I really only have two things to say about The Beast In Me . First, Matthew Rhys' performance is amazing. He carries the series. Watch it just for him. Second , the series demonstrates one of the real traps for shows that depend on multiple writers: One poorly written episode has the potential to derail the entire enterprise. I'm talking about Episode 7. I'm urging you to skip it. It adds nothing, it breaks the pacing of the show, and it's of such discernibly lower qu

After publishing my last post, I started thinking "What would I do if I were Carol?" Well, since I'm not that far along the path of enlightenment, I would totally resist losing my self to the collective. Ego death is death, and I want no part of it if it's permanent. (I'd be open to a short stint if I get to meet robotic elves or visit another dimension.) What would I do? Well, the answer seems obvious: I'd tell the collective to let everyone go or else I'll start yelli

Author's Note : I didn't expect to wait until after the third episode to write the third installment of my thoughts about Pluribus. I wish I hadn't. The episode was a huge disappointment and made me wonder whether I'd invested too much hope in the idea that Breaking Bad wasn’t just a one-off burst of brilliance. (At some point I'll probably write about Better Call Saul, but suffice it to say that, for the most part, it felt like it was running on cruise control.) The third e

As I mentioned in my last post, my gut tells me that Pluribus isn’t so much science fiction as it is a slightly dramatized user manual for where we’re heading technologically. Something like a singularity, maybe, with the lingering (and increasingly awkward) question of what becomes of individuality once the species starts merging its neurons with its notification settings. Let’s follow this thread. It’s not difficult to imagine a time, and not a distant one, when every pers

Author's Note: This is a part one of a three-part hybrid review and prognostication. Yes, I'll be revealing details from the first two episodes of Pluribus , but the story is so opaque at present that it would be hard to spoil much. Most of what follows is speculation about where the story is going, informed by my knowledge of science fiction and my philosophy degree. I expect to write more as the story unfolds. There’s a Star Trek episode from the original series called T

Some might not think that the name Adam Sandler and the word "nuanced" belong in the same sentence. They most certainly do, at least when you're talking about his serious films . He's damn good. He's also the best thing about Spaceman , although his co-star has certain otherwordly charms. Let me cut to the chase. This is a philosophical movie. If that makes you run for the door, hold on for just a moment. You might still like it, although some might find it a little

My son invited me to a screening of Withnail and I from a 16 mm print. We’re lucky to have Kinonik , a wonderful nonprofit that rescues and preserves film prints and screens them twice a week. I’d never seen the movie before, but my son was sure I’d like it. He was right. It’s a strange little film—funny, sad, and slightly mad. Two aspiring actors stumble through poverty and self-doubt, trying both to make a living while also attempting barely to stay afloat. “Being okay” is

I watched The Father without any idea of what it was about. And, in my opinion, you should too. These days, that's often impossible. But if you can resist the urge to learn more in advance, please do. What I can say without spoilers is that the film pulled me in from the very beginning in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I felt like I was in the movie as an invisible observer, and that the real life of the film was unfolding all around me. It simply felt genuine. In fact,

Let me confess: the final showdown in Weapons   made me burst out laughing. But here’s the problem. Until then, the film did a decent job of pulling me in as at least a somewhat serious horror version of a “who (or what) done it,” built around one of storytelling’s oldest themes: a group of innocent children disappearing. Pivoting from creeping tension and genuinely dark elements into sheer absurdity as the punchline was certainly surprising — like watching a typical Hallmar

Seconds would pair well with The Swimmer if you’re looking to explore the human predicament. Rock Hudson plays a man who has grown tired of his successful life and gets a chance to try on a different one for size. But can you really escape yourself? Much of the film was shot by legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe, who used hand-held cameras, wide-angle lenses, and infrared film stock. Frankenheimer even strapped cameras directly to actors’ bodies in certain shots, he

On the surface, the plot of this movie is a little strange, yet very intriguing. A middle-aged man decides he wants to swim home from a neighbor’s house. His plan is to walk from swimming pool to swimming pool, diving into each one and emerging from the other end to continue his journey. It sounds like the kind of plan you might hatch while tripping, dreaming, or being idly rich in a neighborhood where everyone owns a pool. The Swimmer works on many levels, and hopefully you

Man is "out of nature and hopelessly in it; he is dual, up in the stars and yet housed in a heart-pumping, breath-gasping body that once belonged to a fish ...