I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with guest anchor Sean Leathong to talk about the the biopic “Being Heumann,” the dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine” and the epic “Godzilla Miinus Zero.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 15:40)
I join CP24 Breakfast anchor Nick Dixon toi talk about the biopic “Being Heumann,” the dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine,” the historical Crave soap opera “The Gilded Age” and the Appple TV series “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk about the biopic “Being Heumann,” the dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine” and the epic “Godzilla Minus Zero.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to wind your watch. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the biopic “Being Heumann,” the dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine” and the epic “Godzilla Minus Zero.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: “Being Heumann,” a new biopic now playing in theatres before moving to Apple TV on November 13, tells the undeniably important story of a disabled activist named Judy Heumann, and how she spearheaded the 1977 Section 504 sit-in, which resulted in the federal government of the United States giving more rights and privileges to disabled people.
CAST: Ruth Madeley, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Rob Delaney, Ray Fisher. Directed by Sian Heder.
REVIEW: “Being Heumann” could have used a bit more grit and a little less made-for-television style, but the story is undeniably affecting.
Based on adaptation of Judy Heumann’s memoir “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist,” the Sian Heder film tells the story of a women left paralyzed by polio at eighteen months, who devoted her life to civil rights for disabled people.
Instead of a cradle to grave look at Heumann’s (Ruth Madeley) eventful life Heder plants most of the action in 1977. Heumann initiated the nationwide Section 504 Sit-In, a cry for the government to implement disability protections which saw hundreds of people with disabilities occupied federal Department of Health, Education, and Welfare buildings across the United States. “We are not leaving this building until these regulations are signed,” she says.
It became the longest occupation of a federal building in U.S. history, ultimately resulting—after much back and forth—in the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. “They’re not asking for a place on a bus,” says the United States Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano (Mark Ruffalo), “they’re asking for a whole new bus!”
The portrait of Judy Heumann that emerges is one of a tenacious advocate, a blunt person who would not take no for an answer. “I’m not an asshole,” she says. “I’m just from Brooklyn.” Madeley plays her like a real person, not simply an inspirational avatar. Heumann’s work motivates those around her, but it is her take-charge attitude, tinged by both anger and humor that drives Madeley ‘s performance.
Like Madeley, who is an ambulatory wheelchair user, much of the cast are disabled actors. Their presence lends a stirring authenticity to the proceedings, emphasizing the urgency of Heumann’s push for inclusion, representation, and equality. “They see you in front of the stairs,” she said, “and they think that you’re the problem. The stairs are the problem!”
“Being Heumann” is Sian Heder’s crowd-pleasing follow-up to his movie “CODA.” Like that Oscar winner, “Being Heumann” is a story of empathy, resilience and community that engages the audience despite a formulaic presentation.
I join NewsTalk 1010 host Amanda Galbraith to to talk about “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and who are driving the box office to pre-COVID numbers.
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I join CTV Atlantic’s Todd Battis to talk about the web slinging antics of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the R-rated comedy “I Want Your Sex” and the android dreams of “Sheep in the Box.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make the bed. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the web slinging antics of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the R-rated comedy “I Want Your Sex” and the android dreams of “Sheep in the Box.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: Set four years after the memory-erasing events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” sees Spider-Man anonymously protecting New York City as his superpowers evolve. “Spiders have three life cycles. And between cycles, it can leave the spider vulnerable to threats. Those spiders that survive… go through a kind of rebirth.”
CAST: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
REVIEW: The fourth standalone film starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a return to the Spidey movies of old. Without a multiverse in sight “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” delivers on the promise of the title and delivers a new, almost streamlined, character driven approach. In other words, you won’t need to check Wikipedia to understand the story and characters.
Last time around in 2021s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” supervillain Mysterio publicly revealed Peter Parker’s true Spider-Man identity, thus complicating the teen superhero’s life, and placing those closest to him in mortal danger. To protect his nearest and dearest and safeguard the multiverse, Parker convinces Dr. Strange to cast a spell to erase him from the collective consciousness. “Sometimes Spider-Man has to do the hard thing, even if it breaks Peter Parker’s heart.”
Now on his own, he keeps New York City safe, but misses his old life, particularly his former flame MJ (Zendaya). The stress of his new, anonymous existence and fighting against a powerful invisible villain, triggers a dangerous evolution in Peter’s arachnid DNA. “The spider is swallowing up the man.”
“We are faced with a danger we can’t control,” Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), head of the Department of Damage Control, a U.S. government agency that handles the cleanup and regulation of superhuman-related incidents, tells Parker. “One we can’t even see. You’re the only one who’s immune to it.”
Big, long and loud, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” delivers the spectacle you expect from a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie but doesn’t forget that the ultimate appeal of the main character is his relatability. He’s blessed with superpowers—“He’s the hero every grown-up wishes they could be and every kid wants to be.”—but he’s not invincible and unlike many of his contemporaries he’s not a god, eccentric billionaire or soldier.
Instead, he’s an ordinary young man whose powers don’t solve his issues of insecurity, analysis paralysis and yearning. Then there’s the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” thing, a weight the character carries like a mantle. He’s driven to do the right thing, even if it comes at great personal cost.
“Are you Peter Parker,” asks MJ, “or are you Spider-Man?” It’s the question that lies at the heart of “Brand New Day” and the truth is he’s both, and that’s the push and pull that, as he matures, makes the character interesting and enduring.
Tom Holland, in his best “half man, half spider” performance nicely bridges the gap between the personal and physical, embodying the character’s emotional life, with a healthy dose of humor, while delivering the web-slinging action fans want.
The film’s emotional core, the relationships between MJ, Peter’s former best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and Peter, is intact, and it is here director Destin Daniel Cretton pulls off his best trick. MJ and Ned’s minds have been wiped of memories of Peter, and yet the connection between them still feels tangible, even though they spend little time on screen together. The sense of longing is central to Peter’s isolation from normal life, and grounds the story in its more high-flying moments.
A dynamic of a different kind is shared between Peter and Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers shave down some of the Punisher’s rough edges, turning an R-rated character into a PG package, but Bernthal sparks with Holland and provides some of the film’s comedic highlights.
I’m carefully side-stepping a major spoiler, so I won’t make any comments on the future of the MCU, but make no mistake, there is some franchise-building happening here. Luckily it feels organic to the story, mirroring Parker’s own battles with isolation, loss and the internal struggle with the personal, profession and power aspect of having extraordinary gifts.
Recent superhero movies have had a rough time at the box office but with its blend of humanity and superhero antics “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” even though it falls victim to an overblown final reel, is worth the trip to the theatre.
