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Review – The Many Saints Of Newark

24th September 2021

Review – The Many Saints Of Newark Directed by: Alan Taylor Written by: David Chase & Lawrence Konner Produced by: David Chase & Lawrence Konner Starring: Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal, Leslie Odom Jr. & Michael Gandolfini Release Date: September 22nd 2021 I got the chance to see The Many Saints Of Newark a few nights ago and I thought that it was pretty great. The film serves as a prequel to the classic New Jersey mob show, The Sopranos. One thing I do want to make clear before delving into my review is that this is not a movie about a young Tony Soprano. Whilst the film does star James Gandolfini’s real life son Michael as a younger version of the iconic gangster, he is not the main character. Despite what the movie’s marketing would have you believe, this story more closely follows Dickie Moltisanti, who is Tony’s uncle and mentor. Movies like these; as in ones that follow an iconic, ground-breaking series, first and foremost have to justify their existence. If this thing had been anything less than great, then it would have only tarnished The Sopranos otherwise gleaming reputation as one of the greatest stories ever told onscreen. Thankfully it is great, therefore justifies its existence. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that almost all of the aspects that make up this film are pretty much perfect. The performances, led by a cruelly calm Alessandro Nivola as Dick Moltisanti, are all phenomenal. Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga play Tony’s parents and both are fantastic in their roles respectively. Ray Liotta reminds us of his amazing range as a dynamically varied actor playing twins who have vastly different personalities and he sells it in a totally believable way. Additionally, Corey Stoll, John Magaro and Billy Magnussen are all brilliant as the younger versions of characters from the original show. However, Leslie Odom Jr really stood out for me as Dickie’s rival Harold McBrayer. He gives a performance unlike anything I have seen him do before, bringing an unpredictable fierceness to the character that makes for an intense watch. With all of that said, Michael Gandolfini’s portrayal of a young Tony Soprano will most likely be the performance that audiences will be left talking about after the film ends. It is almost surreal to see him effortlessly re-enact his father’s inflections and mannerisms. He is by far the most unpolished actor in the cast, however this actually works to his benefit as he comes across as the most natural and realistic character in the movie. The cinematography in the film by Kramer Morgenthau strikes a nice balance between the more familiar shooting style used in the original Sopranos series and more polished looking shot compositions achieved the more modern equipment being used. The score also complemented the movie’s tone and the soundtrack was made up of some brilliant era-appropriate songs. Although David Chase had to drop out of directing the piece due to personal issues, Alan Taylor did a great job replacing him. For long time Sopranos fans, this film feels like slipping on an old comfortable pair of shoes and I think that feeling of familiarity is owed in large part to Taylor’s direction. Whilst David Chase didn’t sit in the director’s chair for this one, he did write it along with Lawrence Konner. The sharp, witty dialogue has Chase’s fingerprints all over it, which works a treat. The actual plot of the movie is fairly straightforward, which makes it easy to follow, however I did feel that the rivalry established between Dickie and Harold left something to be desired. It just felt a bit shallow and surface-level. The other nit-pick that I have with the film was the ending. The way that Tony’s story ended was clever in the way that it hinted towards him becoming the Tony Soprano that we know from the original series, complete with a hint of the classic musical score from the show. However, I felt that more could have been done with Harold. The way that things were left between Harold, Dickie and Junior just felt like somewhat of an anti-climax. Overall, The Many Saints Of Newark is a must see for any long-time Sopranos fan. In a similar fashion to El Camino, it adds to the original beloved show that it was based on, without taking anything away from the base show’s stellar legacy. Strong performances and a sharp script keep you engaged throughout the two hour runtime. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of The Many Saints Of Newark, check out what he thought of Sons Of Anarchy here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Rick And Morty

