Harry Edmundson-Cornell

Harry Edmundson-Cornell is obsessed with comics and film and writing, and he fancies himself a bit of an artist. He's dabbled in freelance video production, writing, design, 3D modelling, and artistic commissions. He mainly uses Tumblr to keep track of what he's watching and reading and listening to. Occasionally he uses it to post original works. You can find his email and junk there too, if you want to hire him or send him hate-mail.

TOP MAGAZINE CONTENT BY HARRY EDMUNDSON-CORNELL

imagePlanet of the Apes Review

And lo the great Planet of the Apes viewing doth commence! I’m sure most of you know there’s a new Planet of the Apes movie coming out next month – Dawn of the Planet of… [more]

Community TeaserReview of Community Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2

“The gas-leak year.” The phrase pops up a couple of times during the premiere of Community’s fifth season. The previous season – by far the worst of the series – saw show creator Dan Harmon… [more]

superman_battles_doomsday-875x1024How Comics Work: The Fight Scene, Part 1

Most Superhero comics are based around two things: character-based drama and fight scenes. Many even forgo the former for the latter, under the horrible impression that they’re the same thing. This is in part due… [more]

1Introducing Steve Bissette’s Tyrant: The Letter Pages

Steve Bissette’s Tyrant should have been a classic. His phenomenal art, solid writing and fascinating concept might well have led to what comic critics would have cited as essential reading. Circumstances, however, prevented this. The… [more]

OTHER MAGAZINE CONTENT BY HARRY EDMUNDSON-CORNELL (227 TOTAL)

11-5full200An Interview with Julian Darius on the Canals of Mars Kickstarter

Julian Darius, the founder of Sequart Organization and Martian Lit, has been running a Kickstarter for his new Sci-Fi anthology comic series, Martian Comics. I got a chance to interview him about the world and… [more]

maxresdefault-1Victor Frankenstein is a Travesty

By semi-popular demand here is my long delayed review of that bloody terrible Frankenstein prequel that 2015 birthed to a resounding thud and general disinterest. Which is almost a shame, because it’s a fairly special kind of terrible. As I’ll cover. [more]

naked-lunch.17371Naked Lunch: A Literary High

“It’s a literary high…. It’s a Kafka high. You feel like a bug.” Canadian director David Cronenberg’s film Naked Lunch is a hallucinogenic and hazy adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name.… [more]

SicarioDelToroMy Twenty Favourite Films of 2015

Well, 2015 is long over and it’s time for me to put down my top films of the year. I always find this a fun task, although I also always find myself opening this list… [more]

Altered-States-600x337On Altered States and the Art of Making a Science Fiction Cult Classic

The science fiction film Altered States bears all the hallmarks of a cult film. For one thing, it’s about outsider topics, like psychedelic mind states, genetic memory, float tanks, and entheogens. For another there’s a… [more]

creed-largeCreed Plays the Spin-Off Game Right

I wasn’t really anticipating enjoying Creed. I had heard some fairly positive response, but I sort of assumed I’d be able to appreciate it without being especially engrossed or involved in the proceedings. It’s not… [more]

021409Fancy02.4781147Samuel Fuller’s Fraught Release: White Dog

The American film White Dog was finished in 1981. It was released in Europe in 1982. It wasn’t released in America until 2008, when Criterion released the film on DVD. You can probably tell by… [more]

2015-09-04-1441380921-1272728-Spotlight_film_2015The Basic Competency of Spotlight

Spotlight is a fairly derivative film in a lot of ways. The movie, which deals with The Boston Globe’s investigation into the systemic sexual misconduct of the Catholic Church, owes an arm and a leg… [more]

Crimson PeakSome Short Thoughts on Recent Theatrical Releases

As you may or may not have noticed I’ve been falling rather dramatically behind on reviews this past month or so. All I can say to excuse it is that I’ve been busy and I’m… [more]

TexasChainsaw1Halloween Binge: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Last year when my Halloween Binge came to a close, I decided to wrap it up with a classic – an essential horror film I had never seen before. That was, of course, The Exorcist,… [more]

tumblr_m6dzlphje51qkcj94o1_1280Halloween Binge: The House by the Cemetery

I was planning from the beginning of this Halloween Binge to watch the two films I’d not seen in the highly thought of trifecta of Lucio Fulci horror films. I watched The Beyond last year,… [more]

hqdefaultHalloween Binge: The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

I was pretty confident I’d have to watch a Dario Argento movie at some point during my Halloween Binge; it was just a matter of which one. The two of his films I’ve seen are… [more]

3_ inside3Halloween Binge: Inside

I like a movie with guts. Sorry, that was an abusively bad pun to start off this article. As a film fan I like a lot of different kinds of movies, obviously. There’s one style… [more]

the-howlingHalloween Binge: The Howling

This movie is weridly about werewolf sex, so heads up on a NSFW image part way through. My very first thought about Joe Dante’s The Howling was: “Holy shit Slim Pickens is in this?” My,… [more]

54e183edd2d142a45494a5c9ecdc7b0dHalloween Binge: House of 1000 Corpses

In the opening scenes of House of 1000 Corpses we’re introduced and reintroduced to a grimy, messy, horror themed, roadside attraction. It’s filled with mangled bodies and objects meant as references and reminders of murders… [more]

film-33-braindeadHalloween Binge: Braindead

Welcome back to the newest installation in my deliriously macabre Halloween Binge. Last year I used this binge as an opportunity to, in part, catch up on some supposedly essential horror movies I hadn’t seen… [more]

real oni brideHalloween Binge: Tag

I said two reviews ago that one of my favourite parts of this binge is stumbling upon films that catch me off guard and surprise me. Last night I went to see Sion Sono’s Tag… [more]

fiendHalloween Binge: Fiend Without a Face

The next movie I watched for my Halloween Binge came fairly highly recommended. It’s one of those films that generates cultural references, but few people have actually seen. Despite the relative obscurity (especially when compared… [more]

tumblr_n4nsfjRR2z1r5n5iso1_1280Halloween Binge: Dagon

The best parts of last year’s Halloween Binge were the surprises. Movies like Phenomenon and The Return of the Living Dead were all the more exciting for how little I knew about them. They were… [more]

gates_of_hell_xlgHalloween Binge: City of the Living Dead

If you’ve paid any attention to my taste in horror you should have seen this coming. For those new here – “Hi, I’m Harry, and I like Italian horror, and Lucio Fulci in particular.” There’s… [more]

hero_EB19990502REVIEWS08905020301ARHalloween Binge: Peeping Tom

Last year around Halloween I decided to make a show out of my articles and review a pile of horror movies. Not a particularly novel idea, in fairness, but one I quite enjoyed. I watched… [more]

379029_019Halloween Binge: Goodnight Mommy

Goodnight Mommy was not what I expected. Which isn’t to say I had particularly in depth expectations for the film. The trailer had selected a few choice shots from the film that made me think… [more]

48363872Ranking Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘s Action Scenes

So I saw Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation fairly late into its theatrical run. It was a random choice based on what was playing at the time. I’d heard it was a fairly good action… [more]

the-boyThe Boy: A Portrait of a Movie Slasher

The Boy is another movie on my shortlist of new releases I felt like I should catch up on. An indie coming of age story that is actually a monstrous-themed serial killer’s coming of age… [more]

thenightmare_featThe Nightmare and Sleep Paralysis

This year, for the first time ever, I suffered a bout of sleep paralysis. It wasn’t anything particularly unique, as far as these attacks go, but that didn’t matter in the moment. In the moment,… [more]

