Movie Fail Podcast

This week J and I split on “The Broken Man.” It’s a great episode in many ways, but J lays out some of the same criticisms we discussed for “Blood of my Blood” — repetition, slow plots and hanging threads. I counter that it’s well-written and well-shot (thank cinematographer P.J. Dillon), much like the excellent […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 17 “The Broken Man” appeared first on Movie Fail.

The sixth episode of this season of Game of Thrones didn’t quite manage to top the highs of last week. Still, a healthy dose of reveals managed to keep “Blood of My Blood” afloat. My complaints about editing aside, this was hardly the worst episode of the season and maintains the much higher quality standard we’ve […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 16 “Blood of My Blood” appeared first on Movie Fail.

“The Door” gets Game of Thrones back on track after last week’s slower, odder diversion. This week we saw stronger editing on action scenes and compelling reveals about the world of the show. But perhaps most importantly, “The Door” affirmed important character development that J and I have worried about for two or three seasons. This comes […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 15 “The Door” appeared first on Movie Fail.

After the high of last week’s excellent Game of Thrones episode, we were bound for some disappointment. Fortunately it took the form of “Book of the Stranger,” a mediocre but hardly terrible episode that felt like treading (and retreading) water more than anything else. J and I delve into what makes this such a strange and […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 14 “Book of the Stranger” appeared first on Movie Fail.

One of the biggest problems with Game of Thrones has always been its shackled approach to its source material. While the series has diverged from the books at points, it was never quite ready to shift around the narrative for the sake of better television. This was especially clear in earlier seasons which stuck to about one […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 13 “Oathbreaker” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Game of Thrones has never been shy about its twists, but this week was particularly eventful. The second episode of Season Six continues the momentum of the premiere as it veers back and forth between leftover over plots about the Iron Islands to uncharted territory with Bran, Arya and the Night’s Watch. The good news is that […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 12 “Home” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Game of Thrones is back, which means so is our annual podcast, “Stark Contrast.” Remember the gimmick here: J has read the books, and I haven’t. This usually translates into him mocking me for not anticipating major deaths and events, but I savor the victories when the show goes in a wildly different direction that […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 11 “The Red Woman” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Podcast Review In this podcast, Søren and Ben discuss Disney’s animated film, Zootopia. Be sure to scroll down and read more about their respective opinions in more detail. As always, you can subscribe to our podcast feed using iTunes or by copying this link into your RSS reader. Alternatively, you can check out the episode online or download it here. Happy listening! […] The post Zootopia with Ben and Søren appeared first on Movie Fail.

Podcast Review J and Søren sit down to discuss Fox’s Deadpool in this dueling review. Below that you’ll find both of their written opinions for a more detailed look at their perspectives. As always, you can subscribe to our podcast feed using iTunes or by copying this link into your RSS reader. Alternatively, you can check out the episode online or […] The post Deadpool with J and Søren appeared first on Movie Fail.

Diego Crespo of The Waffle Press is a stalwart defender of Age of Ultron, a film he believes qualifies as one of the best and most thematically rich MCU films released thus far. I, on the other hand, found Joss Whedon’s Avengers follow-up utterly hollow, terribly confusing and altogether disappointing. Diego invited me onto his show to discuss […] The post Debating Avengers: Age of Ultron with The Waffle Press appeared first on Movie Fail.

Season 5 of Game of Thrones concludes with “Mother’s Mercy,” a crowded episode that delivers in some ways while squandering potential in others. In our discussion, J talks about how the television Game of Thrones universe seems to not only tolerate but reward evil. We then both commend and debate Cersei’s (Lena Headey/Rebecca Van Cleave) walk of shame. I […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 10 “Mother’s Mercy” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Game of Thrones follows up one of its best episodes with one of its strangest. Nothing in “The Dance of Dragons” is weird in and of itself, but this week offered a shift in characterization for Stannis and his co-cast members that didn’t seem congruous with the rest of Season 5. Meanwhile Arya’s tenure with the […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons” appeared first on Movie Fail.

If last week’s “The Gift” represented a shift in the right direction for Game of Thrones, “Hardhome” is the fullest realization of its potential. From clever use of narrative symmetry to payoffs in nearly every major storyline, this week was the show at its very best. J and I parse out each thread before culminating in […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 8 “Hardhome” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Following last week’s ho-hum episode, Game of Thrones returns to form this week with “The Gift.” Sansa’s characterization resumes while Stannis is faced with a tough decision and Cersei’s machinations finally backfire on her. While not everything landed this week—romantic subplots faced something of a nosedive at The Wall and in Meereen—most of the stories managed […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 7 “The Gift” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Game of Thrones has made headlines again with “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” a rocky Season 5 episode that features some great moments and some of the worst the show has seen. A great start at the House of Black and White leads into terrible sequence in Dorne, followed by hamfisted social commentary in King’s Landing and a […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 6 “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” appeared first on Movie Fail.

After last week’s more transitional episode, “Kill The Boy” lives up to Game of Thrones‘ midseason tradition of breathtaking cliffhangers. In Meereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) finally puts her foot down on the actions of the Sons of the Harpy and the old families. At The Wall, Jon (Kit Harington) tells the Night’s Watch that allying […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 5 “Kill the Boy” appeared first on Movie Fail.

In a slowdown before the second half of the season, “Sons of the Harpy” is light on plot and heavy on setup. Its explosive conclusion—Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Ser Barristan’s (Ian McElhinney) showdown with their eponymous adversaries of the episode—is preceded by more conversation and character work than action. But is that such a bad […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 4 “Sons of the Harpy” appeared first on Movie Fail.

“High Sparrow” picks up where “The House of Black and White” left off, giving us a much better look at The Faceless Men. This episode indicates we’re nearing the second-half spike that we usually see in Game of Thrones as Jon, Tyrion and Sansa’s storylines all leap forward at a healthy pace. J and I comment on the irony […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 3 “High Sparrow” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Game of Thrones follows up its promising Season 5 debut with the faster-paced “The House of Black and White.” The episode finally picks up with Arya (Maisie Williams) following her voyage to Essos last season as she seeks out The Faceless Men. At The Wall, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) finds success for the first time in life. Meanwhile, […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 2 “The House of Black and White” appeared first on Movie Fail.

Welcome to the first [official] episode of Stark Contrast, the Game of Thrones-focused podcast series at Movie Fail. We started recording our thoughts on HBO’s fantasy series last year with Season 4, and now, armed with an official title, we’re ready to jump back in. This week we’re discussing the premiere of Season 5, “The Wars […] The post Stark Contrast: Episode 1 “The Wars to Come” appeared first on Movie Fail.