Letterboxd — Your life in film

Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011), Michael Rapaport’s raw-but-loving documentary on hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, explores the connections and tensions that led to the group’s formation, ascension, breakup, and numerous reunions. Made up of MCs Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and part-time member Jarobi White, as well as DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, ATCQ released six albums, numerous singles, and some of the most visually striking videos in hip hop. They remain one of the genre’s most eclectic, beloved, and influential acts,…

It’s summer blockbuster season…everywhere but our home base of Ontario that is! Many writers at That Shelf can only look on enviously as colleagues elsewhere return to theatres and enjoy the best summer blockbusters on the big screen. If we can’t have the summer movies of 2021, then we’ll look back at the best summer blockbusters that defined the 21st Century so far.

Disney villains are a breed unto themselves and the most notorious of them all has to be the Dalmatian-hating, chain-smoking, lustfully murderous Cruella de Vil. As budding musician (and Dalmatian owner) Roger Radcliffe opines in the 1961 animated classic, “if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will”. Given de Vil’s longevity and continuing popularity, it’s no wonder Disney decided to give the twisted character her own uniquely cinematic origin story. Set to cover Cruella’s rebellious early days in 1970s…

Patton Oswalt takes That Shelf Managing Editor Jason Gorber on a deep dive into his latest project, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K, which he co-created with Jordan Blum. Premiering May 21 on Hulu in the U.S. (and on Disney+ in Canada), the adult animated stop-motion series is based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name.

The 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival would be coming to a close this week, but the world’s glitziest and most influential cinematic event has been moved to July as COVID continues to wreak havoc with the industry calendar.

Ever wanted to hear the guy from Full House talk about a David Fincher movie? Comedian Bob Saget joins filmmaker Jeremy LaLonde (James vs. His Future Self) to talk about his Black Hole Film – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – and about how good directors can’t make bad pizzas.

Take a deep dive into the stellar Sundance documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), which captures a major music moment too long overlooked. Directed by Ahmir-Khalib Thompson—aka Questlove of The Roots—and featuring an all-star ensemble that includes everyone from Stevie Wonder to Sly and The Family Stone, with the 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, The Staple Singers and countless others, the film took home both the Grand Jury and Audience Award prizes at this year's festival.

Top Gun, the blockbuster ’80s action epic from director Tony Scott, turns a whopping 35 this week. If that fact makes you feel old, you’re not alone. To celebrate the milestone (and the release of brand new Blu-ray edition), we sat down to talk with one of the film’s co-stars, Rick Rossovich.

Another year, another excellent Hot Docs Festival in the books! Catch up on our content from the past two weeks and discover some great new documentaries and filmmakers...

Some events are so infrequent they can happen only once in a lifetime. Haley’s comet, a royal coronation, or frogs falling from the sky are examples of such rare birds. Sometimes, in years of true freak occurrences, Meryl Streep does not receive an Oscar nomination.

The best films of 2020 remind us that the year wasn’t all bad. If not for escapism, quality entertainment, and films that helped us make sense of a crazy world, we might have all gone nuts.