Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E05 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode five ahead.

The cold open of House of Cards episode five is yet another nightmarish vision from Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), this time depicting a Confederate Civil War soldier shooting him in his hospital bed. The assassination attempt on his life may prove to be politically beneficial, but this scene shows that it will only help in heightening his already troubled mind.

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Frank’s Chief of Staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly), now returning to the forefront of the show, is working furiously to Continue reading House of Cards S04E05 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E04 Recap & Review

Caution: spoilers from House of Cards season four, episode four ahead.

Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) may have to run with his wife Claire (Robin Wright) as his running mate, or risk further sabotage from her and Leann Harvey (Neve Campbell). He and Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) search for a different way to satisfy Claire’s political desires while also investigating the leak of a racially sensitive image to the press. Stamper heavily suspects Seth Grayson (Derek Cecil), whom we already know leaked the photo of Frank with a Confederate Civil War re-enacter.

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The solution for the campaign problem (and by proxy the Claire problem) is to Continue reading House of Cards S04E04 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E03 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers from House of Cards season four, episode three ahead.

The third episode of the new season of House of Cards shows the continued efforts of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) to salvage his struggling presidential campaign. Returning to his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina, he speaks in a church. The scene is great, cross-cutting between the speech itself and Underwood preparing for the speech. The lighting contrast and his mumbling recitation show the reality of his feelings for the people that he is claiming to be working for, that they are merely votes that he desperately needs.

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On the other end of the political totem pole, Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus), aka John Carlyle, is working on parole, cleaning cars. In order to secure a car, he engages in sexual favors with a co-worker. He uses this to Continue reading House of Cards S04E03 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E02 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode two ahead.

Episode two of House of Cards season four opens on a conversation between Claire Underwood’s mother Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn) and a group of her perhaps monetarily influential friends. She encourages endorsement of Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) for president so that her daughter may begin her own political rise once Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is out of the oval office.

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The episode re-introduces Russian President Viktor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen), where a man fleeing Russia seeks asylum in the U.S., fearing for his life when an attempt to unseat Petrov goes south. To President Underwood, this appears like Continue reading House of Cards S04E02 Recap & Review →

Drama, Television Reviews

House of Cards S04E01 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode one (and perhaps any previous episode of the show) ahead.

Season four of House of Cards opens on a strange yet perversely poetic image: former Washington Herald senior journalist Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus) glibly reciting erotica so his prison cellmate can get off on the bunk below him. Goodwin was previously framed by hacker Gavin Orsay (Jimmi Simpson) and Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) loyalist Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) in order to prevent further suspicion over the death of Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) at Underwood’s hands.

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The reason for Goodwin’s lewd helping hand becomes clear later on, when it is revealed that he Continue reading House of Cards S04E01 Recap & Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Like It, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) Movie Review

Kim Baker (Tina Fey) is a low-on-the-totem-pole journalist sent to Afghanistan to cover the war there. While there, she deals with gender and cultural politics, as well as personal relationships with military and press personnel.

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In Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the acting performances are Continue reading Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Indie Films, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Romance

Tell Me Sweet Something (2015) Movie Review

Tell Me Sweet Something follows young author Moratiwa (Nomzamo Mbatha) through the trials of artistry and romance.

Mbatha holds down the fort at the head of the film well. Her character the most well-rounded of the lot, she is given a lot more to work with. But, all the same, she embodies the character well.

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Fulfilling the obligatory role of comedic relief male sidekick is Thomas Gumede as Gordon. Albeit a tired character, Continue reading Tell Me Sweet Something (2015) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Indie Films, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words), Short Films

The Talk (2015) Short Film Review

The Talk, from director Joe Otting, is a two-person short depicting a conversation between a father and his young daughter. This conversation begins with an innocent confession, one that every child needs to hear at some point in their life, but then it takes a nosedive into a frank, awkward realm.

The short features performances from John Hoogenakker and Isabella Crovetti-Cramp, who is most recognizable from her appearance in Continue reading The Talk (2015) Short Film Review →

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Like It, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words)

Race (2016) Movie Review

Race is the biopic of Olympic athlete Jesse Owens. The film follows Owens (Stephan James) as he tackles adversity in 1930s America and Germany. It also explores the relationship between Owens and his down-and-out coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis).

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What it boils down to is that this film is a Continue reading Race (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Horror, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

The Witch (2016) Movie Review

The Witch follows the trials of a 17th century New England family banished from society to a home on the outskirts of a threatening woods. They struggle to survive: the crops die, the hunting traps bear no food, the chicken’s eggs bear stillborn chicks. But what is to blame for the family’s misfortune? For the Puritanical family, their misfortune becomes a hysteria over religious heathenism.

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The film is marked by quiet. At the film’s outset, we get a flurry of Continue reading The Witch (2016) Movie Review →

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