Please forgive the kind of meta nature of the below piece. It feels essential to do it this way… Every so often when I request a review copy of something, the response I get is positive, but it comes with… Read More ›
Random Thoughts
Parsing a new World with “Stela”
Generally speaking, I don’t play video games that are strictly platformers. I will take on a Metroidvania-style title, yes, but more often than not I go for vast, open world, RPGs, the kind of game that I can sink 100—or… Read More ›
A Quick bit of Embarrassment: “Come to Daddy”
It’s not that the title wasn’t kind of familiar, but “Come to Daddy” isn’t especially out of the ordinary either. It’s not that the notion of Elijah Wood working with Ant Timpson didn’t tickle the back of my mind, but… Read More ›
A Quick Clearing of “The Fog” (1980)
The below is not a review of “The Fog.” It is, rather, a set of thoughts about the movie that have been loosely arranged for reading. Enjoy (or not. whatever.) Opening this week in select theaters is a 4K restoration… Read More ›
Notes from a Writer: “Hereditary” and Cheap Thrills
It takes a lot to psych me up to go see a horror film. There has to be something in it more than chills, whether that’s a paycheck or the recommendation of a trusted friend or a major cultural impact…. Read More ›
Not a Movie Review: “Borg vs. McEnroe”
“You cannot be serious! That ball was on the line! Chalk flew up!” Back in 2004, I used to hear John McEnroe yell that day after day after day and now, 14 years later, I can still hear it in my… Read More ›
Going Back-to-Back-to-Back to the Future
This past weekend, I took my daughter to the movies. That, in and of itself, isn’t particularly special – she’ll go to the movies with me no fewer than three times this week. No, what makes it special is that… Read More ›
In Which my Eyes are Dilated and I Watch “I, Tonya”
Yesterday I went to the eye doctor (no, mom, nothing is wrong, just a regular old eye exam and, yes, mom, everything was fine). Naturally, the eye doctor dilated my pupils and thereby made it exceptionally difficult for me to… Read More ›
Notes from a Writer: On Completing Games
A very odd thing occurred the other day – I beat the final boss in an open world video game. I play games on a fairly regular basis, and I see the end credits roll on a fairly regular basis,… Read More ›
Notes from a Writer: The Idea Man
I regularly worry about ideas. I don’t know where they come from. I don’t know how to find them. Once I have one, I can develop it, I can expand upon it, but it’s that initial, “Oh, here’s an idea”… Read More ›
Watching Television: Am I Just Too Old?
In recent years I have covered more film than television, but don’t mistake that for my not watching TV, it’s just that my viewing habits have changed. This change stems from a number of factors, but I think that chief… Read More ›
Setting Expectations for 2018
And so here we are in 2018. What does that mean for The TV and Film Guy’s Reviews? Well, I’ll tell you right now that I love all the movie reviews we did last year, more than any previous single… Read More ›
Not a Movie Review: "I Am Not Your Negro"
One of the things that always strikes me about documentaries is just how powerful a tool the form can be. Wielded correctly, with laser focus, it burns away all the extraneous nonsense and gets to the core of an issue;… Read More ›
New York Comic Con 2016 – My Closing Thoughts
I love New York Comic Con. There, I said it. It is loud and it is crowded and it doesn’t have the same cache as it’s San Diego big brother, but it puts a lot of people who love the… Read More ›
"Game of Thrones" Offers up a Seriously Disappointing Battle
It has been a while since I’ve ranted here about the problems on a television show, but here goes a short little thing where I do just that – last night’s “Game of Thrones” was insanely disappointing. Listen, the Mereen… Read More ›
A Look at the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Blu-ray Bonus Features and What They Mean
I spent several hours last weekend watching the bonus features that are a part of “The Force Awakens” Blu-ray release. As with many a set of bonus features, there is stuff out there to be learned, but one thing in… Read More ›
"10 Cloverfield Lane" Interviews with J.J. Abrams, Dan Trachtenberg, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
So, I sat down about two hours ago to write up a brief little introduction to my interviews with J.J. Abrams, Dan Trachtenberg, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. These were originally recorded for IGN last week and I think they came… Read More ›
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny" – Watch as I Express my Distress
I hate saying that a sequel shouldn’t have bee made, but I having watched “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,” I will say that the movie would have been better as a separate effort and not a part of… Read More ›
More Thoughts on "Top Gear" in Light of "And on That Bombshell" by Richard Porter
Recently, I read a great book. Titled “And on That Bombshell,” the book is by the “Top Gear”‘s script editor, Richard Porter (and while my Kindle copy has the subtitle “Behind the Scenes at ‘Top Gear,’ apparently Amazon now sells… Read More ›
On Not Labelling Myself
I have a fear of labels. Not the itchy kind that bother the back of your neck all day as you walk around. Those aren’t great, but I’m not afraid of them. No, my fear of labels is much more… Read More ›