Category: Film

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This review contains spoilers. Rogue One is another disappointment in the Star Wars franchise.  It doesn’t have the excruciating moments of the prequels, it’s well made, and there is an assortment of cameos and references to other films, and not just Star Wars film. However, the referenced films include Saving Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now,… Continue reading Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Suicide Squad

I confess that a) I have not seen Suicide Squad, b) the trailer left me with no desire to see it, and c) I still can’t remember which comic characters are Marvel and which are DC, let alone what they did in their last movie.  That said, I did find Deadpool a guilty pleasure, so… Continue reading Suicide Squad

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Promotional image ©Universal Pictures, used by permission.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, is of course the sequel to Neighbors, with a sorority instead of a fraternity. As the classification advisories/presence of Seth Rogen make clear, there is the crude comedy, however this is a rare case of a sequel improving on the original film, not just echoing the story. The added complexity comes… Continue reading Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Paint Drying

Paint Drying (2016) is a film created solely to annoy British film classifiers. This 607 minute epic shows paint drying on a wall. For ten hours and seven minutes. Nothing else. Fourteen hours of footage was shot, however the final cut depended on the funds available to cover the per minute cost of classification. The… Continue reading Paint Drying

Deadpool

Deadpool is a parody of Marvel films, from its mock opening credits to its frequent fourth wall breaks to its post credits non-gag. However, it remains faithful to the formula it mocks. It also continues, without irony or comment, the standard, sexist, and tiresome tropes of men fending for themselves and protecting women. You cannot… Continue reading Deadpool

Ontario Film Authority

The Ontario Government has spun off the Ontario Film Review Board to a new agency, the Ontario Film Authority. This is an independent non-profit agency which will administer the Film Classification Act. In letters to distributors and retailers, it appears the only change is that fees are now payable to the agency instead of the… Continue reading Ontario Film Authority

Provincial Right to Ban Films confirmed by Nova Scotia Ban of “Last Tango in Paris”

All provinces and territories in Canada have the legal right to ban any film, for any reason. This was confirmed by a Supreme Court case in 1978. The case started in 1974, in Nova Scotia, when the Nova Scotia Board of Censors banned Last Tango in Paris. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a… Continue reading Provincial Right to Ban Films confirmed by Nova Scotia Ban of “Last Tango in Paris”

Spectre

It’s a Bond movie, and we know what to expect. As the Irish Film Classification Office notes, there is “frequent intense action violence consistent with the franchise.” Across Canada, violence is the advisory. Everyone gave it a PG classification, except Quebec. which does not have a PG equivalent. Quebec noted the film was not suitable… Continue reading Spectre