6th September 2021

Review – Rick And Morty Directed by: Wesley Archer & Others Written by: Dan Harmon & Others Produced by: Dan Harmon & Others Starring: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell & Sarah Chalke Release Date: 2013 – Present Introduction Going back to review Rick and Morty as a whole is an interesting challenge in 2021. The show has went from being a small, fairly obscure cartoon to a behemoth of pop-culture in recent years. This has brought with it everything from an odd appearance from the title in the recent Space Jam 2 movie, to strange toxic fan-boys harassing fast-food workers over limited edition sachets of sauce. With all of that in mind, I decided to go back and watch the entire series all the way through to the end of Season 5 from the very beginning in preparation for this review and base my thoughts on that experience alone. This should hopefully mean that an unbiased review should follow below, critiquing the show itself and not all of the tertiary stuff surrounding it. The Universe Is A Crazy And Chaotic Place… Back when it first aired in 2013, Rick & Morty totally flew under the radar for me. I only first heard of it months after it was on the air, then all of a sudden almost every podcast and youtuber that I subscribe to were recommending it. Though by the time that I was recommended it, I was aware it was an Adult Swim show, so I assumed each episode would only be around six or seven minutes long and put it on the backburner. Eventually came a day where I had ran out of things to watch and so I decided to give it a shot. Whilst I didn’t fall in love with it immediately, it did hook me right away and I was pleased to learn each episode was 20 minutes long. Because the episodes are so short, I decided to watch a few episodes in a row and by the time I had finished watching Anatomy Park, the third episode of the first season, I realised how great this show was. The Good The combination of totally off the wall writing and dry wit is a tried and tested formula at this point, but it really works in the context of this show. The character dynamics, the on-point comedic timing of the cast and the ad-libbed feel of a lot of the dialogue are all elements that really tie together to make the show as entertaining as it is. Going back and re-watching the earlier seasons was hugely enjoyable, as a lot of my favourite episodes are amongst the earlier seasons. These include; M Night Shamaliens, where Rick, Morty and Gerry are stuck in a simulation of the real world and Gerry thinks he is having the greatest day of his life. Rick Potion No.9, where said potion makes everybody fall in love with Morty, then transforms them into grotesque monsters, leading our protagonists to simply leave that reality behind and move into a fresh one. Raising Gazorpazorp, where Morty goes through fatherhood in the space of a day. And Mortynight Run, where they leave Gerry in a nursing home full of other Gerrys. The animation can seem initially jarring top casual viewers as it employs such an odd style. However, by a few episodes in, it becomes clear that this animation is to a high standard, it just follows a fairly odd art odd style. The voice acting also seems somewhat amateur upon first listen, but as the show goes on and you get to know the characters and the world, the voice acting actually works perfectly in unison with the way show’s writing. The Bad The show’s biggest pitfall is that the whacky novelty and shock value of a lot of the earlier season’s charm wears off by seasons 3-5. The show does try to one-up itself every now and again, but eventually that starts to feel pretty forced too. Seeing the sheer insanity and traumatisation that Rick exposes his grandchildren to, only to then brush it off as if it is totally normal is funny for the first ten times, after that it becomes trite and overdone. Gerry and Beth’s broken marriage is the source of a lot of great humour in the first few seasons, but by season 4-5 it seems played out and tiresome. Even Gerry’s exceptional mediocrity and impressive amount of general naivety is starting to wear thin by the end of season 5. Summary There isn’t too much more to say and the show doesn’t have a great deal of negative qualities, other than being too much of a good thing. That said though, it is hard to deny the statues that Rick and Morty has earned as a phenomenon of pop culture and one of the best animated shows of the last decade. [yasr_multiset setid=4] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=4] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Rick And Morty, you can check out what he thought of Love Death & Robots right here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com

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Review – LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS: VOLUME 2

