High-Def Digest: The Bonus ViewSpin-Off Archives - High-Def Digest: The Bonus View

Watchmen Pilot Recap: “Trust in the Law”

Josh Zyber — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:00:07 +0000

Considering the glut of superhero stories we’re experiencing in movies and TV, right now is either a great time to revive Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ legendary Watchmen comic, or perhaps the worst. The TV spinoff’s premiere episode leaves me feeling conflicted on that question. HBO clearly intends Watchmen to be its new major event...

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Treadstone Pilot Recap: “I Guess I’m Not Feeling Myself Lately”

Josh Zyber — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:00:17 +0000

The Jason Bourne franchise didn’t exactly have a ton of success the last time it tried to launch a Bourne-less spinoff. Nevertheless, Heroes creator Tim Kring somehow convinced the USA Network that the concept would work better on TV. Does Treadstone actually tread water, or sink like… well, like a stone? (Yes, I’m straining for...

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Now Streaming – El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Deirdre Crimmins — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 19:00:11 +0000

El Camino just might be the movie that Breaking Bad die-hards have yammered for the past few years, but it’s bound to leave more casual fans a little unsatisfied. If you recall, the television show ended six years ago with everyone’s favorite meth cook, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), breaking free from his captors and driving...

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Batwoman Pilot Recap: “You’re Not Him”

Josh Zyber — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 15:00:59 +0000

The latest entry in the DC Arrowverse franchise was introduced last year with a backdoor pilot buried in the Elseworlds crossover. Now officially granted her own series, the big question is whether Batwoman can distinguish herself from her more famous cousin. To be fair, Supergirl managed the feat well enough. However, it can be argued...

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Joker Review: Empty Jesters

Deirdre Crimmins — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 16:00:05 +0000

Few films this year have gotten as much pre-release buzz as Joker. After all that speculation, we can finally see the already-laureled movie and it’s mostly fine. The DC Comics villain’s latest iteration comes to screen from the director who also brought us Old School, Road Trip, and all three parts of The Hangover saga....

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Downton Abbey (2019) Review: Lifestyles of the Rich and Fatuous

Deirdre Crimmins — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 12:00:49 +0000

The act of turning television shows into feature films has a bit of a rocky reputation. For every Wayne’s World are seemingly dozens of Dark Shadows or The Flintstones. Downton Abbey is by no means the worst of the bunch, but its adoration of the One Percent and its refusal to look deeply into any...

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TIFF Journal: Joker

Jason Gorber — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 20:00:21 +0000

Midway through Joker, Joaquin Phoenix dances as he traipses down a New York staircase, and the soundtrack pounds to “Rock and Roll Part 2,” an anthem played at almost every sports arena for decades. The song’s performer, Gary Glitter, was charged multiple times in the 1980s and ’90s for child porn, abuse, and attempted rape....

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Now Streaming – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Josh Zyber — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 12:00:17 +0000

Netflix’s new epic event series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is what happens when you give Jim Henson’s gentle 1982 fantasy parable to the director of Transporter 2 with instructions to Game of Thrones the hell out of it. Is that a good or a bad thing? Honestly, it could be a little of...

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Hobbs & Shaw Review: Between a Rock and a Hard Case

Jason Gorber — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:00:29 +0000

There’s a strong sense of “How did we get here?” with Hobbs & Shaw, the spinoff from the Fast & Furious series. Mathematically, the film takes two series addendum characters – Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), who was introduced as an avenging agent in 2011’s Fast Five, and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who was, uh, an...

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Men in Black: International Review – New Cast, Same Everything Else

Deirdre Crimmins — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 12:00:41 +0000

When it comes to the breadth of quality in cinema, there’s a classically shaped bell curve. That is to say, most films are just “fine.” Men in Black: International sits squarely in that population. The fourth in the sci-fi comedy series, Men in Black: International follows the formula that we’re used to seeing from the...

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Weekend Roundtable: Game of Thrones Spinoffs

Josh Zyber — Fri, 17 May 2019 16:00:14 +0000

Game of Thrones may be ending this weekend, but the story in Westeros is certainly not done. HBO already has a prequel series in development, though the details of it are still under wraps. What spinoffs would you like to pitch the network brass? Brian Hoss Game of Pizzas We all know that pizza is...

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The Curse of La Llorona Review: Conjuring Up Cheap Scares

Deirdre Crimmins — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 16:00:49 +0000

If you like horror films that offer no real scares other than quick shock effects and unconnected imagery, The Curse of La Llorona might just be your new favorite movie. Taking place largely in Los Angeles in 1973, The Curse of La Llorona shows us what happens when a white lady ignores the pleadings of...

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