Queen2015-09-02-21h41m05s629Something’s Wrong: Queen of Earth

So I just googled “Queen of Earth chronological order” on a faint suspicion, and sure enough I found something that confirmed one of my initial reactions to the film: “The shoot itself makes for an… [more]

yog2015-07-24-17h25m25s391Eiji Tsuburaya’s Death and the Changing Face of Kaiju Films

On January 25th in 1970, the landscape of kaiju films changed forever. Eiji Tsuburaya had started work on a new television series by this point, a horror anthology show known as The Unbalance Zone. The… [more]

CNn9d1rUkAAfM1JBlood and Breath: Hannibal‘s Series Finale

Hannibal’s series finale winds to a close with an obvious note of hope. Much like the season two finale, no one is definitely alive, but no one is definitively done either. It ends with a… [more]

tribe2015-08-21-19h47m37s926Silence Speaks Volumes: The Tribe

I wasn’t sure I’d like The Tribe. I certainly wanted too, because it sounded like the sort of thing that could be very interesting, but its particular brand of interesting also seemed like a double-edged… [more]

tribe2015-08-23-18h32m44s515The Beast in the Pit: Hannibal Season Three Episode Twelve

The penultimate episode of the third season of Hannibal, “The Number of the Beast Is 666”, likely the penultimate episode of the show, perfectly sets the show for the season’s endgame. It’s too soon for… [more]

aguirre2015-08-04-20h12m17s149The Essentials: Aguirre, The Wrath of God

If one were curating a definitive list of essential films, or even a muddled constantly changing one, you would be remiss to not include a film by Werner Herzog. To be honest Herzog would deserve… [more]

the-gift-2015-posterA Grim Thriller: The Gift

So there’s a movie in theatres you should see. It’s called The Gift and if you haven’t seen it you might not want to read much about it. It’s a small little thriller directed by… [more]

Ant-Man, PosterThe Summer of the Compromised Blockbuster Continues With Ant-Man and Fantastic Four

Tis the season of the confused blockbuster. I wrote an article back when Jurassic World came out about how that film felt like it was at war with itself. I didn’t bother writing about it… [more]

insideoutInside Out: A Mostly Great Film

I did a pretty aggressive catch-up day in the theatres the other day. I’ve been trying to do a better job of keeping up on current releases this year. So I managed to cross off… [more]

lost2015-08-16-20h14m05s765Kill Them All: Hannibal Season Three Episode Eleven

Episode eleven of Hannibal’s third season, “…And the Beast from the Sea” is another good episode of the show, though at times it strikes me as a bit of a funny episode. Namely because every… [more]

twolaneblacktop2015-07-30-21h27m21s332The Essentials: Two-Lane Blacktop

So I’m field testing a new title for the series previously known as “Movies You Should Watch.” I have grown tired with that name! Or, more accurately, I’ve decided to take the series in a… [more]

aguirre2015-08-09-19h23m40s594Behind the Veil: Hannibal Season Three Episode Ten

…I do not consider either the just, or the wicked, to be in a supreme state, but to be, every one of them, states of the sleep which the soul may fall into in its… [more]

hell on earth2015-07-20-21h41m20s476Camerahead and Pistonhead: Hell on Earth

This film is a campy entry in the Hellraiser entry that has a few good components. Sort of. If you squint. But these sort of good moments are mishandled by the generally terrible film. [more]

exmachina2015-07-13-22h11m22s104Ex Machina and the Art of Appropriate Stylization

I want to be perfectly clear about something right from the start: I really liked Ex Machina. I’d go so far as to call it a great film. When it’s end-of-the-year-list time I suspect Ex… [more]

twolaneblacktop2015-08-02-20h00m24s935Blood in the Moonlight: Hannibal Season Three Episode Nine

Hannibal is frequently a praise worthy show. It must be said, however, I found myself especially impressed by its latest episode. It’s not a particularly eventful episode, by Hannibal’s standards. There are no murders, no… [more]

spring2015-07-20-18h53m06s053Spring: Monsters and Romance

My overall reaction to Drafthouse Film’s new release, Spring, is definitely a positive one. I’ll be interested in what the directors, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, will do next. They’ve directed one movie together before,… [more]

the living dead girlThe Ravishing Repertoire of Jean Rollin

This is a guest post by the fabulous horror critic Goregirl. You can keep up with her writing at 366 Weird Movies, Tumblr, and follow her on Twitter. Jean Rollin directed over fifty films in… [more]

yog2015-07-27-13h31m46s734Madness is Waiting: Hannibal Season Three Episode Eight

With episode eight of Hannibal’s third season, The Great Red Dragon, we’ve jumped ahead three years in time to the events of the first Hannibal novel, Red Dragon. It’s a dramatic jump, one that fundamentally… [more]

hellbound2015-06-30-22h32m30s438Hellbound: A Muddled Hellraiser Sequel

When I wrote about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser film for my Halloween Binge, I came to the conclusion that, as much as I like the film, it felt like the world implied by the film was… [more]

Godzilla's Revenge2015-07-09-13h01m06s211Where the Kaiju Things Are: All Monsters Attack

After Destroy All Monsters, Toho took the Godzilla franchise in a controversial direction. The studio decided to throw their biggest director at their smallest film yet, birthing one of the least popular Godzilla movies ever.… [more]

exmachina2015-07-19-13h23m14s869We Are a Zero-Sum Game: Hannibal Season Three Episode Seven

Hannibal comes to its midseason point with this episode, “Digestivo.” Not only does it essentially dramatically conclude the current storylines (before a jump forward multiple years into the events of Red Dragon), it also provides… [more]

Godzilla's Revenge2015-07-10-13h35m59s234You Dropped Your Forgiveness: Hannibal Season Three Episode Six

For a show perpetually willing to spend its time ruminating intellectually on personal philosophies, psychology, and characters’ perspectives Hannibal is also never short on events. The show achieves this wonderful complimentary and contrasting balance between… [more]

hellbound2015-07-08-10h31m00s503It’s You I See: Hannibal Season Three Episode Five

Sorry for the delayed review of the fifth episode of the third season of Hannibal. Things have been busy and threw off my review’s already strange schedule. But I’ve caught up on what was an… [more]

duckling2015-06-18-12h50m48s013The Gore of Lucio Fulci: Don’t Torture a Duckling

Sometimes I like to imagine I have the kind of loyal readers who would hunt through my back catalogue like the kind of completist that, well, that I am. Although at this point I’m not… [more]

Mads MikkelsonPlease God Let Netflix Save Hannibal

It was inevitable that Hannibal would be cancelled. There’s just too much about it that defies the conventions of network TV. It’s gory and creepy, yet utterly sophisticated. The sort of middle America viewers giving… [more]

duckling2015-06-26-14h10m20s174Maybe This is One of Those Friendships That Ends After the Disembowelling: Hannibal Season Three Episode Four

The fourth episode of Hannibal’s third season, “Aperitivo”, barely features the eponymous serial killer. Instead it focuses on a sick survivor’s club of sorts, dealing plainly with the aftermath of the season two finale and… [more]

