Inside Llewyn Davis: Criterion Collection
February 18, 2016
Every time I watch Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), I’m reminded of the Bob Dylan song, “It Ain’t Me, Babe” and how the lyrics pertain to the film’s titular character. Set in 1961, it is the Coen brothers’ bittersweet love letter to folk music....
The Emperor’s New Groove: 3-Disc Special Edition
June 21, 2013
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) started off as a troubled production with Disney hiring two different directors to make their own movies. When one was finally fired, the surviving filmmakers gave the project a complete overhaul and managed to salvage...
The Big Lebowski: Limited Edition
August 11, 2011
It started with a rug that “really tied the room together” and how a simple case of mistaken identity can cause a whole lot of trouble. The Big Lebowski (1998) was just too odd for mainstream audiences and underperformed at the box office. However,...
Confessions of a Shopaholic: Two-Disc Special Edition
June 23, 2009
With Muriel’s Wedding (1994), Australian filmmaker P.J. Hogan injected fresh, new life into the romantic comedy and all to the beat of a memorable soundtrack dominated by Abba songs. He gave the film an edgy quality with a shocking plot twist partway...
In the Electric Mist
March 3, 2009
In the Electric Mist (2008) marks legendary French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier’s first North American-made motion picture and, based on the troubles he encountered while making it, perhaps his last. Tavernier, a big fan of American crime fiction (he...
In the Electric Mist
March 3, 2009
In the Electric Mist (2008) marks legendary French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier’s first North American-made motion picture and, based on the troubles he encountered while making it, perhaps his last. Tavernier, a big fan of American crime fiction (he...
Tales of the Rat Fink
November 28, 2006
Ron Mann is a Canadian filmmaker who specializes in documentaries about alternative culture; be it comic books with Comic Book Confidential (1988), a famous dance craze with Twist (1992) or marijuana culture with Grass (1999). His latest film, Tales of...
The Big Lebowski: Collector’s Edition
February 6, 2006
It started with a rug that “really tied the room together” and how a simple case of mistaken identity can cause a whole lot of trouble. The Big Lebowski (1998) was just too odd for mainstream audiences and promptly tanked at the box office. However,...
Beyond the Sea
November 4, 2005
Insightful biopic or bloated vanity project? That’s what audiences and critics were asking themselves when Kevin Spacey’s labour of love, Beyond the Sea (2004), a dramatization of the life and times of legendary crooner Bobby Darin, came out. Since...
The Big Lebowski
December 31, 2004
After the darkly surreal, snow swept landscapes of the Minnesota, depicted in Fargo (1996), the Coen brothers wisely opted for a different locale and tone with bright, comedic vibe of The Big Lebowski (1998). The film was just too odd for mainstream audiences...