School’s Out Forever: A Review of Fear the Walking Dead Season 1, Episode 2 “So Close, Yet So Far”

Episode: 102
Airdate: August 30, 2015
Directed by: Adam Davidson
Showrunner: Dave Erickson
Written by: Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman (creator); Marco Ramirez (written by); Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Tony Moore (based on the graphic novels by)

Last week’s pilot episode of Fear began, rather predictably, a little slower than its parent series opened. Predictably I say, considering that it is taking a look at the early events of the zombie outbreak. This is ground much less trodden than the “waking up in a hospital” in medias res approach typical of the genre, a trope that was used via Rick’s awakening in Episode 101 of The Walking Dead, and to which homage was paid in last week’s episode as Nick (rhymes with Rick) found himself awakening not in the full-blown zombie apocalypse, but in a particular little corner of hell that bore a close resemblance to the hell he’d already found himself in before as a lapsed drug addict. Tonight, things begin to ramp up a little, and the episode benefits from the increased tension. This is not to say that Fear is a great show yet, but it is starting to show hints of being good, which will keep audiences invested long enough for the show to properly find its feet. Click through for my full review.

<<Spoiler Alert: The following review will discuss plot points from the Fear The Walking Dead, Season 1 Episode 2, “So Close, Yet So Far” – read on at your own risk!>>

Flu Shot: A Review of Fear the Walking Dead Series Premiere – Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”

Episode: 101
Airdate: August 23, 2015
Directed by: Adam Davidson
Showrunner: Dave Erickson
Written by: Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman (creator); Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman (written by); Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Tony Moore (based on the graphic novels by)

The anticipation for the spin-off series from The Walking Dead has been building since it was first announced over a year ago. Set in LA, set as events first begin to unfold as the zombie epidemic takes off, Fear the Walking Dead promises to show viewers the one thing the original series (and the graphic novels) skirted around: how did it all go down when the dead first began to rise? After the extended (90 minute) opener tonight, that question still remains largely unanswered, but it does hint at interesting things to come in this short, six-episode season. Click through below for my thoughts on the premiere.

<<Spoiler Alert: The following review will discuss plot points from the Fear The Walking Dead Series Premiere, Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot” – read on at your own risk!>>

“I Know Who You Think I Am” – Comic Con 2015 News Release: The Walking Dead Season 6 Trailer

Source: http://www.carlost.net/

Comic Con is up to its usual tricks, giving us all kinds of cool news and trailers for upcoming geekery. This morning’s panel on The Walking Dead saw the release of a heavy-weight trailer for Season 6, weighing in at a massive four-plus minutes – which makes sense, when you realize that the season premiere will be 90-minutes long, just like last season’s finale. Click through for the trailer and some commentary on what it reveals heading into October 11th’s release date.

Road Warrior Redux: A Review of Mad Max: Fury Road

Director: George Miller
Writers: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nick Lathouris (written by)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Release Date: May 15, 2015
Runtime: 2 hrs.
MPAA Rating: R

 

 

I grew up on action films in the 1980s, and Mad Max was a big part of that (I’m talking The Road Warrior here, not the largely regrettable Beyond Thunderdome). You couldn’t get much actiony-er than Max Rockatansky. Now, some thirty or so years later, George Miller is rebooting his franchise. To get my take on the movie, click through after the break.

Enter Sandman: A Review of Logan’s Run

Director: Michael Anderson
Writers: David Zelag Goodman (screenplay); William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson (novel “Logan’s Run”)
Starring: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Brown, Farrah Fawcett, Peter Ustinov
Release Date: June 23, 1976
Runtime: 1 hr. 59 mins.
MPAA Rating: PG

 

 

There’s a soft spot somewhere in my heart for the subtly bad and unapologetic science fiction films of the 1970s, and Logan’s Run has it’s own place of honor therein. Viewing it again for the first time in several years had me revisiting my youth – the question is: how well does it age? Click through for my full review.

Dutch the Bounty Hunter: A Review of Killjoys Series Premiere – Season 1, Episode 1 “Bangarang”

Episode: 101
Airdate: June 19, 2015
Directed by: Chris Grismer
Showrunners: Michelle Lovretta
Written by: Michael Foster (story editor), Michelle Lovretta (story, as M.A. Lovretta), Michelle Lovretta (creator)

If you were to walk by your television while the opening shots of the new Syfy Channel/Space Channel co-produced original series, Killjoys, were showing – what with blowing sand, a stark tan color palette, and a quick screen tag naming the place as the “Badlands” – you could be forgiven for thinking that Syfy (Space in Canada) was showing a rerun of Joss Whedon’s Firefly. And while the comparisons aren’t really fair, considering provenance and funding, they are inevitable. No, Killjoys is not, nor is it ever likely to be, Firefly, but what it looks like it might be is yet another in a string of more-than-serviceable entertaining original series that Syfy has been producing over the last couple of years. Click through for my review of the series premiere episode which aired earlier tonight.

