“‘See’ Season 2: Jason Momoa’s AppleTV+ Series Still Feels Like A ‘Games Of Thrones’ Knockoff”

Have you seen “See”? Do you see what I “See”? See what I mean about “See”? Continue reading →

“‘Clemency’ Examines the Toll State-Sanctioned Murder Takes on Both Sides of the Bars”

Abolish the death penalty. Continue reading →

Review: Burning Sands, 2017, dir. Gerard McMurray

It’s a thing in the entertainment biz that if a movie about subject A is released into the pop cultural wilds, inevitably another movie about the same subject will be released shortly thereafter. To wit: Andrew Neel’s Goat opened in theaters last September, detailing the intimate particulars of fraternity hazing rituals and rites of initiation. It’s … Continue reading →

TV Review: Luke Cage, Episodes 1.11, 1.12, & 1.13, “Now You’re Mine”/”Soliloquy of Chaos”/”You Know My Steez”

Well: That’s it. Luke Cage‘s first season is over. It’s done. Finished. Complete.  It went out well. I struggled with episodes five through seven, and I wish that the show had bothered to bring in Diamondback sooner; to use Stokes’ knowledge of Luke’s real identity against him; to pit Luke’s ideal of Harlem against Stokes’ and … Continue reading →

TV Review: Luke Cage, Episodes 1.09 & 1.10, “DWYCK”/”Take it Personal”

At this point, I probably don’t need to say that I like Luke Cage, but I’ll say it anyways: I like Luke Cage. But I do wonder if there’s a more perfect version of the series lurking within the very good version we must content ourselves with, one where the fear explored in both “DWYCK” and “Take … Continue reading →

TV Review: Luke Cage, Episodes 1.07 & 1.08, “Manifest”/”Blowin’ Up the Spot”

Much as I love Mahershala Ali, I’m kinda glad to see him go in the context of Luke Cage: He’s one villain too many, or the show just plain ol’ has one villain too many, and if one of ’em had to go, Cornell Stokes makes the most sense. (Don’t feel too bad for Ali: 2016 is … Continue reading →

TV Review: Luke Cage, Episodes 1.01 & 1.02, “Moment of Truth”/”Code of the Streets”

Remember all those times I reviewed Jessica Jones? Have you been missing those times? Miss no longer! Now I’m reviewing Luke Cage, aka “the best screen thing Marvel has ever put their name on,” which is maybe just a smidge hyperbolic but, well, I don’t care. Luke Cage is great. It also has vaulted Marvel’s Netflix and television … Continue reading →

Review: Annabelle, 2014, dir. John R. Leonetti

“Here’s a lesson in basic box office science: horror movies make money. When horror movies make money, they tend to beget horror movie sequels and prequels, hence the mercifully defunct Sawseries’ long-overstayed welcome. So the rare horror movie that’s both well-made and self-contained should be cherished. There’s something to be said for horror that stands … Continue reading →