Archer
Greetings, ‘Archer’ is an animated comedy series that was created by Adam Reed and ran continuously from 2009 to 2023. Reed also previously created ‘Frisky Dingo’ and ‘Sealab 2021’ but I must confess to not knowing much about them. The show racked up 145 episodes in 14 seasons during those years and, after the decision to cancel its run was made, ‘Archer’ concluded its extensive storyline with a crowd pleasing 3 part finale. The series stars H. Jon Benjamin, best known as the voice behind the iconic Bob Beltcher of ‘Bob’s Burgers’, Aisha Taylor, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Lucky Yates, Amber Nash, the show’s creator Adam Reed and Jessica Walter of ‘Play Misty for Me’ renown. In the last season, the unusual decision was made to add Natalie Dew as another main cast member to the mix which felt a little jarring after being so used to the core line up for so long. Numerous guest stars have also appeared in the show as well such as Peter Serafinowicz, Timothy Olyphant, Bryan Cranston and Burt Reynolds. The music was provided by Australian musician JG Thirlwell.
The series follows the exploits of secret agent Sterling Archer, a quick-witted, womanizing alcoholic who works for the International Secret Intelligence Service. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the acronym of ISIS was dropped some years into the show’s run after the terrorist group of the same name began making headlines for their atrocities across the Middle East in 2014. The show begins with Archer being tortured but it is quickly revealed that it is only a training exercise after he mocks his fellow agent, a character called Crenshaw, into giving up his faux torture techniques. Malory, Archer’s stern boss and mother, is watching the training and is unimpressed by her son’s flippant behaviour. The next day Archer is called into Malory’s office where he is berated for misspending his work account on frivolous things and it is made clear that he will be fired from the agency unless he clears his accounts. Archer realises that if he can access the agency’s mainframe, he could alter his financial records and get himself out of trouble. He knows that two of his co-workers, named Cyril and Pam, are able to get into the system.
Archer plans to get his colleagues to help him clear his account but it is apparent he is disliked and they are unwilling to lend a hand after his previous boorish behaviour. After some attempts at half-assed apologies and a concocted story about hunting a mole in the workplace get him nowhere, Archer tries to break into the mainframe himself. This turns out to be a simple operation as he breaks into the office which has poor security mechanisms and the password to the mainframe is ‘guest’ which Archer guesses correctly. While fulfilling his scheme, Archer is surprised when his fellow agent Crenshaw pulls a gun on him and orders Archer to transfer $50,000 into his account. Crenshaw reveals himself to be a mole working for the Russians who believes that he was found out due to Archer’s fictitious mole hunt story being spread around the office. Crenshaw intends to flee the US and keep Archer as a hostage during his escape. Lana, another of Archer’s co-workers and former paramour, arrives and aims her gun at Crenshaw after a silent alarm had been triggered earlier.
The era ‘Archer’ is set in is difficult to pin down as there is a Cold War-esque feel to the show but it also references more modern events and phenomena. I believe this vagueness brings some charm to the programme and often works in its favour. The large cast of characters, such as the unhinged scientist Krieger and equally chaotic heiress Cheryl, are a big strength of ‘Archer’ as are the relationships they have with each other. The complicated ‘will they/won’t they’ relationship between Archer and Lana is certainly one of the more interesting aspects of the show. Understandably, the show loses steam towards the end of its run and a few of the routine jokes become tired but it tried some interesting concept during the ‘coma seasons’ which played about with numerous genres in self-contained seasons. ‘Archer’ has always been a reliable show for me throughout the years and I had some real fun with it, especially in the first half of its run, but I believe it reached its natural ending point when it was forced to wrap itself up.
Plot=8/10
Characters=9/10
Special Effects=8/10
Overall=8/10
Quote of the Day
A medium dry martini, lemon peel, shaken, not stirred.