<<Spoiler Alert: This review will discuss plot points from tonight's episode of Killjoys. Read on – if you dare!>>

Fire: A Review of Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons”

Episode: 509
Airdate: June 7, 2015
Directed by: David Nutter
Showrunners: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (creators); George R.R. Martin (“A Song of Ice and Fire” by); David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (written for television by)

So, I had some ideas coming into tonight’s episode about just what messrs. Weiss and Benioff had in store for us. My suggestion for what the big penultimate episode shocker would be turned out to be off the mark, but something that I suggested might happen actually came to pass, acting as a shocker I didn’t really think would take place. The title of tonight’s episode turns out to have several layers of meaning, referring not only to the Targaryen civil war about which a book with the same title was written (and which is being read by Shireen), but also clearly alludes to Dany and her brood. Dig a little deeper, and the civil war aspect has a further resonance, what with all the parties and erstwhile allies at each others’ throats, and you can see that the showrunners have been steering us into this episode for quite some time. And while I thought it was a solid hour of television, that doesn’t mean I have to like everything that they gave me to watch tonight. Click through for my detailed discussion of the episode.

<<Spoiler Alert: The following review will discuss at length plot points of Game of Thrones S05E09, “The Dance of Dragons.” Spoilers and occasional colorful language abound – read more at your own risk.>>

Sneak Peek: Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons”

Episode: 509
Airdate: June 7, 2015
Directed by: David Nutter
Showrunners: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (creators); George R.R. Martin (“A Song of Ice and Fire” by); David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (written for television by)

Penultimate episodes of Game of T|hrones have traditionally been focused on shocking plot turns (Seasons 1 and 3), or on larger-than-life battles (Seasons 2 and 4), so what does the second-to-last episode of Season 5 hold in store? Following last week’s amazing battle (and overall fantastic episode – read my review here), showrunners Benioff and Weiss seem to have chosen to throw their creative climax at us one episode earlier than usual, and now they have two more episodes to set the table heading into the long inter-season hiatus rather than the usual one. While it’ll be hard to outdo “Hardhome,” there are still plenty of storylines left dangling – and there’s always the danger that we could see more missteps like those we’ve seen in the episodes leading up to last week’s opus (Episode 506 “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” was particularly egregious). That said, based on the pattern of previous seasons, I suspect we may be in for some sort of a shock ending to this week’s episode – I have my thoughts on this, which I’ll discuss below. For the preview video, and my speculation on what this week will bring us, click through after the break.

<Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons” will include discussion of events from recent episodes, as well as speculation about what we might see in upcoming episodes.>>

King Crow: A Review of Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 8 “Hardhome”

Episode: 508
Airdate: May 31, 2015
Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik
Showrunners: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (creators); George R.R. Martin (“A Song of Ice and Fire” by); David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (written for television by)

Although I haven’t been entirely happy with all of the departures they’ve been making from the original books this season, it is somewhat inevitable that Benioff and Weiss need to do so, seeing as how they’ve fully caught up (and in some places passed) George R.R. Martin’s perennially tardy book releases. And while Season 5 started out strongly, it has been bogging down and lagging over the last few weeks, focusing on storylines that don’t quite maintain interest, or are actively turning off viewers (I’m looking at you, horrible Winterfell storyline). Even though tonight did see a couple of scenes at Winterfell, they actually served to create some momentum, and the rest of the episode was absolutely spot on, especially the final fifteen minutes or so, a sequence that rivals anything the series has done so far for sheer adrenaline rushing excitement. Click through for my complete review.

<<Spoiler Alert: The following review will discuss at length plot points of Game of Thrones S05E08, “Hardhome.” Spoilers and occasional colorful language abound – read more at your own risk.>>

The Many-Faced God: A Review of Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 3 “High Sparrow”

Episode: 503
Airdate: April 26, 2015
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Showrunners: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (creators); George R.R. Martin (“A Song of Ice and Fire” by); David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (written for television by)

Three episodes into the new season, and tonight we see a definite ramping up of tension across several storylines. While last week gave us successes for some fan-favorite characters – Dany reuniting with Drogon, Jon gaining rank and authority – tonight we begin to see what the result and cost of new power can be, in at least one of these two cases. Another strong episode – the strongest of the season so far – and a more focused, integrated approach, means a rapt hour passed by far quicker than most. Click through for my full review and synopsis.

<<Spoiler Alert: The following review will discuss at length plot points of Game of Thrones S05E03, “High Sparrow.” In discussing events, I will be quoting some lines with colorful language – read more at your own risk.>>