The fourth film in The Conjuring series, in which the possessed doll Annabelle originally had a small role, Annabelle: Creation is the origin story of said toy. It also serves as a prequel to 2014’s Annabelle. The story starts in the mid-1940s, but the majority of the action is set in the mid-to-late `50s. This…
A story of forbidden love, societal pressures and a quest for knowledge, Guinevere Glasfurd’s debut novel, The Words in my Hand, is reminiscent of The Miniaturist, one of my favourite books of 2014. Here’s the blurb: The Words in my Hand is the reimagined true story of Helena Jans, a Dutch maid in 17th century Amsterdam,…
What a sensational stage show for the littlies. There were toddlers and youngsters galore and excited parents and grandparents with them anticipating something special as the proverbial curtain was about to fall at the Athenaeum Theatre. And special is just what they got. The 45-minute piece is a faithful adaptation of four of author Eric Carle’s stories,…
Monsters trying to eat the Chinese guarding the Great Wall. You might think I am spinning a far-fetched yarn … and you would be right. The fantasy adventure The Great Wall is billed as a myth surrounding the famed structure that covers 8,850 kilometres and took a couple of thousand years to build. Set in…
Are you into French culture? How about classic American writing of the 1950s and ’60s? Haute cuisine? Student politics? Post-modern art? Balloon-assisted crime? Chess? If you said yes to any of those, chances are you’ll love Wes Anderson’s new film, The French Dispatch. Anderson is, let’s face it, a divisive filmmaker. In my experience, few…
Of the six veteran rockers invited to play the Desert Trip concerts, dubbed “Oldchella” because of the advanced age of the artists—The Who, The Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Roger Waters— and their presumed fan-base, Neil Young is the only one who’s produced at least an album of new material every nearly every year…
“I’m so sick of – fill in the blank” is the first line you hear out of founder and singer/songwriter Will Toledo’s creative brain from the excellent new long player, Teens of Denial, from his Car Seat Headrest vehicle. It’s sonic boom and attack represents the first real song Car Seat Headrest has released with…
Psychiatry and religion are two crutches that people turn to in times of trouble, seeking help, spiritual guidance and comfort. But these twin sources of help are also double-edged swords and have often been exploited for darker purposes. With religion, the dark side is often the suicide cults with their brainwashing, manipulation and the ability…
A year ago I was totally captivated by The Illusionists 1903 and now the producers of that magic show have teamed up with the award-winning puppeteers from War Horse for Circus 1903. Again we are transported back in time, this time to the golden age of circus, and the sets, settings and costumes reflect that…
Paul Schrader’s nihilistic films have often explored troubled men and outsiders with a violent past who are seeking redemption for their past deeds. Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) is one such man, hiding from the demons of his past, making him a quintessential Schrader creation. Roth is the chief horticulturalist tending to Gracewood Gardens, the sprawling…
