Reviews
Bates Motel - Underwater [TV Review]
Underwater, as an episode, is very underwhelming for a show like Bates Motel. While it does move the plot forward, nothing in it seems particularly interesting. Also being the penultimate episode of the season, it doesn’t seem to have much excitement or build up for next week’s finale.
The Undertow by Dan Coyle [Music Review]
For his sixth full length release, The Undertow, New York based troubadour Dan Coyle, one of this country's up and coming singer-songwriters, begins to slowly slink his way from the shell that has incubated his talents over the last several years. Instead of opting for his typical traditionalist approach of solo guitar and voice, The Undertow finds Coyle joined for the first time by a full band. Well, sort of.
Bates Motel - A Boy And His Dog [TV Review]
It seems that Bates Motel enjoys hitting its audience with one emotional punch after another. With these characters that we have invested ourselves into, their emotional traumas seem to become even worse with this week. It seems that there are a number of things still unanswered that Bates Motel isn’t quite ready to reveal just yet.
Clinic Brings Hip-Hop Beats and Demented Rockabilly-Stomp Numbers to the Troubadour [Concert Review]
I feel it's easy for a band to get into the mindset of just focusing on achieving an expressive and magnetic sound while overlooking the visual aspect, which is unfortunate. I saw Interpol when I was about 15, and do I remember what they sounded like? Not at all, I wasn’t into them then except for the singles, but damn do I remember the light of Paul Banks’ cigarette under a fedora, and Carlos D’s slick, Nazi-youth wardrobe. Presentation matters, as Clinic can probably tell you.
'Iron Man 3' is a Terrific Conclusion to the Trilogy [Movie Review]
I think I start just about every Avengers-related movie review this way, but the original Iron Man has a special place in my heart because it was the first movie I ever reviewed for this site (please don't actually read that). I say this because I want you to know I might be somewhat biased when I say that Iron Man 3 is freaking awesome.
THR!!!ER Makes Me ??? About !!! [Music Review]
Based on interviews I’ve seen here and there, THR!!!ER was supposed to be !!!’s revitalization of the dance-punk genre, the big announcement that they intend to stay in the game, and to steer it as they did with Louden Up Now and Myth Takes, but it comes off more as the helpless spinning of the party-bus wheels in mud.
Bates Motel - The Man In Number Nine [TV Review]
After the intense episode on last week’s Bates Motel, it’s nice to have a cool down period as we head into the end of the season. Many dangling strings are tied up, but new problems seem to arise in this time of peace. The Man in Number Nine could be easily classified as the most emotional episode of the story so far.
Partia: Fire Emblem on a Budget [iPad Game Review]
As I established in my last review of Blockheads, the indie market is filled with knockoffs of popular game series, and while some might consider this a bad thing, it certainly makes it easier for a game to get noticed. After all, there is already an established audience, right? Partia: The Broken Lineage (for IOS) is just such a game: a strategy RPG developed by Imago Software and inspired by titles such as Fire Emblem and Tear Ring Saga (which is basically just Fire Emblem via not Nintendo).
'Ooga Booga' Delivers B-Movie Horror at its Best [Movie Review]
There is a sub-genre of horror movie that seem designed to be "so bad, it’s funny." Ooga Booga fits perfectly into this B-movie category with its one dimensional characters, ridiculous plot points, and over the top death scenes. Charles Band, the movie’s director, has created a movie seemingly designed to offend regular people while pleasing hardcore fans of cheesy horror.
Bates Motel - The Truth [TV Review]
The Truth is a real big turning point for Bates Motel, making it a proper climactic moment. In the complete chaos of things, it appears that everything is changing around the main characters. When it seems that something is about to come to an end, another thing appears to disturb the peace that the Bates Family can no longer achieve.
