the oh-no! DVD of the week: ‘Slave’
This has absolutely no potential to be exploitive, right? Young naked blond woman with the word “slave” emblazoned behind her head? Nah…
trailer break: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’
Hoorah! A woman pirate who actually gets to do piratey things, and is played by Penelope Cruz? Awesome!
you’re not helping: AV Club writer fabricates a review, and too many people defend him
Leonard Pierce, a writer at the AV Club, ”reviewed” a book that isn’t even finished yet, and he’s got a whole helluva lotta people dissmissing his actions as no big deal…
question of the day: What is your favorite geeky holiday movie or TV special?
Following up on yesterday’s question — Why are there no Christmas movies this year? — let’s talk about the great holiday films of the past… and specifically, the great holiday movies with geek appeal. Bonus points if your suggestion is on DVD so we can all give it a watch this holiday season.
watch it: “Star Wars meets The Princess Bride – The Chatty Duelists”
It’s harder to be chatty, it seems, when the damn lightsabers are so noisy…
a few thoughts on ‘The Walking Dead’: “TS-19”
CDC blowed up real good, didn’t it? I guess the premise of the series was never going to be ER with Zombies — though I’d love to see that show! — but all of the medical stuff happening offstage is a little disappointing.
The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Luftslottet som sprängdes) (review)
Tough, smart, and competent, yet also wounded and searching: that Lisbeth Salander remains the riveting centerpiece of the two films that follow on from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but, alas, her continuing story has been winnowed down in a way that makes it — and her — feel smaller than before.
to give or to keep: ‘The Avengers: A Celebration: 50 Years of a Television Classic’
This huge, beautiful coffeetable book is a gorgeous valentine to the beloved tongue-in-cheek spy show at its half-century mark.
trailer break: ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’
Ah, the title makes it sound so elegant, so principled, so righteous — surely, this is a film about a lawyer with the honor and dignity of Abe Lincoln, right?
question of the day: Why are there no Christmas movies this year?
“Is Hollywood mounting a war on Christmas?” asked Steven Zeitchik at 24 Frames last week. He’s being only a little hyperbolic: there are no holiday-themed movies on the schedule for this Christmas or next…
