: Invisible Heart tackles social inequality with vigour

    REVIEW: Invisible Heart tackles social inequality with vigour

    The Invisible Heart is a story of what happens when investment meets charity. Canadian Director/Producer Nadine Pequeneza explores the idea of Social Impact Bonds, and targeting literacy and childhood development through private money resources. It’s an idea I won’t explain in detail, because the documentary unfolds an incredible story. But as the Nova Scotia government discusses…