I got into Childish Gambino thanks to Donald Glover’s acting and stand-up, and was impressed at the quality of his major label debut Camp. It was unexpectedly good, catchy stuff from someone primarily known for being funny. His live show was equally unexpected, with Glover possessing a furious energy and command of the stage. He…
This was supposed to be the highlight of my Big Day Out. I’m not exactly across the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ entire discography, but with a back catalogue featuring modern classics like “Zero,” “Date with the Night” and the achingly melancholic “Maps” (one of the best songs of the past decade), I had high expectations.
Sleigh Bells’ stage was sparsely attended, due to coinciding with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bloody Beetroots and Animal Collective. Their stage, with darkness swathed in atmospheric smoke pierced with spot- and strobe lights, created an enclosed atmosphere that intensified the proximity; it was like being a nightclub (with enough space to dance!). It didn’t…
For a show that just won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Comedy, it’s easy to forget just how funny Girls can be. Well, until you watch “I Get Ideas,” which is filled to the brim with laugh-out-loud moments. Most of which involve Hannah (who was largely sidelined in the premiere) – whether…
Severance is a good office comedy, a decent slasher, and an excellent, enjoyable film when those two halves mesh. An example of this: A motley collection of office workers from a weapon manufacturing company have gathered in a remote lodge for a team-building exercise. They’ve begun to share scary stories about the “true nature” of…
Black Christmas is one of the first slasher films. Like its contemporaries, it has a tame level of violence and gore by modern standards, though it lacks the gonzo realism of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the restrained artistry of Halloween. Instead, Black Christmas is content to rest on the laurels of its creepy premise,…
Detention is overstuffed and overwritten. Its screenplay reads like the masturbatory fantasies of a hyperactive high school boy, filled with self-referential jokes, broad satire and countless references to films as diverse as Scream, The Fly and Back to the Future. And I loved every minute of it. The opening features a teenager being murdered halfway…
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane could have been an average slasher film, but it doesn’t even reach that benchmark thanks to a lazy, ill-conceived twist. Sometimes twists can retroactively redeem a story, but in many cases a twist can actually harm the film that preceded it. That’s the case here. The twist isn’t entirely…
Composed with restraint, obvious talent and populated with believable characters, The Innkeepers is a minimalist version of The Shining. Like Kubrick’s eerie classic, it’s set in a near-abandoned hotel, but here it’s a small inn in a small town. The Yankee Pedlar Inn may not have the intimidating grandeur of The Overlook Hotel, but director…
This week in Justified, Raylan and his fellow marshals investigate further the true meaning behind Arlo’s bag, discovered last episode, and find Waldo while they’re at it. This subplot was enjoyable enough, but the intricately scripted scene at the Truths didn’t feel as impressive as it ought to have been. I think this is mostly…
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