Toy Story 4 Review: Animated April

Since the dawn of stories, sequels have been a dominant form of art. And there are a plethora of challenges that come with creating new adventures for familiar characters. Pixar’s Toy Story franchise isn’t new to the concept of a sequel, and outlines some of the best sequels of all time. These films hold a 98% average on Rotten Tomatoes and have grossed more money with each subsequent entry. And for my money, “Toy Story 4” is the best of the bunch. Continue reading Toy Story 4 Review: Animated April

Review: Bill and Ted Face the Music

“Bill and Ted Face the Music” is a joyous revival that brings the franchise back to life and concludes it in heart-warming fashion. Using the two decades since the first pair of films to its advantage, “Face the Music” crafts a narrative that retains the infectious positivity and unique kitschiness of its predecessors while updating the material for a modern audience. Continue reading Review: Bill and Ted Face the Music

Editorial: There Are More Female Directors Than Gerwig and Coppola (And We Need to Learn Their Names)

There was a recent post on Twitter asking for the film community to name a female filmmaker but not name famous directors Sofia Coppola or Greta Gerwig. Sure, people were able to name other directors. However, I was struck by the fact that there are truly so many women working behind the camera, but only a few are widely known by audiences. Continue reading Editorial: There Are More Female Directors Than Gerwig and Coppola (And We Need to Learn Their Names)

JC’s Top 20 Movies Of 2019

As we approach the end of 2019, the ITOL team are compiling their end of year lists of their favourite films. Here’s James Cain’s list and his personal top 20 films of 2019!

Another year, another fresh bout of shame. I didn’t see “Hustlers”! I didn’t fit “Always Be My Maybe” onto my list of favourite movies! Anyway, here are my Top 20 Films of 2019. Continue reading JC’s Top 20 Movies Of 2019

31 Days of Horror, Day 2: The Bad Batch

It seems a universal question in cinema: how does a director follow-up a hit debut? In the case of Ana Lily Amirpour, it is the beguiling, fascinating, frustrating “The Bad Batch” (2016). Having gained near-universal critical praise with her previous feature, the black-and-white Iran-set vampire drama “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” (2014), Amirpour takes the opportunity to sprawl out and tell a distinctly different tale. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 2: The Bad Batch

The Matrix: Trans Empowerment

The year was 1999. I was but a mere six years old then, but I remember vividly the release of such monumental films as Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut”, Paul Thomas Anderson’s behemoth masterpiece, “Magnolia”, and the first return of “Star Wars” in nearly 20 years, “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace”. Amongst the litany of great films that year, another had come along, rich with unique tension and flavor, destined to change the very fabric of action films and blockbusters forever.

The Matrix. Continue reading The Matrix: Trans Empowerment