A priest friend of mine claims that there are no such things as "coincidences" but only "God-incidences." The Oxford Dictionary defines a "coincidence" as "a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection." I am not intellectually skilled enough to say whether or not my friend is correct in his opinion, but I did have an experience recently, which I [...]
If propaganda films are long on emotional appeal and short on truth and balance, then Cher’s If These Walls Could Talk is right on the money. Produced by and starring Demi Moore, the film had a lot of people talking at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. It will be an important film because of the subject material and the way it [...]
$29, plus $4.95 shipping Produced by Stephen Genuis M.D and Shelagh Genuis BScOT K.E.G. Publishing, 2911-66 St. Edmonton, AB, T6K4C1, (403)461-1606 Reviewed by Sue Careless A video on sexually transmitted diseases could be so statistically heavy that it would bore its audience to tears or such a downer it would be tuned out. Teen Sex: Challenge and Decision informs without boring and [...]
Thanks to a concerted U.S. boycott, a movie which depicts five Catholic priests in a scandalous light appears to be heading for a box office and public relations disaster. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the American Life League have co-sponsored a boycott of the Walt Disney Company, which owns Miramax, the studio which released Priest. Catholic groups were [...]
The Gay Issue, 40 min. $25.00 (1993) With The Homosexual Challenge by Dr. Don Faris ($12 per book). Video and book combined: $29.95. From Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (905) 479-5885. Understanding Homosexuality and the Reality of Change, 60 min. $29.95 U.S. (1993) From Impact Resources Corp. 1 (800) 333-6475. We all know former alcoholics, people who have escaped from a history of [...]
Remains of the Day Starring: Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson Everything about the new production of Remains of the Day is restrained. The movie is all about English reserve and Anthony Hopkins, who plays the butler, James Stevens, shows this particular British trait to a tragic degree. Restraint, and devotion to duty, is what makes him such an outstanding servant and allows [...]
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgwick Try finding a movie acceptable to two middle-aged males (who prefer the shoot ‘em up macho stereotype), one middle aged female (who rarely goes to the movies because of the no-smoking policy) and one 18-year-old female (who rarely goes to anything with anyone over the age of 25). The other three honoured my choice [...]
Starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Janie Turner Incredible scenery and awesome, nail-biting climbing scenes are all yours—for a price. As has been the trend by Hollywood for some years, Cliffhanger gives and takes. It gives spectacular visuals and action and takes your innocence and your sense of decency and innate respect for life. Repeated, cold-blooded, as-realistic-as-possible, as-callous-as-possible murders occur throughout. Opponents viciously [...]
Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sir Richard Attenborough Make no mistake. Jurassic Park is a scary movie and should not be confused for a heavyweight E.T. It is also funny, thrilling, awe-inspiring and thoroughly believable. The special effects are simply mind-boggling. The life which Spielberg’s special effects team has breathed into the dusty skeletons found in museums is so realistic [...]
The film Benny and Joon directed by Canadian Jerimiah Chechik is a must see. No doubt, it will be one of the best movies of the summer and, maybe, of the year. Benny and Joon is a wonderful story about a beautiful, mildly insane, young woman named Juniper (Mary Stuart Masterton) and her relationship with a shy, illiterate, and almost mute young [...]
Director Kenneth Branagh continues to work his way through the Shakespeare cannon playing opposite his wife Emma Thompson again in this comedy classic. The interplay between Branagh, who plays Benedick, and Thompson, who is a marvelous Beatrice, alone makes this movie worth watching. Branagh sets this comedy in a villa in the luscious Tuscany countryside in the summer. The scene evokes the [...]
Unforgiven didn’t just win the Academy Award for best picture this year. It deserved to win. (How many times can you say that about a movie?) But if you’re looking for an old-fashioned good guy/bad guy/gunbattle-at-high-noon western—even of the vintage Eastwood “spaghetti” variety—forget it! Unforgiven will seem like accidentally picking up Dostoyevsky when you wanted Jack London. Clint Eastwood’s character—a widowered pig [...]
The story line of A Few Good Men is hardly novel: the macho world of the U.S. Marines with its own code of morality. When two young privates are court-martialed after killing one of their peers, a crusading attorney with the Navy’s Internal Affairs (Demi Moore) suspects the truth will be hidden with a cover-up. She makes it her mission to provoke [...]
Over the past few months we have received some requests that The Interim begin a Movie Guide section. In this feature, we will help our readers pick entertaining movies and try to recommend those which are suitable for family viewing. Our scope will include first-run movies as well as those available on video-cassette. In a short write-up, the reviewers will not only [...]
Toronto Cineplex Odeon Films, the distributor of Truth or Dare, starring pop star Madonna, inserted a condom in each of the press releases promoting the video documentary. Condoms were also passed out to guests attending the Canadian premiere on May 8. Patrons at regular screenings will receive a handbill promoting their use. Howard Lichtman, executive VP of marketing for Cineplex [...]