Tag Archives: movies

Best Films Watched in 2019

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Cliff Burns

Didn’t quite achieve my goal of watching a hundred films during the course of 2019, but at 92 I came pretty darn close. Not as many documentaries this past year, which is somewhat surprising as it’s a genre that has … Continue reading →

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Film Quote (David Thomson)

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Cliff Burns

“Art is not a recreation, a consolation, a pastime, a business…it is the stone on which your knife is sharpened.” “The human tragedy is not our diligent wars, our arbitrary floods and earthquakes, our ordinary outrages of cruelty…It is that … Continue reading →

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Film Quote (Tarkovsky)

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Cliff Burns

“In cinema it is necessary not to explain, but to act upon the viewer’s feelings, and the emotion which is awoken is what provokes thought.” Andrei Tarkovsky     

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I hate comic book movies (d’you think it shows?)

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Cliff Burns

This movie sucks (and so do you) Whatever happened to scholarship, whatever happened to standards? Why are there no good, reliable movie critics these days? Where have you gone, Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris? We miss you Manny Farber and … Continue reading →

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Best Films Watched in 2018

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Cliff Burns

Thanks to the irresistible temptations of Netflix and the unfortunate discovery of podcasts, I watched less than 100 movies in 2018, far below my usual tally. Ah, but in my defense, the proportion of good movies to bad ones was … Continue reading →

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Best Movies of 2017

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Cliff Burns

For the second year in a row I managed to watch over one hundred movies in 2017. Here is a roster of my favorite cinematic experiences of the past year: “I, Daniel Blake” (Directed by Ken Loach) “Dogtooth” (Directed by … Continue reading →

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Film quote

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Cliff Burns

“Could it be that some film directors (like Hitchcock), if they are to gaze with such longing, are safer and freer if they don’t ask too much about their own motives? Is it possible that a similar liberating restraint applies … Continue reading →

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Best Movies of 2016: An Eclectic Roster

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Cliff Burns

I managed to squeeze in over 100 films in 2016. A good mix of foreign and domestic releases (those looking for blockbusters, comic book flicks and eye candy should search elsewhere). Here’s my list of favourites: “High Rise” (Director: Ben … Continue reading →

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“Loving”–Now Playing at the Roxy Theatre (Saskatoon)

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Cliff Burns

“Loving”  (2016) Writer & Director:  Jeff Nichols Cast:  Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton, Alano Miller, Terry Abney, Nick Kroll, Bill Camp Contemporary American cinema rarely produces a feature film of such undeniable excellence as Jeff Nichols’ “Loving”. These days, … Continue reading →

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More from Andrew Sarris

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Cliff Burns

“Visual style is never an end in itself, and it cannot be ultimately defended except as it relates to a director’s taste and sensibility. Any visual style can be mechanically reproduced, but without the linkage to a directorial personality, the … Continue reading →

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