Television Reviews

The Best Television of 2018 – What defines TV in the Streaming Age?

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Every year the rules, the very definition of media evolves.  As individuals and households continue to cut the cable cord, streaming services and studios are reinventing the nature of content.  The lines between movies, television shows, and mini-series continue to blur and morph into something new and exciting.  If competition breeds higher quality, the race… Continue reading The Best Television of 2018 – What defines TV in the Streaming Age?

Movie Reviews

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ – A Comic Book Character Evolves?

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  As a character, Spider-Man has been around for a long time and has had multiple iterations on the page.  His alter ego Peter Parker has gone through the trials of high school and college, gotten married, had his marriage erased by the devil, died, come back to life, become a billionaire, but always seems… Continue reading ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ – A Comic Book Character Evolves?

Movie Reviews

‘Creed II’ – A Sequel to ‘Creed’, ‘Rocky’, or Both?

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  This Thanksgiving, everyone is back for ‘Creed II” except for wunderkind writer/director Ryan Coogler.  While it would be absurd to say that his skills aren’t missed, luckily he was able to set up a sturdy enough foundation with the characters and the talented actors who play them to help this sequel succeed.  Sylvester Stallone may have been… Continue reading ‘Creed II’ – A Sequel to ‘Creed’, ‘Rocky’, or Both?

Movie Reviews

‘mid90s’ – Is Jonah Hill’s Ode to Youth Provocative, Profound, or Somewhere in Between?

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  Seemingly out of nowhere, a little movie about a kid coming of age in the ‘mid90s’ southern California skater subculture previewed, evoking a nostalgia for all those of a certain age who could relate to its smattering of hip-hop and punk/grunge samples, as well as its low-key vibe.  Then at the end of the preview, the… Continue reading ‘mid90s’ – Is Jonah Hill’s Ode to Youth Provocative, Profound, or Somewhere in Between?

Movie Reviews

‘Halloween’ – The Best Slasher Sequel in a Long Time, Possibly Ever?

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  In hindsight, launching a definitive sequel to 1978’s classic John Carpenter horror film, ‘Halloween’, as it celebrates its 40th(?!) anniversary, is a no-brainer.  What isn’t is uber-horror-producer Jason Blum’s ability to get notoriously cantankerous Carpenter’s blessing, match the IP with unlikely filmmakers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, disavow decades of sequels and re-imaginings,… Continue reading ‘Halloween’ – The Best Slasher Sequel in a Long Time, Possibly Ever?

Movie Reviews

‘A Star Is Born’ – Can an Oft-Told Tale Still Work Today?

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  ‘A Star Is Born’ should not work as well as it does.  Ostensibly a vanity project shepherded by Bradley Cooper, who stars, directs, and co-writes, with a feature turn by Lady Gaga (billed as such), this is the 4th(?!) time a movie has born this title and story arc.  Audiences have seen this a… Continue reading ‘A Star Is Born’ – Can an Oft-Told Tale Still Work Today?

Movie Reviews

‘First Man’ – A Case for the Dearth of Armstrong Biopics?

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  Watching ‘First Man’ on an IMAX screen, director Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling’s follow-up to ‘La La Land’, it’s striking that such a bombastic event as the first steps on the moon could be presented in such a subdued, melancholic, yet visceral way.  Yet it completely makes sense to make this film now, at a time when it… Continue reading ‘First Man’ – A Case for the Dearth of Armstrong Biopics?