‘Gotham’ was terrible … and great … but mostly a crazy, fun ride
Fond farewell (TV review): “Gotham’s” quality wasn’t consistent, but the show had colorful characters and was always its own thing.
‘Gotham’ was terrible … and great … but mostly a crazy, fun ride
‘Angel’ flashback: Season 11 (2017) (Comic book review)
Dark Horse’s “Angel” comic series ends its run with a surprising but appealing smaller scale. With the “Buffy” characters facing a major threat in their Season 11, Angel would have to be seriously sidetracked to not help out, and new writer Corinna Bechko (“Star Wars: Legacy Volume II”) finds a perfect way to occupy him: […]
‘Cruel Intentions’ (1999) a timeless manipulation story
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): The standout young cast also makes the film a tasty time capsule of 1999.
‘Buffy’ flashback: Season 11 (2016-17) (Comic book review)
Just as “The X-Files” returned for shorter TV seasons in recent years, the “Buffy” comics take a crack at the miniseries format in Season 11, which is only 12 issues long, compared to at least 25 in the previous three seasons. On one hand, important side stories are missing within the overall arc of the […]
Stellar cast elevates urban fantasy of ‘Redbelt’ (2008)
Mamet Monday (Movie review): A stellar cast elevates this urban fantasy where “there’s always a way out.”
Jonah Hill creates beautifully ugly, sometimes harrowing time capsule of the ‘mid90s’ (Movie review)
The brilliance of “mid90s” (2018), now available on Amazon Prime, is in the details. Writer-director Jonah Hill, known for his comedic acting roles, grew up in this time, and he has a great ear for the way teenagers talked – and the way coolness was the only currency that mattered. Watched from the perspective of […]
‘Angel’ flashback: ‘Monolith’ (2004) (Book review)
John Passarella completes a solid three-for-three among Buffyverse novels with “Angel: Monolith” (June 2004). As with “Buffy: Ghoul Trouble” (2000) and “Angel: Avatar” (2001), this is a rock-solid effort with on-point characterization, accurate continuity, a decent sense of mystery and committed action writing. It doesn’t offer any plot surprises, which is why it doesn’t rise […]
‘Buffy’ flashback: ‘The High School Years’ (2017) (Comic book reviews)
In my review of the first two installments of “Buffy: The High School Years” – “Freaks and Geeks” and “Glutton for Punishment” (both from 2016) – I noted that they seemed to be aimed at the youngest theoretical fan. The stories both center on Buffy’s school-Slaying conflict and have simple resolutions; if one wanted to […]
‘Bad Boys II’ (2003) both funnier and stupider
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Lawrence and Smith continue to elevate the material in this sequel.
All 13 episodes of ‘The Punisher’ Season 2, ranked
Marvel Cinematic Universe (TV review): The second season of this MCU series pits Frank Castle against two baddies: John Pilgrim and Billy Russo.