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The Criterion Shelf: Pre-Code Divas | That Shelf
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Criterion Shelf is an ongoing collaborative retrospective of classic films, helmed by Bil Antoniou, tackling curated collections on the Criterion Channel. For November 2023, the topic was the curated list ‘Pre-Code Divas’, a list of films featuring strong women characters dealing with leering men and racy subject matter, at least by 1930s standards. Several…
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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Review: New Series Adds Depth and Breadth To The Monsterverse | That Shelf
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And what of the Titans? Interestingly, the show isn’t really about the Titans per se, so they don’t show up quite as much as you might anticipate. However, when they do, they show up like the forces of nature they are. There are a few new monsters we are introduced to and, naturally, Godzilla…
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Reel Asian Festival: We Will Be Brave | That Shelf
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It also follows them as they create art installations and experiences for their community, portrayed with noble intent. Unfortunately, the impact of these events is never investigated excepting how it affects the The Good Guise themselves. Herein lies the biggest problem with We Will Be Brave: its scope feels too limited. These five men are…
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The Criterion Shelf: Grindhouse Gothic – Roger Corman Directs Edgar Allan Poe | That Shelf
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Criterion Shelf is an ongoing collaborative retrospective of classic films, helmed by Bil Antoniou, tackling curated collections on the Criterion Channel. For October 2023, I contributed a write-up of the classic film Masque of the Red Death from the Roger Corman-directed Edgar Allan Poe cycle of films starring Vincent Price. If you grew up…
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VIFF 2023: I Used to Be Funny: Rachel Sennott Continues Her Hot Streak in Ally Pankiw’s New Film | That Shelf
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The movie is ultimately Sennott’s show and she carries it with the confidence of a seasoned performer. The story sees her tackle more than a few complicated subjects. Through it all, she makes Sam believable, sympathetic, and, when the script calls for it, hilarious. It is an excellent performance that anchors I Used to Be…
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Loki Season 2 Review: More Fun Shenanigans in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline | That Shelf
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For his part, Hiddleston slips back into Loki like a glove he’s been wearing all his life, this time with more concern for both Sylvie and the universe at large. Di Martino as Sylvie gets to play with relief and frustration as she’s dragged back into the fray. Their relationship after last season’s betrayal…
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The Fall of the House of Usher Review: Mike Flanagan Remixes Edgar Allan Poe with Excellent Results | That Shelf
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Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential and vital voices in horror, penning some of the most influential works of the genre in his short 40 years of life. His work drips with emotionality, love, loss, regret, fear, and longing. He helped establish the damp, decaying tone and mood that we now…
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The Witcher Season 3, Volume 2 Starts Strong and Ends Flat | That Shelf
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If you recall, when I reviewed the first part of the season one month ago, I said, “It feels like this season will be made or broken by the final three episodes, releasing in late July. That’s not to say that it isn’t good, just that it doesn’t offer anything as new or compelling as…
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The Witcher Season 3, Volume 1: History Repeats Itself | That Shelf
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It feels like this season will be made or broken by the final three episodes, releasing in late July. That’s not to say that it isn’t good, just that it doesn’t offer anything as new or compelling as the first two seasons did. A proper ending might supply those things. Again, the show is…
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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 16 Sneak Peak: The Gang is Back in Fine Form | That Shelf
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When a long-running series returns for a new season, the first question is always, “will it still be good?” With It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia now entering its 16th season, this question is front of mind. Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenny), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) have had so many…
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Little Bird Review: A Must-Watch Canadian Story | That Shelf
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Set in both the late 1950s and the early 1980s, the story follows Bezhig Little Bird, a young girl (played by Keris Hope Hill) who is removed from her family in Saskatchewan at the age of five and adopted out to a Jewish family in Montreal where she becomes Esther Rosenblum (played by Darla…
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Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 Review: Nine Exciting Expansions of the Star Wars Universe | That Shelf
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Star Wars, as a franchise, needs some expansion. This isn’t to say that there aren’t many entries in the franchise, rather that, with few exceptions, they tend to concern the same familiar locations and faces that we have grown accustomed to. Star Wars: Visions Volume 1 pushed some of those boundaries, and I am happy to report that…
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Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Review: A Fun, Final Adventure | That Shelf
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On the whole, Star Trek: Picard has been a mixed bag. With a languid pace in its first season, followed by a ridiculous time-travel plot (even by Star Trek standards) in its second, it needed to be clarified what the series wanted to be. For better or for worse, these are not problems that Season 3 shares. Link: https://thatshelf.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-review-a-fun-final-adventure/