Articles by Shannon Page

Reviews

The Last Laugh

For a movie about comedians, writer/director Jeremy Berg’s The Last Laugh is utterly void of mirth.  Unfortunately, this isn’t just a film that takes itself far too seriously – it lacks vibrancy and life all together.

Reviews

DTF

What begins as an attempt to record a widowed, middle-aged pilot’s efforts to find true love on the dating app Tinder quickly morphs into something much darker and chaotic in director Al Bailey’s documentary DTF.  As the pilot in question, an old friend of Bailey’s identified only by the pseudonym “Christian”, reveals increasingly outlandish and destructive behavior, the original premise of the film is abandoned in favour of an exploration of the toxic, hard-partying world…

Reviews

Uncle Peckerhead

The first hurdle of any music-centric film is often the most difficult to clear: the music itself.  It’s difficult to get the audience to root for the heroes if their band’s sound is cringe-inducing.  Or, even worse, if it’s just plain boring.

Reviews

Tito

Tito is an immersive sensory experience that reminds me of what I love best about film as a medium: its ability to place the viewer within unfamiliar bodies, minds, and environments.

Reviews

Black Water: Abyss

In Andrew Trauki’s Black Water: Abyss, five friends set out to investigate an unexplored cave system in Australia, only to discover that the cave is inhabited by a crocodile with a hankering for fresh meat.  It’s a bit like someone decided it would be a good idea to mash together Lake Placid and The Descent (two movies I adore, despite their flaws) – but unfortunately, Black Water: Abyss lacks both the campy charm of the…

Reviews

The Departure

There is nothing charming, insightful, or engaging about The Departure, writer/director Merland Hoxha’s first foray into feature-ish length cinema (the total runtime is just a little over an hour).

Reviews

Robert the Bruce

Intended as a sequel, of sorts, to Braveheart, Robert the Bruce sees Angus MacFadyen (Braveheart, Alive) reprise his role as the titular Scottish king.  Unfortunately, this is one of those movies with all the right ingredients – but no spark.