Tag Archives: 2017

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season Five Episode Five Recap & Review

Nine weeks after the botched election, there is still no president-elect. By the 12th amendment, Congress will select the president and vice president. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is prepared for it. In fact, he devised the snafu that allowed America to get to this point. Now he just has to do what he does best: manipulate the spineless miscreants of American politics.

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With everything in flux, every character is dealing with Continue reading House of Cards Season Five Episode Five Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season Five Episode Four Recap & Review

Low voter turnout on election day threatens Frank Underwood’s (Kevin Spacey) chances of winning. On top of these grumblings that Underwood is on the losing path, the administration receives word of a potential terrorist attack at a polling place.

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These two situations frame the fourth episode of season five of House of Cards. The weighty resignation of Underwood’s almost certain loss shifts to Continue reading House of Cards Season Five Episode Four Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season Five Episode Three Recap & Review

Ah, the campaign trail. Inherently compelling. Post-Halloween, the election is ramping up, and both Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman) are working on their winning strategies. Conway takes his campaign to the people, initiating a 24-hour virtual town hall with the American people. Frank, conversely, is wining and dining political officials and having big campaign rallies.

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The contrasts between these two candidates could not be more Continue reading House of Cards Season Five Episode Three Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season Five Episode Two Recap & Review

Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is deep in election strategizing as he fights ICO, giving a speech to state governors as a way of getting five of them on his side. Five that just so happen to be from key swing states.

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The end game is voter suppression. We wouldn’t expect anything less from the Underwood administration. Central to this coup is Continue reading House of Cards Season Five Episode Two Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season 5 Episode 1 Recap & Review

At the beginning of Season Five of House of Cards, President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) takes over Congress, literally stepping in where he is not allowed. Because abuse of power in the House of Cards war is only met with slight perturbation.

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With the repetition of “I will not yield,” the ultimate rallying cry of Frank Underwood’s slimy political persona, the President demands Continue reading House of Cards Season 5 Episode 1 Recap & Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Wonder Woman (2017) Movie Review

First good DC cinematic universe film?! All female screenings?! Uproar over a movie based on children’s comic books?! Interrobangs?!

Diana “Prince” (Gal Gadot) is Princess of the Amazons on Themyscira. Trained at a young age as a warrior god, Diana becomes transfixed with the concept of vanquishing Ares, the god who defied Zeus and condemned the world of man to war.

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When a Great War soldier, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), enters Themyscira through a portal, hurtling out of the sky in a crashing fighter plane, Diana rushes out to save him. The German army in hot pursuit of Trevor, the Amazons must fight them off, and Diana gets her first glimpse at the horrors of war.

From here, she sets out to Continue reading Wonder Woman (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Horror, Love It

Raw (2017) Movie Review

Raw is a beautiful, disgusting mess. And it’s fantastic.

In the prestigious veterinary school newly attended by Justine (Garance Marillier), hazing is tradition. Midnight dorm raids. Mandatory partying. Buckets of blood dumped Carrie-style. Eating raw rabbit kidneys.

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For most, this would be frustrating but tolerable. But Justine is also Continue reading Raw (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

The Lovers (2017) Movie Review

Mary (Debra Winger) and Michael (Tracy Letts) are married. They are also both planning to leave the other to run off with their lovers, Robert (Aidan Gillen) and Lucy (Melora Walters) respectively. Both of them plan to drop the big news on or around the visit from their son Joel (Tyler Ross).

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And that’s the ticking clock. In the meantime, the couple is meant to Continue reading The Lovers (2017) Movie Review →

Box Office Predictions, Movie News

Weekend Box Office Predictions: June 2 – June 4

The first weekend of June is looking to be a smash at the domestic box office. A strong opening for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales could translate into an equally strong second week. The impressive run of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is looking to continue into June.

And then there’s this little movie. This DC Studios film by the name of Wonder Woman.

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Box Office Predictions: Weekend of 6/2

Continue reading Weekend Box Office Predictions: June 2 – June 4 →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

War Machine (2017) Movie Review

Glenn McMahon (Brad Pitt) is a celebrated, if not eccentric, United States Marine General tasked with leading NATO forces in 2009 Afghanistan. In 10 minutes, David Michod’s War Machine introduces McMahon’s team, none of which appear as appealing as Pitt’s left-eye bulging, tight-lipped officer of the people.

McMahon is tasked with handling relations with Afghanistan while the war winds down under the Barack Obama administration. It is a “nation-building exercise,” one which McMahon takes on with gusto.

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Pitt’s character is, in delivery, an aged version of Lt. Aldo Raine. A gruff southern accent and a high degree of eyebrow expressivity control them both. Except, here, Pitt’s McMahon is Continue reading War Machine (2017) Movie Review →