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Sample: Title; rating (out of 4); principal setting; year of release; international co-producer (if any); cast; description; scriptwriter; director; content warning; running time.

KABLOONAK   * * *  setting: N.W.T./USA.
(1994) (/France) Charles Dance, Adamie Inukpuk, Seporah Q. Ungalaq, Matthew Jaw-Saviakjuk, Natar Ungalaq, George Claisse.....True story of American filmmaker Robert Flaherty's (Dance) 1919 attempt to make a film about Eskimo life, and the friendship that evolved between him and an Inuk hunter named Nanook (Inukpuk).  An irresistible concept for a filmmaker: do a movie about the making of the world's first -- and arguably most famous -- feature documentary: "Nanook of the North".  Though thin on plot, this film gradually entrances thanks to its moody ambience, breathtaking scenery, and strong performances.  Inukpuk is actually related to the real Nanook!  The title means 'white man'.  Filmed in Canada and Russia.  sc: Claude Massot, Sebastien Regnier. dir: Claude Massot. - brief female nudity, sexual content, violence.- 108 min.

KAENA: The Prophecy * 1/2
(2003) (/France) voices of Kirsten Dunst, Richard Harris, Anjelica Huston, Michael McShane, Greg Proops, Keith David, Dwight Schultz, Tara Strong, Tom Kenny.....Computer animated fantasy about a young woman (voiced by Dunst) on a primitive world who begins to question her people's devotion to their gods and sets out to learn the truth of her world. Striking, beautiful production design...at least it would be, if the visuals were clearer, and scenes not shaded in the same hue. As it is, the lavish visuals are often muddy and hard to make out, and the story isn't much better which, like a lot of European fantasy cartoons, gets lost in its own airy New Age-ism -- not to mention some question as to its target audience (sort of juvenile, sort of aimed at older people what with the voluptuous heroine often in skimpy clothes...possibly even with brief nudity in the French language version). A lot of talent and effort went into this, but the result is more frustrating than fascinating. It's a France/Canada co-production...so of course most of the vocal actors, in the English version, are nether French nor Canadian! According to some reports this was meant to tie into some cross media versions, such as a video game...which I'm not sure ever ended up being made. sc: Chris Delaporte, Tarik Hamdine...and about six or seven other names! dir: Chris Delaporte, Pascal Pinon. 87 min.

KALAMAZOO   * *  setting: P.Q.
(1988) Remy Girard, Marie Tifo, Tony Nardi, Gaston LePage, Jacques Marcotte.....Flighty, incurable romantic (Girard) becomes infatuated with a woman he's never met (Tifo) and is determined to find and woo her, even though she has a lover (Nardi) already; and he encounters a mermaid who looks just like her.  Unusual romantic-fantasy is sparodically amusing but tends to make the viewer feel...uncomfortable.  sc: Marc-Andre Forcier, Jacques Gendron. dir: Marc- Andre Forcier. - sexual content, partial female nudity and casual male nudity.- 88 min.

KAMOURASKA  * *  setting: P.Q.
(1973) (/France) Genevieve Bujold, Richard Jordan, Marcel Cuvelier, Philippe Leotard, Suzie Baillargeon, Huguette Oligny, Camille Bernard.....In the 19th Century, while her current husband is on his deathbed, a woman (Bujold) recalls her first arranged marriage to an abusive, mentally unstable man (Leotard) and how she plotted with her lover (American actor Jordan, speaking French) to murder him. Period drama was indifferently received when it came out, but nonetheless has gone on to be regarded as a semi-classic...which is perhaps more due to everyone's expectations that it be a classic than its actual achieving such. Heavy handed and extremely slow, with poor lighting and static direction, which may be a result of budget problems (though it was the most expensive Canadian movie of its day -- almost one million dollars) or maybe intentionally to emphasize the theme of oppressive society. But if the latter, the filmmakers succeed too well, making a movie that is claustrophobic and stifling to watch and lacking in passion (despite concerning an illicit affair). Originally released in an edited form, even the restored version seems oddly structured and illogical in spots, as if scenes are missing. Even the point is bewildering: though we can sympathize with the heroine's reasons...we aren't meant to sympathize with her as a person. A disappointment. In French. sc: Claude Jutra, Anne Hebert (from the novel by Anne Hebert). dir: Claude Jutra. - male nudity, sexual content, partial femmale nudity, violence.- 173 min.

KARMINA  * *  setting: P.Q./other
(1996) Isabelle Cyr, Robert Brouillette, Yves Pelletier, France Castel, Gildor Roy, Robert Cloutier, Sylvie Potvin, Diane Lavallee, Mario St. Amand.....A Transylvannian vampiress, Karmina (Cyr), runs away to Montreal to avoid an arranged marriage. Once there, she is given a potion to allow her to pass as human, falls in love...even as her erstwhile fiancé (Pelletier) is tracking her down. Audacious, imaginative horror-comedy has some good ideas, and is moderately stylish and occasionally amusing, but the meandering, almost stream-of-consciousness plotting wears, and the mixing of elements (slapstick, whimsy, romantic comedy and macabre black humour, as well as some, perhaps, genuine attempts at true suspense) don't always blend well. Of course, comedy doesn't always translate well (in the English dubbed version, some of the mock-European accents are barely intelligible). A nice try, but more miss than hit. Still, successful enough (in Quebec) to spawn a sequel, Karmina 2. The scene at the Country and Western bar is amusing, though, like the film itself, goes on too long. Roy (who's quite good as a hapless customs agent turned vampire stooge) is also a country singer, and that's one of his songs playing during the bar scene. For another Canadian stab at a vampire comedy, see Blood & Donuts. sc: Ann Burke, Yves Pelletier, Andree Pelletier, Gabriel Pelletier (story: Burke, dialogue: Yves Pelletier). dir: Gabrielle Pelletier. - sexual content, violence, brief male nuddity.- 110 min.

