February 2012
7 posts
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The Walking Dead: "Triggerfinger" Review
Tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead is stronger than last week’s. While the hour is no less ambitious, “Triggerfinger” still manages to touch base with every major character, while delivering some great character moments along the way. First off, Lori’s car crash was resolved in this episode; thank God that wasn’t stretched out for multiple episodes. In fact, it’s handled well, showing...
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Fringe: "Welcome to Westfield" Review
I will be all caught up on Fringe tonight: finally. But before watching the latest episode, I want to share my thoughts on “Welcome to Westfield” - a creepy little standalone episode that has some big implications to go along with it. For starters, “Welcome to Westfield” is a very different episode of Fringe. It has a Twilight Zone feel to it, mixed in with a bit of The X-Files, a bit of The...
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Resident Evil: Revelations Review
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a huge Resident Evil fan. Whether that makes this review more or less credible is your call. But at the very least, I know my Resident Evil history. We’re at an interesting point in the franchise due to such drastic changes over the years. With the recent emphasis on action (i.e. Resident Evil 5), many fans are left wondering if the series could still...
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Breaking Bad: Season 5 as Two Mini-Seasons? →
Based on this article from the LA Times, Anna Gunn (Skyler White) mentions that Breaking Bad’s 5th and final season will be shot separately. It sounds like a long gap, with the second half of the season’s production being put off until Winter 2013. I was hoping for an extended season in one batch, but I suppose AMC wants to keep the show on as long as possible. What are your thoughts?...
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The Walking Dead: "Nebraska" Review
The Walking Dead returns for the second half of Season 2 with a fairly strong episode that deals with the fallout of “Pretty Much Dead Already.” Anyone who watched that episode knows that it ended big, and I suppose it’s appropriate to slow things down and re-establish where these characters are emotionally. Since The Walking Dead employs such a large ensemble cast, it’s difficult to touch on...
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Fringe: "Making Angels" Review
I’m slowly but surely catching up on my Fringe reviews. I wanted to post a quick review of last week’s Astrid-centric episode, “Making Angels” before watching the newest one. “Making Angels” finally gives us a closer look at the motivations behind fan-favorite Astrid and her alternate counter-part. The story is effective for bringing together both sides when Alternate Astrid illegally...
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Fringe: "Forced Perspective" Review
I’m way behind on my Fringe reviews, so I’m going to play a bit of catch up here. This is a review of last Friday’s episode, “Forced Perspective.” I’m going to keep this entry quick and short, in an effort to catch up by on Fringe by Friday. Sorry if these seems like old news, but I still want to give you my thoughts on “Forced Perspective.” “Forced Perspective” is a quaint little tale about...
January 2012
7 posts
notfromoverhere asked: hi there :) and thank you so much for following!
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Fringe: "Enemy of My Enemy" Review
To get right to the point, “Enemy of My Enemy” was a great episode of Fringe that helps narrow the focus of Season 4. Don’t get me wrong: things are as complicated as ever, but the return of David Robert Jones provided an immediacy and urgency to the episode that worked quite well. One of the main reasons for Season 4’s slow start involves the number of standalone episodes; that, and the ...
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Anonymous asked: Do you have a personal blog?
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Fringe: "Back to Where You've Never Been" Review
Fringe returned on Friday night for another batch of winter episodes. Thankfully, we’ll have the show back with week-to-week episodes through the end of February, and here’s hoping Fringe continues to keep fans interested. For now, “Back to Where You’ve Never Been” helps to solidify the somewhat-shaky Season 4 by reintroducing us to an old villain. First, there’s a lot going on in this...
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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review
Beating any Legend of Zelda game is an undertaking in itself, and the same holds true for Link’s latest adventure for Wii: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Skyward Sword is perhaps the lengthiest game in Nintendo’s 25-year timeline, and this particular tale is epic in both scope and execution. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has received positive reviews, with many critics giving it a...
