Movies and TV

The Walking Dead and It’s Annoying Trend

Man, there are things I need to post about, but this one just can’t wait. First, it should be said that I greatly enjoy the Walking Dead. One of my favorite shows, one that has so many flaws yet still delivers in a way that outpaces them. And I still think that, even though this post is going to be largely negative. Am I upset Glenn’s dead? Sure. Am I upset Abe is dead? I mean, I guess, but he’s been living on borrowed time for at least two seasons so that just kinda fit. Overall, the scene was well done. It was brutal, gory, gave the characters a strong death, and was probably the best raw display of emotion any of these actors have displayed before. Something that, in watching the Talking Dead, really seems genuine. And once again, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is just fan-friggin’-tastic as Negan. I neither…

Continue Reading

Late Review – Boardwalk Empire

I have been in the midst of watching Boardwalk Empire. As is my normal custom, I didn’t start until well after everyone else has consumed it. Spoilers are obviously ahead and in full disclosuure, I must also say (and this probably gives you an idea of what I think ahead of time) I did not finish the series and have no intention of doing so. I got through season four but couldn’t make it any further. I love history, always have. Gangster history is no exception. It’s such an odd and interesting era in America’s culture. It is possibly one of the best examples of how to build a black market, was a time of lawlessness rarely seen, as well as a moment when law was so blatantly disregarded that the line between common sense and corruption became blurred. And the legends, oh the legends. Our country is so young, there are…

Continue Reading

Inside Out

One of the things I don’t usually get to do is go to the movies, so whenever I finally get around to watching one, it’s usually only after it’s been out for a while. My wife working tonight, so my son and I checked out Inside Out. The last major Disney/Pixar thing I saw was either Frozen or Big Hero 6. Frozen, for all that everyone made about it, was kind of a letdown. Don’t get me wrong, the animation was fantastic, and I really enjoy most of the characters, but I’d kinda been expecting more due to the hype. I really like the twist, a lot, but the really big deal seemed to come from the way it flipped certain standard Disney conventions on its head. Great job, but, I think there were some other gaps. Also, lots and lots (and LOTS) of singing. Music is a big part…

Continue Reading

Dracula Untold and Vampires in Virgil’s World

I wanted, so very, very much, to hate this but it actually doesn’t look half bad. Did Dracula need an origin story? No, certainly not, and definitely not as the hero, but it looks like it’ll be better than Maleficent or I, Frankenstein. I have yet to see it, but if the trailer and reviews are any indication, it was horrible. At least Frankenstein’s Monster is a bit sympathetic, I don’t know how they screwed it up so badly. Trailer for Dracula Untold on TrailerAddict. I’ve been wanting to write a short story about Vampires for a while, and this just might have goaded me into action. I hate that Vampires have lost their monstrous quality, that the only dynamic anyone wants to tell anymore is that of the sympathetic, abused, misunderstood, glittery, romantic immortal. Even in stories like Underworld, where the vampires are the baddies, they’re really just guys…

Continue Reading

The Game of Thrones is About to Jump the Rails

I don’t really watch GOT. I’ve seen the first season, which was very enjoyable, but I have neither HBO or the patience and talent to obtain the series in a more illicit manner, nor the finances to buy each season. Nevertheless, I have followed how the series progressed. I, like most readers, loved watching people’s reaction to the Red Wedding, along with the other major moments like the Red Viper’s death. The memes have been great and watching the world learn to love and appreciate the Imp has been something I never really thought I would get to see. So, even though I don’t watch the show, I’ve kept up with it. There have been a lot of articles about what GOT will do if it catches up with the books. This is a valid concern, one that is stressed by the way A Feast for Crows and A Dance…

Continue Reading