James Bond
Dr. No
Cop Land
Greetings, ‘Cop Land’ is a crime film from 1997 that was written and directed by James Mangold. Mangold’s cinematic career was briefly discussed a few months ago on this blog as he later went on to direct the disappointing ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ in which the titular hero is trotted out once more for a lacklustre adventure. For a movie I wasn’t familiar with until recently, I was surprised to learn how much of an all-star cast ‘Cop Land’ had. It boasts an impressive roster of talent including Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Ray Lolita and Harvey Keitel among its primary cast with actors like Michael Rapaport and Robert Patrick playing more supporting roles. The music was composed by Howard Shore who is known for his musical contributions to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies as well as collaborating on some of David Cronenberg’s movies including 1986’s ‘The Fly’.
The plot begins by introducing the fictional town of Garrison in New Jersey, a place that is a short distance from New York City and home to many serving police officers who patrol the American metropolis. The law states that NYPD officers are supposed to reside in the city itself but a number of cops, using a legal loophole, categorized themselves as ‘Auxiliary Transit Cops’ and were therefore able to reside in Garrison. The officers suggested that their reasoning behind this decision is so they don’t have to live in constant fear of gang reprisals but it also means they aren’t subject to NYPD’s Internal Affairs Division. Garrison is a peaceable place and is under the protection of one Sherriff Freddy Heflin. He is a man who wants more from his life than watching over a town in which nothing seems to happen but he had his aspirations of joining the NYPD dashed after he lost his hearing in one ear during a successful rescue attempt. When Freddy was a younger man, a woman had steered her car off a bridge and plunged herself into a river. The heroic Helfin had dived in after her and saved her life without any hesitation.
After a night of drinking in a seedy bar, off duty Officer Murray Babitch tries to drives himself home and runs over a glass bottle while starting off his journey. He is nearly involved in an accident when two African-American youths intentionally swerve their car aggressively at Babitch when he is attempting to cross the George Washington Bridge. The spooked cop hears a loud noise and believes he is being shot at by the aggressive driver. Babitch instinctively opens fire and kills the two delinquents in a state of panic. With their car brought to a halt, the trembling police officer checks it out and is distraught to find no weapon in the vehicle while he discovers his own wheel was blown out by a puncture. It isn’t long before the paramedics and NYPD show up to the massacre. A frightened Babitch informs his uncle Ray Donlan, a figure of authority in the police force, what happened. Donlan attempts to clear his nephew’s name by ordering one of his men, a dirty cop, to plant a used gun in the car. This act was caught by one of the paramedics and causes a fight between the medical team and the corrupt cops. During the commotion, an alarmed Ray shouts that the distressed Babitch had jumped off the bridge and he demands that a search party is sent out immediately.
I went into this movie with no real expectations of what it would entail but when the credits began to roll I knew that I had definitely enjoyed it. Stallone gives a very down to earth performance that is among his best works and the rest of the seasoned cast are very memorable. The movie is a far cry from the dumb over the top action flick that I half-thought it would be but that style of genre appeared to be in decline during the late 1990s when ‘Cop Land’ was made. It’s a gritty story in which the plot slowly unravels and it takes its time in building up to a satisfying showdown that feels very plausible. I’m not entirely sure why this film has been largely forgotten as time moved on or why it never developed more of a following than it has but if you are in the mood for an underappreciated crime picture then this might just be the one for you.
Plot=8/10
Characters=7/10
Special Effects=8/10
Overall=8/10
Quote of the Day
A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. You fly back to school now, little Starling. Fly, fly, fly. Fly, fly, fly.
Dr. Hannibal Lecter
The Silence of the Lambs
Carol & the End of the World
Greetings, ‘Carol & the End of the World’ is a 2023 animated miniseries consisting of 10 episodes which was created by Dan Guterman for Netflix as part of their Original line up. Guterman doesn’t seem to have much in the way of a previous filmography before coming up with this series but he had worked in some capacity or other on several noteworthy shows including Dan Harmon programmes such as ‘Community’ and ‘Rick and Morty’ as well as Shion Takeuchi’s ‘Inside Job’. Among the voice talent for the series is comedienne and actress Martha Kelly as the titular Carol, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Mel Rodriguez, Michael Chernus and Sean Giambrone. The music was conducted by Joe Wong who had composed scores for other Netflix Originals such as the surreal comedy-drama series ‘Russian Doll’ and the quirky animated podcast ‘The Midnight Gospel’.