17th June 2021

OVERVIEW Love Death + Robots: Volume 2 is the long awaited follow up to the shockingly dark animated anthology of short stories, brought to you by Deadpool’s Tim Miller and Seven’s David Fincher as well as Jennifer Miller and Josh Donen. The show is known for its masterful artistry, brutal violence, virtuosic genre diversity and very real ethical dilemmas of the future to be. Be sure to check out Dan’s review of Love Death + Robots: Volume 1! With that being said, let’s dig into this existential nightmare and get whimsically uncomfortable! AUTOMATED CUSTOMER SERVICE Like Wall-E meets Hal 9000, this introductory episode perfectly sums up what Love Death + Robots is all about. Eerily realistic but cartoony animation mixed with humorous tension and a dark commentary on household machines and customer service. You won’t be scarred for life with this one but you will be frightfully giddy and uncomfortable throughout.  ICE What does it mean to be a modded human being? Are you better or just different? One brother looks to prove himself as an equal amongst a gang of modded beings (including his younger brother) on a thrilling but beautiful race across the ice. The animation is sharp and cold to synergise with its gripping brotherly narrative. The only downside being some hoaky dialogue which I think is supposed to be cool.  POP SQUAD In a world of revolutionary evolution, overpopulation is a crime. The birth of immortality breeds inhumanity as one cop discovers. This is the “I can’t believe it’s not butter” of computer-generated animation in this series; with the exception of some artistic choices (characters would be right at home in the Dishonoured franchise), you could believe this was a live action Blade Runner spin off. Despite the heavenly possibilities of a futuristic utopia, the story is a dystopian abyss of the primal human condition that will pull on your heart strings.  SNOW IN THE DESERT Regenerative immortality is only a peaceful existence if everyone has it, otherwise you’ll be hunted down for what makes you tick. Did you like The Mandalorian but wished it could be Rated R? Here’s your episode! Once again, seamlessly computer-generated animation to the point where you might as well make it a live action story, brought down a little bit in its action sequences that can look somewhat rubbery at times. Otherwise, this is once again a perfect trifecta of love, death and robots.  THE TALL GRASS The distant lights of the dark don’t always lead to safety, stay with the train or risk not coming back. Usually I’m not a fan of the jittery shell shaded animation style but its utilization here blends impeccably with the creepy industrial age charm of this episode. In comparison to other episodes, this is the least impactful but no less thought-provoking in its themes and artistry.  ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE There’s a reason you need to be sleeping when Santa comes to town, these two curious kids will never forget to be good. This is the shortest but potentially the best episode of this volume. If you enjoy practicality in your stories such as stop motion animation and Pans Labyrinthian horror, I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a certified Christmas classic for all the family. Kids gotta learn to behave some way or another! LIFE HUTCH Never before has a pet playing with a laser tory been so stressful. Just the uncanniest of valleys in terms of life-like animation here, I’m unsure at times where the line between live action Michael B. Jordan and animation lands throughout this episode. You’ll feel every shot of pain, hopelessness and isolation in this space thriller. Welcome to Life Hutch! THE DROWNED GIANT Ending on a colossal note, we are invited to experience an Osymandian tale of woe and modern society in the face of the grandiose and gargantuan. Where there is no life or power, humanity dwindles and leaves only a materialistic carcass. While by no means a poorly animated episode, in fact it is suitably unbelievable how detailed and realistic the animation is, the crutch of this episode is the thought-provoking message of humanity’s eclipsing capacity for inhumanity and a commercialised circle of life.  OVERALL In conclusion, Love Death + Robots: Volume 2 is a solid and surprisingly easy watch. There are significantly less episodes than its predecessor and that loss is not entirely made up for with extremely diverse animation styles. The styles utilized however, bestow an uncanny valley of realism and a bouquet of beautiful colours and artwork to blossom the masterful short stories. In my opinion, less is more. I personally began to tune out towards the latter episodes of Volume 1. This volume lands a softer blow in comparison to the viscerally disturbing twists and menacing gore of Volume 1 but rest assured, that trauma is still present and is sure to keep you on your toes! If you enjoyed our Review of LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS: VOLUME 2 then rate or comment below. [yasr_multiset setid=4] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=4] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Love Death + Robots: Volume 2, your favourite episodes and be sure to check out Dan’s review of Volume 1 and Netflix’s Trese! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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The Haunting of Hill House

