Blogcritics Author: Andy Sayers

The Top Ten TV Shows of 2008

Andy Sayers — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 21:06:12 EST

A look at the ten best shows to air in 2008.
It's year end list season again, so it's about time I got into the game. Actually, most publications and websites have already finished their year end lists, but those are written by people who get early screenings of things and, you know, don't earn their money doing things other than writing blogs. So expect the movie list sometime at...

DVD Review: American Teen

Andy Sayers — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:42:03 EST

Reviewing the documentary hit of Sundance 2008, a revealing look at high school life that feels a little too much like reality TV.
You generally don't want to judge a film by its advertising campaign, as the creation of the film and the marketing of it are generally two separate entities. But in the case of the documentary American Teen, new to DVD as of December 23, you can't help but feel that how director Nanette Burstein put the film together was influenced by how...

Movie Review: Bolt (2008)

Andy Sayers — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:05:40 EST

Disney's Bolt is a treat for families, dog lovers, and anyone with a properly functioning soul.
I'll have to start this review with the admission that I am a full-blown dog lover. I have a two-year-old beagle named Gromit who is my first-ever pet, and my pride and joy. So I fully admit that I'm more susceptible to love a movie with a dog protagonist than others may be, so take that under advisement while reading this.That said, being...

Movie Review: Rachel Getting Married

Andy Sayers — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:20:35 EST

A look at Jonathan Demme's new quiet masterpiece.
There's been a lot of dramas featuring dysfunctional families who spend much of the movie airing out the various grievances and problems each character has with one another and themselves. Most of these films tend to leave me cold. Either the characters are presented as so flawed that they become such despicable human beings that I'm unable...

Concert Review: Lucinda Williams - Calgary, AB (11-10-08)

Andy Sayers — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:59:01 EST

Reviewing a stop on Lucinda Williams' most recent tour.
Much of Lucinda Williams' catalogue explores the depths of pain and loss, be it in alternative country, folk, or blues fusion form. While she does have some up tempo tracks in her catalogue (often of the bawdy, blues-influenced variety) her best songs usually find her describing misery of some kind. It's the sort of thing that makes her one...

DVD Review: L.A. Confidential (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Andy Sayers — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 13:02:03 EST

One of the best movies in recent memory gets the special edition treatment.
I've been having trouble with how to approach this review since I watched the new two-disc special edition DVD of L.A. Confidential a little over a week ago. Generally, it's standard reviewing technique to withhold one's ultimate opinion of the movie until a big flourish at or near the end, parsing out smaller opinions to slowly make...

TV Review: Breaking Bad - Season One

Andy Sayers — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:28:49 EDT

Reviewing the first season AMC's stunning freshman drama following star Bryan Cranston's surprising Emmy win.
I missed this show during its initial run on AMC, for the simple reason that I had no idea that my cable provider carried AMC until I stumbled upon an episode of Breaking Bad while flipping channels. At that point, the series was already underway, so I didn't watch, but did put it on my to-see list. Following star Bryan Cranston's shocking...

Top 20 Comic Book Movies of All-Time

Andy Sayers — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 03:16:45 EDT

Ranking the best movies adapted from the world of comics.
I grew up a comic book fan, falling in and out of the habit as I got older. The times in my life where I stopped reading comics didn't have too much to do with the comics themselves (although they probably did at times parallel a downturn in quality in the X-Men, the primary series I collected), but more to do with a lack of funds or my other...

DVD Review: The Shield - Season One

Andy Sayers — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:14:28 EDT

Guided by strong performances and a unique take on the cop show genre, The Shield delivers a promising first season.
I've spent the past few years trying to catch up on all the great cable dramas of recent vintage that I missed (in part because until recently, most of them weren't covered here in Canada until a network would pick them up after they had started airing). It's been a mostly rewarding experience, but can be an expensive one (particularly...

The 2008 Andy TV Awards

Andy Sayers — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:35:32 EDT

Forget the Emmys. Here's what this year's TV Awards would look like if I was the sole voter selecting the nominees and winners.
The Emmy Awards are this weekend, and once again, the list of nominees are wrong. It's impossible to please everyone, but the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences make it especially hard. It's interesting: while the Oscars have drawn heat of late for the fact that their nominated pictures aren't widely seen productions, the Emmy...