36th chamber2015-06-10-16h12m22s145The Surreal Structure of the Shaolin

I watched The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin and had lots of lengthy thoughts about it’s structure in relation to modern action movies [more]

get-2My Nakama Left Me With a Smile: Hannibal Season Two Episode Three

The murders on this episode of Hannibal revolve around technicalities. The episode opens on a seated Hannibal, discussing Will Graham’s admission of forgiveness. Hannibal seems almost visually shaken as he parses out this newly developing… [more]

Kong vs gojira2015-03-24-15h34m20s95Them Dancing Bones: On Alice

There’s something delightful about a film that manages to create visuals you couldn’t have imagined. In a largely visual medium, one where, especially nowadays, the corner-most vestiges of anyone’s mind can be played across a… [more]

Jurassic-World-New-Image-Chris-Pratt-RaptorJurassic World: A Good Idea Destroyed by the Studio System

I had a more complicated reaction to Jurassic World than I expected to. A lot of people seem to be writing off the film as another run-of-the-mill blockbuster unworthy of strong opinions in either direction.… [more]

36th chamber2015-06-12-15h09m46s790He Left Us His Broken Heart: Hannibal Season Three Episode Two

The hypocrisy of network TV is immediately obvious in this week’s episode of Hannibal as a subtly censored version of Botticelli’s Primavera fades into a macabre reimagining of the painting. Then later when a mangled… [more]

Behind_Kaiju_Soshingeki_with_Gorosaurus_SoshingekiAngira_ShodaiMinira_and_SoshingekiGojiTsuburaya and Honda’s Last Charge: Destroy All Monsters

There was another big number coming down Toho’s pipe shortly after they’d celebrated their anniversary. Their next kaiju film would be the twentieth they had directed, something worthy of celebration. However the celebration was to… [more]

Decalogue One_2015-05-30-13h21m53s242An Empire of Crime: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse

I’d only ever seen one Fritz Lang movie prior to watching The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and that was the film he directed immediately before The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, M. Other than being a… [more]

Decalogue One_2015-06-08-19h23m25s796Ethics Become Aesthetics: Hannibal Season Three Episode One

Hannibal’s season two finale was a catastrophic cliff hanger that saw almost every single protagonist bleeding out on the floor, life fading. The first thing we see in season three is a series of elegantly… [more]

ScenethatneverwasMetal Monsters: Tsuburaya Returns to Kong

1967 was a big year for Toho. Not because of the introduction of Godzilla’s son, but because it was their thirty-fifth anniversary. Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda reunited to work on their penultimate collaboration for… [more]

Screen Shot 2015-06-02 at 3_47_19 PMCommunity Season Six: “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television”

Lets talk about Community’s propensity for series finales. While it’s true that the continually reincarnated Futurama might actually have more finales if you factor in episodes designed to serve as finales in the event of… [more]

Fury Road 4Mad Max: Fury Road is the Best Movie of the Year

“I never thought I’d do anything so shiny.” It might seem hyperbolic to claim Mad Max: Fury Road as the best movie of the year already, but I promise you it’s not. The chances of… [more]

6x12_Main_photoCommunity Season Six: “Wedding Videography”

This season of Community has been utilizing very minor characters a lot more than ever before. The show has always had a cast of glorified extras that would pop into scenes when a random student… [more]

MinillaGiant Bugs, Children, and Hibernation: On Son of Godzilla

After Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, Toho decided to task Jun Fukuda and his crew with making another Godzilla movie set in the South Pacific. This one would capitalize on the trendy location in a… [more]

ultronWhy Avengers: Age of Ultron is One of the Best Marvel Movies Yet

The first Avengers movie was magical. It’s almost indisputable at this point. The less analytical got a joyous and brilliant popcorn movie that featured big stars and entertaining and loved characters bouncing off one another.… [more]

Todd!Community Season Six: “Modern Espionage”

Last season Community decided to return to one of its better concept episodes – Dungeons and Dragons. The results were mixed, feeling like a slightly fruitless attempt at recapturing the glory days. When I heard… [more]

Decalogue-1Movies You Should Watch: Decalogue One

The 10 films are not philosophical abstractions but personal stories that involve us immediately; I hardly stirred during some of them. After seeing the series, Stanley Kubrick observed that Kieslowski and Piesiewicz “have the very… [more]

fugitive2015-05-09-12h11m31s3A Vengeful Statue: Daiei’s Daimajin Trilogy

In the years after his death, the capital city was struck by heavy rain and lightning, and his chief Fujiwara adversary and Emperor Daigo’s crown prince died, while fires caused by lightning and floods destroyed many of residences. [more]

community-season-6-ken-jeong-changCommunity Season Six: “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry”

Well what do you know! It may have taken ten episodes but “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry” might just be the best episode of Community in a long time. Or at least in ten episodes.… [more]

Ghidorah2015-04-15-14h02m38s108 copyYou’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive: On the Last Season of Justified

You have to watch Justified now; it’s no longer optional. I’ve recommended this series before, but any recommendation for an ongoing show comes with that big glowing asterix. How many hordes would’ve recommended Lost during… [more]

EHOTD_-_Man_Sees_Godzilla_and_Ebirah_BattleGodzilla’s Heartbeat: Sea Monsters, Chameleons, and a New Team for Toho

Cancer. The Crab is said to have been put among the stars by the favour of Hera, because, when Hercules had stood firm against the Lernaean Hydra, it had snapped at his foot from the swamp. Hercules, enraged at this, had killed it, and Hera put it among the constellations. [more]

Toast_of_London_s_Matt_Berry_to_play__professor_of_grifting__in_CommunityCommunity Season Six: Grifting 101

So episode nine of Community is a bit…muddled. In my humble opinion. When the film started I was pretty instantly thrilled by an animated old west inspired opening shot. It immediately proved to be set… [more]

Sanda_vs._GairaIf I Cannot Inspire Love, I Will Cause Fear: More Frankesteins and Flying Turtles

” The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth. Such a man has a double existence: he may suffer misery, and be overwhelmed by disappointments; yet, when he has retired into himself, he will be like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him, within whose circle no grief or folly ventures.” [more]

networkMovies You Should Watch: Network

Movie You Should Watch. In which the overly long motto is: The title of this article isn’t meant to be a command. It’s not “you” the reader so much as it is a proverbial “you.”… [more]

9813fd18d79f1fc3ab2b75df9a7eba81f400711cCommunity Season Six: “Intro to Recycled Cinema”

The sixth season of Community seems to be shying away from some of the high concept event episodes of seasons past. The latest episode, “Intro to Recycled Cinema” probably comes closest. The episode blends scenes… [more]

cannesitfollows It Follows: A New Horror Classic

If you have any interest in seeing the new horror movie It Follows just go see it. Skip my review and head out to watch it. It’s one of those movies that leaves an indelible… [more]

Ghidorah2015-04-16-13h58m39s23The Last Hurrah: Frankenstein, Baragon, and King Ghidorah

Good men, do not be afraid! You should all single-mindedly recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva bestows fearlessness upon living beings. If you recite his name, you shall surely be saved from these robbers, and if upon hearing that, the merchants all cry out together, Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, then they will immediately be saved because they recited his name. [more]

community-1024Community Season Six: “Advanced Safety Features”