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"Don't Look Now" Review
Certain stories just have a way of sticking with you. In the spring, I read a short story by Daphne du Maurier titled, “Don’t Look Now.” It’s a strange and oddly jarring piece about a husband and wife vacationing in Venice. I’m going to keep this review relatively spoiler-free, but keep in mind: the less you know about “Don’t Look Now” before delving in, the better. “Don’t Look Now” is...
December 2011
3 posts
8 tags
Breaking Bad: Season 4 Review
I know this is long overdue, but I usually like to provide seasonal reviews for Breaking Bad. This is a show that’s difficult to evaluate on a weekly basis because so many of the story-arcs progress gradually on a week-to-week basis. With that being said, I think it’s always good to take a step back from the in-depth reviews (which you can check out right here), and take a look at the series...
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The Walking Dead: "Pretty Much Dead Already"...
“Pretty Much Dead Already” is a much stronger episode than last week’s Walking Dead and an appropriate conclusion for the extended winter break. This is an episode that reinforces the darker realms of the series and culminates with an explosive - and oddly poignant - resolution. This episode starts with immediate tension: Glenn tells the group about the barn full of walkers and from there,...
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The Walking Dead: "Secrets" Review
I’m still a week behind on my The Walking Dead reviews. I’m going to try my best and correct that tonight. So I apologize for another old review, but I want to at least have a sense of consistency on my site. I’ll step up my game going forward and review episodes earlier so this doesn’t happen in the future. Regardless, I want to write about “Secrets” because it has some issues. There are ...
November 2011
7 posts
7 tags
Fringe: "Wallflower" Review
“Wallflower” is a difficult episode to review. It’s certainly a fair episode of Fringe but as the Fall finale, it leaves something to be desired. There’s enough here to present some interesting material that certainly adds to the Season 4 mythology, but is there enough to bring casual fans back in January? “Wallflower” is about an invisible man dealing with isolation and loneliness. Both...
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The Walking Dead: "Chupacabra" Review
I’m playing catch-up right now so this review is not of Sunday’s episode (“Secrets” - that review is forthcoming) but from the previous week. That being said, I’ll keep this review short and start watching “Secrets” instead of spending too much time on “Chupacabra.” Regardless, I still want to post a review because there are moments here worth mentioning. “Chupacabra” starts with an...
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Super Mario 3D Land Review
I know my reviews typically consist of storytelling techniques in regard to movies, television, video games and literature… but all that goes out the window with Super Mario 3D Land. With a practically nonexistent plot, Super Mario 3D Land proves that gameplay trumps all, and Nintendo once more provides a game that’s an absolute pleasure to play. This is the first game that feels specifically...
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Fringe: "And Those We've Left Behind" Review
Friday’s episode of Fringe was a bit of a standalone episode. It was a strong one, though there wasn’t much plot advancement from a broader perspective. Still, a good episode is a good episode and “And Those We’ve Left Behind” tells a poignant time travel story with enough science and emotion to make it worthwhile. “And Those We’ve Left Behind” begins with a time slip - something we saw at...
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The Walking Dead: "Cherokee Rose" Review
Last Sunday’s episode, “Cherokee Rose” is a decidedly slow-moving hour of The Walking Dead. For better or worse, the writers know that there can’t be zombie attacks every minute, and “Cherokee Rose” does its best to show us character moments with few plot twists. As a result, the episode has some important moments but isn’t too memorable. Still, “Cherokee Rose” is relatively strong with...
“Have to get your feelings out but aren’t interested in therapy? Write....”
– (via katrinaslifelessons)
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Fringe: "Novation" Review
“Novation” is a Fringe episode that works to establish the rules of the Season 4 universe after Peter’s return. There’s no doubt that “Novation” is another strong episode of Fringe, but the problem of this season remains: Fringe is getting really hard to follow. Not to suggest I’m a lazy viewer (maybe I am) but there are so many changes this season that it’s a bit overwhelming. More on that...
