NewFest 2025: LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS

Written by: Josh "The Merc" Raynor

Toronto After Dark 2023 Review: CANADIAN SHORT FILMS COLLECTION (Part 2)

Reviewed by: Josh "The Merc" Raynor

Toronto After Dark 2023 Review: CANADIAN SHORT FILMS COLLECTION (Part 1)

Reviewed by: Josh "The Merc" Raynor

Tribeca 2021 Review: NO RUNNING (2021)

Written by: Josh "The Merc" Raynor

Movie Review: ONLY (2020)

Pandemic films have been around for years, bringing us hit or miss tellings of a world where some sort of viral outbreak ravages the population. Some take this genre and spin it in the horror direction, as seen in the hundreds, if not thousands, of zombie movies out there, while others take a more realistic approach, like Contagion or the film I’ll be talking about today… ONLY.

Review: BLACK MIRROR: BANDERSNATCH (2018)

Netflix, now you’ve gone and done it.

The latest outing for the Netflix original, Black Mirror, has come in the form of an interactive movie.  “What does that mean?”, you may ask.  Well, the entire film is set up like a “choose your own adventure” story, as the plot centers around a game programmer in the mid-80’s who is making a new game based on one of those books.  This is such a unique and ambitious project.  Allowing the watcher the opportunity to dictate their viewing experience is something we’ve only dreamed of, but somehow Netflix and the people from Black Mirror were able to pull it off.

Exclusive Interview: Sophie Thatcher Talks Her New Film, "Prospect"

I recently had the opportunity to interview Sophie Thatcher, the star of the upcoming Sci-Fi film Prospect.  

The film follows a teenage girl and her father who travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They've secured a contract to harvest a large deposit of the elusive gems hidden in the depths of the moon's toxic forest. But there are others roving the wilderness and the job quickly devolves into a fight to survive. Forced to contend not only with the forest's other ruthless inhabitants, but with her own father's greed-addled judgment, the girl finds she must carve her own path to escape.

Movie Review: JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018)

25 years ago, I fell in love with a film for the first time, and in turn, fell in love with film as a whole.  Jurassic Park was everything to me.  It gave me a wonderful escape to a land I’d never experienced before, and it has stuck with me for two and a half decades.  And over those years, I’ve seen several sequels come and go, none living up to sheer awe and wonder of the original.  But Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom managed to do the next best thing by evoking the essence of the first film while bringing something wholly new to the franchise.

What's On Netflix?: THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX

Welcome to another installment of WHAT'S ON NETFLIX?, where we pick out a film currently playing on Netflix and review it for the fans. This time we're ruminating on the third installment in JJ Abrams' incomprehensible Cloverfield series, THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX.

Review: STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

For the last three decades of my life, Star Wars has been an integral part of who I am.  I remember watching the Original Trilogy on VHS with my father and being in awe of how amazing and fantastical those films were.  They were some of the very movies that made me fall in love with the sci-fi/fantasy genre and film as a whole.  So, of course, when a new film in the franchise hits the big screen, I will absolutely be there to experience it.  I did it with all the prequels, and I’ve done it with all the new films.  Which brings me to the topic at hand -- The Last Jedi. 

Side By Side: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977) vs. STAR WARS: THE FORCEAWAKENS (2015)

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. This weekend, as a little number called The Last Jedi takes over, we compare the film that launched a franchise, 1977's STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE with its remake-slash-sequel thrice removed, 2015's STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Why Haven't I Seen That?: NAKED LUNCH (1991)

Welcome to a new installment of WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN THAT?, where we talk about a must-see or iconic movie that we have never seen ... until now. This week we tackle director David Cronenberg's 1991 adaptation of author William S. Burroughs' experimental novel, NAKED LUNCH.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Ian Truitner, Writer & Director of 'Beyond The Trek'

Writer/Director Ian Truitner describes his new movie, Beyond The Trek  as one that reflects back to classic Sci-Fi in its aim to challenge how we see the world and ourselves. It's not the frantic spectacle of special effects extravaganzas made by huge studios, rather we aimed to draw audiences in with suspense, multidimensional characters and thought-provoking themes. 

After a successful a festival run that saw the film screen for Sci-Fi fans around the world, Beyond the Trek is now available to everyone. In keeping with that, we have an exclusive interview with writer/director Ian Truitner where we discuss his new movie, filmmaking, and the damages of piracy in the film making industry.

Firefly 15th Anniversary Blu-ray To Be Released In September

This September will mark the 15^th anniversary of the cult favorite series, Firefly, that unfortunately only lasted one season.  Over the years, the fan base has grown exponentially, so to celebrate this fantastic series, Twentieth Century Fox is releasing a 15^th anniversary box set, which will hit shelves on September 19^th.  This new Blu-ray box set will be 3-discs and will include a new limited edition poster and character cards. 

Side by Side: PLANET OF THE APES (1968) vs. PLANET OF THE APES (2001)

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. This week we get ready for the upcoming release of War for the Planet of the Apes by looking at film that started it all, 1968's PLANET OF THE APES, and compare it to Tim Burton's 2001 remake.

Retro Review: ROBOCOP (1987)

Welcome to another installment of RETRO REVIEW, where we take a look at the best and worst movies released before the year 2000. This week, we're going back to the 80's to take a look at a beloved classic of 80's sci-fi action...ROBOCOP! 

What's On Netflix?: VICE (2015)

Welcome to another installment of WHAT'S ON NETFLIX?, where we pick a series or film currently playing on Netflix and review it for the fans. This week's selection the futuristic scifi movie, VICE.

Retro Review: GATTACA (1997)

Welcome to another installment of RETRO REVIEW where we take a trip back in time to look at films made before the year 2000.  Today we review the 1997 sci-fi thriller, GATTACA.  Enjoy!

While trying to decide what film to watch for this week's Retro Review, I wanted to watch something I had seen, but not in a while.  That's when I came across my DVD copy of Gattaca.  This is a film I haven't seen in several years, and I figured with this year being the 20th anniversary of the film, what better time than now. And I was right.  I had forgotten just how much I loved this film.  And unlike most older films, this one still holds up and may even be more relevant today than it was twenty years ago.

Trash Bin: THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK

Welcome to another installment of the TRASH BIN, where we watch the worst movies Hollywood has to offer, according to the critics, and give you our thoughts, good or bad. This week, Robert reviews Vin Diesel's second outing as spacefaring badass Richard B Riddick, in 2004's THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK.

Movie Review: ALIEN: COVENANT

When the crew of the colony ship Covenant intercept a distress signal from an unmapped planet, they discover that said planet could actually have a better habitat and ecosystem than the one they were aiming for. The captain makes the decision to change route, but when they land, they quickly discover they shouldn't have come in the first place.

Alien: Covenant has many stumbles on its way, it has a lot of fat that could have been cut out or been better written, in some ways it could be said it is a frustrating film, but what it comes down to is the fact that no matter how disconnected I felt at times, the tension always and constantly delivers and Ridley Scott gives proof of his mastery at it. This is a solid Alien film, with lots of glorious suspense and scare mixed with a surprisingly excellent attempt at world and mythology building.