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AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL – ‘Flicker’
In retrospect, an undead, bloodsucking Rudolph Valentino is just what American Horror Story: Hotel needed. This week’s episode, “Flicker,” is mostly comprised of flashbacks to 1920s Hollywood, where the Countess (Lady Gaga)—here, a smalltime actress named Elizabeth—is seduced and eventually transformed by Valentino (Finn Wittrock) and his wife, Natacha Rambova (Alexandra Daddario). If “Devil’s Night” represented the…
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YOU, ME & THE APOCALYPSE – ‘Episode Eight’
Well, that was an episode and a half! Ever since You, Me & The Apocalypse began I’ve said viewing it as a straight-forward comedy is a mistake, and as the season has progressed, and the end of the world has edged closer, so the storyline’s become increasingly dark. Tonight’s bleak, brilliant episode was the culmination of…
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UNFORGOTTEN – Series One
Despite being lumbered with one of those bland, generic and, yes, forgettable one-word titles that soil ITV’s larder like mounds of rotten cheese, Unforgotten is a surprisingly thoughtful, superior crime drama. Spread over six compelling episodes, it’s unusual in that—unlike most police procedurals—it actually has something meaningful to say about the human condition. It’s testament…
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THE LEFTOVERS, 2.7 – ‘A Most Powerful Adversary’
A lot of The Leftovers is about ordinary people seeking explanations for extraordinary events, and the lure of accepting outlandish theories that avoid common sense. These concerns usually play out with the big picture issue of 2% of the world’s population vanishing, and how such an irrational event has upended everyone’s belief systems. “A Most…
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DOCTOR WHO, 9.9 – ‘Sleep No More’
I find enthusiastic claims made by the creators of any film or television episode that it’s going to be scary rarely ring true, and my expectations often evaporate into disappointment. “Sleep No More” is, alas, just that—even though there’s a huge amount to admire about its intriguing ideas and ambitious story. However, the story doesn’t…
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THE KNICK, 2.5 – ‘Whiplash’
At the midway point in the season, it feels like The Knick is beginning to tread water somewhat. There are plenty of strong scenes, but few of them seem to be really advancing the storylines. Harry (Cara Seymour) continues to be scorned and demonised in the women’s shelter, Cleary (Chris Sullivan) continues to manipulate his…
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STEVE JOBS (2015)
Biopics tend to follow a painfully familiar template. Frequently, out of an eagerness to not miss a single detail, films based on real events strain to include everything about a person’s life story. That trend is changing, though, with films like Lincoln and Selma narrowing in on specific events to increase focus and heighten the clarity of their…
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AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL – ‘Room 33’
With Jessica Lange having left the repertory cast of American Horror Story, the show has taken a more ensemble-driven approach this season than ever before, with varying degrees of success. Not that the cast itself have suffered—the show has never lacked for strong actors, and judging by the loyalty Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have inspired in the…
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YOU, ME & THE APOCALYPSE – ‘Episode Seven’
Watching You, Me & The Apocalypse this week it occurred to me that what I love about this show is its humanity. It’s a drama suffused with a desperate yearning for human connection; stuffed full of characters who are all in some way lonely and desperately trying to reach out. That’s the reason its premise works…
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SPY (2015)
When she was a kid, Susan Cooper’s (Melissa McCarthy) mother used to leave a note in her lunchbox each day that read: “Give up on your dreams.” This formative experience, and others, have led to Susan, now a CIA agent who has never been out in the field, lacking confidence. Instead, from the safety of…
