With every awards season comes a flood of “best of” compilations and top ten lists, but film scores can be tricky in that department. After all, different composers are operating on different levels, each one working toward a separate goal in his or her respective picture. Brian Tyler aims for something propulsive and heroic in Iron …
Tsai Ming-Liang has built a reputation for himself as one of the foremost artists of contemporary cinema. His work is often lauded for its challenging ideas, careful pacing, and incredible compositional sense. His newest film Stray Dogs (rumoured to be his last) is about an alcoholic father and his two children struggling to survive in Taipei. Blending stark realism with elements of fantasy and absurdity, there is little doubt that this is one of the most unique films of the year, offering a singular vision of the world.
Male bodies glisten in the summer sun while wandering eyes fall upon a murder that leads to a torrid love affair with a killer. This is the premise to Alain Guirandie’s L’inconnu du lac, an incredible thriller with the mood and atmosphere of a great horror.
Borne out of the current economic crisis, Bluebird is set in an obscure and isolated logging town in Maine. Coated in snow that seems to be barely ever cleared, there is a lingering fear that the mill will close and the town will fade even deeper into the past. Lost in the rituals of daily life, it is only through accidental tragedy that a true sense of malaise and hopelessness comes rising from below the surface.
The 42nd Edition of Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinema is just days away and the weight of an incredibly diverse and exciting program can intimidate even the most weathered cineaste. Combining the very best of big name and upcoming filmmakers, the festival has built its reputation on giving attention to groundbreaking and avant-garde cinema. Though sometimes …
Though heightened, serialized dramas make up the bulk of the new hour-longs this fall, there are still plenty of procedurals headed our way, both over the next few weeks and at midseason. Some are more successful than others, with the better ones demonstrating some self-awareness and a sense of humor about themselves, but most of …
CBS has had a comfortable lead in the network ratings for several years now, but with many of their most popular comedies continuing to age (The Big Bang Theory is starting season 7, HIMYM is wrapping up its run this year with season 9, and Two and a Half Men is going into season 11), …
“We didn’t want things jumping out at you. We wanted you to feel immersed, as if you were inside the scene.” Director Blair Erickson can only be referring to 3D; unlike many lazily post-converted blockbusters, his Banshee Chapter was filmed entirely in stereoscopic 3D, a conscious choice from the outset of the film’s production and a risky experiment for something so low budget.
My Sunday SDCC 2013 coverage was supposed to be filled with TV talk, with some of my favorite series getting panels back-to-back: Supernatural, Breaking Bad, Doctor Who (pause for Community), and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, though I got up before 5am and paid $25 for a taxi to make sure I’d get …
I kicked off Saturday at SDCC 2013 almost indulgently, skipping the crazy lines in favor of a sit down breakfast with a group of lovely, intelligent ladies. Then I made my way over to the convention center to get in for the Ray Bradbury panel- as a fan of his, I was disappointed to miss …
On Friday, the convention kicked into full gear, with more people in attendance than the previous two days and the start of the big ticket programming in Hall H (The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones). Many of those following the TV programming at the Con opted for Ballroom 20, with Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. among …
Thursday was a big day for television, with a full day of programming in Ballroom 20 (including Sherlock and the X-Files 20th anniversary panel). Given the craziness of Ballroom 20, I opted for the smaller rooms, starting the day off at a panel called The Anatomy of Superhero Film Music. A group of composers for …
San Diego Comic Con International 2013 kicked off on Wednesday with Preview Night. The events started up at 6pm, though people had been lined up, sometimes necessarily, sometimes inexplicably, all afternoon. For those so inclined, the exhibit floor was delightfully open and upstairs in Ballroom 20, Warner Bros. once again screened a handful of their …
Halley Directed by Sebastian Hofmann Mexico, 2012 Flies in a jar, basking in filth: grimy, unclean, and uncaring for the dirt – clamouring for it, even. The scurrying bugs constitute natural life at its base level, most negligent and sickly. Their movements form the opening and closing shots of Halley, forming an opening statement that …
2013 is only halfway done, but there’s a fair chance that, in a television context, it might well be looked back upon as the year any and all accepted rules of “quality television” became utterly meaningless and the promise of great things arrived in all shapes and sizes, from all directions. Consider Netflix’s House of …
The Kings of Summer is a coming of age film born from the spirit of the American sitcom. Built on the public’s enduring obsession with what it means to be a man, the film undercuts the self-seriousness of this notion through its use of sitcom-branded comedy. The film depicts the story of three teenage boys who are tired of their oppressive parents, so they find an isolated pocket in the forest to build themselves a house where they plan to live off the land.
When evaluating the cast of each Amazing Race season, it’s easy to look at two strong guys and expect them to blow through the race. When this pair includes professional athletes, that chance seems even greater. The interesting part is that physical competitors frequently go out early. They could be poor navigators, struggle with intricate tasks, or just hit a run of bad luck.
This week’s Amazing Race splits the five remaining teams into two separate groups and forces one to scramble to avoid elimination. The interesting part is how they end up divided by several hours during the jaunt through Scotland. The leg begins with the warning that a U-Turn will be ahead, but that plays only a minor role in the ultimate outcome. Instead, it’s the lack of diligence from Joey and Meghan and the roller derby moms that pushes them to the back of the pack.
Survivor Review, Season 26, Episode 11 “Come Over to the Dark Side” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Survivor fans love players who make big moves and don’t coast to the end. They’d much rather see a strategist like Rob Cesternino jumping alliances and shaking up the game then watch a dominator like Kim Spradlin. It …
The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 9 “The Ultimate Fun House” Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS This week’s action-packed episode of The Amazing Race reveals the best and worst aspects of the current incarnation of this long-running show. After 22 seasons, it’s impressive to see challenges that still feel creative and exciting for …
There are many Survivor episodes where the outcome is predictable, and it’s fairly easy to describe what just happened. Those are the norm because players rarely stray from the safest move to go forward. Living in a different universe are the outliers that leave even the most able-minded fan yelling “what just happened?” This week is one of those wonderful episodes. Malcolm overplays his hand and seems destined to go home, but a desperate play to get Reynold’s idol keeps him safe. What he doesn’t know is that he isn’t getting any votes. Worried about her own security, Andrea leads the charge for a safer plan and gets the majority to take out Michael.
Survivor: Caramoan Review, Season 26, Episode 8 “Blindside Time” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Brilliant. Thrilling. There isn’t enough hyperbole to describe the excitement of this week’s episode. It provides a clear reminder of why Survivor continues to shine. The editing has been promising a showdown between Phillip and Corinne for weeks, and she …
The beginning of April, for those in the Southwest, heralds an all-new Phoenix Film Festival. This year, the Phoenix Film Festival kicks off its 13th annual edition with impressive celebrity guests, independent feature premieres, seminars, workshops, parties, and more. The festival, which runs from April 4 to April 11, boasts some star-studded new films and …