This week, Okwudili and I delve into Marvel’s latest Netflix original series, Luke Cage. We unpack every nook and cranny of the show. We give particular attention to its highs (particularly its exploration of black culture) as well as its faults (at times weak writing and inconsistent in pacing). Though Luke Cage seemingly has the […]
High Concept on the Down Low: Steven Spielberg
Welcome to the first episode of “High Concept on the Down Low,” a podcast that focuses on the modern Hollywood scene. We will explore everything from big-name directors to composers. If it’s happening in Hollywood, we’ll talk about it. Everyone is familiar with Steven Spielberg and his numerous films. Yet people might not be aware of how […]
Movie Fail Live Tweets the 88th Academy Awards
In light of the massive controversy around #OscarsSoWhite, host Chris Rock reportedly tossed his plans for the 88th Academy Awards in favor of a brand new set of material. We’re all psyched to see what he has in store. The festivities begin at 7 pm EST on ABC (or online). The full list of 2016 Oscar […]
The Best New TV Shows of 2015
The Golden Age of television doesn’t seem to be losing steam. In fact, the era of captivating TV has crossed over to streaming services which stepped up their presence in 2015; many of the year’s best shows were provided by sites like Netflix. These days their appeal doesn’t come solely from our ability to binge watch […]
Jurassic World
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park was a cultural phenomenon. It remains an impressive movie that has captured the imagination of every child and adult, dinosaur-obsessed or not. While its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, didn’t manage to captivate audiences like its predecessor did, it remained an entertaining dinosaur-themed diversion. (Jurassic Park III, on the other hand, does not exist.) So when Universal Studios […]
Gotham: “Red Hood” Review
For better or worse, a successful episode of Gotham is contingent on its crime-of-the-week. In “Red Hood,” Gotham handles this task with grace, putting forward an uncommonly exceptional episode of television. Gotham has a serious problem with corruption. We’ve seen bits and pieces of how this affects its citizens—corrupt police, mob influences and rampant unchecked crime. This […]
Gotham: “The Blind Fortune Teller” Review
Circuses get a bad rap on television. They are associated with horrible misfortune and dark, disturbing secrets. Maybe it’s because many people are afraid of clowns, or because circuses were plagued with scandals for a very long time. Whatever the reason, it is rare to see a circus depicted in a wholesome light. Gotham is no exception. […]
Big Hero 6
Film has the capacity to inspire us. It can make us feel sentimental, happy and sad. The greatest power a movie has is the ability to reach out and touch an audience’s heart. Big Hero 6, directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, achieves this and more. This Disney animated movie (made in conjunction with Marvel Studios) tells […]
Gotham: “The Scarecrow” Review
Gotham, at this point, feels like a bad CW show circa 2006. It is so full of melodrama, moody stares and juvenile exposition that I’m amazed the show got picked up for a full second season. I had so much hope back when previews for Gotham started, but each week, the show brings us new and exciting […]
Gotham: “The Fearsome Dr. Crane” Review
Fear is a powerful emotion. It renders some people unable to leave their house, while others jump out of planes and off bridges to confront fear head-on. On this week’s episode of Gotham, Dr. Jonathan Crane (Charlie Tahan) prefers that people deal with their fears in a more deadly manner. Dr. Crane spends his time targeting victims in support […]
Gotham: “Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” Review
“Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” sounds like the title of an episode all about Jim Gordon’s return to the GCPD. And it is… sort of. Gordon is back as the do-good detective who wants to straighten Gotham up. But instead of the support of his fellow peers, he once again experiences the city’s internal corruption. So much for […]
Gotham: “What the Little Bird Told Him” Review
Gotham is frustratingly inconsistent. “What the Little Bird Told Him” is a decent episode, much better than last week’s, but still unsure in its footing. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) manages to get himself reinstated as detective by promising to catch the escaped Executioner (Christopher Heyerdahl), while Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) finally makes her move against Falcone (John […]
Gotham: “Rogues’ Gallery” Review
The holidays brought about rest, relaxation and new beginnings. This fresh start did not rejuvenate everything, however. As I was afraid would happen based on its fall finale, Gotham’s return episode, “Rogues’ Gallery,” perpetuates the series’ fractured structure and unclear overarching story. This episode is a perfect example of showrunner Bruno Heller’s inability to balance its crime-drama ambitions […]
Hailey’s Best Films of 2014
2014 was an entertaining year for film. Marvel experienced huge successes with Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Big Hero 6. We also saw a large influx of action/comedy films, with 22 Jump Street being the prime example of how well action and comedy can mix together. Animated movies also had a good year. […]
Gotham: “Lovecraft” Review
When I saw the first previews for Gotham, I was interested to see how the villains and city of Batman’s world came to be. But week after week, the show has delivered little backstory for its protagonist, an underdeveloped Gotham and a largely unengaging supporting cast. Frustratingly, the character who receives the most attention each week is Bruce Wayne: the person we […]
Gracepoint: Episode Eight
After every tragedy there comes a time when we have to pick our lives back up once again. In its eighth episode, Gracepoint and its citizens attempt to do just that – even though Danny’s killer is still on the loose. This week the Millers get back what the Solanos did not: their son. Rev. Paul (Kevin Rankin) […]
Gotham: “Harvey Dent” Review
“Harvey Dent” is a decent episode. Both Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) and Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) receive modest character development and crime-of-the-week continues on along the show’s theme of misunderstood villains. Where it falls short is in its portrayal of titular character Harvey Dent (Nicholas D’Agosto) and in its adherence to the mob wars that are inevitably […]