The plot begins with the revelation, as can be gleamed by the title, that the world is coming to an end. A planet called Keppler is hurtling towards Earth and the catastrophic impact will wipe out humanity in the same manner the dinosaurs had met their sudden end. It is apparent nothing can be done to avoid this fate and with only a few months left until the impact causes its extinction, the human race has devoted itself to the principal of ‘Carpe Diem’. They have abandoned the notions of the everyday mundane routines that had been expected of them like work or household chores, embracing all manner of hedonistic acts and adrenaline-filled adventure seeking instead. As everyone seemingly does this without any qualms, the timid and socially awkward Carol struggles to adapt to her new reality. Carol, a 42 year old former middle-school secretary, attempts to hold on to her past life by consistently writing to her bank who brush her off by telling her all of her debts have been cancelled and advise her to enjoy the rest of her days. With another thread to the old world severed, she routinely visits an abandoned Applebees by herself as it had once brought her contentment when the world was still structured.
Her sad choices concern her elderly parents who have since become nudists and entered a three person relationship with their carer with whom they are going to travel the world via a cruise. Carol lies to ease their concerns by suggesting she has taken up surfing which relieves and assures them that she will be okay. She does attempt to join in the revelry of the chaotic masses by going to wild parties but finds herself more isolated when attempting to participate. One morning a dejected Carol spots a woman smartly dressed in office attire boarding a train. With her interest piqued, Carol stealthily follows the woman who leads her towards a supposedly abandoned building. Carol is shocked to find upon entering that there is a full floor of office space being manned by busy clerical workers. As she tries to find out what is happening, her questions are ignored while Carol is quickly brought to a room where she is photographed and handed a work pass. A confused Carol is brought to a work station and is instructed on what duties to fulfil. Finding solace in the admin work that she had been missing, she happily works away at her new found job.
I really enjoyed this show which I found to be very unique and narratively experimental in certain episodes. The short duration of the series means it doesn’t overstay its welcome and it is brought to a satisfying conclusion by the time the last episode comes around, making the audience resonate with the characters before long. The cast did a great job in bringing their characters to life and Martha Kelly in particular is very well suited to the role with her monotone voice capturing Carol’s personality perfectly. I don’t believe a second instalment is being planned for this show and, if there were such designs, I think it would most likely undercut the bittersweet finale it went out on. This one definitely gets a recommendation from me if you are looking for a bit of escapism and a refreshing take on the apocalyptic genre.
Plot=9/10
Characters=8/10
Special Effects=7/10
Overall=9/10
Quote of the Day
All right, you primitive screw-heads, listen up! See this? This... is my 'BOOMSTICK!' It's a twelve-gauge, double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt-blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right... shop smart: shop S-Mart... YA GOT THAT?!
Ash Williams
Army of Darkness
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Greetings, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ is a 2023 movie directed by James Mangold and serves as the fifth film in the franchise that started back in 1981. Mangold is known for directing ‘Walk the Line’, ‘3:10 to Yuma’, ‘Knight and Day’ as well as the well-received ‘Logan’. ‘Dial of Destiny’ is the first entry in the series that wasn’t directed by Steven Spielberg or had creative input from George Lucas and the lack of their cinematic touch is pretty self-evident early on. Harrison Ford returns as the iconic globetrotting adventurer and is accompanied by new comers Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Mads Mikkelson, Toby Jones and Ethann Isidore who is fairly new to the industry. Some of the old cast reprise their previous roles including Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood and John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. Celebrated conductor John Williams, best known for his world renowned collaborations with Spielberg and Lucas, provided the score once more for this latest Indiana Jones film and provides stellar work as per usual.