Is The Haunting of Hill House Overrated? An Honest Review

16th February 2026

The Haunting of Hill House Review: Masterpiece or Lazy Horror? Review – The Haunting of Hill House Directed by: Mike Flanagan Written by: Mike Flanagan & Jeff Howard Produced by: Mike Flanagan & Jeff Howard Starring: Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas & Oliver Jackson-Cohen Release Date: October 12th 2018 Being a fan of Mike Flanagan’s other work and having missed this series when it first released, I decided that it was time to go back and review The Haunting of Hill House. I went back to watch the series in preparation for the release of The Haunting of Bly Manor and was extremely let down by this series. Flanagan is capable of producing great horror, we know this from 2017’s fantastically creepy adaption of Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game and 2019’s fantastic Doctor Sleep. Hill House features some of the same cast members as Gerald’s Game in Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas, whom I both really like. Before diving into Hill House for the first time, I thought that this show was going to be tailor made for me, with a brilliant cast and the same subtle but terrifying horror that Flanagan used in Gerald’s Game. However, after watching the first couple of episodes, I was struggling to get into it. Due to the massive amount of hype and praise that this show received I decided to stick with it. By the time I got to episode 6, I was done, but then my girlfriend guilted me into watching that rest of the series because she wanted to see it and she was, “too scared to watch it alone.” What a huge waste of time that turned out to be. Is Alien: Earth Good? The 2026 Spoiler-Free Verdict If you have read any of my other reviews of horror-based media, you will know that I have a love/hate relationship with the genre. There are very few horror movies or shows that I feel indifferent about. I hate lazy, formulaic bad horror and that is exactly what Hill House is. Every single episode consists of a jump-scare at the start of the episode, then a hard cut either forwards or backwards in the timeline. Then about 15-20 minutes of very poor acting and boring dialogue. This is followed by another cheap jump-scare, usually a woman screaming at an obnoxiously loud volume at the camera. Then we get another hard cut back to the other timeline. The main issue with this structure, (other than being extremely lazy and repetitive,) is that when the hard cut is made to the other timeline, the audience knows that it is done by an editor and that we are now being asked to focus on a part of the story within the other timeline. However, for the characters within the show it makes absolutely zero sense. For example, two people are having a conversation when something creepy happens. They go to investigate and a screaming woman comes launching towards them or is standing at the edge of a bed or doing basically any other ghost story cliché you can think of. Then the show cuts away to show the characters as children being haunted by a different ghost, but then when we cut back to the present, we never find out how the last jump-scare was resolved. What was the aftermath of that screaming lady at the end of the bed you ask? How was that resolved? How are the character’s mentalities after this happened to them? Who cares?! Say the writers, let’s just move on to the next cheap jump-scare. The script is extraordinarily lazy and the child actors are horribly bad. This is an issue that I feel that there isn’t really any excuse for anymore after the brilliant child performances in shows like Stranger Things and Season 2 of the Sinner. If you judge the quality of something based on what it sets out to do versus what it actually does, then The Haunting Of Hill House is the worst show that I have had the displeasure of ever sitting through. The scares are pathetic, the acting is atrocious in places, the script is diabolically cheesy at times, there is hardly any originality present for an, ‘original series,’ and the show is overflowing with clichés. Not once did a jump-scare actually scare me, because they were all either laughably predicable or they would be totally out of place just for the sake of shock value and would merit a heavy sigh rather than an legit scare. The most egregious, offensively bad example of this was when two characters were having a conversation in a car in episode 6 and a ghost randomly screams from the backseat. Please do not waste your time with this series. The last few years has had a plethora of brilliance to offer on the small screen and despite what you might have heard from big publications, this show should not be included in that list.

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Review – Mindhunter

20th May 2021

Review – Mindhunter Directed by: David Fincher & Tobias Lindholm Written by: Liz Hannah & Tobias Lindholm Produced by: Liz Hannah & David Fincher Starring: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany & Anna Torv Release Date: October 13th 2017 Mindhunter is a Netflix series set in the late 70’s. It follows two FBI detectives as they embark to learn more about serial killers and why they do the things that they do. One of the detectives, Bill Tench, actually coins the phrase, ‘serial killer,’ at one point and the team do seem to be making progressive steps into understanding a disturbed psyche, even if some of the methods they use along the way are fairly questionable. The series is produced by David Fincher, who also directs 4 episodes of the first season and 3 in the second season. If you are a fan of Fincher’s other work, then this will be right up your street. It shares a lot of similarities with Se7en, The Social Network, Gone Girl, Panic Room and definitely Zodiac. The two main series stars, Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany are brilliant in their roles. You may recognise McCallany from Fight Club and Groff from Glee, but this show couldn’t be a further departure from Glee if it tried, which makes Groff’s already electric performance even better. McCallany plays Bill Tench, an older FBI agent who has a good few years of experience under his belt. Groff plays Holden Ford, a young maverick, who barges his way towards progress, regardless of who gets caught up in the collateral damage. The two work fantastically together and the chemistry between the two actors is one of the best things about this show. The supporting cast are also solid, with Hannah Gross standing out as Holden’s girlfriend, as well as Anna Torv, who plays a doctor of psychology helping the two detectives analyse the data that they collect from interviews held with various serial killers. The serial killers featured throughout the show are also memorable, especially Jerry Brudos and Ed Kemper. Cameron Britton, who plays Kemper, gives a subtly terrifying performance and is exponentially engaging for every minute that he is onscreen. The performances are helped with a brilliant script. The dialogue is snappy and effective, causing as many existential questions as it does unorthodox observations. Fincher’s direction, is of course, fantastic and the other directors who work on this show also do a good job. The soundtrack to the show is sometimes antithetic to what is going on in the storyline, but it is always effective and never distracting. The shot composition and cinematography was also on point in each episode, with some really effective imagery being implemented throughout. Overall, this is a brilliantly made, psychological thriller. The writing is of a very high standard and the performances are excellent all around. If you are a fan of serial killer stories or anything David Fincher has worked on before, this will be for you. The characters are all interesting and deep and although they may do some questionable things, I can’t wait to see where this endeavour takes them next. I really hope that Netflix can come to some sort of a deal with Fincher to make more seasons of Mindhunter. I genuinely think that this is one of the best TV shows from the past five years and it would be a real shame if we never got any more from this story. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review for Mindhunter, check out his review of Love, Death & Robots S1 here, which David Fincher also produced. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com

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