“Joe was a terrible person. What a stark contrast with me, a man who had come here to do something wonderful.” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/09/04/review-season-2-episode-6-recap-willia
Review 2.6: “William Tell; Grant a Wish; Rowboat”
September 4, 2015
Review (TV Series), Review Episode Reviews, Television Review (TV Series), Review 206, Review Season 2, William Tell Grant a Wish Rowboat Leave a comment
This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Diary of a Teenage Girl
September 2, 2015
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The Diary of a Teenage Girl features an open-minded sexual awakening, but it is complicated by happening via an affair. As Minnie, Bel Powley is refreshingly frank and straightforward in bringing to life female sexual desire. But it is hard to be thrilled by her story. She is sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend, and she is way too immature and insecure to deal with the situation. This puts the viewer in a fundamentally vexing position, wanting to cheer the sex positivity but recognizing the harm in the main relationships.
Then there’s Christopher Meloni as Minnie’s ex-stepfather Pascal. He remains in contact with Minnie and her sister, disapproving of the bohemian San Francisco lifestyle their mother (Kristen Wiig) is raising them in. He is a straight edge, but there is a slight ironic veneer to Meloni’s performance. He likes to keep it cool, but he can lose his patience, and when he does so, he is amusingly insane. That is to say, he is not too far removed from his Wet Hot American Summer performance.
Best Episode of the Season: Rick and Morty Season 1
September 1, 2015
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“Rixty Minutes”
Ah, yes, the episode in which Rick hooks up the TV with a converter that receives programming from every conceivable dimension. What could be just a series of quick gags … is a series of quick gags, but not just a series of quick gags. Each program makes you want to live in that world to figure out what, for example, would compel someone to make a commercial for fake doors that turns into an existential short film. This is a canny movie, as it sets up potential callbacks (with depth) for future episodes. Season 2’s “The Ricks Must Be Crazy,” indeed, features a Ball Fondlers movie. Perhaps there is also a world in which Turbulent Juice is recalled.
Rick and Morty 2.6: “The Ricks Must Be Crazy”
August 31, 2015
Rick and Morty, Rick and Morty Episode Reviews, Television Rick and Morty, Rick and Morty 206, Rick and Morty Season 2, The Ricks Must Be Crazy Leave a comment
“Old lady science, y’know? She’s-she’s-she’s-she’s a real… ya gotta hang on tight, y’know, because she-she-she bucks pretty hard. Hoo, boy.” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/08/31/rick-and-morty-season-2-episode-6-reca
This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: Shaun the Sheep Movie
August 30, 2015
Cinema, Movie Reviews Mr. X, Shaun the Sheep, Shaun the Sheep Movie 2 Comments
Shaun the Sheep Movie shares some DNA with the work of David Wain, specifically in its propensity for significant plot developments to transpire in an absurdly short time frame. After a conk on the head causes the Farmer to forget his identity, his skills for shearing lead him to believe he is a renowned stylist, and he soon becomes the talk of the Big City. This is a process that one would assume would take months, or at least weeks. Maybe days. Meanwhile, Shaun and the rest of the flock track him down to return him home and restore his memory. Their run-ins with the overzealous animal-control worker and the rest of the Big City could not possibly be taking place over more than a couple of days, based on what is presented. Thus, the Farmer becomes the new celebrity stylist “Mr. X” literally overnight. This time compression deserves to be considered as prominently as the whimsically crafted slapstick set pieces, such as the sheep attempting to mimic the human behavior of restaurant patrons or their transporting an elaborate fake horse disguise (whose butt the animal-control guy gets adorably stuck in).
What Won TV? – August 23-August 29, 2015
August 30, 2015
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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Whose Line is it Anyway?
Tuesday – Paul Scheer and The Best of Hollywood Game Night
Wednesday – Key & Peele is talking about G 2, baby!
Thursday – Review
Friday – A Celebrity Jeopardy! rerun
Saturday – Hannibal … how can we live without you?
VH1’s The 20 – 8/29/15
August 29, 2015
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Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
But this week, the show spotlighted videos nominated for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Here is the list of videos that were presented. My top choices in each category are in bold.
Artist to Watch
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Vance Joy – “Riptide”
James Bay – “Hold Back the River”
George Ezra – “Budapest”
FKA Twigs – “Pendulum”
Best Collaboration
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder”
Best Pop Video
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Maroon 5 – “Sugar”
Best Male Video
The Weeknd – “Earned It”
Nick Jonas – “Chains”
Best Female Video
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”
Sia – “Elastic Heart”
Shannon’s Pick
Childish Gambino – “Sober”
Video of the Year
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Video of the Year 2014
Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”
Review 2.5: “Catfish; Haunted House”
August 28, 2015
Review (TV Series), Review Episode Reviews, Television Catfish Haunted House, Review (TV Series), Review 205, Review Season 2 Leave a comment
My review of the latest Review, with our sailor Forrest, and as always, his mermaid AJ. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/08/28/review-season-2-episode-5-catfish-haun
Rick and Morty 2.5: “Get Schwifty”
August 24, 2015
Rick and Morty, Rick and Morty Episode Reviews, Television Get Schwifty, Head Bent Over, Raised Up Posterior, Rick and Morty, Rick and Morty 205, Rick and Morty Season 2 Leave a comment
Head bent over!/Raised up posterior! http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/08/24/rick-and-morty-season-2-episode-5-reca
What Won TV? – August 16-August 22, 2015
August 23, 2015
Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Rick and Morty (#Pray4Poopybutthole)
Monday – Whose Line is it Anyway?
Tuesday – Another Period
Wednesday – Mr. Robot (But I should point that I keep watching the Key & Peele car insurance sketch.)
Thursday – Review
Friday – Girl Meets World
Saturday – Not that many Saturdays left to take a bite out of Hannibal.
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