Full disclosure: I’ve never read Andy Weir’s The Martian, the novel from which Ridley Scott’s newest film by the same name was adapted. I have no idea how strictly Scott stuck to the novel’s plot and characters, or if the only thing he took from Weir was the title. Maybe, if I’d read the book, I’d have known how silly the movie was going to be. Maybe, but who knows.
Rick and Morty Done Did It Again, Broh
Surrounded by dozens of literal Schrödinger’s cats, a mad scientist and his two grandchildren must find a way to fuse together separate timelines caused by the grandchildren’s inability to make decisions. In a race to make sense of this confusing reality and avoid being murdered by the other timelines, Adult Swim’s cult cartoon hit “Rick and Morty” starts Season 2 with its two best qualities: absurdity and dark humor. While the first season of this unpredictable show introduced us to creator Justin Roiland’s unique mannerisms and improvised scripts, the second season plays off those mannerisms and expectations for a more intense experience.
One Ted 2 Many
Sequels don’t have to suck. Recent surprises like The Dark Knight and Toy Story 2 are proof that second servings can be just as good, if not better, than the first. Unfortunately, this exception does not apply to Ted 2, since this second iteration of Seth McFarlane’s talking bear does nothing to dispel the popular notion that sequels, almost always, come up short.
Black Mass is White(y) Hot
My earliest memory of my grandfather is of his valiant efforts to get me to eat my vegetables. A native of South Boston with an unmistakable Boston accent, he regularly entreated me not to waste food so that I could grow up to be “big and strong.” Although he often failed to convince me of the vegetables’ merits, there was always one threat that puzzled me. “If you don’t eat your vegetables,” he would say, “Whitey will get ya.” If you’re from Boston you know all about James “Whitey” Bulger, a ruthless, murderous mobster who ran the Winter Hill Gang. Scott Cooper’s Black Mass is a biographical representation of Whitey, from his family life with his brother and then with his wife and son, to his rise and fall as the unforgiving mastermind of organized crime in South Boston. The film does a masterful job at bringing Whitey and the enterprise back to life and artfully delineates the harsh realities of a life in organized crime.
Iris, the Apfel of My Eye
In an industry currently headlined by Cara Delevigne, Alexander Wang, and the Olsen Twins, you would think one must be under 35 to ride the waves of fashion. Enter Iris Apfel, 94-year old businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion icon. Apfel, nicknamed “The Rare Bird of Fashion,” has been a consistent and prominent figure in the fashion world for over 60 years, and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Albert Maysles’s 2015 documentary Iris follows the rare bird throughout her day-to-day functions, activities that include consulting Bergdorf Goodman on their window display of her costume jewelry collection, appearing on Martha Stewart’s talk show, and posing for Vanity Fair magazine. This Queens native approaches each task with more energy than someone half her age, firing off inappropriate jokes and throwing out pop culture references at rapid speed. Whenever asked, “How are you?” Apfel is quick to respond, “I’m vertical.” While always aware of her age, she refuses to let it slow her down.
5 Times in Scandal’s Season 5 Premiere that Abby Whelan, or the Audience, Deserve Better
Ever since Abby Whelan was Liv’s “gladiator” on “Scandal,” she’s been doing the dirty job of a true gladiator. Armed with technology, deception, and clever monologues, she has been solving the crises of Washington D.C.’s elite at Olivia Pope’s behest. That has left her, on different occasions, friendless, unemployed, single, involved in covering up presidential election rigging, and looking like a complete fool in front of rooms full of press. Continue reading 5 Times in Scandal’s Season 5 Premiere that Abby Whelan, or the Audience, Deserve Better
Minions: A Despicable Disappointment
If you can’t get enough of the yellow pill-shaped creatures from Despicable Me, it’s probably a dream come true that Universal Pictures released a movie that features only these lovable characters. But alas, this dream will be shattered once you actually watch the movie.
How Many Blind Writers Did It Take To Write Blindspot?
I thrive on mysteries. Give me a mystery novel or a crime saga, and I’ll probably grow an inch or two taller. As a kid, I would read everything from A to Z Mysteries to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. My taste became a bit more varied as a pre-teen: I watched David Fincher’s dark film Zodiac as well as the borderline mystery/fantasy film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Yet, after a couple of years, I came to the realization that television is the medium best suited for the intricacies of the crime mystery genre. In fact, the TV crime thriller has truly become its own form of art (check out Breaking Bad or Law and Order: SVU some time). Unlike books and movies, television shows can sustain an overarching mystery for longer stretches of time, allowing creators to drive the plot forward and simultaneously maintain the audience in suspense episode after episode. This successful formula is what the new crime drama series Blindspot attempts to replicate. Continue reading How Many Blind Writers Did It Take To Write Blindspot?
Quantico, a Melodrama with a Side of Cheese
Terrorist attack, FBI, mystery, investigation, inside job. These are the themes of Joshua Safran’s new ABC show “Quantico” which explores a topic covered a dozen times before. It hits on all the key target words to make a national audience interested, and it has a diverse cast of improbably good looking recruits. But these alone aren’t enough to make this show watchable or even begin to approach an accurate representation of the FBI in the manner in which it masquerades. Continue reading Quantico, a Melodrama with a Side of Cheese
On Not Forgetting: Testament of Youth
War movies are of men. Historical war movies, more so. Which is why Testament of Youth, the first feature film dramatization of the famed World War I memoir by Vera Brittain, an auxiliary nurse, bestselling author, and lifelong pacifist, comes as a fresh perspective even in 2015. With an elegant and gritty performance by Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) as Vera and what can only be described as poetic direction by James Kent, Testament of Youth is a haunting and unsparing elegy to a war that, a century later, still has much to teach us about love, loss, and—believe it or not—feminism.
How to Get Away with Melodrama? Hire Viola Davis
After spending the equivalent of a semester under the brilliant—if somewhat terrifying—tutelage of Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), you might think it was about time you graduated to How To Get Away With Murder 201, or at least 102. You’d be mistaken. The Season 2 premiere of Shonda Rhimes’ latest hit brings us right into the thick of the mess we left behind in the Season 1 finale. Continue reading How to Get Away with Melodrama? Hire Viola Davis
“THE FRIEND INSIDE THE ENEMY, THE ENEMY INSIDE THE FRIEND”: DOCTOR WHO SEASON 9 OPENER
“Listen, if someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?” This question drives the two-part opening of “Doctor Who” season 9. In a manner perfectly suited to the show’s timey-wimey nature, these episodes provide a splendid example of how sci-fi can explore deep questions rather than just showcase explosions and mayhem (cough, Star Trek: Into Darkness, cough).