Latest News

Photo courtesy Harbour Publishing

Photo courtesy Netflix Canada

Photo courtesy Elevation Pictures

Our City Tonight

By Jim Gordon and Leeta Liepins

Published 11:28 PDT, Fri April 26, 2024

Spotlight on FILM, BOOK & HOME VIEWING

The Film – Civil War

Author, writer and director, Alex Garland is someone whose work we have loved since first reading his 1996 book, The Beach (later adapted to film with DiCaprio). As a screenwriter he has given us 28 Days Later (2002) and Sunshine (2007), as well as Never Let Me Go (2010) and Dredd (2012). He added director to his resume with 2014’s powerful Ex Machina. His latest, Civil War, which is in theatres now, could have been listed as a “sci-fi” a decade ago, now, it could be a possible outcome in the next few years. Civil War tells the story of a group of America journalists who have covered wars around the globe, but now find themselves covering a growing war which is engulfing their own country. Leaving a hostile New York City, the group of journalists take to the back roads (through often even more hostile territory) trying to get to Washington D.C. to interview the dictatorial-like President, who is now in his third term. This film is stressful from the start and it left us with a deep unsettling feeling of what could be around the corner. The solid cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny. elevationpictures.com

The Read – Ocean Drive

Best-selling and award-winning author, Sam Wiebe (who makes New Westminster his home), is back with a new novel called Ocean Drive. Wiebe has a legion of fans who have enjoyed his Wakeland crime novels which follow detective Dave Wakeland. In Ocean Drive, which is set in White Rock, the story follows paroled killer, Cameron Shaw, who has recently been released from prison. With a limited and dismal future of lousy jobs awaiting him on the “outside”, things change when he is approached by a lawyer with a lucrative offer. If this genre is your type of read, we highly recommend Ocean Drive by Sam Wiebe, an author who has been called “The best crime writer in Canada” and “A master of the genre.” harbourpublishing.com

The Home View – Unfrosted

Jerry Seinfeld is back and leading a comedic all-star cast in the new Netflix movie, Unfrosted. Co-written and directed by Seinfeld, the film takes place in Michigan in the early 1960s. Kellogg’s and Post, even then, giants in the breakfast world and sworn enemies, fight it out in a race to see who can create a pastry that will win over millions of consumers and change breakfast forever. The movie idea came from Seinfeld’s legendary comedic bit on Pop Tarts (very funny, look it up online), and the movie is billed as “tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen.” The cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Daniel Levy, James Marsden, Sarah Cooper, and Fred Armisen. Unfrosted is available on Netflix starting May 3. netflix.com