Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on June 12th, 2013
“In the old days, we did the news well. You know how? We just decided to.” Sounds simple enough, so what’s keeping everyone from doing the news well? Well, other than a country that feels more politically polarized than ever and a population that mostly seems interested in cherry picking the “facts” they’d rather hear, […]
Posted in No Huddle by J C on March 15th, 2013
If the last few decades are any indication, TV viewers can’t get enough medical shows, while mob dramas seem to develop some of the most fervent followings. The Mob Doctor — the Fox drama canceled shortly after its debut last fall — suggests those two great tastes don’t necessarily taste great together. The network wound up […]
Posted in The Reel World by Gino Sassani on March 15th, 2013
“Welcome to the wonderful world of magic.” They say that the hand is quicker than the eye. Through the art of misdirection and skillful manipulation we have been awed by magicians ever since Glog made Ooof’s club disappear somewhere in Mesopotamia circa 20,000 BC. It’s not all skill, really. The truth is we’ve always wanted […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on February 19th, 2013
“There’s a king in every corner now.” Game of Thrones is definitely one of the best shows on TV right now, and it might be the most ambitious television series ever produced. Ambition and quality don’t always go hand in hand. (See, Cloud Atlas. No, seriously…watch it. I’m one of the people who really enjoyed […]
Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on January 4th, 2013
Enlightened is a new HBO series that tries to find a place in the storied and award-winning shelf of great shows from the cable giant. Many HBO series have had a strong hook to hang on like the gangster epics The Sopranos or Boardwalk Empire. Enlightened is a far more elusive concept. At the center […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on November 28th, 2012
“In 1920 they passed the prohibition act making the sale of alcohol illegal. Well… at least it was supposed to be.” I know what you’re thinking, and I was also incredibly disappointed to learn this film was not a biopic of Xena: Warrior Princess actress Lucy Lawless. (This hypothetical film would obviously star the ageless […]
Posted in The Reel World by J C on August 29th, 2012
I know what you’re thinking, and I was also incredibly disappointed to learn this film was not a biopic of Xena: Warrior Princess actress Lucy Lawless. (This hypothetical film would obviously star the ageless Kiwi because the actress still looks incredible.) Fortunately, Lawless makes up for its startling lack of Lawless by being one of […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on June 23rd, 2012
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” That famous proverb comes from a couplet in the Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse.” (“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/Gang aft agley”) Simply put, it means that even the most carefully prepared plans can go wrong at any time. The line also […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 4th, 2011
The other day, I was taking a look at my past reviews and I realized that I have been reviewing on this site for over six years. If you have been reading my reviews for that long and you aren’t married to me, bless you for sticking it out that long. Heck, I’ve only known […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on December 19th, 2017
“There is only one war that matters. The Great War…and it is here.” Ever since Game of Thrones premiered in 2011, viewers have been tantalized by the notion that “winter is coming.” (And it’s been a *much* longer wait for book readers who fell in love with the first installment in George R.R. Martin’s “A […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on November 18th, 2016
“Does death only come for the wicked and leave the decent behind?” Throughout its first five seasons, Game of Thrones has been relentlessly cruel to its viewers heroes in a way that shocked audiences and upended genre expectations. But as Thrones edges toward its conclusion — and as the TV adaptation becomes more unmoored than […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on June 6th, 2016
“All men must die.” The official tagline for Season 4 of HBO’s Game of Thrones also doubles as a helpful reminder of author George R.R. Martin’s no-character-is-safe philosophy. But even plastering that quote all over posters and promos isn’t likely to prepare you for the most devastating and thrilling season of a show that specializes […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on March 16th, 2016
“Perhaps we’ve grown so used to horror, we assume there’s no other way.” Given the quantity and quality of death and destruction we’ve witnessed over the previous four years, the most shocking thing Game of Thrones could do in its fifth season was offer a tiny glimmer of hope. After all, optimism in Westeros and […]
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on February 19th, 2015
“All men must die.” The official tagline for Season 4 of HBO’s Game of Thrones also doubles as a helpful reminder of author George R.R. Martin’s no-character-is-safe philosophy. But even plastering that quote all over posters, promos, and the cover of this exemplary-in-every-way Blu-ray set isn’t likely to prepare you for the most devastating and […]