KATE MORRIS VICE-PRESIDENT * * *  setting: Ont.
(1984) Kate Trotter, Scott Hylands, Marc Strange, Paul Harding, Sean McCann, Yvette Brind'Amour, Barbara Gordon.....The only female vice-president (Trotter) at a big company finds her male colleagues patronising, hostile, and attempting to undermine her authority when she begins developing a new prototype.  What seems more earnest than dramatic turns out, instead, to be a fairly compelling drama.  Originally aired as a feature-length episode of the For the Record series.  sc: John C.W. Saxton. dir: Daniele J. Suissa. 81 min.
 

KATTS AND DOG (TV Series) (1988-1992) (/France)   * 1/2  Jesse Collins ("Hank Katts"), Andrew Bednarski ("Stevie") and (variously) Cali Timmins ("Maggie Davenport"), Sharon Ackerman, Denise Virieux ("Rene Daumier") with Ken Pogue ("Capt. Murdoch"), Peter MacNeill ("Sgt. Callahan"), Denis Akiyama ("Ron"), Norah Grant, Dan Martin, Corrine Koslo, others.....Crime drama about a cop (Collins) in the canine corps, his dog Rudy and his nephew (Bednarski).  The show went through a number of supporting players over its run, first with Timmins as the hero's widowed sister and the boy's mother; then Ackerman was the boy's aunt, or grandmother, or something; then Virieux as a sexy French cop.  Pogue, MacNeill, Akiyama and others were fellow police officers. This largely uninspired TV series didn't quite seem to know what it wanted to be: in style and premise, it seemed kind of juvenile, but it liked to throw in murder and mayhem.  Whatever, it didn't really work, and the characters were bland though the performances were O.K.  Half-hour episodes initially on CTV.

KAZAN   * *  setting: CDN.
(1995) (/France) Jeff Fahey, Sophie Duez, Lorne Brass, Patrice Bissonnette, Vlasta Vrana, Aron Tager.....Period wilderness story of wolf-dog Kazan and the various people and animals he meets, good and bad, including the woman (Duez) who owns him and a zoologist (Fahey).  This drama is better looking and acted, and more stylishly directed, than most of the Tales of the Wild films, but it's meandering and episodic, trotting out many of the expected cliches but handling them perfunctorily.  And for a movie with an "environmental" message, it seems to treat its animals harshly in some scenes -- beware films that claim to have safeguarded their animals, but don't have independent observers (ie: the Humane Society) on location to supervise.  Followed by a semi-sequel, Baree.  a.k.a. Eye of the Wolf.  sc: Jonathan Hales (from the story by James Oliver Curwood). dir: Arnaud Selignac. 97 min.

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY   * 1/2  setting: P.Q.
(1973) John Gavin, Adrienne Larussa, Pat Gage (a.k.a. Patricia Gage), Allan McRae..... Young hippie couple decide to have revenge on their tight-fisted establishment families by seducing the other's parent, but complications arise when one "couple" actually falls in love.  Brisk comedy has a few moments that border on amusing, and gets top-marks for actually having a "concept" premise.  But that same premise is also one of the problems: who cares about these self-obsessed, manipulative people?  a.k.a. Love Brats.  sc: Edward D. Stewart (story Stewart and Kent). dir: Larry Kent. - brief female nudity.- 91 min.

KEEPING TRACK * * 1/2  setting: P.Q.
(1987) Michael Sarrazin, Margot Kidder, Alan Scarfe, Ken Pogue, John Boylan.....Bank executive (Kidder) and a TV anchorman (Sarrazin) don't know who to trust after witnessing a murder which they can't prove yet everyone from the Mounties to the CIA to the KGB is covering up.  Breezy thriller has trouble mustering genuine thrills or a real sense of paranoia, but benefits, as it goes along, from fast-pacing and good chemistry between the two leads.  sc: Jamie Brown. dir: Robin Spry. 102 min.

