I can’t avoid writing about the Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. I watched the eighth episode of the first season, the last of the season, about a week ago as I write this. I’ve been thinking about what I watched since then. I’ve been doing a second reading of the novel at the […]
Read more "American Gods: a TV review"When I started my Boldly Going Star Trek project back in January, it was never my intention to write reviews of individual episodes, unless it was a particularly important episode earning distinction. Having been through the first season of Star Trek:The Next Generation once before, I thought I might have to write a review of […]
Read more "Boldly Going: TNG Episode 2.8 “A Matter of Honor”: a review"I’ve never even seen Matt Mira, and I’m a fan. Okay, full disclosure: I just saw images of him on the web when I Googled his name. But, until that moment, I never saw him. Matt was born the year I graduated from high school, so he’s a little younger than I am. That’s “little” […]
Read more "Star Trek: the Next Conversation (a podcast review)"45:01 – 60:00 You know, it’s come to my attention that I didn’t say anything about Jake Lloyd’s acting during our last segment. Here’s the thing, I don’t really like criticizing child actors too harshly. When a child is an excellent actor, as Natalie Portman was long before this movie, I don’t mind saying […]
Read more "Star Wars:The Phantom Menace (a 15-Minute Force production): Chapter Four: The Results are in…Your Midichlorian Count says…You Have No Father"Season 3 of the FX television show Fargo initially captured my attention as swiftly as the previous two seasons. The viewer was presented with a “true” crime story about a sibling rivalry that results in multiple deaths. The first episode was a great example of the masterful storytelling we had already experienced during the first […]
Read more "Fargo, Season 3: You Can’t Win ‘Em All"It should go without saying: SPOILERS AHEAD, TURN BACK NOW! Having just finished “Lantern,” the finale episode of season 3 of Better Call Saul, I’ve had a realization. Although it’s taken 30 episodes in total—all three seasons—I now realize that the story about how James “Jimmy” McGill becomes Saul Goodman is a tragedy. A person […]
Read more "Better Call Saul: Season 3: a review"There And Back Again is the Point North Media podcast that got my mojo back for me this year. I’ve written about my affinity for lists and my enjoyment of host Alastair Stephens’ work before, both alone and in former partnerships. This breakdown of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings inspired […]
Read more "There And Back Again: a podcast update"I am a latecomer to the game afoot that’s Sherlock, the BBC television show starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. I’m not sure why. I consider myself a Sherlockian (or Holmesian, whichever you prefer). Fans of the consulting detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle represent the oldest […]
Read more "Sherlock: Series 1: a review"30:01 – 45:00 Qui-Gon and Jar Jar are beginning their trek to the spaceport across the all-too-familiar desert terrain of Tatooine when Captain Panaka comes after them with the handmaiden Padmé in tow (we’re still pretending that she’s not Queen Amidala). Panaka tells Qui-Gon that the queen commands that he take her handmaiden with him. […]
Read more "Star Wars:The Phantom Menace (a 15-Minute Force production): Chapter Three: Chekhov’s Pod Racer (or, Mack Daddy Ani)"I had a lot of respect for the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. That should be understood from the start here. I still respect his body of work. He was one of our finest character actors. I’ve seen him in many of his movies, including Twister, Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski. Oh, and Scent of […]
Read more "Philip Seymour Hoffman and Me"