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Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 33 “The Iron Throne”

May 22, 2019 By Søren Hough and Esther Rosenfield Leave a Comment

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However (un)satisfactorily “The Iron Throne” concludes Game of Thrones, it also brings our podcast series, “Stark Contrast,” to a bittersweet end. This week, Esther and Søren close out Stark Contrast.

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 31 “The Last of the Starks” with AJ Ajetunmobi

May 9, 2019 By Søren Hough, Esther Rosenfield and Ayokunmi "AJ" Ajetunmobi 1 Comment

“The Last of the Starks” struggles to justify its own existence as Game of Thrones meanders in the wake of its climactic battle with Death itself.

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 30 “The Long Night” with Diego Crespo

May 2, 2019 By Søren Hough and Diego Crespo 4 Comments

https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season-8/3-the-long-night

Release the confetti, folks: Miguel Sapochnik is back for “The Long Night.” This week we’re treated to 80-ish minutes of Game of Thrones‘ best remaining director choreographing the largest and most complex battle sequence in the show’s history. The results are immediately evident as a striking opening shot of Sam Tarly’s (John Bradley) shaking hands […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 29 “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

April 25, 2019 By Søren Hough 4 Comments

https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season-8/2-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms

After a rough season premiere, Game of Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman turns the show in a positive direction with “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” Cogman is responsible for writing some of the show’s best episodes (including Season 1’s “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things” and Season 4’s “Oathkeeper”). His dialogue and character work shows a […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 28 “Winterfell”

April 18, 2019 By Søren Hough 2 Comments

https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season-8/1-winterfell

Welcome back to Stark Contrast! We’re happy to return to our perennial podcast show where we discuss Game of Thrones. This week, we’re kicking off with the Season 8 premiere, “Winterfell.” It’s a slow burn re-introduction to the denizens of Westeros and Essos that never managed to get J and me excited about the series […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 27 “The Dragon and the Wolf”

September 3, 2017 By Søren Hough 14 Comments

Game of Thrones caps off a landmark season with “The Dragon and the Wolf.” Jeremy Podeswa’s feature-length conclusion certainly exceeds the episode that came before, although it never quite matches the import of its reveals and final moments with the level of filmmaking we know the show can achieve. “The Dragon and the Wolf” finally […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 26 “Beyond the Wall”

August 24, 2017 By Søren Hough 15 Comments

Game of Thrones finally lives up to its namesake novels with “Beyond the Wall” as the forces of ice and fire clash. Josh and I waste no time diving into the episode’s particulars. We generally skate past the timeline issues (1, 2, 3) discussed and debated elsewhere, instead focusing on inconsistencies with characters and narrative. I continue […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 25 “Eastwatch”

August 19, 2017 By Søren Hough 13 Comments

Every episode this season of Game of Thrones has in some way involved a battle sequence, the biggest among them arriving last week. In “Eastwatch,” the show slows down and instead focuses on the fallout of last week’s conflict. In some ways this is to Game of Thrones‘ benefit: we see Davos (Liam Cunningham) demonstrate his smuggling […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 24 “The Spoils of War”

August 12, 2017 By Søren Hough 10 Comments

Game of Thrones throws some kindling on the fire this week with “The Spoils of War.” Unlike “The Queen’s Justice,” Josh and I found myriad plots and emotional arcs to interrogate this time around. We pay particular attention to family reunions and how context and time have shaped characters we’ve known since Season 1. We […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 23 “The Queen’s Justice”

August 5, 2017 By Søren Hough 18 Comments

J and I enjoyed last week’s “Stormborn” as it both drove the plot forward at an explosive pace while offering something more for us to chew on as viewers. This week, the pace hasn’t let up — but “The Queen’s Justice,” alas, never digs deeper than the surface. In fact, the episode undercuts the enormity […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 21 “Dragonstone”

July 22, 2017 By Søren Hough 6 Comments

“Stark Contrast” is back! Following an unusually long delay, J and I are once again discussing Game of Thrones. The Season 7 premiere immediately strikes a positive note as Arya (Maisie Williams) executes the family that killed her own. We discuss the bizarre magic of the Faceless Men and how the show missed a chance […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 16 “Blood of My Blood”

June 4, 2016 By Søren Hough 6 Comments

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The sixth episode of this season of Game of Thrones didn’t quite manage to top the highs of last week. Still, a healthy dose of reveals managed to keep “Blood of My Blood” afloat. My complaints about editing aside, this was hardly the worst episode of the season and maintains the much higher quality standard we’ve […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 15 “The Door”

May 27, 2016 By Søren Hough 1 Comment

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“The Door” gets Game of Thrones back on track after last week’s slower, odder diversion. This week we saw stronger editing on action scenes and compelling reveals about the world of the show. But perhaps most importantly, “The Door” affirmed important character development that J and I have worried about for two or three seasons. This comes […]

Television

Stark Contrast: Episode 13 “Oathbreaker”

May 14, 2016 By Søren Hough 3 Comments

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One of the biggest problems with Game of Thrones has always been its shackled approach to its source material. While the series has diverged from the books at points, it was never quite ready to shift around the narrative for the sake of better television. This was especially clear in earlier seasons which stuck to about one […]

Movie Review

The Boxtrolls

September 27, 2014 By Hailey Duran 2 Comments

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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 […]

Television

Game of Thrones Season 4: “The Lion and the Rose”

April 19, 2014 By Søren Hough Leave a Comment

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Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Game of Thrones Season 4 picks up steam with its second episode, “The Lion and the Rose.” As Joffrey Baratheon and Margery Tyrell prepare to marry and unite two incredibly powerful houses, […]

Television

Game of Thrones Seasons 1-3 Recap

April 4, 2014 By Søren Hough 2 Comments

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Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. In adapting George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series to television, HBO created a cultural phenomenon. Game of Thrones has become a franchise spanning books, video games, […]

Fight the Power: Interview with Cyril Schäublin, Writer/Director of Unrest

September 14, 2022 By Søren Hough

Pastries, Freedom, and Love: An Interview with The Artist Airidescence

August 17, 2022 By Søren Hough

Prehistoric Planet Review

July 25, 2022 By Patrick Murphy

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