After Quantum of Solace, I was a bit concerned for Daniel Craig’s 007. I was worried that the franchise was too preoccupied with what is supposed to make up a Bond movie to make it a good movie, period. Thank goodness that Skyfall proved the previous film to be an aberration. This movie is not…
Category: Reviews
Argo – Capsule Review
With its other awards this year, I knew Argo was likely to win the Best Picture Oscar. The distribution company probably felt the same way so they released it on disc (and iTunes) with enough time for us all to see it before the Oscars ceremony. I think I skipped seeing this movie in the…
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 – Capsule Review
Though I no longer consider myself a Twilight fan, I was anticipating this final chapter in the “saga” (at least enough to make an iTunes rental of it). I was not crazy about Part 1 mostly because of how unpleasant it was to watch Kristen Stewart waste away as Bella, the human girl who fell…
A Storm of Swords – Book Review
If you’re reading this review, I presume that you have an interest in the George R.R. Martin “A Song of Ice and Fire” series of novels and preferably you’ve read at least the first two (or at least watched the HBO television series up to season 2). I have become a big fan myself, and…
Midseason TV 2013
For a couple of years, I thought that the networks were taking a genius new direction in developing a year-long TV schedule, where ultimately there would be great new shows premiering throughout the year. Instead, midseason seems to have reverted to its old ways of being a dumping ground for shows that were not good…
Oscar Schmoscar 2013
Each year I write this post for two reasons: 1) to show how much I don’t really care about the nominees (not really true) and 2) do quickie reviews of the nominated movies that I haven’t already reviewed separately. Back when there were fewer Best Picture noms, I tried to watch all of them by…
Alvin’s 10 Favourite Movies of 2012
In years past, I would post year-end faves from the big and small screens, but 2012 marked the sad continuation of a dry spell on tv. Of the new shows that debuted in 2012, not a single one would I consider “must-see”, and even the ones that I enjoyed in the past have all begun…
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Movie Review
I have to say, it’s nice to be back in Middle Earth. While The Lord of the Rings trilogy definitely left me craving more of Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkien’s magical realm, I was worried that The Hobbit would be an epic letdown. Then there was all the talk about how they were going to…
The Life of Pi – Movie Review
The Life of Pi has often been considered an “unfilmable” book, and I’m not sure if that’s because the bulk of the story is given by the protagonist’s monologue and has almost no interaction with other human characters, or because it’s an ocean-bound tale with animals playing major roles. In either case, director Ang Lee…
Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture 