Welcome to the first [official] episode of Stark Contrast, the Game of Thrones-focused podcast series at Movie Fail. We started recording our thoughts on HBO’s fantasy series last year with Season 4, and now, armed with an official title, we’re ready to jump back in. This week we’re discussing the premiere of Season 5, “The Wars […]
Charles Agbaje, Co-Creator of Spider Stories
There is limitless potential in fantasy. It exists in the realm of the imagination where constraints mean nothing. Sometimes it offers commentary on real world phenomena, while other times it simply explores ideas too outlandish for the confines of grounded drama. Yet despite this freedom, modern fantasy storytelling has barely scratched the surface of what’s possible. Can you think of any stories in […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 18
In what may be the last Ember Island Airwaves podcast ever, Josh and I take some time to look back on The Legend of Korra as a series. We discuss Korra’s arc from a more brazen and hot-tempered to a more peaceful and diplomatic Avatar. That journey starts in Book One: Air amidst Korra’s conflict with Amon and […]
Korra: “Day of the Colossus” / “The Last Stand” Review
That, dear reader, is how you end a series. “Day of the Colossus” offers quick relief by revealing that everyone survived the explosion at the end of last week’s episode. Tension ramps back up immediately. I felt a thrilling endgame pressure watching Team Avatar plan a course of attack to bring down the Colossus. As Josh and Søren […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 17
It seems like just yesterday scenes from the first episode of The Legend of Korra leaked all over Tumblr. Fast forward a couple of years and Korrasami is canon, Hiroshi Sato is a martyr and Zhu Li and Varrick have officially declared their mutual affection. Needless to say, things have changed a bit since we were “Welcome(d) to Republic […]
Korra: “Kuvira’s Gambit” Review
“Kuvira’s Gambit” is the kind of episode that makes me wish this series wasn’t about to end. The penultimate chapter of Book Four provides plenty for viewers to chew on as we look ahead to the impending finale. The largest of these elements is Kuvira’s newly revealed supermassive mecha suit. Nick revealed the titles for the two-finale […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 16
Wow – now that was an episode! Both J and I loved “Kuvira’s Gambit,” an easy highlight of both Book 4 and the rest of The Legend of Korra. Kuvira continues to build herself up (literally!) as a truly intimidating opponent for the Avatar and her allies. She arrives on the front steps of Republic City […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 15
The Legend of Korra maintains momentum with an exciting Beifong-centric episode. “Operation Beifong” doesn’t waste much time getting Bolin, Lin, Opal and Toph together as they seek to rescue Suyin from Kuvira’s clutches. Along the way, they find Zhu Li, whose allegiance to Kuvira may not be as firm as the show would have you believe. Meanwhile, […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 14
“Beyond the Wilds” marks a return to the main plot of Book 4: Balance after last week’s tangential clip show. Korra continues to work through her traumatic past with Zaheer. Meanwhile, the spirit vines in Republic City react violently to Kuvira’s assault on the swamp and the banyan grove tree. J and I begin our conversation speculating […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 13
Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino deliver a clip episode this week in the form of “Remembrances.” Next to nothing happens with regard to plot and we’re left reminiscing about the good and bad in The Legend of Korra. Nevertheless, the showrunners and their crew do what they can to make the episode fun and […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 12
After a brief hiatus last week, Ember Island Airwaves is back with an all new episode covering the latest in The Legend of Korra. This week, J and I discuss both “The Battle of Zaofu” and “Reunion.” These episodes function as filler to some degree with Bolin and Varrick taking center stage. Concurrently, the Avatar […]
Korra: “The Battle of Zaofu” Review
Let me step back onto my soapbox for a moment. I was extremely pleased with Bolin’s (P.J. Byrne) character in this episode of The Legend of Korra. My editor noticed in last week’s “Enemy at the Gates” that the other characters never condone Bolin’s childish antics (even if they have in the past). I didn’t pick up on it then, […]
Korra: “Enemy at the Gates” Review
“Enemy at the Gates” whips through several compelling plot threads in The Legend of Korra. It also offers an affecting emotional arc while affirming one of the show’s major weaknesses: Bolin. Let me step onto my soapbox for a minute. Bolin (P.J. Byrne) is a terrible character. For three Books, his only purpose was to provide comic […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 11
The Legend of Korra is back with the deeply plot-driven episode, “Enemy at the Gates.” Kuvira has arrived at Zaofu with her army and Korra is back in the picture as Suyin tries to decide how she’s going to deal with the incursion. Meanwhile, Bolin and Varrick discover Kuvira may skew more evil than they’d anticipated […]
Korra: “The Calling” Review
“The Calling” works well as a conclusion to this now three-episode arc about Korra’s healing process. “Korra Alone” focused directly on her three-year journey between Books Three and Four. “The Coronation” spent time showing Korra’s training with Toph, but largely stepped back to show the trouble bubbling in the outside world. Building from the same themes, this episode hammers home the […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 10
