Manhunter has much to recommend it; as the first adaptation of Thomas Harris’s books, it hasn’t had the same cultural impact of the superior Silence of the Lambs, but it benefits from Harris’s richly considered world, falling somewhere between fantasy and realism. Even without knowledge of Harris’s canon, the characters feel fully-developed, even in minor…
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an immensely influential film; ever since that steel door swung closed, Leatherface’s hulking descendants have descended upon foolhardy teenagers venturing into the woods and cabins and campsites therein. If only its influence were more widely felt in modern horror, though! It’s a rare slasher that can boast sound design that…
Let’s be honest: Underbelly has never really produced a consistently good season of television. But its bright spots – that gold dust I spoke of – have made it fitfully rewarding viewing. More often than not, the show’s strongest moments come from its approach to violence, mixing in real pathos to elevate its usual bloodshed-as-entertainment.…
This is an extremely late review; it was hard to muster enthusiasm for the latest, unexceptional chapter in the Underbelly story. Like every Underbelly, it examines the criminal history of Australia, focusing on a particular time and place; Squizzy concerns its titular character, an up-and-coming pickpocket in 1920s Melbourne. Like every Underbelly, there’s that awful…
My thought process upon hearing the BDO lineup announcement: 1) Blur! Blur! Ever since their reunion in 2008, I’ve been desperately hoping for these guys to come to our shores. Their name alone has me buying a ticket. 2) The Herald Sun “leak” that wasn’t …actually was! Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam and Snoop Dogg/Lion all…
This is the End isn’t the greatest comedy I’ve ever seen. There are funnier comedies, smarter comedies, comedies that will reward rewatching – something this comedic take on the apocalypse is less likely to do, reliant as it is on surprises. But, dammit, it’s been a long, long time since I’ve walked out of a…
It’s perhaps too easy to compare Magna Carta… Holy Grail to Yeezus. Beyond the two men being the pillars of modern hip-hop (and these records being their first solo work since Watch the Throne), Jay Z practically demands comparison when he describes himself as a god or mentions listening to “Strange Fruit” (prominently sampled on…
“Outbreak” has many of the same problems of earlier, middling episodes of Under the Dome. The large cast limits character development, relying on actors to flesh out characters we spend little time with. Sometimes it works (Dean Norris as Big Jim), but mostly we end up with teenagers who don’t act like teenagers or characters…
Watch the first half hour of Orphan, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re watching a family film about a mother overcoming a miscarriage through the adoption of a nine year-old orphan girl. Early scenes are brightly light, full of primary colours. The titular orphan, Esther, seems perfect – bright, talented, friendly – if…
A body is found on the bridge between Mexico and the United States; an investigation begins, but the coroner finds that the body is in fact two bodies –an American and a Mexican citizen. The Bridge follows the detectives charged to investigate the crime: Sonya (Diane Kruger), an American detective with Aspergers, and Marco (Demian…
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