You Can’t Be Less Wicked Than Your Enemy – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) Criterion Blu-ray
First published in 1963, John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was designed as a corrective against the far-fetched espionage fantasy of Ian Fleming’s popular James Bond series. A movie adaption followed two years later, released right at the height of Bond-mania. While perhaps not cultural milestones on quite the same…
I Rather Thought It Would Be You – A Spy Among Friends (2022) Series Premiere
Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce star in the espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends. With its Cold War setting, incredibly complex plotting, and very slow-burn atmosphere, the series is decidedly more John le Carré in tone and style than James Bond – even if Ian Fleming happens to show up as a character in the…
A Festival of Zeroes – History of the World Part II (2023) Limited Series
Mel Brooks’ 1981 comedy History of the World Part I was never actually intended to have a Part II, but here we are four decades later and Hulu decided to make one anyway. Being so late in coming is part of the joke, I suppose. If anything, the time gap may actually benefit the show,…
It’s Good to Be the King – History of the World Part I (1981)
The title itself is probably the funniest thing in Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part I. After his razor-sharp parodies of Westerns (Blazing Saddles) and classic horror movies (Young Frankenstein), Brooks was practically the king of cinematic comedy. When his next two efforts (Silent Movie and High Anxiety) fizzled a little with audiences, the…
2023 Oscar Winners and Associated Nonsense
Predicting the annual Oscar race is more about psychology than artistic merit. The Best Picture winner is rarely the actual best film released in a given year. Guessing which people and movies will take home trophies is a matter of understanding how and why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences members will vote…
The Illusion of Justice – Perry Mason Season 2 Premiere (2023)
HBO’s Perry Mason reboot is certainly not the flashiest offering from the network’s current slate of prestige dramas. The second season, which premiered this past Monday, could easily fly under the radar even of fans who enjoyed the first when it aired nearly three years ago. That would be an injustice. This show deserves, and…
Nearly Almost Famous – Daisy Jones & the Six (2023) Series Premiere
Based on a 2019 novel by author Taylor Jenkins Reid, Amazon Prime Video’s musical drama series Daisy Jones & the Six takes viewers back to the 1970s, a time when a light pop-rock act in the vein of Fleetwood Mac could dominate album sales and become the biggest band in the world. Given the milieu,…
Never Trust a Pirate – The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere (2023)
Even for as contentious as Star Wars fandom can be, just about everybody seems to like The Mandalorian. While Disney’s other streaming series from the franchise have met with mixed to outright hostile reaction, most fans still eagerly awaited the return of beloved characters Mando and Grogu. Now that it’s back for a third season,…
Well, This Was a Disaster – True Lies (2023) Series Premiere
Nostalgia reboots of old movies are so common right now (Fatal Attraction coming imminently to Paramount+!), one can hardly blame CBS for trying to revive James Cameron’s 1994 blockbuster True Lies as a weekly spy/action series. That it would be terrible should also be no surprise, given the network’s history. The trailers certainly looked awful.…
He Gets Results – The Consultant (2023) Season 1
The job market out there is hell. The company you work for probably has no concern for your welfare. Your boss may seem like a monster. Even if it started out as a good place to work, odds are it won’t feel that way forever. What’re you gonna do about it, quit? You really think…
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