Film | by Shane “I Like To Prowl The Aisles” Hnetka
Another Super Bowl has come and gone but you can still watch the most important part of the event — the movie commercials — online. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 preview was pretty enjoyable, as were the spots for A Cure For Wellness, Logan and Life. Heck, even Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales looks kind of interesting. But what’s with all the Johnny Cash songs in movie trailers right now?
No More HMV
The stupid world has moved beyond physical copies of music and movies but there are still some of us who prefer them. I like the idea of my personal movie library that includes stuff I can’t easily find on streaming or downloading services. I’ve tried to buy locally and avoided shopping online, but now that’s become even harder. One of the few Saskatoon places that carried stuff like the Criterion Collection, Shout Factory and Arrow Films is closing their doors as of April 30.
HMV has been struggling for a while so this isn’t a surprise but it still sucks to lose the chain. Fans of music who collect vinyl or CDs still have few choices like Vinyl Diner, The Vinyl Exchange and Collector’s Edge, but for movies, well, I guess I’m going to have to become an online order guy. But it looks like my days of just walking into a store and randomly picking up a cool-looking foreign film I’ve never heard of are over. I’ll miss them.
No More John Hurt
Sadly, actor John Hurt passed away at the age of 77 on Jan. 25. Hurt will forever be known as the man with a xenomorph bursting out of his chest in the classic sci-fi horror Alien, but he starred in a ton of excellent films throughout his career.
His role of John Merrick in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man earned him a best actor Oscar nomination. He was everyman hero Winston Smith in George Orwell’s 1984 and then he essentially played Alan Moore’s version of Big Brother in V for Vendetta 20 years later. From the Harry Potter films to Hellboy to even Doctor Who, Hurt made his mark. He will be missed.
Shane Hnetka is a made-in-Saskatchewan film and comic book nerd.