October 2011
14 posts
4 tags
Halloween Review
First, a quick Happy Halloween to anyone who follows my reviews! Halloween is such an awesome holiday… so in keeping with the times, I thought I’d post a review on an excellent movie about this very day: John Carpenter’s 1978 film, Halloween. Carpenter’s low-budget movie is a perfect depiction of the spookiest day of the year and remains a cult classic for good reason. I’d first watched...
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Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope you all have a fun and spooky night! :)
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The Walking Dead: "Save the Last One" Review
“Save the Last One” is another strong episode of The Walking Dead that takes a decidedly dark twist with one of its major cast members. I’m all for dark twists but have some mixed feelings on this particular one. More on that later - for now, let’s jump into some of the strong moments of “Save the Last One.” This episode continues with The Walking Dead’s condensed-time storyline. Like...
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Fringe: "Subject 9" Review
Finally… Peter returns. The previous episode of Fringe was a strong one that had a strong character tone from start to finish. Oddly enough, Peter’s return is not the most interesting part of “Subject 9.” There’s some excellent character development for Olivia and Walter that helps to ground this episode. “Subject 9” starts great. When a Fringe event happens to Olivia, you know it’s going...
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The Walking Dead: "Bloodletting" Review
Tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead is a bit more contained than last week’s. By focusing the action on Rick’s immediate family, “Bloodletting” is a more emotional - and ultimately effective - episode. In addition, there’s the perfect blend of plot development to bring us back next week. “Bloodletting” opens with a flashback. We’ve seen pre-apocalyptic flashbacks on this show before...
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The Walking Dead: "What Lies Ahead" Review
The Walking Dead returns for Season 2. Last year’s shortened season acted as an introduction to what the series was capable of. At times a bit unsure of itself, The Walking Dead had some great (and some not-so-great) episodes. I have a feeling that Season 2’s 13-episode order is going to make or break the show, revealing the storytelling structure in the process. But as of now, “What Lies...
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The Walking Dead Returns at 9PM →
Season 2 of AMC’s The Walking Dead returns tonight to help ease the hole left by the excellent Breaking Bad. Check out my Season 1 reviews at the above link if you need the refresh. I’ll post a review of “What Lies Ahead” after tonight’s episode airs. Will you be watching?
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Fringe: "Alone in the World" Review
I know this is going up late but I want to write a quick review on Friday’s episode of Fringe, “Alone in the World.” Though the episode is another standalone in a somewhat disjointed start to Season 4, it ultimately works and serves as a nice setup for future episodes (like tonight’s). There are several reasons why “Alone in the World” works. First, we stay in one universe. It keeps the story...
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Breaking Bad: "Face Off" Review
“Face Off” ends Breaking Bad’s excellent fourth season in an interesting way. It was nice to get some closure this year, as opposed to Season 3’s painful cliffhanger. Here’s an episode that shows us who Walter White is… or better yet, what he’s become over the course of the series. There are a lot of great scenes in “Face Off” and tons that I can touch on. However, I think it’s important to...
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Breaking Bad Season 4 Finale →
Tonight at 10pm is the Season 4 finale of Breaking Bad. Next summer will mark the final season of this riveting show. How do you think it’s going to end? Check out previous Season 4 reviews at the above link. I’ll post a review of “Face Off” later tonight.
-MP
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Scream 4 out today on Blu-ray and DVD →
Check out my movie review at the above link. I’m about to listen to the audio commentary! :)
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Breaking Bad: "End Times" Review
“End Times” doesn’t feel like a standard episode of Breaking Bad. Rather, it feels like “End Times” and “Face Off” were written as a two-hour episode that was cut up into two separate parts. This is probably true production-wise, since Vince Gilligan is directing both. Still, “End Times” stands on its own, delivering a carefully delivered sense of anxiety that makes the wait for next week...