I want to say something right away about the latest episode of Community. Yahoo did not work as advertised for the first time. Maybe it wasn’t their fault, maybe it was Chrome, maybe it was… [more]

violence2015-03-19-22h34m07s54Sixties Cinema and Serial Killers: Violence at Noon

At some point while examining my stack of DVDs, many of which clearly display my Criterion addiction, I realized something odd. I own nearly fifty movies (not DVDs mind you, some of the DVDs have… [more]

Ghidorah2015-04-02-19h13m16s129A Voice Like a Bell: Godzilla as a Hero and the Arrival of King Ghidorah

It was not long before awful Yamatano-orochi came. Soon, it noticed the smell of sake and struck its eight heads into each gate. It drank up the sake and began to sleep with a incredibly loud snore. Susanoo-no-mikoto cut its necks and tails one by one with his sword..The water color of the Hi-no-kawa river turned to red with its blood. [more]

MatangoThe Onslaught of the Mushrooms: Toho’s Serious and Silly Sixties

“I felt that I was now seeing plain, whereas ordinary vision gives us an imperfect view; I was seeing the archetypes, the Platonic ideas, that underlie the imperfect images of everyday life. The thought crossed my mind: could the divine mushrooms be the secret that lay behind the ancient Mysteries?” [more]

NUP_158120_0612.JPGCommunity Season Six: “Basic Email Security”

Community episode 6, “Basic Email Security,” self-identifies as the third entry in a trilogy consisting of “Cooperative Calligraphy” and “Cooperative Polygraphy.” Apparently they couldn’t match the “cooperative” moniker to this episode, which is pretty funny.… [more]

new tale2015-04-01-11h44m27s147The New Tale of Zatoichi : The Blind Yakuza Goes Full Colour

After the success of the speedily produced sequel to The Tale of Zatoichi, Daiei realized what they had on their hands – the makings of a proper franchise. If The Tale of Zatoichi Continues was… [more]

05a45abcf5ae4ecece8799e656bfea79Community Season Six: “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”

Episode five of the sixth season of Community, “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”, might be the best episode of the season yet. I say “might” because it still has a few problems. Let’s get… [more]

Kong vs gojira2015-03-22-17h36m51s130A Countless Number of Small Items: King Kong vs Godzilla and Akira Ifukube Pt. 2

I visited temples in Rehe and saw numerous Buddha statues embedded all over the wall. Even though each statue was humble, seeing all of them together on the wall impressed me greatly. [more]

Kong vs gojira2015-03-22-17h53m53s111A Countless Number of Small Items: King Kong vs Godzilla and Akira Ifukube

Be done with rote learning and its attendant vexations; for is there distinction of a “yes” from a “yea” comparable now to the gulf between evil and good? What all men fear, I too must fear… how barren and pointless a thought! [more]

varan2015-03-19-17h21m06s157Such Beautiful Miniatures: Yasuyuki Inoue and a New Age for Toho

Earth Defence Force is the start of an important transition in Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya’s techniques, a transition that wouldn’t reach its peak until a new decade arrived. The bright and colourful space film required Eiji Tsuburaya to focus more on optical effects then he had to date. [more]

dan_harmonCommunity Season Six: “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing”

So by this point in a season Community has normally had at least one great episode. Not this season though. It hasn’t had a bad episode either, just average episodes. Episode four, “Queer Studies and… [more]

akira-kurosawaLesser Known Kurosawa: The Bad Sleep Well

Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is best known for his samurai epics. Now I’ve only actually seen two of those: Yojimbo and Rashomon. Sometimes people are prone to forget that Kurosawa’s output ranges in genre and… [more]

zatoichi22015-03-14-17h07m22s104Hasty Sequels: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

After the unanticipated success of Zatoichi, Daiei Studios knew they had to capitalize on the suddenly popular property they’d created. They weren’t entirely sure how, but they knew they had to strike quickly while the… [more]

treasure2015-03-09-17h59m46s61The First Kaiju Fight: Godzilla Raids Again

As Nakajima himself put it, “I had to stand in the middle of the set while a huge amount of crushed ice came tumbling down on me.” The weight of the ice, coupled with the weight of the GyakushuGoji suit, broke the platform Nakajima and a cable operator were situated on. [more]

Screen-Shot-2014-08-15-at-9.57.40-AM-620x360Community Season Six: “Basic Crisis Room Decorum”

The third episode of the Yahoo hosted sixth season of Dan Harmon’s quirky cult show Community continues a trend seemingly put forward by the first two. “Basic Crisis Room Decorum” sees the show at both… [more]

rodan2015-03-11-19h05m05s79Tsuburaya Does Colour: Rodan

Rodan presented the special effects mastermind with a unique opportunity. Not only was Eiji Tsuburaya shooting in colour for only the second time but also he was allotted an unprecedented 60 percent of the film’s budget [more]

CommunityCommunity Season Six: “Ladders” and “Lawnmower Maintenance and Post-Natal Care”

Community was a little bit of a nerve-wracking affair this season. The show was running the risk of this particular reincarnation being more like the Leech Child than the behemoth of brilliance it was before.… [more]

Persona_PosterOn Seeing Persona in Theatres

So Ingmar Bergman is one of those directors spoken of almost unanimously in apotheosized terms. He’s highly regarded by those film critics most driven by artistic pretension, and highly thought of even by his peers. [more]

treasure2015-03-03-14h20m18s116Movies You Should Watch: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre came out in 1948, and was directed by John Huston. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt. Bogart and Holt play Fred C. Dobbs and Curtin respectively. [more]

gojiraBaptized in the Fires of the H-Bomb: Eiji Tsuburaya, Godzilla, and the Birth of Kaiju

With my eleven Gamera movies watched and reviewed and the last outlier on its way I decided it was time to delve into more kaiju films, specifically as many of them, in chronological order, as… [more]

iris2015-02-26-14h30m12s172Blind Swordfighting and Consumption: The Tale of Zatoichi

So Amazon is telling me that Gamera the Brave might not ship for months. Months! So while I’m waiting to finalize that particular series I thought I’d start another series I’ve been planning to review.… [more]

iris2015-02-26-13h04m50s155Nikkatsu Noir: A Colt is My Passport

Nikkatsu is Japan’s oldest movie studio. It was founded in 1912 but hit its peak from the fifties to the sixties. After that they started pushing pink films, basically Japanese soft-core. However before that slow… [more]

hqdefaultHonest Bees and a Critique of Capitalism: Jupiter Ascending

I loved the design of this movie. Jupiter Ascending feels like someone took Dune (the book) and mashed it up with every Tor book cover, then seasoned it with the kind of contemporary science-fiction design that rarely makes it into movies. [more]

cdn.indiewireJames Bond and Class Politics: Kingsman

Kingsman: The Secret Service is a killer action flick with a cool aesthetic, great actors, and a surprisingly vivid thematic bent. [more]

iris2015-02-20-13h34m51s242The End of Gamera

So not only is this the last of Kaneko’s trilogy it’s the last Daiei Gamera movie and the last Gamera movie distributed by Toho, all of which is sort of a big deal. So even if this isn’t the last Gamera movie I’ll review it’s still a bit of a milestone. [more]

MovieReviewJourneytotheWestConqueringtheDemons14Journey to the West Kicks Ass With a Giant Foot

There are fat suits and demons and cartoonish feet and attempts at actual emotion all scrambled together into one movie. [more]

legion2015-02-17-19h07m28s131Gamera 2: Advent of Legion: The Best Gamera Movie?

