It’s surprising how “The History of WWE” feels less like a documentary and more like a press kit for the WWE organization. There’s only about two hours of a film here, and most of the more important facets of the organization are completely glossed over. I really would have loved to learn more about the WWF, why and when it became the WWE, and for the filmmakers to feature many more wrestlers in their profile. Surely, Hulk Hogan helped revive the popularity of the WWE for the eighties, but there were also folks like Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, and Stone Cold, all of whom really helped bring the WWE in to the new generation.
All New Ghost Rider #1 and #2
I appreciate the fact that Marvel are appealing to a more diverse audience of readers by turning their more dynamic characters in to alternate versions more interesting and complex. Surely, there will always be a place for the eighties Ghost Rider, but “All New Ghost Rider” is pretty fantastic in its own right. It dares to change the entire mold of Ghost Rider and manages to build a titillating and complex look at a corner of the Marvel Universe rarely explored: The lower class struggling to get by. Mostly though I appreciated Felipe Smith’s writing abilities, as he touches upon a lot of elements growing up in inner city neighborhoods. Robby Reyes is a high schooler caring for his disabled little brother alone, and in one scene there’s gun fire in the distance, followed by police sirens. “Remember, we never go outside when we hear firecrackers,” Robby tells his brother Gabe, after convincing him the gun fire was firecrackers.
Lesson of the Evil (Aku no kyôten) (2012)
It’s so gratifying to see Takashi Miike returning to his chaotic roots that helped make him such a beloved auteur. While I’m sure his court room movie “Ace Attorney,” and the “Ninja Kids” actioner were fine outputs, “Lesson of the Evil” is a return to form for a man who proves he hasn’t lost a bit of his step. “Lesson of the Evil” isn’t just shocking, but it’s gory, disturbing, and features some of the most surreal supernatural elements I’ve seen in years. Miike comes back with a bang, and I had a difficult time turning away from “Lesson of the Evil,” even when it was tough to sit through.
Nightbeasts (2010)
“NightBeasts” is a really silly, camp drenched movie. It’s Sasquatchsploitation with a surprisingly tongue in cheek tone that undercuts all menace it possesses. And the good thing is that star Zach Galligan at least seems to be in on the joke. He sports a terrible Southern accent, is probably the worst father in the world, and really does nothing but puff his chest and go shooting at some sasquatches in the woods. “NightBeasts” doesn’t aim for “Abominable” levels of horror, but it’s worth a viewing, if only for Galligan who hams it up big time.
Breaking Well: Why Walter White is Better Than Dexter
Breaking Bad is the best television show of the 21st century (so far). It managed to offer week after week of not only compelling stories, but enough symbolism and alternate character interpretations to keep even the most snobby English-Lit major interested, while distracting less intellectually focused viewers with instances of “bad ass” behavior.
Vince Gilligan used to write for The X-Files (in fact, Bryan Cranston appeared in the episode directly before the first episode Gilligan wrote) a show I haven’t watched regularly since the nineties, but proves to me that he has a lot of talent. He knows how to tell a good story, obviously. His real genius with Breaking Bad is in how he draws characters, especially television characters. On TV, people don’t really change. There is an illusion of change, but very little actually occurs.
Fallout (2011)
I’m not entirely sure what “Fall Out” was aiming for from minute one. All I know is that director Derek Dubois keeps the audience in the dark, providing a narrative that’s about eighty percent ambiguous. And I was okay with that. If you can’t really offer a larger exploration of the world you’ve built, especially considering when it’s set during the apocalypse, the best thing to do is focus on getting us to know the characters in this situation, and director Dubois accomplishes that in spades.
The PC Thug: “Game of Thrones” Renewed my Faith in the Fantasy Realm
People often ask me why I took so long to watch “Game of Thrones,” and it’s pretty simple, really. For one thing, at the time, “The Walking Dead” had premiered, and my attention was completely on its season runs, and number two: I just didn’t want to invest time in it until I understood what it was about. In the past I’d invested time in period series based on source material, and came up with no real rewards for my investment. I spent many years watching “Deadwood” only for HBO to give it the shaft and never deliver the finishing movie that we deserved. “Carnivale” bored me to tears, and despite my best efforts to dig in to the world unfolding, “The Tudors” was just a tedious droning drama that offered nothing in return. I gave up after the second season, and I never tuned in to “The Borgias.”
It’ll be a cold day in hell before I watch a period show on Showtime ever again. No thank you.






