(Extended Cut posts are articles where I’ll exceed my usual 200-word limit to allow for more detailed discussion) Game of Thrones has always had sex as a major selling point, and it hasn’t always been particularly thoughtful about its use of sex and nudity. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a problem! As a fan of…
(Double Feature is a series of “double length” (400-word) posts where I’ll discuss two related pop culture artifacts) William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now have a great deal in common: both are supernatural horror films released in 1973, both now regarded as genuine classics. They’re each impeccably directed and feature rightfully…
“I didn’t poison you Tobias. I wouldn’t do that to the food.” Hannibal delves into the Dexter wheelhouse this week, pairing Dr Lecter with his mirror: another cultured murderer named Tobias, who uses his victims to create music rather than fine cuisine. On Dexter the two would spend a season becoming friends, then rivals, before…
Evil Dead isn’t a movie. It’s a rollercoaster. Typically the metaphor of a rollercoaster is used to describe something with extreme highs and lows. But good rollercoasters have a slow accumulation of tense anticipation during the rickety ascent to the highest point, then the terrifying exhilaration of the descent – and that exhilaration doesn’t just…
(Extended Cut posts are articles where I’ll exceed my usual 200-word limit to allow for more detailed discussion) Daft Punk’s hotly anticipated new album, Random Access Memories, doesn’t sound much like their previous albums, but this is hardly a surprise – none of Daft Punk’s albums sound that much alike. The vibe here is very…
This week’s episode has the same problems as last week’s – predictable, drawn-out plot developments – but some gorgeous cinematography and crisp writing made for a more engaging hour. The best two scenes of the episode had much in common. Both were precisely photographed and both pertained to a verbal power struggle between two imposing…
JJ Abrams’ reinvention of Star Trek is best described as “good enough.” It’s good enough to earn enough money to prompt a sequel, Into Darkness. It’s good enough to balance the expectations of both avid Star Trek fans and those largely unfamiliar with the original series (though the fan service is a tad overdone). But…
Despite its title, Hannibal has spent little time with its eponymous serial killer sophisticate. Precisely captured by Mads Mikkelsen in an engaging, restrained performance, Dr Lecter has spent most of the season as a supporting character, someone for Will or Jack to bounce their thoughts off. Seven episodes in, the show takes the opportunity to…
Blue Valentine tells a simple story of a marriage: how Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) meet, experience that thrill of infatuation … and how, years later, that thrill stagnates and calcifies as their relationship is on the precipice of collapse. It’s a drama, but it avoids easy dramatic clichés like tragic accidents, disease…
When the “20 Years of Hottest 100” was announced yesterday, you’d be forgiven for experiencing some déjà vu. Didn’t we just celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hottest 100 back in 2009, with another “All-Time Hottest 100?” Of course, this is supposed to commemorate the first annual Hottest 100 (songs from that year), and, conveniently,…
ccpopculture 