The creatures plan to spread their species to other planets by launching the pod in the centre of the flower. Gamera, genetically designed Atlantean guardian of the world that he is, isn’t having any of this. [more]

counselor2015-02-06-13h43m22s236No Country for Old Men vs No Country for Old Men

A comparison of the Cormac McCarthy Novel and the Coen brother’s adaptation. Both are fantastic and unique works of art, but how successful an adaptation is the film? [more]

counselor2015-02-04-19h12m45s233Sex and Rotten Tomatoes: On The Counselor

So every single person on this planet of earth hated Ridley Scott and Cormac McCarthy’s The Counselor. The thing is they’re all just completely wrong. This movie is great and horribly underrated. [more]

menace2015-02-02-19h14m11s68Dead Cousins: On Menace II Society

“Now O-Dog was the craziest nigga alive. America’s nightmare. Young, black, and didn’t give a fuck.” [more]

thirst2015-02-09-16h20m48s233Chan-Wook Park Does Vampires: Thirst

Thirst is wonderful director Chan-Wook Park’s vampire movie. It’s a fascinating project filled with symbolism and gore. [more]

gaurdian2015-01-29-19h43m26s208Elbow Spikes and Atlantis: Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

Gamera gets gritty. And it is good. Surprisingly good. [more]

IMG_0917Will Fame Spoil Stanley Kubrick?: On Seeing the Kubrick Exhibit

Southern: You have won ‘unreserved critical praise for a least three of your pictures. At 33 you have already directed one of the biggest pictures ever made. Will success spoil Stanley Kubrick? Kubrick: Fifth Amendment. [more]

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABobcat Does Bigfoot: Willow Creek

Some preamble on Bobcat Goldthwait. I first heard of Bobcat when I read Filmcrithulk’s review of God Bless America. I quietly filed the director and his films away for later exploration. Then somewhere in there,… [more]

IMG_2959Sharks, Superheroes, and the End of the Showa Era

In which I review two Gamera movies, involving underwater fire breathing, superheroes, Star Destroyers, and more! [more]

Onlygod2014-11-07-23h14m24s73Where True Detective Meets Community: Character Based Meta Examinations

True Detective was an amazing show. Brilliantly thematically driven, fabulously shot, and incredibly acted. It was filled with top-of-the-line craft across the board. There’s so much to learn from that show, but one of the… [more]

The-Hobbit-SmaugWhy Does it Hurt So Much: The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

“These bats are bred for one thing only. . . WAR.” [more]

timecrimes001482014 in Movies Part Three

So I watch a lot more old movies than new movies in a year. Which means I see a ton of great movies in a year that I can’t throw on an end of the… [more]

GODZILLA2014 in Movies Part Two

So after scribing a list of the best movies I didn’t see there’s only one natural follow up – my favourite movies of the year! After all my quick-and-dirty defences of ranking and lists I’m… [more]

under82014 in Movies Part One

Doing just one end of the year list is kind of lame. Doesn’t really cover the facets worth exploring. And that’s even discounting the perpetual “lists are meaningless” argument. Of course lists are meaningless, but… [more]

spirit2014-12-24-14h51m48s79An Adventure Time Christmas

Annie Edison: Everybody, point your magic Christmas weapons at him. Professor Ian Duncan: Oh, brother. This is ridiculous. You are enabling a delusion. Jeff Winger: The delusion you’re trying to cure is called Christmas, Duncan.… [more]

spirit2014-12-18-07h18m35s4Newspaper Comic Movies: Little Nemo

So newspaper comic week doesn’t leave many film related options. And the ones it does leave aren’t exactly…great. The Spirit. Garfield. You get the idea (holy shit I just realized I should’ve watched that Bill… [more]

spirit2014-12-17-19h22m28s177Newspaper Comic Movies: The Spirit

I have to admit, I like a bad movie. A certain kind of bad movie anyways. The kind that took effort. The results of a lone crazy man off in the woods with a camera.… [more]

paths2014-12-08-15h24m57s251Movies You Should Watch: Paths of Glory

The title of this article isn’t meant to be a command. It’s not “you” the reader so much as it is a proverbial “you.” Movies a movie fan is meant to watch. I’ll tell you… [more]

Onlygod2014-11-16-17h36m42s202Matrimony and Demons: Hour of the Wolf

There’s something pretty intriguing about the idea of Ingmar Bergman dabbling directly in the horror genre. Anyone who practices that much distancing and experimentation may not seem suited to an inherently visceral genre. I mean,… [more]

Onlygod2014-11-11-18h45m08s47Too Little Too Late: Thoughts on True Detective

The way the show incorporated meta moments was key to understanding the ending. True Detective displayed an undeniable desire to poke and prod at the edge of the frame containing it. [more]

filth00021Screw the Star Wars Trailer

I like Star Wars. Swear to god. I really like Star Wars. I know it’s bad for me. I know that it’s not really worth the love. I really do. But I like it. I… [more]

worldsgreatestdadA Brilliant Black Comedy: World’s Greatest Dad

An amazingly disturbing, pitch-black comedy starring Robin Williams. If you like your comedy cringe-inducing and horrifyingly bleak this amazing movie is for you. [more]

jesse james00179Analysis of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, part two

Some time ago I decided to watch through and analyze the skeletal filmography of Andrew Dominik, watching through all three of his movies in the order in which he made them. After starting with the… [more]

John-Wick-19John Wick: An Amazing Action Movie

Good God this is a great action movie. Just dripping with cool. Keanu Reeves is in it. It’s all good. Come read my gushing. [more]

Untitled-1Only God Forgives: A Freudian Nightmare

Come read my 100th article for Sequart. WOOP! [more]

jesse james00043Analysis of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Part One

PREAMBLE Some time ago I decided to watch through and analyze the skeletal filmography of Andrew Dominik, watching through all three of his movies in the order in which he made them. After starting with… [more]

exorcist2014-10-29-09h50m00s82Halloween Binge: The Exorcist

Most everyone considers The Exorcist the best horror movie ever made. When lists document the “greatest” horror movies in existence, The Exorcist is number one, time and time again. The movie, which came out in… [more]

beyond2014-10-28-21h50m15s109Halloween Binge: The Beyond

A manic and kind of terrible Italian horror movie. But also a manic and great horror movie. Lots of eye-gouging. [more]

rosemary2014-10-26-14h40m00s5Halloween Binge: Rosemary’s Baby

Wooo. We’re getting into real classics at this point in my binge. Filling in some gaps in my viewing with some classics. Will I be annoyingly contrarian? Come find out. [more]

lifeforcebdcap4_originalHalloween Binge: Lifeforce

Despite a whole lot of potential and some good scenes this movie kind of blows. It should have been so good, but honestly you could stop this movie after Mathilda May disappears. [more]

