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Articles by Shannon Page

Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2022: ‘The Lair’

October 28, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Doomsday, Hellboy) knows how to make a horror film.  The writer/director is responsible for the early 2000’s cult classic The Descent, a film that has been praised for its mature characterization of a group of women (a relatively novel concept, as far as early ’00s horror was concerned).  In addition to its dramatic and psychological elements, The Descent was also freaking terrifying.  Even the toughest, most hardened horror fans are quick to admit…

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Croc!

October 12, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

Croc! (also known as Crocodile Vengeance) is the first full-length feature from writer/director Paul W. Franklin — and, sadly, some of that inexperience shows through.

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True Things

September 28, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

While far from perfect, director Harry Wootliff’s (Only You) drama True Things is an excellent showcase for actor Ruth Wilson, as well as a challenging portrait of a woman caught between societal expectations and her own desire.

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The Class

September 10, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

Anthony Michael Hall (also serving as a producer) stars as an embittered school administrator in writer/director Nicholas Celozzi’s The Class, an update of the 1985 classic The Breakfast Club (in which Hall played the nerdy Brian Johnson).  Sadly, The Class never manages to grow beyond the shadow of its famous predecessor.

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Medieval

September 8, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

Filmed against the lush hills of the Czech Republic, writer/director Petr Jákl’s historical action-epic about the early life of Czech national hero Jan Zizka (Ben Foster of Hell or High Water and Hustle) is an intense sensory experience that stumbles on its intricate politics.

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Bliss

August 16, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

Sex work is just another shitty job in Bliss, a tender and moving exploration of queer love and intimacy written and directed by German filmmaker Henrika Kull (Intimate Distance, Jibril).

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The Royal

July 21, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

Directed by Marcel Sarmiento (The ABCs of Death [D Is for Dogfight], Faceless) and written by Gregory W. Jordan, The Royal is based on the true story of Willie Mays Aikens, a star hitter for the Kansas City Royals (and the Toronto Blue Jays!) who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug possession.  Before his arrest, Aikens was one of the top sluggers in major league baseball, hitting a total of 110 home runs…

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American Werewolves

July 6, 2022Shannon Page0 Comments

In rural Michigan, dozens of individuals have reported sightings of a terrifying bipedal creature stalking forests and country roads at night.  Standing six-to-seven feet tall, with fearsome glowing eyes and a head resembling a canine, the Michigan werewolf (or “dogman”) is a well-documented urban legend.  Startlingly similar is the so-called “Beast of Bray Road” sighted in the neighbouring state of Wisconsin.  Like the Michigan dogman, the beast stands upright on two legs and has the…

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