Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

Shazam: Fury of the Gods - Bringing Back the Simplest of Kid-Level Comic Book Pleasures

Shazam: Fury of the Gods - Bringing Back the Simplest of Kid-Level Comic Book Pleasures

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 15, 2023Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Super hero movies aimed at kids, Billy Batson, Zachary Levi, Dame Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Mythological monstersComment

Supercell: Low-Budget Twister Film Has its Moments - None of Which Belong to Anne Heche or Alec Baldwin

Supercell: Low-Budget Twister Film Has its Moments - None of Which Belong to Anne Heche or Alec Baldwin

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 15, 2023Storm-chaser movies, Supercell, Anne Heche, Alec Baldwin, Herbert James Winterstern, Twister, Daniel DiemerComment

Ted Lasso: S3 is Here… But Does it Still Matter?

Ted Lasso: S3 is Here… But Does it Still Matter?

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 15, 2023Ted Lasso, AppleTV+, Jason Sudeikis, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, Television, Comedy, Drama, SportsComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Riceboy Sleeps Director, Star on Capturing the Immigrant Experience

Original-Cin Q&A: Riceboy Sleeps Director, Star on Capturing the Immigrant Experience

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekMarch 15, 2023Riceboy Sleeps, Anthony Shim, TIFF 2022, TFCA, Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, Choi Seung-yoon, Ethan Hwang, Dohyun Noel Hwang, Korean cinema, Immigrant experienceComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis Talk Spies, Lies and A Spy Among Friends

Original-Cin Q&A: Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis Talk Spies, Lies and A Spy Among Friends

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekMarch 10, 2023Prime Video, Mini-series, Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, A Spy Among Friends, British, espionage, Thriller, 1960s, adaptation, Ben Macintyre, Q&AComment

Original-Cin Video Q&A: Hopper Penn Talks About Devil's Peak and His Famous Parents

Original-Cin Video Q&A: Hopper Penn Talks About Devil's Peak and His Famous Parents

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekMarch 9, 2023Real-life mother-son performances in movies, Hopper Penn, Robin Wright, Devil’s Peak, David Joy's 2015 novel Where All Light Tends to Go, Ben Young, Billy Bob Thornton, Jackie Earle HaleyComment

Champions: The Road to Meh is Paved With Good Intentions

Champions: The Road to Meh is Paved With Good Intentions

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 9, 2023Champions, Underdog sports movies, Movies about the mentally challenged, Bobby Farrelly, Woody Harrelson, Cheech Marin, Kevin IannucciComment

Blueback: A Fish Tale That’s Easy on The Eyes

Blueback: A Fish Tale That’s Easy on The Eyes

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 9, 2023Blueback, Family films, Australian, Robert Connelly, Tim Winton, Adaptation, Mia Wasikowska, Eric Bana, Ariel Donaghue, Liz Alexander, Ilsa Fogg, Radha MitchellComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Luther's Nemesis, Andy Serkis on Idris Elba and playing minus mo-cap

Original-Cin Q&A: Luther's Nemesis, Andy Serkis on Idris Elba and playing minus mo-cap

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekMarch 8, 2023Luther: The Fallen Sun, Idris Elba, Andy Serkis, Cyber-criminals, Motion-capture performances, Toronto ComiconComment

Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival: Baichwal and de Pencier Curate the World's Woes

Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival: Baichwal and de Pencier Curate the World's Woes

By Jim Slotek and Liam Lacey

Review, PreviewJim SlotekMarch 7, 2023Human Rights Canada Film Festival, Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Freedom on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for FreedomFreedom on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, The Grab, Koromousso, Big Sister, No U-Turn, Uyra: The Rising ForestComment

Original-Cin Q&A: I Like Movies Director, Stars on Recreating the Video Store Experience

Original-Cin Q&A: I Like Movies Director, Stars on Recreating the Video Store Experience

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekMarch 6, 2023I Like Movies, Chandler Levack, Isaiah Lehtinen, Krista Bridges, Romina D’Ugo, Canadian film, Coming-of-age stories, Blockbuster, NostalgiaComment

I Like Movies: 90s-Era Coming of Age Comedy Captures Cringeworthy Youth

I Like Movies: 90s-Era Coming of Age Comedy Captures Cringeworthy Youth

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 6, 2023I Like Movies, Chandler Levack, Canadian feature debut, Comedy, Coming of age stories, Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges, Blockbuster, Throwback, 90s eraComment

History of the World, Part II: Historical, If Not Hysterical

History of the World, Part II: Historical, If Not Hysterical

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 6, 2023History of the World: Part II, Disney+, Mel Brooks, Sequel, Comedy, Sketch comedy, Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, Seth Rogen, Jason Alexander, Jack Black, Kumail Nanjiani, Sarah Silverman, Rob Corddry, Johnny KnoxvilleComment

Enter the Drag Dragon: Lowering the Bar for Fun, Zombie Fights and Dildo Nunchucks

Enter the Drag Dragon: Lowering the Bar for Fun, Zombie Fights and Dildo Nunchucks

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 3, 2023High camp indie films, Enter the Drag Dragon, Lee Gordon Demarbre, Films shot in Ottawa, Lloyd Kaufman, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, Sam Kellerman, Jade London and Matt Miwa, Beatrice BeresComment

Still The Water: A Typhoon, Grief, Young Love and Less Than Meets the Eye

Still The Water: A Typhoon, Grief, Young Love and Less Than Meets the Eye

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 2, 2023Naomi Kawase, Female Japanese directors, Mono no aware, Still The Water, Nijirô Murakami, Jun Yoshinaga, aka Junko Abe, Ruminations on death, Miyuki MatsudaComment

Return to Seoul: Riveting Journey of Self-Discovery Powers Compelling Performance

Return to Seoul: Riveting Journey of Self-Discovery Powers Compelling Performance

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 2, 2023Return to Seoul, Davy Chou, Park Ji-Min, Guka Han, Oh Kwang-Roc, Cannes films, Un Certain Regard, Korean cinema, Drama, Based on a true storyComment

Creed III: Not All Underdogs Are Nice Guys in this Emotionally Resonant Rocky Spin-Off

Creed III: Not All Underdogs Are Nice Guys in this Emotionally Resonant Rocky Spin-Off

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 2, 2023Rocky franchise, Creed III, Michael B. Jordan, Adonis Creed, Actors directing themselves, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia RashadComment

Daisy Jones & the Six: A 70s Rock ‘n’ Roll Soap Opera

Daisy Jones & the Six: A 70s Rock ‘n’ Roll Soap Opera

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 1, 2023Prime Video, Adaptation, Daisy Jones & The Six, Mini-series, Riley Keough, Sam Clafin, Camila Morrone, Will Harrison, Suki Waterhouse, Rock and roll, 1970s, Music, Mockumentary, Fleetwood MacComment

To Leslie: Andrea Riseborough's Left-Field Oscar Nom Turns Out To Be Well-Earned

To Leslie: Andrea Riseborough's Left-Field Oscar Nom Turns Out To Be Well-Earned

By Thom Ernst

Jim SlotekFebruary 28, 2023To Leslie, Surprise Oscar nominations, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Morris, Awards campaign controversies, Gwyneth Paltrow, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Owen Teague, Marc Maron Comment

Joyride: Olivia Colman’s Irish Road Movie Offers Outsize Charm

Joyride: Olivia Colman’s Irish Road Movie Offers Outsize Charm

By Kim Hughes

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 27, 2023Joyride, Irish films, Emer Reynolds, Olivia Colman, Charlie Reid, Lochlann Ó Mearáin, Drama, Comedy, DramedyComment