KEVIN OF THE NORTH  * 1/2  setting: USA.
(2001) (/U.K.) Skeet Ulrich, Natasha Henstridge, Leslie Nielsen, Lochlyn Munro, Rik Mayall.....California milquetoast (American actor Ulrich) comes to Alaska to claim his inheritance, predicated on his winning a cross country dog sled race, while an attorney (Nielsen) will stop at nothing to sabotage him. Typically Canadian slapstick comedy -- and I don't mean that in a good way. Decidedly old fashioned, with lots of mugging and pratfalls, as well as being mean spirited and with modern vulgarity and gross-out gags. They try, one can give them that, and it starts out sprightly at least...but then drags. It just isn't funny (save for a very occasional mildly amusing line) and without enough of a straight-faced anchor to at least make us care about the characters. Mayall comes closest to working as an over-the-top British weasel (who is supposed to be an ex-Canadian Mountie?). A Canada-British co-production, the common wisdom in the industry is that they have to set movies in the United States to be a success -- gosh, so I must've just missed its extended run at the movie house, eh? Archly American, to the point of dialogue downgrading Winston Churchill to being Franklin Roosevelt's sidekick! sc: William Osborne. dir: Bob Spiers. 103 min.

KHALED  * * *  setting: Ont.
(2002) Michael D'Ascenzo, Michele Duquet, Normand Bissonnette, Lynne Deragon, John Ralston, Michael Kanev, Joanne Boland, Gerry Quigley.....When his sickly mother (Duquet) dies, a boy (D'Ascenzo), living in a rundown apartment, decides to cover it up so he won't be sent away. Downbeat but effective drama is vividly realized and energetically directed, with excellent performances from all concerned. Albeit the story, although with some nice threads, doesn't grow that much beyond the premise. But an auspicious debut for the filmmaker. sc./dir: Asghar Massombagi. 81 min.

THE KID  * 1/2  setting: USA.
(1997) Jeff Saumier, Rod Steiger, Ray Aranha, Mark Camacho, Bruce Dinsmore, Ted Fennell, Jane Wheeler.....A teen (Saumier) trains to be a boxer with a kindly coach (Steiger) while keeping his hobby secret from his parents. Family-aimed boxing drama seems a little like they got the go ahead before they had come up with much more than the genre. The main dramatic conflict is the kid keeping his boxing a secret from his parents, which seems like an awfully thin premise to hang 90 minutes on. There are sub-plots (like his best friend who doesn't want to box, but is pressured into it by his dad, and a local bully) but they're either resolved easily, or don't go anywhere. It doesn't even work as a "relationship" drama, since he and Steiger are already friends at the beginning, so their relationship doesn't evolve. There are nice ideas, like the uncontrived relationship with his brother, and some cute concept scenes (the non-Catholic hero in a confessional) but the execution never becomes more than competent. And without a stronger plot, competent isn't enough. sc: Seymour Blicker. dir: John Hamilton. 89 min.

THE KIDNAPPING OF BABY JOHN DOE a.k.a. Baby John Doe

THE KIDNAPPING OF THE PRESIDENT * * 1/2  setting: Ont./other
(1980) (/U.S.) William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Miguel Fernandes, Michael J. Reynolds, Cindy Girling, Van Johnson, Ava Gardner.....The U.S. president (Holbrook) is taken hostage while visiting Toronto by a Latin-American terrorist (Fernandes) and a Secret Service man (Shatner) must try to save him.  Psychological suspense flick barely acknowledges conflicting jurisdictions but isn't bad.  Too much the procedural, though, and not enough character stuff.  Interestingly, the original novel, by Canuck Templeton, was set entirely in the States.  sc: Richard Murphy (from the novel by Charles Templeton). dir: George Mendeluk. - violence.- 113 min.
 

KIDS IN THE HALL (TV Series) (1988-1994) (/U.S.)   * 1/2  Mark McKinney, Kevin MacDonald, Bruce McCulloch, David Foley, Scott Thompson.....Sketch comedy. This quintet had a big following in the University crowd and among critics...but like so many modern comics and comedy troupes, their emphasis was on "pushing the envelope" and "shock", but since there are very few real taboos left, the rambling sketches just came across as tired and sophomoric rather than daring...or funny.  Still, the show maintained a steady (if not huge) following throughout its run, and running gags like "I crush your head!" (using perspective to pretend to squeeze a person's head between thumb and forefinger) surfaced outside the show.  Thompson was one of the first openly homosexual actors to appear on a weekly series in the United States (where this show was also aired).  The group got its name from an old Jack Benny reference: aspiring writers would mill about in the hall, calling gags out to him as he went by.  Occasionally Benny would use one and credit it to "the kids in the hall".  The group reunited in 1996 for the feature film Brain Candy.  Half-hour episodes on the CBC.

KIDS IN THE HALL: Brain Candy * 1/2  setting: Ont.
(1996) (/U.S.) David Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson, Nicole DeBoer, Krista Bridges.....A greedy pharmaceutical company invents a new drug that makes people happy, and releases it before doing the proper testing.  Feature film by the cult TV comedy troupe Kids in the Hall (Foley, McCulloch, McDonald, McKinney and Thompson) has a good premise and is less grating than their series, but it still only manages a smattering of chuckles...and the group's sketch-comedy delivery is perhaps a bit at odds with the needs of a feature-length film (particularly McCulloch as the inventor/protagonist).  Arguably plays better for fans, though even then it seemed to get mixed reviews.  The Kids each play a variety of characters.  sc: Norm Hiscock, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson. dir: Kelly Makin. - casual male nudity, sexual content.- 88 min. 

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