Victor Stiff

Victor Stiff is a Toronto-based entertainment journalist and member of the Toronto Film Critics Association. He is the News Editor and Senior Critic at ThatShelf.com and host of UFO Movie Club and Dope Black Movies on YouTube. Victor has contributed to the Canadian Academy, POV Magazine, Global News, The Playlist, Screen Rant, We Got This Covered, In the Seats, and Sordid Cinema. Victor received the TFCA’s 2019 Emerging Critic award and served as a jury member at the 49th Festival du nouveau cinéma. He’s currently a Golden Globe voter and programmer for the Rendezvous With Madness Festival.

Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux Review: Who Gets the Last Laugh?

Who’s Laughing Now? With all due respect to The Substance, Joker: Folie à Deux is the year’s most audacious film — just not for the reasons you might expect. The fact that Folie à Deux is a musical isn’t even the film’s biggest swerve. Director Todd Phillips takes the billion-dollar formula from 2019’s Joker and …

Joker: Folie à Deux Review: Who Gets the Last Laugh? Read More »

the-substance

The Substance Review: An Unhinged Look at the Dark Side of Stardom

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Beauty is only skin deep. We’ve all had these ideological platitudes ingrained in us from the moment we can speak.  Everyone agrees that we shouldn’t judge a person’s value based on their attractiveness — good looks have nothing to do …

The Substance Review: An Unhinged Look at the Dark Side of Stardom Read More »

TIFF

TIFF 2024 Review Diary

As the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival wraps, it’s fair to say it’s been another stellar year for festivalgoers. This year’s TIFF slate featured a whopping 278 films. Nobody can watch all 278 titles in 11 days, but that won’t stop me from screening films from sunup to well past midnight. Here’s …

TIFF 2024 Review Diary Read More »

beetlejuice-beetlejuice-black-and-white-suit

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review: Burton and Keaton Let Loose the Juice

Every Oscar season, cinephiles argue that the “Best Acting” awards are really the “Most Acting” awards. They claim that actors aren’t always rewarded for their most heartfelt and nuanced performances, but rather for bold, intense, or flashy roles that scream, “Look at how much acting I’m doing.” This thought crossed my mind more than once …

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review: Burton and Keaton Let Loose the Juice Read More »

Rebel Moon - Part Two -The Scargiver

Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver Interviews: Zack Snyder + Cast

Back in April, I had a chance to sit down and talk with director Zack Snyder and the cast of his latest action epic, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. Both Rebel Moon Part One and Two failed to live up to expectations — they’re respectively rated 21% and 16% percent rotten on Rotten …

Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver Interviews: Zack Snyder + Cast Read More »

jim-henson-operating-kermit

Jim Henson: Idea Man Review: “Celebrational Muppetational”

As a child of the ‘80s, The Muppets were pop culture royalty to me. I grew up watching Sesame Street in the mornings and The Muppet Show at night. On special days my mother took me to afternoon matinees to watch The Muppets on the silver screen.  I always took their popularity for granted but …

Jim Henson: Idea Man Review: “Celebrational Muppetational” Read More »

dancing-village-the-curse-begins-Aulia-Sarah

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins Review: KKN’s Sinister Prequel

For the past decade, Indonesian filmmakers have delivered a steady stream of endlessly rewatchable horror movies and action flicks. So, no matter how many films I have to cover in a week, I always make time for the latest Indonesian genre flick. Director Kimo Stamboel first landed on my radar at TIFF 2016 when his …

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins Review: KKN’s Sinister Prequel Read More »

SASquatch-sunset-poster

Sasquatch Sunset Review: Walking Among Giants

You could describe Sasquatch Sunset as a story about a family taking a really long walk and technically, you wouldn’t be wrong. The film chronicles a year in the life of a roving family of Sasquatches portrayed by Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner.  The creatures spend their days trekking through the …

Sasquatch Sunset Review: Walking Among Giants Read More »

sting-spider-over-bed-charlotte-Alyla-Browne

Sting Review: An Eight-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Weaves Chaos

Since I watch hundreds of films a year, I’ve learned to keep my viewing schedule flexible. I juggle late-night binges with 10am press screenings and mid-week movie dates with my wife.  Even though I can enjoy a movie anytime and anyplace, one of my favourite film-watching experiences only happens on Saturday nights.  That’s because there’s …

Sting Review: An Eight-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Weaves Chaos Read More »

files-of-the-unexplained-file-Pascagoula-alien-abduction

Files of the Unexplained: Episode 01 — File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction Review

“I’ve been scared in my lifetime but I’ve never had anything scare me like this before.” — Charlie Hickson If you love a great mystery, then it’s worth making time for Netflix’s eerie new series, Files of the Unexplained. Produced by Vox Media, Files of the Unexplained is an eight-part investigative docuseries delving into strange …

Files of the Unexplained: Episode 01 — File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction Review Read More »

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top