The Legend of Korra continues to impress with Book 4: Balance. Following last week’s major political bent, “The Calling” took a more personal approach to the story. Jinora, Meelo and Ikki head off in search of Korra and their presence lends a distinctly Avatar: The Last Airbender tone to the show. We also finally see a resolution to the Phantom […]
Korra: “The Coronation” Review
There’s nothing like a little Toph love to test your mettle. I admit those puns were awful. I’m just ecstatic to see Toph return to the onscreen Avatar universe. She’s an undeniable fan favorite from The Last Airbender, and it’s great to see her brusque approach to training and particular spunk introduced to The Legend of Korra. Speaking of which, how does the Avatar fare […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 9
This week’s episode of The Legend of Korra puts the focus on Prince Wu, the heir apparent to the throne of the Earth Kingdom. As leaders of the four nations gather to watch Kuvira relinquish power, Korra trains with Toph in the swamp. Things quickly go awry as Kuvira – perhaps unsurprisingly – doesn’t play by the rules. […]
Korra: “Korra Alone” Review
Well, that was quick. Picking up where the open-ended premiere left off, “Korra Alone” revealed what the Avatar has been up to for the past few years. Michael Dante DiMartino’s script takes a cyclical path, filling in the gaps without bogging the viewer down in too much exposition. We learn enough to understand how Korra ended […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 8
Book 4 of The Legend of Korra continues to impress with its second episode, “Korra Alone.” After missing the Avatar almost entirely last week, this episode catches us up on her goings-on since the showdown with the Red Lotus. J and I begin our conversation talking about Avatar: The Last Airbender, and speculate whether Zuko is […]
Korra: “After All These Years” Review
Oh time, what change you leave in your wake. Barely two months after an intense finale to an emotionally and physically charged third season, The Legend of Korra has returned for its last season. Three years have passed since the end of Book 3, and the showrunners are embracing all facets of the time jump. An aged black […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 7
The Legend of Korra returns for its fourth and final season. The premiere, titled “After All These Years,” takes place long after the finale of Book 3: Change. Republic City is in the midst of a revamp, new power player Kuvira looks to be shaking things up and Team Avatar is scattered around the world. Yet one question […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 6
Well, here we are. Perhaps the best season of The Legend of Korra to date has come to its inevitable conclusion. Josh and I were spectacularly wrong about most of our predictions, but the finale generated some fascinating speculation about Book 4. Will Korra ever be able to access her past lives again? Has Suyin finally esablished her allegiance to the […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 5
In this week’s installment of Ember Island Airwaves, J and I discuss the incredibly draining experience of watching “The Ultimatum.” We explore classism and how the protagonist/antagonist relationships in The Legend of Korra directly contrast with those in Avatar: The Last Airbender. J and I then speculate about the fate of Tenzin and the other airbenders […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 4
It’s been awhile since our last episode of Ember Island Airwaves. In the interim, I had the chance to interview the fantastic Stephen Stanton (the voice of Old Wan and the Air Lion Turtle in “Beginnings, Part 2”). In addition, some major news about The Legend of Korra was dropped at San Diego Comic Con. Last week saw the birth […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 3
Having left Republic City, The Legend of Korra has seized an opportunity to flesh out its characters, its world, and its story. The world of Avatar has always been predicated on its unique bending systems and the cultural evolution thereof. The show has built on this by taking daring and paradigm-shifting new turns in the latest season, not […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 2
The world of Avatar is remarkable not only for its entertainment value, but for its remarkable maturity. Avatar: The Last Airbender deals with themes of death, destiny, and classism, all of which have been brought forward into and magnified in The Legend of Korra. These thematic ideas tie into structural similarities to anime and separate this franchise from its Western counterparts. J […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 1
With Season 4 of Game of Thrones all wrapped up, J and I have turned our attention to an old favorite: The Legend of Korra. Korra is a sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, a show that deservedly won numerous awards (including a Primetime Emmy) during its 2005-2008 run. As a follow-up to that legacy, The Legend of Korra has likewise met with mostly […]
J and Søren Discuss True Detective
True Detective has been something of a phenomenon. Featuring top-notch acting and intense character-driven mysteries, the show quickly gained a following and has seen record high ratings and critical acclaim over the course of its first season. On Sunday March 9, 2014, the tales of Rust Cohle (Matthew Mcconaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) came to an […]
