I joined CTV NewsChannel to have a look at new movies coming to theatres including the decadent period piece “Hedda,” the kid-friendly monster flick “Stitch Head” and the political thriller “Anniversary.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join CP24 to talk about the decadent period piece “Hedda,” the kid-friendly monster flick “Stitch Head,” the comedy-drama “Novelle Vague” and the political thriller “Anniversary.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in with Deb Hutton on NewsTalk 1010 to go over some of the week’s biggest entertainment stories and let you know what’s happening in theatres. We talk about the history of Hollywood movies at the White House, Francis Ford Coppola’s $1 million watch and I review the decadent period piece “Hedda” and the kid-friendly monster flick “Stitch Head.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I joined CTV NewsChannel to have a look at new movies coming to theatres including the decadent period piece “Hedda,” the kid-friendly monster flick “Stitch Head,” the comedy-drama “Novelle Vague” and the political thriller “Anniversary.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with guest host Stefan Keyes to talk about the new movies coming to theatres including the decadent period piece “Hedda,” the kid-friendly monster flick “Stitch Head,” the comedy-drama “Novelle Vague” and the political thriller “Anniversary.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I join CP24 to talk about the decadent period piece “Hedda,” the kid-friendly monster flick “Stitch Head” and the scary Crave series “IT: Welcome to Derry.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Stitch Head,” a new kid-friendly animated monster movie now playing in theatres, a strange little creature made up of spare parts runs away to join the circus, leaving behind the only family he’s ever known.
“Stitch Head is not a horror film at all, but an adventure comedy that plays with the clichés of the horror genre.” Steve Hudson
CAST: Asa Butterfield, Joel Fry, Tia Bannon, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Fern Brady, Jamali Maddix. Directed by Steve Hudson with Toby Genkel as co-director.
REVIEW: Adapted from the graphic novels by Guy Bass, “Stitch Head’s” story of a patchwork “freak” who discovers his otherness is actually a strength, breathes the same air as other family-friendly gateway horrors like “Para-Norman” and “The Boxtrolls.”
The story begins in the laboratory of Castle Grotteskew, homebase to the maddest of all mad professors (voiced by Rob Brydon). He creates monsters of various shapes and sizes, only to promptly forget about them as he moves on to the next. “To life! Almost to life! Now,” he says, “what’s next—fangs or feathers?”
Keeping order in the castle is Stitch Head (Asa Butterfield), the mad professor’s first creation. He’s a pint-sized caretaker, stitched together from mismatched body parts—think Frankenstein, only cute—who quietly keeps the discarded monsters from upsetting the residents of the village Grubbers Nubbin.
Stitch Head finds his way out of the shadows and into the spotlight when a carnival, run by Fulbert Freakfinder (Joel Fry), comes to the village. Sensing the appeal of young Stitch Head, Freakfinder offers him a job in his travelling circus. “You’re no freak, lad—you’re a star! Fame, fortune, and a spotlight brighter than a bolt of lightning!”
The heart of the spotlight soon cools as Stitch Head comes to fear that his real family, the monsters at the castle, without his guidance, are in danger of being misunderstood by the villagers of Grubbers Nubbin. “We’re not monsters,” he says, “we’re family. Stitched together, not torn apart!”
A mix of humor and heart, “Stitch Head” is a lively Tim Burton-lite movie about undead characters. Packed with imaginative characters, it’s an intermittently entertaining adventure that will appeal to kids, but should keep the whole family interested, even if the pacing is a bit uneven. It winds up pretty much how you imagine it will, so no big points for originality, but it makes up for its lapses with kid-friendly messages about embracing our differences, belonging and the courage to face fears.
It would be easy to think that the Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon movies are easy-breezy travelogues with pretty scenery and sumptuous looking food, but they are much more than that. The latest, “The Trip to Greece,” which comes to VOD this week, brings with it all the banter, impressions and eye-catching sights you expect from these movies, but beneath the veneer of laughs lies a story about mortality and legacy.
Ten years after took their first trip together Coogan and Brydon travel from Troy to Ithaca, following in the footsteps of the Odysseus. Under blue skies the pair sparkle, almost as much as the crystal-clear turquoise water that appears in virtually every shot of the movie. From quoting Aristotle’s Poetics and impersonating Dustin Hoffman, to loudly singing 70s Bee Gee tunes and visiting Epidaurus, one of the wonders of the ancient world, they present their patented brand of high-brow and pop cultural references, mixed together in a stew that is as appealing as much of the five star “Top Chef” style food we see them eat on their travels.
“The Trip to Greece” isn’t story-driven as much as it is a snapshot of two people at different places in their lives, brought together by friendship and, amusingly, one-upmanship. The movie works not because we’re waiting breathlessly for a twist or a turn, but because of the chemistry between the two. The stories are fictional—the pair play heightened versions of themselves—but the themes that lie just below their joking—jabs about aging, mortality, neediness and vanity—add depth to what could have been a travel show farce. A subplot about a death in Coogan’s family is unexpectedly touching and never overplayed.
They say “The Trip to Greece” will be the last of these excursions and that’s a shame. Director Michael Winterbottom expertly blends travel, food and heaps of personality into one package that celebrates their friendship while acknowledging that a quick get-a-way can’t solve all your problems at home.
Check out episode twelve of Richard’s new web series, “In Isolation With…” It’s the talk show where we make a connection without actually making contact! Today, broadcasting directly from Isolation Studios (a.k.a. my home office), we meet British comedian Rob Brydon Zooming in from England to talk about Al Pacino, whether he’s keen to fly on a plane again, meeting Michael Caine, and, of course, the fourth instalment of “The Trip” series, “The Trip to Greece” available this week on VOD. Come visit with us! In isolation we are united!
Watch the whole thing HERE on YouTube and HERE on ctvnews.ca!