Hellraiser2014-10-22-16h36m30s19Halloween Binge: Hellraiser

As much as I like this movie, and I really did, I have some problems with it. Just a few, but I dwell on them in this article. Not trying to be contrarian I swear. Just my honest picky response! [more]

phenomena2014-10-21-14h22m14s94Halloween Binge: Phenomena

A crazy Dario Argento movie starring a young Jennifer Connelly. This was a goody. Lots of craziness and tension and great filmmaking. [more]

return of the living dead2014-10-20-22h07m30s215Halloween Binge: Return of the Living Dead

An awesome zombie flick with nonsensical zombies, loads of camp, unnecessary nudity, punks, great needle drops, and, most importantly, “braaains.” [more]

genocide2014-10-16-13h34m42s249Halloween Binge: Genocide

Genocide is a bleak, nihilistic, Japanese horror film with killer bugs. It’s also not so secretly about war time atrocities. Like you do. [more]

cannibal2014-10-14-21h21m30s8Halloween Binge: Cannibal Holocaust

Cannibal Holocaust is one of the more controversial horror movies ever made. Filled with sketchy content and upsetting gore, it’s a dark Halloween viewing indeed. [more]

house2014-10-13-19h40m56s80Halloween Binge: House

First up in my flood of Halloween themed articles: the insane Japanese horror movie House . It’s got magic cats, cannibalism, and crazy hand drawn FX. [more]

GAMERA-INTENSIFIESThe Movie With a Million Titles: Gamera vs. Jiger

Validate me, watch along and let me know what you thought:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yISxIM1EJZs My least favourite Gamera movie was Gamera vs. Barugon. The second Gamera movie ever made and the first to feature an opposing kaiju.… [more]

the fly2014-10-03-13h44m26s198Subtly Problematic Script Structure: The Fly

There is something about David Cronenberg’s The Fly that didn’t quite sit with me perfectly. The über respected Canadian horror director’s seminal body-horror movie isn’t bad, far from it in fact. Instead the fact that… [more]

Guiron_InsidesSpace Cannibals and Guillermo del Toro: On Gamera vs. Guiron

The influence behind Knifehead. And a whole bunch of nonsense in this surprisingly violent entry in the Gamera series. [more]

viras2014-10-01-13h34m26s85Boy Scouts and Tentacles: Gamera vs. the Space Monster Viras

Pointy squids. Giant turtles. Precocious Boy Scouts. A complete lack of budget. Way to much recycled footage. This movie is an experience. [more]

sword of doom2014-09-21-15h02m48s112Hell and Tragedy: on the Cult Classic Jigoku

I just know you guys are into genre-busting Japanese horror films! This film is equal parts tragedy and horror. It’s weird, poetic, and occasionally kind of gross. By the standards of the time anyways… [more]

sword of doom2014-09-20-14h28m03s0Rubber on Planes: Gamera vs. Gyaos

Aerial battles you guys! Because flying turtles are cool looking. Right? Right?! This is actually a solid and enjoyable kaiju film with a cool villain. [more]

gamera2014-09-17-12h12m35s126Terrible Monster Design and Boring People: Gamera vs. Barugon

Japanese people in blackface, coincidence ridden jungle adventures, and the worst Kaiju fight scenes I’ve seen. Ugh. [more]

killingthemsoftly2014-09-07-21h15m50s197A Sarcastic Review of Videodrome

Just to be clear: sarcastic. I liked this movie. Don’t get that mixed up, guys. Hopefully this is funny. [more]

sword of doom2014-09-18-15h10m07s157Sword of Doom: So Close

I feel like this may be the start of many samurai reviews I do. This one was good, but also not? [more]

killingthemsoftly2014-09-14-20h54m41s49Thoughts on Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

“There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the… [more]

killingthemsoftly2014-09-11-21h08m30s147On The Act of Killing

I suspect The Act of Killing is going to be eternally seared into my memory. Anwar Congo’s smiling face isn’t going fade soon. The last article I wrote I included this quote from Russian director… [more]

2001-a-space-odysseyWhat Makes a Great Movie?

Ever wondered how I would define a great movie? No. Um… Maybe give this a read anyways? I explain how I would define a great movie, if you couldn’t guess. [more]

killingthemsoftly2014-09-08-16h11m16s226I’m a Cyborg, but That’s Okay: Chan-wook Park Gets Weird

So Chan-wook Park made a sort-of-romantic comedy. It’s twisted and hypnotic and experimental. Plus it has robots and Korean pop-stars. [more]

killingthemsoftly2014-09-08-10h41m21s174The Host: An Amazing Monster Movie

After watching some Korean movies and a monster movie I thought I’d watch a much-love Korean monster movie! It’s awesome because it’s a monster movie about how much the government sucks. [more]

Gamera_originalFire-Breathing Turtles and Rubber Suits: On Gamera

In which I talk about a movie with a fire-breathing, flying turtle. I’m also wildly insecure and ask for you, the reader, to pitch in on future reviews… But mainly fire-breathing turtles. [more]

STK-7631.NEFSomething Vaguely Related to Oldboy: On Stoker

After Chan-wook Park blew me away with his Vengeance Trilogy, a collection of perfectly executed and wildly stylistically disparate films, I had to seek out the rest of his filmography. Or at least watch whatever… [more]

2007051900_blog.uncovering.org_lady_vengeance_cinema_chan-wook_posterThe One After Oldboy: On Lady Vengeance

After Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy, Chan-wook Park returned to his Vengeance Trilogy with Lady Vengeance (callback title!). Rather than attempting to continue along the successful wave that was Oldboy, Park instead capped the… [more]

sympathy-for-mr-vengeanceThe Movie Before Oldboy: on Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

You’ve probably heard of Oldboy. It was Korean director Chan-wook Park’s breakout film, meeting with presumably unexpected levels of foreign critical acclaim. Spike Lee remade it one time, but it’s best to gloss over that… [more]

Dr__Killinger_by_EastCoastCanuckVenture Bros. is Awesome

You’d think designing a show almost purely to mock and taunt things I love would more or less instantly earn my hatred. Well almost instantly. Well in some cases almost five seasons. But Big Bang… [more]

imageDefending Guardians of the Galaxy

Okay. Let’s do this. *Cracks knuckles* Recently Julian Darius wrote a real mic-drop of a response to Guardians of the Galaxy. It was pretty incendiary. Like everything Julian writes it was excellent, and made me… [more]

planet-of-the-apesSo Long and Thanks for all the Apes

I just had to write a fitting send-off to the Planet of the Apes series. I recap, rank, and reminisce these wonderful films. I also do that for the duds. But lets focus on the wonderful aspect. [more]

borgman00072Borgman: Mysteriously Effective

Everything about Borgman feels muffled. Like glimpsing a striking image through a foggy haze. Or hearing a catchy song muffled by feedback and noise. The movie relies on this atmosphere. One can’t feasibly be divorced… [more]

dawn-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-official-trailer-0Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is Phenomenal

Two Apes articles in one week! This time I cover the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and why it’s such a critical juggernaut. [more]

planet of the apes 200100295Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Servicable

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the only Planet of the Apes movie I’d seen prior to this series of articles. Because I fucked up my schedule, I didn’t manage to rewatch it… [more]

tom-cruise-edge-of-tomorrow-suitSome Thoughts on Edge of Tomorrow

I write the first third of a lot of these articles in my head before I actually write them. Everything after that tends to be a process of discovery. But that initial pre-planning tends to… [more]

planet of the apes 2001000922001′s Planet of the Apes Remake is the Worst of the Franchise

