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THE AMERICANS, 4.11 – ‘Dinner for Seven’
The scene that gives this week’s episode its name happens about halfway through, when Stan (Noah Emmerich) drops in on the Jennings family as they’re having Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin) and Alice (Suzy Jane Hunt) for dinner. After watching the episode, I noticed that a lot of reviews/recaps singled it out as a crucial scene.…
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OUTLANDER, 2.8 – ‘The Fox’s Lair’
After the traumatic events of “Faith”, this week’s instalment of Outlander not only returns Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) to Scotland but also offers a distinct change of direction and tone. The focus in “The Fox’s Lair” is the brewing Jacobite rebellion and a final reckoning for Jamie to persuade the clans to…
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THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (1971) • THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES (1972)
In his career, director Emilio P. Miraglia only made a handful of films. But before turning his hand to filmmalking he worked behind-the-scenes on scores of Italian B Movies and genre films. The work he’s now most famous for—and the two films included in this ‘Killer Dames’ release from Arrow Video—are 1971’s The Night Evelyn…
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ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (2016)
Alice in Wonderland—Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s fantasy story—was a gargantuan hit. Whether due to the star power of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, the allure of Burton’s visual style, or the fact it was one of the first big 3D films after Avatar changed the game, Alice in Wonderland is currently…
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PREACHER, 1.1 – ‘Pilot’
There’s a proliferation of comic book superheroes today, all enjoying a popularity renaissance in big-budget films and serialised television, but the medium has more to offer. AMC know this, having taken a risk on adapting The Walking Dead to worldwide success, so it’s unsurprising they gave Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg the chance to bring…
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THE ASSASSIN (2015)
The Assassin is noted Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s first step into the realm of wuxia and martial arts; although, for the most part, the end-product suggests he’d rather be doing anything else. The first thing that strikes you about The Assassin is its sumptuous cinematography, which is never less than absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, the film falls down in almost…
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GAME OF THRONES, 6.5 – ‘The Door’
After the high of last week, similar quality awaited viewers of “The Door”, as this sixth season of Game of Thrones establishes itself as one of the HBO drama’s best. Great news for book-readers awaiting George R.R Martin’s latest opus, although many surprises are inevitably being spoiled by the TV series now. “The Door” delivered…
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OUTLANDER, 2.7 – ‘Faith’
One of Outlander’s strengths is showing the emotional impact of life-changing events on its characters. And by show, I mean show rather than tell. This was very true of the male rape scene at the end of the first season; a very graphic depiction of ‘Black Jack’ Randall’s torture of Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) that…
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POLTERGEIST II: THE OTHER SIDE (1986)
The original Poltergeist casts a shadow its sequels and remake are doomed to sit under; in terms of objective quality, place in urban legend thanks to its alleged ‘curse’ (predicated on the death of child star Heather O’Rourke), and behind-the-scenes gossip that director Tobe Hooper and producer Steven Spielberg didn’t see eye-to-eye. Many people still…
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THE AMERICANS, 4.10 – ‘Munchkins’
While Henry (Kendrick Sellati) is mostly absent from “Munchkins”, he gives the episode one of its most memorable elements while he’s totally offscreen, bouncing a ball against the garage door while Elizabeth (Keri Russell), Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Paige (Holly Taylor) discuss what’ll happen if Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin) stays lost and Alice (Suzy Jane…
