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Our City Tonight

By Jim Gordon and Leeta Liepins

Published 2:16 PDT, Fri October 10, 2025

Spotlight on new home view, theatrical release, look back at an icon

THE VIEW #1 – Black Rabbit

From Netflix comes the 8-part series called Black Rabbit. It’s the story of two brothers, one a successful New York City restaurant/nightclub owner named Jake (Jude Law), the other, Vince (Jason Bateman), a grifting loser who has come back to New York City in desperate need of his brother’s help. Within minutes of Vince’s unexpected return, trouble enters Jake’s life and that of his successful business. Black Rabbit is a tensely-driven drama set in the already tense setting of this busy cosmopolitan city. Everything Jake is driven toward: to be the best spot in the city has come with some costs (we learn early his marriage has ended and there’s a son he’s trying to see as often as he can, to a number of investors who are far from stable), but with his brother now back in his life, all could come crashing down. Jude Law is always solid, but it’s Jason Bateman’s performance as the lowlife Vince that steals the show. Bateman also directed several episodes (as did actress Laura Linney), and both he and Law are executive producers. Episodes are available now on netflix.com

THE VIEW #2 – Shelby Oaks

Frequent Our City Tonight guest and award-winning actress, Camille Sullivan, stars in a new supernatural, mystery horror film called Shelby Oaks. She plays Mia Brennan, a mid-western woman who has never recovered from the strange disappearance of her younger sister, Riley, back in 2008. What’s strange is Riley was part of a team hosting a YouTube show that investigated paranormal phenomenon when she went missing. The rest of her colleagues were brutally murdered with no arrests, and the search for Riley caused nation-wide interest. Twenty-five years later, Mia still grieves, but when a significant event takes place—literally—on her front door step, Mia’s investigation goes into overdrive. Shelby Oaks starts with a Dateline, documentary, type feel, with a bit of Blair Witch Project, but it becomes all mystery and edge of your seat horror in the second part of the film. Camille Sullivan, who has delivered dozens of impressive performances over the years in a wide variety of genres, gives a powerful and chilling performances in this film. Look for Shelby Oaks in theatres Oct. 24.

THE READ – Miss Dinah Shore

In this column, we often like to offer reading suggestions on subjects that may be forgotten today, but in their time, we’re icons and trailblazers. That would certainly be the case with Dinah Shore, whose career spanned decades in a variety of different entertainment roles. And throughout it all, fans loved her. Now comes Miss Dinah Shore by Michael B. Druxam, a longtime screenwriter and author of numerous Hollywood-related books including his memoir. The reader gets a look at Shore’s difficult early years, including contracting polio, through her successful radio and recording career, and on to three successful TV runs in the 1950s and 1970’s. Though her image was always polished, there was her marriage and divorce to actor George Montgomery, rumours of affairs with men like Frank Sinatra and then her “May/December” relationship with Burt Reynolds. What struck us most in reacquainting ourselves with Dinah Shore, was how big she was at so many different times. With all due respect to another female entertainment icon, Lucille Ball, Dinah Shore could certainly be in that category of “First Woman of Television”. And then there were her two talk shows in the 1970s, Dinah’s Place, and then, Dinah, also known as Dinah and Friends. She was the queen of the afternoon talk show, long before Oprah and Ellen. Miss Dinah Shore also reminds us that there was another time before social media and YouTube made people famous “ for being famous” and Dinah Shore was one of those individuals who had so much talent that it allowed her to be centre stage for decades. bearmanormedia.com