The title of “The Climb” refers to the precarious ascent of Ygritte and Jon Snow up The Wall and a key phrase in Petyr’s speech about chaos (a speech which wasn’t half as meaningful as the show believes). It’s also an effective description of the purpose of this episode. Game of Thrones regularly reaches dazzling…
It’s near impossible to watch a Terence Malick film and not get swept away in the man’s fascination with nature. His films, lyrical and delicate, are imbued with childlike wonder, as likely to focus on a flock of birds overhead as the details of the plot machinations motivating his characters. He can evoke nature’s beauty…
Hannibal’s episodes have been largely stand-alone so far; “killer of the week” plotlines dominating the slowcooking larger arcs. “Entrée” embraces a more serialised approach – along with the Hannibal backstory, filling the hour with re-appropriated quotes and visual quotes from the films. It’s made very clear that this isn’t a straightforward prequel, but a reinterpretation;…
What, exactly, is there to recommend My Bloody Valentine? Perhaps it would’ve been worthwhile seeing it in actual 3D, in the cinema. The film has certainly made plentiful concessions to the gimmick – eyeballs popping out of people’s skulls and so forth – which might have been exciting back in the ‘80s. To achieve this…
(Extended Cut posts are articles where I’ll exceed my usual 200-word limit to allow for more detailed discussion) Game of Thrones tells the story of a world with a rich and detailed history, and this history – both recent and ancient – weighs heavily on this week’s episode, “Kissed by Fire.” Much of the episode…
“Coquilles” is the first episode of Hannibal to disappoint me. This is less a failing of the episode than the circumstances surrounding it. Without knowing the full details of the fourth episode, unscreened in the wake of the Boston bombings, the show’s narrative opacity became a liability; the brief “previously on” segment did little to…
Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark is a tricky character to write for. He’s entertaining, charming and quick-witted but he’s also – it must be said – a total jerk. To stay on his side for the length of a feature film, he needs to have real challenges to face – with the proviso that, ultimately,…
(Double Feature is a series of “double length” (400-word) posts where I’ll compare two related pop culture artifacts) The best scary movies impress themselves upon you. They resurface as you walk down a darkened corridor to your bedroom in the deep of the night, or as your house creaks and shudders in a strong breeze.…
It’s that time of the year again, when the rumour mongering comes to an end and all is revealed. Yes, the Splendour in the Grass lineup has been announced. First impressions: there’s no real, spectacular drawcard here. Certainly, Frank Ocean is exciting, but where’s, I dunno, Blur? When your top headliner is … eh ……
“And Now His Watch Has Ended” was an excellent example of why Game of Thrones, allowing for the difficulties presented by the impossible density of its plotting, is such great television. It can take Jaime, a sneering, hateful character, and render him so wretched it’s impossible to view him without pity. Or provide a payoff…
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