Game of Thrones has entered its final season and that means it’s time to take stock of the show as a whole. But rather than do a set of episode reviews, we decided to take a little inspiration from the books for our post-mortem. George R.R. Martin’s still unfinished series features chapters based on the point of view of its characters, so each of these posts will review their individual journeys in the show as they come to their end, whether peacefully or violently - this is Thrones, after all.

TVJason ChenMay 1, 2019game of thrones, tv, hbo, theon greyjoy, post mortem, endings, deathsComment

Her Watch Has Ended: Melisandre

Game of Thrones has entered its final season and that means it’s time to take stock of the show as a whole. But rather than do a set of episode reviews, we decided to take a little inspiration from the books for our post-mortem. George R.R. Martin’s still unfinished series features chapters based on the point of view of its characters, so each of these posts will review their individual journeys in the show as they come to their end, whether peacefully or violently - this is Thrones, after all.

TVJason ChenApril 29, 2019game of thrones, season 8, endings, deaths, melisandre, tv, hboComment

TV REVIEW: 'The OA' Part 2 is as earnestly bizarre as ever

Now with its new season (or “part”, as Netflix bills it) available after a three-year hiatus, the show remains an impossible-to-classify item in the platform’s catalogue, a show that makes you sound a bit crazy when you try to describe it.

TVRobert SnowApril 26, 2019stranger things, the oa, netflix, lost, twin peaks, brit marling, sci-fi, tv, thrillerComment

REVIEW: 'Hellboy' traps its sturdy star in bad-movie purgatory

Hellboy himself is well-portrayed by David Harbour (Stranger Things), and there are some fun shout-outs to some of the more obscure characters and story threads from the comics. But that’s about all the good there is to say. The filmmakers are more concerned with grafting cringe-inducing scenes into an interpretation of the comic that might have had genuine promise in other hands.

REVIEW: 'Shazam!' - DC has a hit

Yet, it’s Shazam! that’s the first DC film to really explore this idea of a family, of how there really is a home for everyone and going solo isn’t always so cool. A large portion of the (pretty good) subplot deals with Billy’s attempts to find his birth mother, but when he finally begins to forge a new relationship with his foster family, it’s incredibly uplifting.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenApril 12, 2019shazam, shazam!, zachary levi, billy batson, asher angel, mark strong, marvel, dc, comics, comic books, superhero, film, movies, reviewComment

REVIEW: 'Triple Frontier' won't broaden your horizon

Triple Frontier, with its all-male cast of ex-special forces operatives who decide to rob a drug dealer's stash of cash, made you believe with its marketing that it was an action shoot 'em up with cliched one-liners about duty, honour and how their own society has rejected them as a bunch of marginal contributors.

That's not this movie.

REVIEW: ‘Captain Marvel’ fulfills her duty - for better and worse

But like Wonder Woman and even Black Panther, it’s important to weigh the cultural role of the movie differently than its artistic role. Is Captain Marvel merely a series of boxes being checked, as if an H.R. rep were ensuring that everyone received equal consideration for the box-office domination job? Or is there more going on in this origin story?

TV REVIEW: No mystery - Season 3 of 'True Detective' is good

While Season 1 immersed itself with biker gangs, huge bags of cocaine, alcohol abuse and nihilism, and some edge-of-your-seat sequences, Season 3 prefers the slow burn, with tension, intrigue and drama taking center stage.

TVJason ChenMarch 7, 2019true detective, season 3, 2019, hbo, mahershala ali, stephen dorff, scoot mcnairy, mamie gummer, crime, mystery, thriller, tv, review, nic pizzolattoComment

Early Oscars Outlook: 2019 and Beyond

There are plenty of actors and actresses who have yet to win, including Amy Adams, Willem Dafoe and Viggo Mortensen this year, though I’m sure they’ll get other chances. Here’s a list of actors with upcoming films that could net their first win.

FilmJason ChenFebruary 28, 2019oscars, oscars 2019, 2019, awards, ceremony, hollywood, annette bening, ed harris, brad pitt, edward norton, hugh jackman, joaquin phoenixComment

The Inaugural Kinetoscope Awards: What Should Have Won at the 2019 Oscars

The Scopies are a run-down of the awards we’d prefer to be giving out to the filmmakers, cast members and telecast participants, instead of the never-quite-satisfying real results.

FilmJason ChenFebruary 25, 2019awards, academy awards, oscars, 2019, oscars 2019, parody, satire, telecast, broadcastComment

REVIEW: ‘Alita: Battle Angel’, a cyberpunk fantasy with a franchise on its mind

In a world where mortal injuries can often be fixed as easily as sticking a severed head onto a robotic body, the movie contemplates what it means to be human, especially in a society filled with people who might pull off your arm (or even your head) and exchange it for profit.

REVIEW: ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ wades into woke-nomics

It’s also intriguing how the message of the new film hews so closely to another recent example of wokenomics, the Gillette ad “The Best Men Can Be”. The spot, which questions toxic prevailing ideas about masculinity, seems to share some thematic DNA with The Lego Movie 2. Our hero, Emmet (Chris Pratt), spends much of the story contending with a belief that he’s not grown-up or tough enough to be the “special best friend” (re: boyfriend) of the movie’s female lead, Lucy (Elizabeth Banks).

REVIEW: ‘Cold Pursuit’ is a stranger mountain drive than you’d expect

What we get in the movie is not at all what was suggested by the early production reports or the marketing – instead, it’s a thoroughly odd experience, a tonal mix that didn’t quite work for me, but something that definitely sets itself apart from the dime-a-dozen thrillers Neeson has made consistently for the past 10 years.

True North Streaming: The Best New Titles on Netflix Canada, February 12/19

True North Streaming is a semi-regular column highlighting some of the best new additions to Netflix’s Canadian service. Like many of you, every so often I get a pleasant surprise when I discover a cool movie or TV show that’s just popped up on Netflix’s often-maligned sister platform. These posts will help you filter through the often quirky mix of Netflix Canada’s offerings and find the most valuable ways to waste some time.

My Predictions for the 2019 Oscars

It’s by the far one of the messiest years in recent memory when it comes down to calling the Oscars. In the absence of sure-fire picks in many categories, and disruptive winners in some of the precursor guild awards, many races in 2019 come down as much to gut instinct as they do to statistics.

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