8/28/2012

Breaking Bad Season 5, Part 1

BREAKING BAD Season 5, Part 1
BREAKING BAD is no longer fun, it’s now… excruciating. But that’s what makes it so great. Has any lead character in TV traversed such a radical arc from pathetic protagonist to chillingly sociopathic villain as Walter White? While some cling to hopes of redemption, I’ve no illusions… merely wild anticipation.

J. Edgar

J. EDGAR
Is this a biopic? Historical fiction? An episode of FACE OFF? Whatever it is, it fails on almost every level, with the never-convincing Leo DiCaprio shuffling through this overly sentimental and maudlin soap opera disguised as… whatever. Did Clint Eastwood really direct this thing? I’m at a loss. Truly.

8/25/2012

The Hangover Part II

THE HANGOVER PART II
The first one was Meh, so my expectations were low. But I wasn’t expecting a movie that seems as if it they just re-wrote the first screenplay as a MAD LIB, replacing certain locations, setups and characters with substitute nouns. A few good laughs cannot make up for lazy repetitiveness.

8/15/2012

The Art of Joe Kubert

THE ART OF JOE KUBERT Edited by Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics Books)
From the early 1940s right up until his death this week, Joe Kubert evolved into one of the legends of the art form, a truly inspirational innovator. This career overview is a serviceable primer, but the predominance of mere reprints leaves me wanting more sketches, photos and unpublished art.

The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist

THE ART OF DANIEL CLOWES: MODERN CARTOONIST Edited by Alvin Buenaventura (Abrams Comic Art)
The problem with most cartoonist monographs is that they’re lazy; substandard printing and perfunctory image selection are sadly the norm. This beautifully curated career overview—including Clowes’ illustration, design and film work—is an anomaly, a serious (if sometimes overly pretentious) look at one of alternative comics’ greatest artists.