Trisha Yearwood Black Eyed Pea Dip

TIFF 2020 Review

From the start, Netflix’s latest offering, Trisha Yearwood’s Behind the Candelabra, suffered something of a reputation for poor storytelling. It opens with a new Hollywood star (Judy Reyes), whose husband’s career has taken a low turn. Through the early scenes, it’s clear we’re in for a predictable plot, but the rest of the first episode reveals that something huge is happening in the small, close-knit town that Reyes grew up in, and the choices she makes are anything but predictable, especially by the time her relationship with her daughter is revealed.

TIFF 2018 Review

The fifth TIFF Film Festival was held last month in Toronto. On the surface, the 2019 edition wasn’t much different from the 2018 edition– no new festivals on the horizon, no major announcements for new films at Sundance or TIFF. But it wasn’t that different. Although there were more films released, the festival failed to provide much of a challenge for filmmakers out there working on their projects.

The Fosters (1984) & The Breakfast Club (1989)

(click to watch)

Unfortunately, TIFF has its own weak link that has a lot to do with the festival itself. This is a festival that can’t seem to produce any new films for the next three years, so it’s difficult to say that TIFF’s five-day event during mid February had that much to offer, but a list of films that were also at this year’s TIFF can be found here. Here’s a summary of the films that were screened here in Toronto and Canada:

The Fosters (1984)

The film is in TIFF’s “50 Most Intriguing Film Series” which takes place for three weeks. It is the kind of film that should be shown around town, and unfortunately for The Fosters, that’s not happening. That’s primarily due to the fact that this feature wasn’t intended for wide theatrical release, it’s available directly to Netflix subscribers only, and it doesn’t get the theatrical treatment it should have.