Reviews

TV Review: AMERICAN HORROR STORY – Season 1 – “Open House”

Connie Britton in AMERICAN HORROR STORY - Season 1 | ©2011 FX/Robert Zuckerman

Stars: Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Jessica Lange, Taissa Farmiga, Evan Peters, Denis O’Hare, Frances Conroy, Alexandra Breckinridge, Morris Chestnut, Lily Rabe, Matt Ross, Christine Estabrook Writer: Brad Falchuk, series created by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk Director: Tim Hunter Network: FX, Wednesdays @ 10 PM Original Telecast: November 16, 2011 Turns out that even AMERICAN HORROR STORY needs to take a little time out from full-on scares to moving the story along. Usually the show manages to combine the two, but in “Open House,” it gives us a lot more insight into the characters than it does shivers. To be […]Read On »


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CD Review: THE CAPE soundtrack

THE CAPE soundtrack | ©2011 La La Land Records

Between a starlost spacecraft, homegrown mad science, killer robots and the shambling undead, Bear McCreary is rapidly becoming the king of genre television scoring- particularly the non-super superhero. After his adventurous symphonic scores for Fox’s adaptation of DC’s identity-shifting HUMAN TARGET, McCreary employed the orchestra to even more innovative effect for NBC’s THE CAPE. While not based on any comic book per se, what gave this billowing avenger distinction beyond a Batman-esque shtick was his Toreador-worthy use of the titular clothing article, as handed to him by a not-so-bad circus of crime. While THE CAPE’s promising premise ultimately slipped under […]Read On »


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TV Review: SUPERNATURAL – Season 7 – “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters”

Jim Beaver in SUPERNATURAL - Season 7 - "How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters" | ©2011 The CW/Jack Rowand

Stars: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, James Patrick Stuart, Benito Martinez, Cameron Bancroft Writer: Ben Edlund, series created by Eric Kripke Director: Guy Bee Network: The CW, Fridays @ 9 PM Original Telecast: November 18, 2011 After trying a little too hard to be funny for a few episodes, SUPERNATURAL gets back to normal (for this series) with “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters.” Based on the events of the past few seasons, Dean (Jensen Ackles) is wondering if the world actually wants to destroy itself, Sam (Jared Padalecki) is worried about Dean and Bobby (Jim Beaver) is […]Read On »


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TV Review: CHUCK – Season 5 – “Vs. The Business Trip”

David Koechner and Zachary Levi in CHUCK - Season 5 - "Vs. The Business Trip" | ©2011 NBC/Ron Tom

Stars: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Adam Baldwin, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Ryan McPartlin Writer: Kristin Newman Director: Allan Kroeker Network: NBC, Friday nights, 8 p.m. Original Telecast: November 18, 2011 Now, “Vs. The Business Trip” is more like the CHUCK we’ve known and loved all these past five seasons. With a CIA hit put out on Morgan (Joshua Gomez) because he’s been telling everyone he has the Intersect, that CIA database imprinted in the brain that Chuck (Zachary Levi) used to have, General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) comes and takes it away. End of problem, right? Chuck and Sarah go back trying to […]Read On »


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Movie Review: HAPPY FEET TWO

HAPPY FEET TWO poster | ©2011 Warner Bros.

Rating: PG Stars (voices): Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Alecia Moore (Pink), Hank Azaria, Common, Sofia Vergara, Richard Carter, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Anthony LaPaglia, Ava Acres, Magda Szubanski, Hugo Weaving Writers: George Miller, Warren Coleman, Gary Eck, Paul Livingston Director: George Miller Distributor: Warner Bros. Release Date: Nov. 18, 2011 The original 2006 HAPPY FEET had the amusement factor of singing and dancing penguins, along with a nice ecological message. Some people objected to that message served with the music, so HAPPY FEET TWO has drastically scaled back on its observations about the havoc humans are wreaking across the planet. […]Read On »


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CD Review: LE GRAND PARDON soundtrack

LE GRAND PARDON soundtrack | ©2011 Music Box Records

As the French label Music Box Records continues to release Gallic scores that are intriguingly foreign to our ears, certainly one of their most oddball, and fun soundtracks yet accompanies the 1982 crime epic LE GRAND PARDON, one that still remains unreleased in America (even if its sequel took place there). That you might feel like doing the disco Horah will quickly clue you in that LE GRAND PARDON’s mob family is of the Jewish persuasion. Serge Franklin’s energetically versatile score puts his theme through all of the Hebraic paces from solo piano to violin and rhythmic suspense. Franklin even […]Read On »


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TV Review: BONES – Season 7 – “The Prince in the Plastic”

Morgan Fairchild in BONES - Season 7 - "The Prince in the Plastic" | ©2011 Fox/Ray Mickshaw

Stars: David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Francis Daley, Carla Gallo, Rick Gonzalez, Morgan Fairchild Writer: Dean Lapata, series created by Hart Hanson, based on the life and writings of Kathy Reichs Director: Alex Chapple Network: Fox, Thursdays @ 9 PM Airdate: November 17, 2011 There seems to be a mini-epidemic right now on series television of stretching characters in directions they don’t naturally stretch. Other shows that shall go unnamed are doing it, and BONES is back to trying to expand the role of Dr. Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) in non-organic ways by […]Read On »


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CD Review: 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA soundtrack

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA soundtrack | ©2011 Intrada Records

If Walt Disney had a house composer, few occupied more glorious rooms than Paul J. Smith, whose seminal Disney animation scoring credits included SNOW WHITE, a shared Oscar win for PINOCCHIO and co-nominations for THE THREE CABALLEROS and CINDERELLA. While these may have seemed like cartoons on the surface, the action, humor, and emotion that Smith invested in their scores made the pictures as richly palpable as any live-action movie. It was this talent that made Smith particularly invaluable when it came time for Walt’s “real” deals like THE SHAGGY DOG, THE PARENT TRAP and POLLYANA, not to mention any […]Read On »


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Book Review: WHEDONISTAS! A CELEBRATION OF THE WORLDS OF JOSS WHEDON AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM

WHEDONISTAS! A CELEBRATION OF THE WORLDS OF JOSS WHEDON AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM

Editors: Lynne M. Thomas & Deborah Stanish Price: $14.95 Publisher: Mad Norwegian Press trade paperback (available in trade paperback and Kindle) It’s rare, though not as rare as it was, for a writer/director/producer to generate a fandom all his/her own. It’s inarguable that Joss Whedon resides at the pinnacle of this group. Should the title of WHEDONISTAS! A CELEBRATION OF THE WORLDS OF JOSS WHEDON AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM need explanation, it refers to female fans of the man and his released work so far: the television series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, FIREFLY and DOLLHOUSE, the FIREFLY […]Read On »


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TV Review: REVENGE – Season 1 – “Treachery”

Margarita Levieva and Emily VanCamp in REVENGE - Season 1 - "Treachery" | ©2011 ABC/Randy Holmes

Stars: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Henry Czerny, Josh Bowman, Nick Wechsler, Gabriel Mann, Ashley Madekwe, Christa B. Allen, Connor Paolo Writer: Ryan Scott Director: Bobby Roth Network: ABC, Wednesday nights, 10 p.m. Original Telecast: November 16, 2011 The “Treachery” episode of REVENGE makes you wonder if the writers haven’t written themselves into a corner, because it certainly looks like the wheels are coming off Emily’s big plot. The problem is, the show started at the end of the summer season with someone getting shot – and it sure looked like Emily was getting what she wanted and planned. So you have to figure the writers know where they’re going with the story and how […]Read On »


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