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Movie Review: Snitch
I’m not a big fan of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, due in large part to the fact that he is relies mainly on his wrestling ethos and body structure to do his acting for him. I have nothing against his wrestling persona, and don't mind him much in action films, as long as they keep his dialogue to a minimum. I always stand by that the best movie of his career is Faster, because he didn’t have to say a single line in the entire movie. With that in mind, Snitch is a very big departure from his usual roles; a heavily dialogued crime drama which relies on the lead actor completely selling his character.
The Following – The Fall [TV Review]
The struggle between Tom Hardy and Joe Carroll’s followers seems to have reached its climax in this week’s episode of The Following. The excitement builds throughout the episode, exploring characters that haven’t taken much notice in the past and cause other characters to make drastic decision. From this point out, it seems like everyone involved is vulnerable and is far from safe.
Straight to Beta: Compliance
So, my girlfriend was out of town this weekend which means I got to do what I love; be lazy and watch movies…and eat away my feelings. All was going according to plan. I spent the last two days in my pajamas, I was eating every half hour, and my blanket fort on the couch was coming along nicely. Then I watched a movie that brought my cozy reclusive world crumbling to the ground – Compliance. Or, as I like to call it, The Quickest Way to Get Me to Take a Shower Because it Makes Me Feel Super Dirty Movie. Sorry, still playing with the title. Let’s get into it.
Spartacus: The White Album [TV Review]
This week’s episode of Spartacus, Decimation, was like Rupert Grint’s catchphrase in the Harry Potter films: bloody hell! The episode starts with a coarse foreshadow of what was about to come. I mean, the whole scene felt plopped in without a second thought. At least they are trying literary tools to develop the story. Or maybe they’re just trying to make up for the bad dialogue they are trying to pass off as "historical."
Movie Review: The Paperboy
I have been eagerly awaiting this film ever since I saw the trailer some months ago. My curiosity was heightened when I started hearing all the great things coming from Cannes about it. Yesterday, I was finally able to sit down and watch it.
The Americans – In Control [TV Review]
The Americans has proven itself to be a show that either you like it for it’s interesting take on historical fiction or hate it for its take on historical fiction. It’s a premise shared similar with Homeland, but the two of them diverge in the fact that Homeland takes place in a fictional America in present day while The Americans takes place in recent history, having to tackle the lives of our fictional heroes surrounded by events that actually happened. When this finally comes up, it can mean sink or swim for the series.
TV Review: Cult Episode 1
Cults seem to be the flavor of the month right now. You’ve got Fox’s The Following, in which a serial killer is able to cull minions via the Internet. Though not featuring “cult” members per se, across the pond Utopia has obsessed fans of a comic facing off against those obsessed with hiding the books secrets.
Comic Review: Superior Spider-Man #4
The fourth issue of this “bold” new direction for the web-slinger hit stores and Doctor Octopus (within the body of Peter Parker) may have finally bitten off more than he can chew. Written by primary Spider-scribe Dan Slott and drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Superior Spider-Man #4 starts adding on subplots for the series and features the return of a character long absent from the pages of a Spider-Man book, though it is in the book of the wrong Spider-Man. As always, spoilers follow.
'Arrow' Recap: Dodger
Good TV shows know how to play with viewers’ expectations. A savvy writing staff learns what their audience is familiar with – dialogue patterns, plot points, clichés, common story arcs – and manipulates it, subverting or reinforcing those expectations for greater dramatic or comic effect. For instance, here we have a show whose protagonist is named Oliver, with an episode titled “Dodger” and featuring a villain of the same name. Now, any reasonable person, nay, any right-thinking person, would expect such an episode to contain multiple Charles Dickens jokes. Yet there were none to be had. Expectations: subverted. Also not to be had? Much excitement.
Killing Lincoln [TV Review]
It’s amazing how pop culture has been very inviting of the 16th President of the United States lately. A number of movies were released this past year, from one telling of a secret (fictional) life of the Great Emancipator to a film directed by Stephen Spielberg, which is a contender for being the big winner at this year’s Academy Awards. An interesting thing about all these mediums is that it showcases different viewpoints of Abraham Lincoln. Killing Lincoln, based off the book by Bill O’Reilly, places the man in a supporting role to that of his killer, John Wilkes Booth.
