hexedd

This documentary was good but IMO could've been so much better. It's really only 50% about John Ware, and the other 50% is about the maker's family, which is fine, but that makes the title a misnomer.

I didn't really feel like I learned a lot about John Ware and his family since they were inserted into a series of songs and reflections about the maker's family. Also, the title - using the word reclaimed - implies somehow that the old story of John Ware based on racist tropes and outdated narratives about Canada not having racism etc., would be replaced with a new narrative, something that would show what is being reclaimed and how. Instead, the old is torn down but nothing new is put up, so at the end I felt left with the question "OK, so John Ware wasn't that, so what was he?" There are only hints and glimpses provided but no "real", reclaimed John Ware at the end. I think this should've been separated into two documentaries, one about John Ware and one about the maker's family and their experiences. I see what she was going for in trying to use her family for context and connecting it to Ware and the larger Black experience in the prairies, but in the end, when it was mixed with all the random songs, actors reading from old historical records, and other miscellany, it just didn't work for me. When you use a person's name in the title it suggests a full biography about the person, and, to repeat, this is only partly about the person whose name is the title of the film. I applaud the effort but think it could've been thought out more.

This production is an amazing experience and shouldn't be missed by any Poe fan. It's a simple production, just one man reciting poetry while low lighting and a smoke machine provide great ambience. All of the Poe classics are recited here in full or part, and the actor portraying Poe does a great job bringing the poet's words to life. When he recited "The Conqueror Worm" I enjoyed it so much I re-watched that part about ten times.

There's not much else to say other than that it's a hearkening back to earlier times when entertainment was simpler but no less enjoyable. I watched it on Tubi, if you have the opportunity to watch this production somewhere I highly recommend you do the same.

This movie is a hard hitting story about the the dangers of conformity and peer pressure. On another level it's about loyalty and friendship, and how unexpected, extreme events can test the limits of brotherhood and oaths easily made when things are good but difficult to uphold when our necks are on the line.

The premise is simple enough but develops nicely and doesn't waste time. As it plays out, we see the limits of friendship and how each character reacts when pushed to the limit. Although this kind of story has been done before it is nonetheless done well in this movie, and by the end you'll feel like you were put through a harrowing ordeal yourself. The violence is visceral at times, and effective, because it's not overdone. The movie's overall message seems to be that principles matter, and when they're broken there can be extreme consequences. This was a solid film that really got under my skin. Give it a shot.