Awkwardly sexualized apes, bad writing, clumsy thematics, and Mark Wahlberg set this film apart from the rest of the franchise. Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of the classic SF franchise starter may not be good, but it is interestingly bad. More bad than interesting though… [more]

tommywiseauThe Room

The Room is clearly establishing itself as the current cult classic in the vein of Plan 9 From Outer Space. I first watched it with two friends during a day when we were deliberately seeking… [more]

imageTransformers: Age of Extinction Review

The fourth Transformers movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction, is pretty terrible. It’s not really going to have its critical defenders, so piling on the bandwagon and expressing my many problems with the film doesn’t seem… [more]

shiaThey Made Me Watch Transformers: Dark of the Moon

So please God read this so it’s not in vain. I even tried to find something interesting and maybe even educational to say about it. That took effort! [more]

fear and loathing00220Fear and Loathing in a Dead Guy’s House

I recently read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Then I watched the movie, which is a great adaptation. This is about those things, and also some time I spent in an abandoned house. [more]

4835God Damn You All to Hell: Planet of the Apes TV Show

“The mother ducking humans are talking!?” That was the fourth note I took about the Planet of the Apes TV show pilot. My iPad has an annoying habit of autocorrecting “fucking” to “ducking”. This is… [more]

Star Wars Planet of the ApesWhat’s a Franchise and Which One is the Best?

I wrote about which film series count as franchises and which one I thought was the best. And used math to prove my point! Here’s a clue – it may be related to the series I’ve been reviewing for weeks. [more]

conquest of the planet of the apes00188Battle for the Planet of the Apes is Underwhelming

The last film of the original five Planet of the Apes movies has been watched. It was… okay, despite being kind of bland. [more]

crossbones-618x400Crossbones Could Be Great TV – Eventually

The first two episodes of Neil Cross’ new pirate show, starring John Malkovich, have aired. I examine them. Completely without nautical puns too. [more]

conquest of the planet of the apes00136Conquest of the Planet of the Apes: An Amazing Science-Fiction Film

The Planet of the Apes series handily proves its superiority with this awesome movie. [more]

filth00021X-Men: Days of Future Past is Just Okay

Which still makes it better than a lot of the franchise. [more]

Hannibal-Season-2On Season Two of Hannibal

A generally spoiler-free look at the second season of the delightfully depraved chronicles of everyone’s favorite cannibal… [more]

timecrimes00148Timecrimes is Good, but not Unexpected

This Spanish science-fiction thriller wasn’t quite what was advertised… [more]

chopper00432Andrew Dominik’s Filmography Part One: Chopper

I start my journey through the filmography of Andrew Dominik with the intense and fascinating Chopper. [more]

escape00044Escape from the Planet of the Apes: Good Despite the Odds?

The third Planet of the Apes movie goes from funny talking apes to baby-murder in an insanely short period of time. So if that’s your thing this movie has that… [more]

beneath00024Beneath the Planet of the Apes is Completely Nuts

Beneath the Beneath the Planet of the Apes is essentially an insane metal album turned into a movie, and that’s awesome. [more]

meatgeminiChris Claremont and Documentary Filmmaking: An Interview with Patrick Meaney

Sequart has a new documentary all about Chris Claremont. We sat down with director Patrick Meaney to talk about comics, filmmaking, and working with Claremont: SEQUART: A lot of the times documentaries get a critical… [more]

godzilla-2014-movie-still-04-27Kaiju-Sized Review of Godzilla

I was very excited for Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla. This had less to do with the fact that it was a Godzilla film (though I won’t lie and tell you that wasn’t a factor) and more… [more]

hannibalCancellations and Renewals: What’s Happening to my Favourite Shows Next Year

I’ve mainly talked about two TV shows on this site, and that’s not by accident. I reviewed the whole fifth season of Community and wrote about why you should watch Hannibal. Some of you went… [more]

grand-budapest-hotelThe Grand Budapest Hotel after Two Viewings

“You can tell they had a low budget; all the backgrounds were painted.” That quote comes courtesy of one of the shining beacons of taste I went with to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. It… [more]

justified-season-4-poster1Why You Should Watch Justified

Justified should be a way more popular show. It’s not that it’s unpopular, in fact it’s heading into its sixth season, it’s that it should be resonating more clearly with viewers. It is the kind… [more]

filth00476Delightfully Dirty: A Review of Filth

“Same rules apply.” James McAvoy gets to say this a few times as Bruce Robertson in the movie Filth. The adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s book of the same name is directed by the relatively unknown… [more]

Night of the Hunter00283Examining the World of Night of the Hunter

“Lord save little children…They endure and they abide.” These words are spoken directly to the camera at the end of Night of the Hunter, Charles Laughton’s directorial debut. This ending reminds me of another classic… [more]

the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-CDPeter Jackson, We Need to Talk About The Hobbit

Dear Mr. Peter Jackson, It’s time for an intervention. I wasn’t going to write about the Desolation of Smaug, I really wasn’t. Everything I felt about that film had been succinctly expressed elsewhere. Then you… [more]

CaptureReview of The Raid: Berandal

Gareth Evans’ Indonesian action movie The Raid: Redemption was pretty much a perfect action movie. The actual story was pure minimalism – there was exactly enough to sustain the movie, and not a drop more… [more]

Community - Season 5Review of Community Season 5, Episodes 12 and 13

“What does this look like, an hour long episode of The Office?” The Dean says that, somewhere near the beginning of Basic Sandwich, the second half of Community’s two-parter season finale. The reason this episode’s… [more]

Russell Crowe as NoahExamining the Two Acts of Noah

Some major spoilers for a movie based on a 24,000-year-old portion of the Bible follow: The world in the first act of Noah is magical. It’s not just the Watchers, angels punished to serve their… [more]

imageReview of Community Season 5, Episode 11

This season of Community has, admittedly, been a little up and down. The show has been good, and is still better than the majority of network TV out there, but there have been a few… [more]

bates yakuza00033Hannibal vs. Bates Motel: One Kills the Other

Sometime last year a friend of mine recommended I watch Bates Motel, a show about a young Norman Bates. For those of you who don’t know who Norman Bates is – we can’t be friends.… [more]

Community -- 5X10_main_photoReview of Community Season 5, Episode 10

Season Two’s Advanced Dungeons and Dragons was one of the best Community episodes ever. It was a perfect melding of form and theme. The episode’s gimmick was telling the entire story through a Dungeons and… [more]

community vcr-maintenance-and-educational-publishingReview of Community Season 5, Episode 9

VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing might be my favourite episode yet of Community’s fifth season. It’s not necessarily the best one – the b-plot was a bit weak – but it made me laugh in… [more]

120th Century Boys, Volume Five

This is an important volume, deserving of a particularly long write-up. You’ve been warned. This volume starts the conclusion of Kenji’s story, and introduces the next part of this tale – Kanna’s story, which takes… [more]

Community 57b316aa380b45ecc5b5b4cfcbe5842fReview of Community Season 5, Episode 8

Community’s fans have always extolled the virtues of the show’s concept episodes. School-wide paintball games, science projects, Chang, and more have all served as excuses for pitch-perfect genre parodies that remained firmly grounded in character-based… [more]

community bondage-and-beta-male-sexualityReview of Community Season 5, Episode 7

Community‘s seventh episode of the season, Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality, wisely continues to strip back the high-concept tom-foolery and focus on character development. This season’s changes were obviously deserving of a serious story beat… [more]

