The Judge is an actor’s showcase that gets lost in the weeds of tired family dynamics and clunky subplots. There are moments when Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall are allowed to take their characters into more dangerous places, but mostly they’re just constrained by an uninteresting story. The result is a film that packs no emotional wallop and builds to a conclusion that is neither surprising nor satisfying.
…is a frustrating reminder of some of the poor decisions Bates Motel makes in its storytelling. Fortunately, though, Caleb’s presence in the episode is unexpectedly intriguing and creates interesting dynamics for the other Bates characters.
At Middleton Written by Glenn German and Adam Rodgers Directed by Adam Rodgers USA, 2013 The new drama At Middleton appears to be both for and created by the stereotypical teenager’s worst nightmare, their stereotypically embarrassing parents. Andy Garcia (who co-produced) and Vera Farmiga, in their best moments, have a decent enough chemistry, but for …
A door slowly creaks open, nudged from its closed position by a slight gust of wind. The wooden structure of an old farmhouse settles at inopportune moments, expanding and retracting minutely with unexpected knocks echoing through its halls. A shadow crosses through the moonlight that shines onto a bedroom floor, nestling itself just underneath the mattress, waiting to leap out and terrorize the bed’s resident, a helpless child.
“Underwater,” the penultimate episode in Bates Motel’s first season, may well be the most entertaining episode yet, by introducing some much needed dark humour to the series. Between Norma and Dylan’s reactions to Norman’s new pet Juno and Emma getting high; “Underwater” is terrifically funny in and throughout. Unlike last weeks episode, the wacky comic relief here is purely intentional.
Bates Motel Season 1, Episode 8 “A Boy and His Dog” Directed by Ed Bianchi Written by Bill Balas Airs Monday nights at 10pm ET on A&E As we close in on the end of the first season of Bates Motel, its apparent that the series is trying its best to develop a few new plot …
How about we start with the stray dog. Lately, we’ve been getting more glimpses of Norman’s darker side and while watching Norman crouched down, hammer-in-hand and calling for the pup, I’m pretty sure most viewers were fearing for the dog’s life. It isn’t a big secret that the victims of serial killers are usually animals at first, but would the show be pushing Norman on the “textbook” serial killer course so early on? Story lines seem so quickly resolved in Bates Motel, and in what is already a short season, that possibility was left open.
Bates Motel, Season 1, Episode 5: “Ocean View” Written by Jeff Wadlow Directed by David Straiton Airs Mondays at 10pm ET on A&E Bates Motel, which has now aired five episodes, tells the story of Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore), a smart but troubled17-year-old, and his over-controlling mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga). In this week’s episode, “Ocean …
In Bates Motel, the audience is led on a journey into the psychological abyss. Littered with Freudian symbolism, the series is both suffocating and schizophrenic – and it’s central character is tragically imprisoned by both his past and his mind. Bates Motel is a prolonged intrusion on the personal space of the Norman and the viewer.
Bates Motel, Season 1, Episode 2: “Nice Town You Picked Norma” Written by Kerry Ehrin Directed by Tucker Gates Airs Mondays at 10pm ET on A&E In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock was already famous as the screen’s master of suspense, but when he released Psycho he forever changed the shape and tone of the screen thriller. Infamous for …
Bates Motel, Season 1, Episode 1: “First You Dream, Then You Die” Written by Anthony Cipriano Directed by Tucker Gates Airs Mondays at 10pm ET on A&E In 1987, a year after the second Psycho sequel hit the big screen, Universal looked to take the franchise to television by turning it into a weekly anthology …
This year’s Atlantic Film Festival started off with a disappointment. All three screenings of last night’s opening gala of comedy troupe Picnicface’s Roller Town were sold out. Completely sold out. If Haligonians love anything it’s supporting their own. But putting behind me the disappointments of the previous day, I attended the first real day …
Orphan Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra When you see a major studio’s logo in front of a horror film, you’re generally in for one of three things: neutered PG-13 dreck (The Uninvited); crass torture porn (Captivity); or an unspeakably generic slasher (the Friday the 13th reboot). Not only that, but all three forms are burdened by …