This is a reader-supported blog. If you like what you read, consider buying me a coffee! This is not how I planned it — I didn’t expect to be publishing something about Bluey so soon. The thing is, I’ve been meaning to write an essay about the series for a couple of years. I’ve outlined it, … Continue reading The many delights — and the disappointment — of the epic Bluey episode “The Sign”
Note: It’s necessary to discuss the plot in some detail in order to discuss what makes Andor great both cinematically and politically, so be warned there are spoilers here. Andor is such a breath of fresh air for the Star Wars franchise, and for television in general. The new series streaming on Disney+, a prequel … Continue reading Andor is a refreshing change for Star Wars, and a thrilling and inspiring depiction of revolution
This is a reader-supported blog. If you like what you read, consider buying me a coffee! The latest season of Atlanta is weird. That may sound like stating the obvious. Atlanta is supposed to be weird. Its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2018, established it as exceptionally inventive, unpredictable and adventurous television. And … Continue reading Atlanta season 3 is meandering, implosive and weird — and we need more TV like it
I couldn’t have picked a better time to watch LA 92, the 2017 documentary about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. I first watched it in July of 2020, as the U.S. was in the middle of being shaken by a summer-long rebellion against racism and police violence after the murder of George Floyd. LA 92 … Continue reading LA 92 triggered all my memories of witnessing a historic uprising
I went into Don’t Look Up, the new political satire on Netflix directed by Adam McKay (The Big Short, Vice), expecting it to be heavy-handed. That was the verdict of many film critics and others I follow: that its dystopian spoof of climate politics is well-meaning but as subtle as sledgehammer. I was hoping to … Continue reading The power of Don’t Look Up is in the details
Comic books are disposable entertainment by definition. They started out as stories for kids printed on cheap pulp, serialized in weekly, easy-to-digest installments. A century later, the paper stock might be nicer, the budgets for creative talent higher, and the storytelling far more sophisticated, but this disposability remains inherent to the medium. This is not … Continue reading Marvel’s What If…?: Disposable by design, intermittently powerful, ultimately frustrating
Earlier this week, Emma Watkins unexpectedly announced she is leaving the Wiggles after nine years in the yellow skivvy (and 12 years in total as a performer with the group). The revelation, which came via Emma’s Instagram page, was quite a bombshell on the part of the hugely talented, multidisciplinary performer and TV personality, who … Continue reading Hats off to the legend that is Emma Watkins, as she leaves the Wiggles
For the last decade and then some, The Octonauts has been one of the best shows on TV for young kids. There are a bunch of reasons for this: gorgeous animation, strong writing, endearing and memorable characters, and an educational mission that feels genuine and not smarmy. But the thing that always sticks out for … Continue reading Octonauts: Above & Beyond is teaching young kids about the climate emergency
Under the Paving Stones 