Friends, it’s time.
We’ve been discussing this for some time now behind the scenes. In fact, before we launched we knew we wanted to try this out.
Reviews
Sometimes shows go through a sophomore slump, when they can’t quite find what made their first season stand out from the ground. So going into the second season of Sex Education, I was scared because not only did I really enjoy season one but with the ending, it was obvious that the show could go in a lot of directions. But after being able to watch all episodes of the second season before it’s released, I am happy to say that not only did it meet my expectations but it also exceeded them. Now, this review will be spoiler-free because I do believe that all the little twists and turns that happen on this show make it even better and I want everyone to be able to enjoy it and freak out just like I did when I was first watching it.
It’s the end of the decade, ten years have past and a whole lot of television with it. We hit peak television during the 2010s and not only that, but we saw the rise of the streaming services. It’s been a world of change, a world of amazing television and if you know me, you know that television is my favourite medium (I’m one of those who still have cable so imagine). It’s going to be interesting to see where the 2020’s lead us when it comes to television and storytelling, especially with the arrival of the “streaming war” and a large number of streaming services now available to us. But for now, let’s take a look back at my favourite shows of the 2010s.
Continue reading “Arianne’s Favourite Television Series’ of the Decade.”
We’re living in the golden age of television and the 2010s have been a great decade for TV series and TV storytellers alike. Not to mention the rise and domination of streaming services that have taken over the television landscape. ‘Binge-watching’ became part of global vernacular this decade and without Netflix, the way we view TV series would be incredibly different. Premium cable channels also dominated the television landscape this decade and we have HBO to thank for that. Shows that I picked for this list began 2010 onward, I don’t include any (except one) shows on here that began pre-2010 (Sorry Breaking Bad fans). Here are my picks for the best TV series of this decade, counting down from worst to best.
Continue reading “Top 20 TV Series of the Decade (2010-2020)”
(Please note that this review is not spoiler-free as I had to go into detail to explain why I felt the way I felt.)
Nostalgia is probably the biggest thing in cinema and television right now. With all the reboots and sequels, the idea of nostalgia drives a lot of the film that we get. Sometimes it works, others not so much. But more then none, it creates a product that feels like something we have seen before. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker feels like that, a product that was created simply to cater to the fans that felt betrayed by the previous instalment. Rise of Skywalker isn’t a bad movie per se, but when placed right after what I considered to be one of the best Star Wars movie ever, then it feels jarring and is not a satisfying end to a saga that spanned 40 years.
Continue reading “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker [Review]”
Comedy dies slow, never has a statement been truer than with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Comedy dies in the silence, in the absence of the fast pace that has become accustomed to Sherman-Palladino’s work over the years. Gilmore Girls established itself with its fast dialogue and the signature tone that we now recognized as Sherman-Palladino’s voice, something that had been so different at first with only two characters, Lorelai and Rory, using became the norm by the end where every character used the same pace as the two leading ladies did ever since the first moment of the pilot. It was something that could have been seen as a gimmick and never be seen again but once the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel premiered in 2017 on Amazon Prime, the fast-paced dialogue that had defined Gilmore Girls was back. But unlike what she did it’s predecessor, Sherman-Palladino found a way to integrate her signature dialogues into the story that would inhabit the world that would become The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Comedy dies slow, it’s that simple and that is why Mrs. Maisel never slows down.
Continue reading “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and it’s lightning fast pace.”
Honestly, just because you can de-age someone, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. And yes, it’s so good, we had to write about it twice.
What feels like a lifetime ago, I wrote an article about Netflix and its original programming. Even then, I knew it was only a matter of time before we got bigger projects to appear exclusively for Netflix, but I never thought we would get a Martin Scorsese picture.
Why did Netflix fund the passion project? Besides just because they can, because it’s harder to get people into theatres to watch a three and a half-hour film. My screening was at 10 am and there was a very brief moment of me questioning if I have to see it. The answer was yes, of course, I do. And I’m very glad I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen (and if you live in Toronto, you can see it now at the TIFF Bell Lightbox). Yes, the film is long, but I never really felt it’s length. Only near the end of the film, but that was only due to the water I drank during the duration of the film. The positive of the film going straight to streaming services is that you would be able to pause the film for washroom breaks – but you also probably would check your Facebook or Twitter feeds if you were in the comfort of your living room.
The Irishman stars Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa and coming out of his retirement, Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino. I didn’t realize how much I missed Pesci’s presence until he appeared on the screen. The film follows Frank, as he remembers his life as a hitman while working with big mob bosses and including Jimmy Hoffa himself.
There are moments in the film in which we shy away from the violence, and there are moments we lean into the brutality of it all. The film is almost reminiscent of prior crime films that Scorsese has made, except this time, Scorsese isn’t proud of the violence. Frank may continue to be a hitman until it’s too late, but as he’s older, and then it lays heavy on him. You can see how he stays to be the last man standing, and he tries his best to stand tall. He doesn’t bulge, but he tries to talk to God as he’s sad for what he has done.
The Irishman is a film that’s made with wisdom, the understanding of recollecting your past. Or living with your regrets. A film that makes an argument for the streaming service while demanding to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Last year, Netflix won big with Alfonso Caron’s Roma. It was a turning point for them and it was just a matter of time before more high profile filmmakers made their way to a streaming service. This year saw just that, a wave of filmmakers walk toward streaming services instead of regular theatrical releases. And Netflix found a film that might just propel them to win big once again at this year’s Oscar ceremony. It might be surprising to see Martin Scorsese creates a film and have it bow on Netflix instead of having the theatrical release one would be accustomed to seeing with a name like his. But after viewing The Irishman it’s easy to see why Netflix was not only the best choice for the film but also the only choice.
Or Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw.
One thing I didn’t expect coming out of this film was the overwhelming sense of boredom that I found in it. It’s cruel to say, I know, but the film runs way too long and for me, past its welcome. The film likes to stop and live and Hobbs (Johnson) and Shaw (Statham) bickering for far too long. The only good thing that comes out of this, is that it reminds me of Statham’s great performance in the underrated Spy.
Identity is something that defines you when you are part of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a question that you wrestle with most of your life and sometimes it takes forever to answer it, sometimes you can never truly become yourself. Maybe that is why Man Made is so touching, so powerful. Because it’s about men finally being themselves, putting themselves out there and being true to themselves. It’s admirable, to say the least, and it’s a subject we don’t talk enough about and is not seen enough in film, fiction or not.
We haven’t even finished our current giveaway for Hobbs and Show (contest ends on Halloween at midnight, so respond to be entered!) but we found out that we currently are able to host two giveaways for Good Boys.
