On Screen

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

  • Review: ‘Tales of Halloween’ is a first-class horror compilation (Includes first-hand account)

    For horror fans, Halloween is the greatest time of year. Beyond the costumes, haunted houses and parties, the tradition of sharing scary stories to celebrate the classic holiday is paramount. One of the most entertaining interpretations of this practice is the film horror anthology. Often produced by some of the genre’s best and most renowned creators, these pictures dispense ghosts, monsters, fiends and everything in between in just the right measure. The latest and highly anticipated compilation features 10 segments and 11 directors who are collectively going under the name “The October Society.” Tales of Halloween take place in the same town on the same night and there’s way more going on than the holiday’s usual antics.

  • Review: ‘Southpaw’s grit just isn’t enough (Includes first-hand account)

    There have been several good boxing films made over the years, some based on true stories and others emerging from the imaginations of talented authors and screenwriters. Directors such as Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, David O. Russell and Martin Scorsese have stepped into the ring and had an impact on the sports film subgenre. But no matter the trajectory of the story, it always comes down to one last fight. That’s part of the movie’s appeal — audiences know they are going to see a well-choreographed match that rivals some of reality’s best. Antoine Fuqua‘s Southpaw follows in its predecessors’ footsteps, which can be considered good and bad.

  • Review: Ian McKellen is the most relatable ‘Mr. Holmes’ (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s difficult to imagine our heroes growing older and becoming less competent. They often seem as if they would remain ageless and infallible forever. This is only true of fictional characters, but they also provide an opportunity to address these issues through a personality with which people are already familiar and perhaps attached. It allows for a different perspective on the story and negates the necessity to build a connection because one already exists. Mr. Holmes features an aged Sherlock desperate to solve one last case.

  • Review: ‘Ant-Man’ isn’t your typical big screen superhero (Includes first-hand account)

    If there’s something Marvel Studios has proven good at, it’s generating a world in which there is a small degree of separation between characters even though they don’t appear together on screen. The Marvel Universe is an intricately weaved space in which fans can be delighted, but not surprised, when storylines from other movies leak into a new picture. It’s a vital ingredient to their success and all part of the magic that audiences have come to expect. Though Ant-Man is not one of their most popular comic book characters, he is seamlessly incorporated into the thriving realm of admired superheroes while differentiating himself from the pack.

  • Review: ‘Tangerine’ is about more than a commonplace camera (Includes first-hand account)

    There was a trend in ‘90s and early 2000s cinema to build narratives around provocative characters without a specific or traditional story attached. The film simply chronicled a day in their lives in which they were forced to manage a certain uncommon situation or as they went about their daily routine, introducing viewers to other fascinating personalities and lifestyles. They often unfolded amongst society’s disadvantaged, and were the bread-and-butter of indie filmmakers. Tangerine revisits this story structure with style and energy while being shot entirely on the iPhone 5S.

  • Review: ‘Minions’ not quite up to the task of leading the charge (Includes first-hand account)

    When the story of a former villain turned unexpected foster father was released, it captured the hearts of audiences. Who could resist the sweet little girl and her fluffy unicorn, or the once evil man who can’t withstand the love of three intruders? But it wasn’t just the human characters that gained notice. At the same time everyone was introduced to this newly formed family, they fell in love with the Minions. Small, yellow, pill-shaped creatures who live only to serve their villainous boss. But where did they come from? The Minions movie answers that question and more.

  • Review: ‘Big Game’ confidently stakes its claim on the hero genre (Includes first-hand account)

    According to the movies, the president of the United States is in need of constant rescue. Assassination attempts, terrorist attacks and alien invasions keep the secret service and average Joe heroes on their toes. Whether s/he’s captured and requires saving, or is being pursued and needs protecting, the Commander-In-Chief is rarely capable of being effective in these situations alone. The heroes share common traits, the most important being their dedication to the task at hand. However, Big Game presents this classic scenario with a unique twist.

  • Review: The only thing not veiled in ‘Deep Web’ is its agenda (Includes first-hand account)

    Much like a city has a seedy underbelly, the Internet is home to an array of back alley dealings. It serves as the perfect marketplace for secret and illegal transactions, offering anonymity and opportunity for unlimited growth. However this type of business isn’t conducted on the public or surface network; it happens on a hidden level that requires special access and is constructed specifically to provide protections to its users. It’s called the Deep Web, which is also the title of a documentary that explores this mysterious realm and the persecution of a young man who harnessed its power.

  • Review: ‘Ted 2’ hasn’t grown up as much as it thinks, which isn’t all bad (Includes first-hand account)

    Many children wished their favourite toy was alive and often pretended it was living while playing, but apparently only one little boy won that lottery: John Bennett animated his stuffed bear, Ted. Obviously you can’t discard a self-aware toy as you would others, so John and Ted grew up together to become beer-drinking, pot-smoking slackers. Best friends and “thunder buddies” for life, the two are there for each other through thick and thin. And in Ted 2, it gets pretty thin.

  • Review: ‘Deli Man’ is full of flavour and heart (Includes first-hand account)

    Food is not just a source of nourishment. It’s a way of life. It defines a culture and the people that belong to it. And of course, there’s a right way and a wrong way of doing it that is subject to change depending on the person performing the evaluation. Deli Man explores the rise of the delicatessen in New York and the rest of North America from the perspective of its purveyors and patrons.

  • Review: ‘Inside Out’ has all the feels (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s human nature to wonder what other people are thinking or how they’ve come to feel the way they do, but it’s often impossible to determine the correct answer without some assistance from the person in question. Moreover it’s generally believed every person is the sum of their experiences, but what does that mean? Leave it to the people at Pixar to come up with an entertaining, animated response that may not be true but is definitely more fun than the reality. Inside Out goes inside the head of a little girl to show just how our personalities work and why we sometimes feel the way we do.

  • Review: ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ is year’s best movie contender (Includes first-hand account)

    While some of the best remembered teen movies are comedies, some of the most resonant narratives have been dramas in which youths are forced to come to terms with some difficult aspect of living beyond the typical adolescent heartbreak. Executed incorrectly and the tale is an overwrought mess of emotions or wholly superficial. Conversely, if done properly, the film will have a lasting impact that affects and stays with audiences. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is an exceptional example of the latter that currently stands as one of the best movies of the year.