The Collector comes from the writers of a handful of Saw sequels, was originally intended to be a prequel to Saw, and the influence of those films is very apparent. It’s not a particularly original film, but if you’re looking for a well-executed home-invasion-meets-Home-Alone horror film it hits the spot. The colour palette is confined…
When you hear the best zombie films of all time discussed, David Cronenberg’s Shivers is rarely mentioned. This is an injustice, as the film deserves to stand alongside the greats. Perhaps it’s because the mindless hordes of Shivers aren’t technically zombies, but people overcome by a virulent parasite that amplifies sexual urges to the detriment…
Under the Dome is a television series based on a Stephen King story. Many adaptations of King’s writing are a clear improvement (The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me)… alongside a score of forgettable failures (Cujo, The Stand, etc). I think his writing lends itself well to re-interpretations, as King frequently conceives outstanding concepts…
Mad Men is one of my favourite shows, but I deliberately chose not to cover it for season six; its dense symbolism and layers of meaning are nigh-impossible to deconstruct in two hundred words, and, besides, I’ll never approach the quality of Zoller Seitz’s or Sepinwall’s analysis. Season six was ultimately a disappointment compared to…
A few years ago, I discovered that my Grade Six teacher had been convicted of sexual misconduct with a student. It was a world-shattering surprise, like my insides had collapsed into nothingness. That moment of immeasurable shock occurs many times across the course of The Hunt, as kindergarten teacher Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is accused of…
Hannibal is a lean show, almost utterly devoid of connective tissue (well, unless you count the flayed bodies on display). This leanness worked in its benefit in its first season finale, particularly as Will Graham staggers around Dr Lecter’s office, trying to puzzle out if he could actually be responsible for the copycat murders. It’s…
(Extended Cut posts are articles where I’ll exceed my usual 200-word limit to allow for more detailed discussion) ““Dark Fantasy” was my long, backhanded apology … It’s always going to be 80 percent, at least, what I want to give, and 20 percent fulfilling a perception.” – Kanye West, on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,…
It’s always a treat when a drama takes the time to pause and let its characters to engage with one another without the runaway narrative train pushing them forward. Hannibal takes a much-needed chance to breathe in the opening half of “Relevés.” There’s no killer-of-the-week: instead a more traditional investigative episode, as Will and Crawford…
A friend commented last year that Rian Johnson’s Looper made her feel “stupid” for having to read a plot synopsis to understand a sci-fi action film. Of course, Looper was an astoundingly complex film (to its benefit), and the same attributes are found in Johnson’s directorial debut, Brick. But where Looper’s complexities held audience attention…
“Fly” is one of my favourite episodes of Breaking Bad, yet many were disappointed by its simplicity. Admittedly, it’s not overly important to the show’s plot development, but as an insight into Walt’s obsessiveness and the bruised intimacy between Walt and Jesse, it carries spare, aching power. It wasn’t until a recent rewatch that the…
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