TV Review: ‘Alien: Earth’ (Season 1, Episode 8)
“The ‘Alien: Earth’ season 1 finale, ‘The Real Monsters,’ is a violent disruption in the franchise canon.”
Peter Bell
Peter Bell is a recent graduate of Columbia University, School of Arts, New York, NY with a Master of Arts in Film Studies. Peter’s interests in film include film history, film theory and film criticism. Ever since watching TCM as a child, Peter has always had a passion for film and is always trying to add greater context to film for others. His favorite films include Chinatown, Blade Runner, Lawrence of Arabia, A Shot in the Dark, and Inception. Peter’s favorite director is Christopher Nolan, whom he had the pleasure of seeing speak in 2015 at the Tribecca Film Festival. Past film experience includes a documentary research internship with Pierpoline Films and volunteering for ReelAbilities Film Festival. Peter believes movie theaters are still the optimal forum for film discussion and discovering fresh perspectives on culture. Peter’s hobbies include soccer, watching “Mystery Science Theater 3000” and reading 80’s and Golden age comic books.
TV Review: ‘Alien: Earth’ (Season 1, Episodes 6-7)
“Under Hawley’s watchful eye, the episodic progression from “The Fly” to “Emergence” is the most seamless transition of ‘Alien: Earth’ season 1.”
TV Review: ‘Alien: Earth’ (Season 1 – Episodes 3, 4 and 5)
“It appears that Hawley mapped ‘Alien: Earth’ methodically, though the FX on Hulu series often feels worlds apart from writer Dan O’ Bannon’s original source material.”
TV Review: ‘Alien: Earth’ (Season 1, Episodes 1-2)
“‘Alien: Earth’ could become the unofficial Alien Apocrypha. The 46-year-old franchise might have some acidic bite left in it, but it doesn’t leave the same corrosive mark in the human psyche that it once did.”
Review: Audrey Lam’s ‘Us and the Night’
“Even when Lam’s dialogue falters in its poetic consistency, her down-to-earth editing and dedication to minimalism hits the mark, as ‘Us and the Night’ embodies true-blue independent filmmaking.”
Review: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’
“Gunn’s first ‘Superman’ outing makes the grade.”
‘Batman Begins’: The B-List Rises
“Nolan’s radical approach with ‘Batman Begins’ forever changed multimedia synergy and the very nature of action films.”
Review: Fede Álvarez’s ‘Alien: Romulus’
“What sells the overall ‘Alien: Romulus’ experience is the genuine authenticity of the cast itself.”
Review: ‘Monsieur Spade’ (Season 1, Episode 1)
“One of first signs of trouble in Monsieur Spade’s first episode is the overall lack of antagonists – the slow burn feels ill-suited for the title character and the genre at large.”
Review: David Fincher’s ‘The Killer’
“Ultimately, ‘The Killer’ is just a fun, pulpy romp that is more akin to the plug-and-play adventures of I.O. Interactive’s ‘Hitman’ series than a profound statement on the culture at large.”
Review: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’
“Not only does ‘Oppenheimer’ prove to be one the best-crafted biopics in recent memory, but it also boldly reaffirms the director’s auteur status.”
‘Copenhagen Cowboy’: Something Is Rotten in Denmark
“The Danish emperor of cool has lost his clothes.”
Tearing ‘Hellraiser’ Apart to Its Artistic Core
“Hellraiser’s creators channel the works of Francis Bacon, Walter Sickert, Allen Jones and Zdzisław Beksiński. These impressionist and surrealist craftsmen, like Barker and Randel, expose the horrors of their lifetime to the populace at large.”
Making Sense of the Bullocks: Examining the Punk Unpleasantries of ‘Pistol’ and ‘Sid and Nancy’
“FX’s ‘Pistol’ stays true to the chaotic nature of the Sex Pistols and manages to sprinkle in some of that Boyle pop energy.”
The Volume: The Final Stage
“The old silver screens have reached their limit, and even 4K will become passé. Perhaps it’s time for Hollywood and theater chains to up the ante by investing in venues and screens similar to the Volume.”
Review: Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
“The end results of ‘The Batman,’ while acceptable, are insufficiently satisfying, largely because the gritty realism overtakes the story itself.”
‘House of Gucci’: A Disappointing Oddity
“Right from the get-go in ‘House of Gucci,’ it’s clear that something is amiss.”
Review: Ridley Scott’s ‘The Last Duel’
“The ‘cinematic’ moviegoing experience is gradually taking shape once more, not just the notion of spectacle, but stimulation of the mind and conscience.”
Review: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Cry Macho’
“While ‘Cry Macho’ succeeds with the set-up character scenes, it fails with its overall execution.”
Review: David Lowery’s ‘The Green Knight’
“The Green Knight’s impactful imagery and intensity outweigh its sometimes overly cryptic metaphors, allowing for quality entertainment.”