On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: ‘Crazy Samurai Musashi’ doesn’t go mad enough (Includes first-hand account)

    When making a movie, it’s important to have a hook, which should also serve as your answer to some important questions. Why should someone fund the making of your film? Why should a film festival or theatre program your picture? Why will audiences choose your movie over the many others on offer? Crazy Samurai Musashi has an excellent answer to these questions. The majority of the 92-minute picture is comprised of a single take in which the title warrior faces hundreds of opponents.

  • Review: ‘Hail to the Deadites’ doesn’t cast a wide enough net (Includes first-hand account)

    Being a fan has never been more accepted. Flaunting you’re passionate about something is no longer limited to sports teams or mainstream franchises. The ever-rising popularity of fan conventions is evidence people are actively seeking opportunities to connect with their fandoms and fellow enthusiasts. For some, this cultivated community of like-minded individuals is the only place they feel comfortable letting their freak flag fly, as it were. Others value the occasion to discuss and debate the nuances of a minute detail at length with people who don’t scoff at what they consider nit-picking. Hail to the Deadites is a letter of recognition to the fans of the Evil Dead franchise.

  • Review: ‘Clapboard Jungle’ goes deep behind the scenes of moviemaking (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s common knowledge the film industry is one of the toughest to penetrate and even more difficult to be successful. Of course, everyone’s measure of success is different, but in this case it can be boiled down to a few basic achievements: making a movie, getting said movie distributed, and people mostly liking it once they’ve been afforded the opportunity to see it. Now the method of all these things occurring is about as varied as the types of pictures people can make. But deep down there’s got to be some similarities; a common thread that drives everyone and bonds them in their pursuit. Clapboard Jungle is an exploration of independent filmmaking and the parallels of creators’ experiences.

  • Review: ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ is excellent to each viewer (Includes first-hand account)

    More often than not, our favourite movies are those that can be watched over and over again without losing their charm. It doesn’t necessarily make them cinematic accomplishments or the best movie of the year, but it means their ability to entertain us is enduring. Trying to recapture that appeal in a sequel is tricky business – especially if it’s decades later. Thirty-one years ago, audiences were introduced to Ted Theodore Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esquire as they travelled through time to pass high school history and one-day save the future. In Bill & Ted Face the Music, they’re still waiting for that crucial moment when their music will unite the world and the future is growing impatient.

  • Review: ‘Tenet’ is a time-bending thriller that keeps you in the loop (Includes first-hand account)

    After approximately six months of not going to movie theatres, it’s not surprising studios are trying to lure audiences back with high-profile films that had pre-established hype. Big pictures with big names are definitely an advantage in this re-emerging market as the many delayed release dates are finally coming due. In 2000, writer/director Christopher Nolan had a breakthrough indie success, becoming a filmmaker to watch — and boy did we! Twenty years later, the mere mention of his name piques interest and conjures expectations of grand complexity. His latest film, Tenet, is a time-bending, action adventure that will keep viewers on their toes.

  • Review: ‘Bloodshot’ forgets they’re still human (Includes first-hand account)

    Science and technology have been changing the way we live for centuries, particularly since the industrial revolution. From making tasks easier to extending life expectancies, the world is forever evolving due to new discoveries and innovations. Procedures and treatments allow some to “cheat death,” eradicating disease and repairing or replacing damaged parts. However, they’re still only able to reverse death in the movies… for now. Bringing back the dead has mixed results in fiction, but it’s typically a negative experience to some degree and must be rectified by the end. In Bloodshot, a soldier is revived with the superhuman ability to bring armies to their knees.

  • Review: ‘Onward’ is infused with magic and emotion (Includes first-hand account)

    Growing up, there’s a subconscious pressure to have a mom AND a dad. Yet, in spite of what most sitcoms tell you, the majority of households don’t consist of that dynamic. Some parents separate or suffer untimely deaths, while others may be same-sex. There’s no “traditional family” anymore as families come in all shapes and sizes. But that doesn’t mean a kid won’t still feel the stress of not having a mom and dad at home, creating a longing that may be impossible to fulfill. In Onward, a teen wants nothing more than to spend a day with the father he never met.

  • Review: ‘Guns Akimbo’ is a full-tilt, bloody riot (Includes first-hand account)

    While news articles and social commentators discuss the fate of humanity based on whatever debasement is currently trending, few are as convincing or impactful to mainstream consumers as film. A movie can either use genre to indirectly explore a topic and its consequences, subtly delivering its message to audiences; or, it can take the current fad to the extreme, illustrating the potentially slippery slope and worst-case scenarios. In the case of the latter, it’s typically entirely over-the-top and difficult to fathom — but it’s also not entirely out of the realm of possibility. In Guns Akimbo, the top-rated form of entertainment is murder.

  • Review: ‘The Invisible Man’ lives in that unshakeable, unsettling feeling (Includes first-hand account)

    Everyone knows the feeling that someone is watching you… even though you know you’re alone. Or something moves from the location you’re absolutely positive you left it a moment ago. Most people just chalk it up to their mind playing tricks on them. But what if you had reason to believe it’s not just your imagination, but in fact someone else playing a sinister game? A game that causes you to stop trusting yourself and makes other people think you’ve lost your mind? The Invisible Man is doing just that and it’s working dangerously well.

  • Review: ‘The Jesus Rolls’ barrels down the fast and loose lane (Includes first-hand account)

    As supplementary characters and supporting artists fill the screen, it’s uncommon for them to become the centre of attention. After all, their role is to help the protagonist(s) propel the story forward, not lead the way. But as actors prepare for these parts, no matter how big or small, it’s possible they create an extensive back story and character arc. Consequently, they may develop an attachment to this personality they nurtured even if their overall contribution to the film is minimal. Twenty-two years ago, John Turturro played an unhinged bowler with a foul-mouth and perfect form. He’s now returned to that character, writing and directing The Jesus Rolls.

  • Review: ‘The Lodge’ is a slow-burn attack on the mind (Includes first-hand account)

    Divorce can already be complicated, but even more so when children are involved. Things can become all the more difficult if one-half of the former couple is involved in a new relationship, especially if its grown serious and steps are being taken towards making the arrangement more permanent. Hurt feelings are almost inevitable, but in some cases, it’s much more than that. Trying to navigate all of these things at once can be challenging and forcing the situation can be disastrous. In The Lodge, a father is determined to move on with his new love interest, but his children feel differently.

  • Review: ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is a love story for the ages (Includes first-hand account)

    The Kinsey scale suggests most people are not entirely on either end of the spectrum in regards to their sexuality. Therefore, it’s not surprising when men or women spend most of their time with the same sex, relationships can develop in spite of previous/current predilections… or more typically, in spite of people’s assumptions about their predilections. Unfortunately, various situations prevent people from pursuing these interests or from making them a long-term arrangement, so they’re enjoyed in secret for as long as possible. In Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a young woman is promised to a man she’s never met in spite of her protests.