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Fringe: "One Night in October" Review
This week’s episode of Fringe is interesting, but it does little to move the overarching story forward. Though I’m not arguing “One Night in October” is a bad episode of Fringe, I’m simply suggesting that it isn’t very memorable. Presenting the early part of Season 4 with standalone episodes may pay off down the road, but for now, it isn’t a fulfilling way to begin the new season. That’s not...
adeepseafish asked: Hey. I saw your Dementium review you posted some time ago, in which you talked about storytelling. I might be looking deep into this, but I think Dementium II puts subtle clues about what's happening, like Pelf looking like it's frozen in time... I need to replay the game again, anyway.
September 2011
10 posts
5 tags
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Breaking Bad: "Crawl Space" Review
I’m pretty sure I displayed all the symptoms of a heart attack during the last few minutes of “Crawl Space.” But for the sake of this review, I’m going to try and keep this chronological. But dammit, have things ever gotten this bad on any show? I’m saying it right now: Breaking Bad is the best show on television. Now, to try and keep this review objective. Let’s start at the beginning....
Fringe: "Neither Here Nor There" Review
Fringe returns for another season, and after last year’s chaotic and surprising finale, the writers decided to slow things down a bit. “Neither Here Nor There” is mostly a case-of-the-week episode, with some mythology thrown in for good measure. While that’s typically the structure of Fringe, I’m not sure it worked so well here. Let’s start with the good. “Neither Here Nor There” involves a...
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Fringe: "The Day We Died" Review →
The wait is over! Fringe: Season 4 begins tonight at 9. Catch up on last year’s hectic finale before the new season begins. I can’t wait!
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“You shouldn’t keep souvenirs of a killing. You shouldn’t have been...”
– Scottie Ferguson, Vertigo
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Resistance 3 Review
Resistance 3 continues the Playstation-exclusive franchise. Originally positioned as a trilogy, the Resistance team changed their minds somewhere along the way, hinting at spin-offs and new games in the franchise. Because the developers at Insomniac seem uncertain that this is the final game (or that this is, in fact, a trilogy), the story suffers a bit. Still, there’s no denying that...
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Follow Me on Twitter →
I’m trying to use Twitter more often. If any of you want to follow, I almost always follow back! :) Thanks!
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Breaking Bad: "Salud" Review
We’re back to that point… the point where I can’t find any criticism about this show. That’s okay, though, I’m more than willing to give out praise when its deserved. If you’ve been reading my reviews this season, I’ve been a bit critical at times (“Cornered” in particular). While, yes, Season 4 had a strange transition at first, these last few episodes have been nothing short of fantastic....
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Breaking Bad: "Bug" Review
Wow, this episode took a dark turn. “Bug” manages to maintain that critical balancing act between plot and character, moving both along with impressive precision. This was easily one of the best episodes of the season, taking its time with both setup and execution. I haven’t been this excited about Breaking Bad since last season. First, I like how “Bug” starts off with one of the...
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Breaking Bad: "Hermanos" Review
This was a disjointed, yet incredibly effective episode of Breaking Bad. Did anyone expect the final act of “Hermanos” to be a twenty-year flashback? I sure as hell didn’t. But that’s just another reason why Breaking Bad works… and why it remains the least predictable show on television. “Hermanos” is a Gus-centric story, which is definitely a nice place to go in Season 4. The episode starts...
August 2011
6 posts
5 tags
Breaking Bad: "Problem Dog" Review
Now this was more like it. If you read my last Breaking Bad review, I voiced some concerns about the storytelling and overall plot-advancement. “Problem Dog,” unlike last week, delivers in both plot and character. This is a very Jesse-centric story, as we continue to see the fallout of murdering Gale. “Problem Dog” opens with a great teaser. We watch Jesse playing Rage, as the Breaking Bad...
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Breaking Bad: "Cornered" Review
If you’ve been reading my Breaking Bad reviews, you know that this show is always at the top of its game. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve written many negative reviews, if any at all. That being said, “Cornered” is one of the weaker moments of the show that rehashes many story lines and doesn’t do much to move the show forward. “Cornered” starts with a scene almost identical to “Bullet Points,”...