Gracepoint: “Episode Seven” Review
We’ve all lost someone before. In a mall, a crowded street, a fair or even at the grocery store. You search frantically over the heads of people in the crowd, retrace your steps and finally breathe easy as you find your friend, partner or child. Even if the moment lasts for only a split second, the […]
Gotham: “The Mask” Review
It is important to stand up for what we believe in. Gotham is full of crime and corruption, but Gordon (Ben McKenzie) isn’t deterred by it. He wants to help and serve its citizens in any way he can. I do not have the same tenacity as Gordon, however. I cannot keep fighting for Gotham. After two strong […]
Gracepoint: “Episode Six” Review
The way people respond to secrets is intriguing. We can fall head over heels for a person romantically or platonically, but the moment we find out they’re hiding something from us, we immediately change our view of them. It’s a classic trope used in everything from thrillers to romantic comedies. In the latter especially, the […]
Gracepoint: “Episode Five” Review
Last time on Gracepoint, inn owner Gemma Fisher (Sarah-Jane Potts) aptly remarked, “Everyone’s got something to hide.” This statement, while obvious, became oh-so relevant this week. Some of the many secrets Gracepoint’s citizens have to hide come to the surface in Gracepoint‘s fifth episode. We have reached the halfway point of this Fox series, and […]
Gotham: “Penguin’s Umbrella” Review
When you cross Gotham’s biggest crime bosses, you pay the price. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) learns this lesson in Gotham‘s best episode to date. After the momentum from last week’s episode, “Spirit of the Goat,” Gotham is finally getting somewhere. “Penguin’s Umbrella” gets off to an explosive start. Pulse-pounding music overlays a scene where a desperate Gordon […]
Gotham: “Spirit of the Goat” Review
Greed is a disease. It festers and spreads throughout the body until you’re consumed with thoughts of money and power. For some, the One Percent needs a reality check. They argue there is no fairness in a tiny minority that holds all the wealth while the rest of us have to suffer. “Spirit of the Goat” takes […]
Gracepoint: “Episode Four” Review
We’ve established that secrets are a ubiquitous factor in our lives. But we also like to assume that those closest to us will share their skeletons. Discovering the true malevolent nature of people you thought you knew is an unimaginably scary thought. The fourth episode of Gracepoint preys on this innate fear along and communicates it through the show’s voyeuristic lens. Carver […]
Gotham: “Viper” Review
Chemical warfare is terrifying. Imagining all of the different types of weapons that have and will be invented sends a shiver down the spine. So when a drug that gives the user the ability to rip someone apart with their bare hands was introduced on Gotham this week, my interest was piqued. As with “Arkham,” “Viper” continues to unravel the mystery connection between Wayne Enterprises […]
Gracepoint: “Episode Three” Review
There is a sense of camaraderie and community in small towns. But in aid of maintaining that picturesque setting, dark secrets begin to grow because everyone has something to hide. Small towns can be scary, a theme this week’s episode of Gracepoint seeks to prove. Apparently Danny knew his killer well. The implication of that knowledge is astounding. If Danny knew […]
Gotham: “Arkham” Review
Each week of Gotham brings new disappointment. I want to like this show. I recommend it to people who ask my opinion. I try to get excited when Monday night rolls around and I always pray that the new episode will be the one to capture my love and adoration. After watching “Arkham,” I fear I hope in vain. […]
Gracepoint: “Episode Two” Review
Grief is a funny emotion. Everyone suffers through it differently. Some hole up and shut everyone out, others act as if nothing ever happened and some blame and point the finger at those they care about the most. My hometown has a population of about 10,000 people; that’s not tiny, admittedly, but it’s small enough that […]
Gotham: “The Balloonman” Review
“The Balloonman” is an interesting episode, even if it doesn’t feature the action-packed punches I expected from the previews. The opening shot is beautiful. It features stunning cinematography that carries over throughout the episode. Director Dermott Downs and DP Tom Yatsko’s composition exposes the beauty Gotham while highlighting the crime and decay of the city. Downs and Yatsko treat us to a […]
Gracepoint: “Episode One” Review
The first episode of ten episode Gracepoint miniseries opens with a lazy pan over a sleepy town of the same name. With a quick cut, we see a boy standing on the edge of a cliff. Everything is quiet – too quiet. The slow, rhythmic music combines the ambient sounds of the town to give us an ominous […]
Currying Favor: A Tim Curry Retrospective
When I was seven years old, my mom, my brother, and I watched Clue for the first time. That movie helped form my love of film. I can quote every line by heart and talk endlessly about what makes it great. But ultimately, there’s really only one reason the film has stuck with me: Tim […]
Gotham: “Selina Kyle” Review
“Selina Kyle” opens with a shot of Bruce Wayne holding his hand over an open flame. Although clearly in pain, Bruce does remove his hand until Alfred (Sean Pertwee) comes into the room. Once Alfred realizes what Bruce is doing, he yells at the boy, only to immediately regret his outburst and instead wrap Bruce in a big […]
The Boxtrolls
When the first trailer for The Boxtrolls came out, it seemed pretty progressive. The trailer touts the idea that parents come in all shapes, sizes and forms (and yes, sometimes boxes). It intimates that not all families include a mother and a father. I was excited. The Boxtrolls is based on Alan Snow’s kids novel, Here Be Monsters! It follows […]
Gotham: “Pilot” Review
In the weeks leading up to Gotham, Fox put a lot of effort into marketing. The studio released an interactive version of the Thomas and Martha Wayne murder scene for fans to explore, as well as a site for the fictional newspaper, the Gotham Chronicle. But will that all pay off in ratings and critical acclaim? […]
