Categories
movies + tv

Amazon Prime’s Invincible and the Rise of the Anti-Superhero

There’s a case to be made that “College”, the fifth episode of The Sopranos‘ first season, is the most important television episode of the last 25 years. For those who need a refresher, it’s the episode where Tony takes Meadow on a few college tours in Maine, while Carmela stays home and has an almost-dalliance with Father Phil during a thunderstorm. While in Maine, Tony spots a former rat of his mob Family at a gas station, and, because this is what the mafia does, the trip turns from a fun father-daughter bonding weekend into a vengeance mission that ultimately concludes with Tony strangling the rat (named Febby Petrulio) in Petrulio’s own witness-protection-gifted backyard.

Categories
movies + tv

The Real Housewives of New York City is a Modern Tragic Masterpiece

PART I: “I Never Feel Guilty About Being Privileged” 

Over the last few years, there’s been a growing interest in “Dead Malls.” These abandoned shopping centers have become immensely popular in some corners of the internet. There’s something about the photos and videos of these places – something slightly off-putting, but also evocative and nostalgic. But a Dead Mall is more than just some empty stores; it’s a physical manifestation of a past way of life, a past way of thinking, past hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

They’ve taken everything from us! (John Arehart / Shutterstock.com)

Dead Malls require us to confront a change in perspective – our change of perspective. In a Dead Mall, the glitzy, exciting, “anything is possible” attitude of the 80s seems a lifetime away. These places hold no promise now. The building may be mostly the same. But something has changed. We have changed.

Categories
movies + tv

Seeking The Truth

It was the autumn of 1991. George H.W. Bush was president of the United States, The Jerry Springer Show had just made its television debut, and Nirvana’s Nevermind was setting the music world on fire. And, in an undisclosed location in the highlands of Scotland, The Boy Who Lived began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Categories
movies + tv

Palm Springs, Groundhog Day, and the Year of the Plague

I am an unabashed supporter of Groundhog Day. I’m a Punxsutawney truther; I would follow that furry little hog to hell and back if his shadow told me to. So as a lover of all things Groundhog Day, it’s no surprise that I would take some time to wax poetic with you, dear reader, about 1993 classic film Groundhog Day, as well as the recent reimagining of the classic infinite time loop situation, Palm Springs

Categories
Movie Review

More Like Citizen LAME, Wait Where Are You Going?

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but a lot of people think that Citizen Kane is a good movie. Hailed by critics as one of the best movies of all time, Citizen Kane has held a pretty comfortable spot at the head of the film canon for quite some time now. But, unlike some of the truly masterful films of our times like Hot Rod, I had never actually seen, nor even met someone who had seen, this lauded film. So I decided to do some digging and see what all this fuss was about.