Harry Eisner 3The Long Influence of Will Eisner

In any medium there are great, influential works that no one actually partakes of. In film this mantle falls on the shoulders of directors like Carl Theodor Dreyer, Fritz Lang, and Abel Gance. They made… [more]

community nathan fillionReview of Community Season 5, Episode 6

Community is back. Or at least it feels that way. The first episodes of this season may have felt like a return, at least in contrast to season four, but this is the first episode… [more]

donald gloverReview of Community Season 5, Episode 5

I was really looking forward to this episode of Community. It’s quite possibly the last episode of the show to feature Troy (played by Donald Glover). It’s also a new high-concept episode, something the show… [more]

Chevy ChaseReview of Community Season 5, Episode 4

Troy and Abed are in mourning. Pierce Hawthorne has died. It’s no secret that the actor that played him, Chevy Chase, didn’t particularly enjoy working on the show. He didn’t find it funny, and he… [more]

120th Century Boys Volume Four

This is an exciting volume. A lot of it focuses on Shogun being generally badass. Shogun acts rather like a vigilante in this volume. He’s continually saving abused women from Thai gangsters. At first this… [more]

alan-moore-by-frank-quitelyAlan Moore Might be Insane Now

It seems fittingly ironic that Alan Moore announces his exit from the public eye with a 16,000-word harrumph. This interview was a roller coaster of emotions for me – all negative. When I finally finished… [more]

Community Mad Men SpoofReview of Community Season 5, Episode 3

The first parody of Community‘s fifth season has landed. “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics”, the season’s third episode, feels a little like a redux of “Basic Lupine Urology”, Community’s pitch perfect Law and Order spoof. Both see… [more]

120th Century Boys Volume Three

This is definitely the best volume of the series so far. Now that’s almost a false statement in a series like this, because this volume’s quality is utterly dependent on the two prior. Without their… [more]

CommunityCommunity and Geek Culture

Yesterday I talked about Big Bang Theory, a hugely popular sitcom with a largely toxic depiction of geek culture. To counter that I thought I’d talk about Community, a smaller, wonderful sitcom with a massively… [more]

the-big-bang-05The Big Bang Theory and Geek Culture

Geeks have become a spectacle. Right now being a geek is considered cool. It’s considered fairly trendy. Very few people who self-identify as geeks are the real deal. This statement may cause all sorts of… [more]

9781597071413-invisibleman2_zoomOn Comic Book Adaptations

This article isn’t about comic book movies. Quite the opposite in fact. What follows is a semi-directionless musing on why there are so few good comic books that adapt their stories from books and movies.… [more]

Real 120th Century Boys Volume Two

Wow. Naoki Urasawa really gets this series going early. It’s hard to talk about the volume over all without sounding repetitive and it’s hard to resist summarizing the plot. Given that the whole reason behind… [more]

1On Oldboy

Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is a phenomenal film. A devastating meditation on vengeance initially disguised as a revenge thriller, Oldboy is disturbing, exhilarating, terrifying, and more. Chan-wook Park deftly juggles the tone of this film, all… [more]

tumblr_inline_mragc65Swp1qz4rgp20th Century Boys Volume One

The last volume of Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys I read was volume 22. The series only lasts two more volumes – 21st Century Boys Volume One and Two. These articles cover my attempted reread… [more]

Osamu_TezukaThe Grandmasters

I’ve been planning a series of articles about the all-time greats of the medium for a while. I was planning to focus on living greats, but with Sequart doing this Manga Week it seemed like… [more]

Person of InterestThe3rdWall’s Video Reviews: Person of Interest Season 3, Episode 1

Welcome to the first episode of The3rdWall’s Video Reviews! This will be a new series of videos created for Sequart. Specifically, they will be a collection of video reviews of various comic- and geek-culture-related TV… [more]

Dial_H_Vol_1_11Dial H and the Superman for the Modern Age

How many times have you heard the phrase “a Superman for the modern age?” This oft used, clichéd phrase gets tossed around all the time, especially when it comes to heroes that betray some effect… [more]

picture 12How Comics Work: The Fight Scene, Part 4

Young Avengers 3 Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie McKelvie (artist), Mike Norton (artist), Mathew Wilson (colourist), et al The third issue of Young Avengers breaks all the rules. The fight has little to no context in the… [more]

picture eightHow Comics Work: The Fight Scene, Part 3

Daredevil 25 By Mark Waid (writer), Chris Samnee (artist), Javier Rodriguez (colourist), et al. This issue requires some context. Up until recently Mark Waid’s series has seemed completely episodic. Just a few issues ago everything… [more]

1Cave-In Review

In a lot of ways Scott McCloud’s three books are my bibles. It’s because of them I love comics as much as I do. It’s because of them I love to make comics as much… [more]

picture fiveHow Comics Work: The Fight Scene, Part 2

Wonder Woman 18 By Brian Azzarello (writer) Goran Sudzuka (artist) Cliff Chiang (artist), Tony Akins (layout artist), Dan Green (finishes) Mathew Wilson (colourist) et al. Not to pick on American superhero comics but Wonder Woman seems… [more]

1Scott Snyder: Then and Now

I was slow to the Scott Snyder game, I’ll admit it. Back when the hyper popular writer started Batman I was only vaguely aware of his existence. As his run continued I started to read… [more]

Picture TwoTyrant Questions and Answers with Steve Bissette

Previously we looked at Tyrant’s letter pages, issue one, issue two, issue three, and issue four. Steve Bissette’s Tyrant leaves us with more questions than it does answers. The series came to a crashing conclusion with… [more]

picture001Tyrant Issue Four: Dreams and Bones

Previously we looked at Steve Bissette’s most experimental issue of Tyrant. The final published issue of Tyrant opens with yet another spectacular nature drawing. Steve Bissette draws the rocky remains of a riverbed, a trickle of… [more]

1Tyrant Issue Three: The Egg

The third issue of Steve Bissette’s Tyrant is devoid of any title, which is odd. Every other issue opened with a strong title page. Perhaps Bissette wanted to distance this issue from the others, as it… [more]

1Tyrant Issue Two: Blood and Berries

The second issue of Tyrant starts on a more introspective note than the first. Steve Bissette opens the story with a quote from Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Vertigo: Somewhere in here I was born, and there I… [more]

1Tyrant Issue One: Knock Knock

The first issue of Tyrant, Steve Bissette’s short lived fictional biography of a T-Rex, came out in September of 1994. The series was published by Bissette’s own company, SpiderBaby Grafix. The story lasts 21 pages,… [more]

HeaderWrestling Robots and Philosophical Musings: Examining Pluto

Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto is a damn good comic. If there’s only one thing you get from this article, it should be a burning desire to purchase and read Pluto. Naoki Urasawa is one of the… [more]

10The Other Egg of the Phoenix: Understanding the 50th Issue of Sandman

Neil Gaiman is one of the most renowned living comic book writers, and one of the most popular authors currently working. He is best known for his long lasting Vertigo series, Sandman, but he has… [more]

STATISTICS FOR HARRY EDMUNDSON-CORNELL

Total Words for All Magazine Content: 360,205