The plot begins in the French Alps in 1944 with Nazi forces being pushed back and hurriedly evacuating the territory as it comes under Allied bombardment. Indiana is being held captive by the Nazis in a castle after his cover has been blown during an attempt to retrieve the Lance of Longinus, the spear that pierced Jesus’s side during his crucifixion, from the Germans. His friend Basil Shaw, a British archaeologist, was also part of the recovery efforts before being captured and taken on board a Berlin-bound train. Indiana isn’t treated as mercifully as he is sentenced to death by hanging but before he is strung up, astrophysicist Jürgen Voller informs his superior officer that the spear is a fake. Voller assures his boss that he has something more impressive in his possession. He boasts of half a dial made by the ancient mathematician Archimedes that, once fitted with its other part, is believed to reveal fissures in the space-time continuum that allows for the possibility of time travel. Voller boards the train with the dial as Indiana is being hung. Indy tries to distract the soldiers by mocking Hitler as he clandestinely cuts through the ropes that bind his hands with a shard of glass.
One of the Nazis kicks the stool out from under Indiana in a rage but Indy is quickly saved by a bomb that crashes through the roof and incinerates the soldiers. He is thrown around the room by the impact but narrowly manages to escape his death by removing the noose just in time. Still dressed as a Nazi, Jones makes his way to the train after a danger filled chase and manages to climb on to the moving carriage. He manages to sneak around in his disguise until he encounters Voller and the kidnapped Shaw. Indiana quickly knocks out Voller and takes the dial for himself while the train is soon attacked by Allied planes. With Shaw in tow, they escape the train packed with German soldiers who are now fully aware of his presence by fighting them off and leaping into a river below. The film then skips forward to 1969. A white haired Indiana, who has long since retired from adventuring and is on the cusp of retiring from his academic career, is about to find himself caught up in another perilous mission.
While I enjoyed the opening scenes which felt like the fun action movies that preceded it, it was unfortunately all downhill from there with Phoebe’s character of Helena being a considerable source of irritation. Her inclusion made me long for the return of Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams who was unceremoniously killed off screen in the Vietnam War according to the latest movie. There is also a poor stand in, meant to invoke the sidekick role that had previously belonged to Short Round, called Teddy who has none of the charm of Ke Huy Quan’s character. While it isn’t as egregious as the rumours suggesting Indiana Jones would literally be erased from existence and replaced by Helena, it’s still an unnecessary movie that damages the brand. It is farcical this picture exists when it was clearly joked in ‘Crystal Skull’, 15 years ago when this blog first started, that the ageing Indiana was not at the top of his game back then. As such, this is one instalment that you can miss.
Plot=5/10
Characters=5/10
Special Effects=6/10
Overall=5/10
Quote of the Day
Army or not, you must realize, you are doomed.
General Grievous
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Dead Set
Greetings, ‘Dead Set’ is a 2008 horror mini-series that was created by comedian Charlie Brooker, best known for later going on to write the anthology series ‘Black Mirror’, and had been directed by Yann Demange. The cast is mostly made up of actors and actresses who are known for being in British soaps. Among the top cast are Jamie Winston as main lead Kelly, Andy Nyman, Kevin Eldon, Beth Cordingly, Adam Deacon, Riz Ahmed and TV presenter Davina McCall who plays a zombified version of herself. Out of all the cast, I am most familiar with Nyman thanks to his co-creation of the stage play ‘Ghost Stories’ that he later adapted into a movie of the same name in 2017. The music was composed by Dan Jones who has contributed to numerous films and television series in his career but little of which are particularly noteworthy.
The plot is set in 2008 when reality TV show Big Brother was still a considerable contender in British programming. It begins during an eviction night in which one contestant is voted out of the house by the public. Unbeknownst to the housemates who have been locked in the studio for weeks without communication or access to the outside world, Britain is being rocked by violent riots. With the Emergency Services unable to control the outbreak of violence, the military has been called in to restore order but it soon becomes apparent that there is something horrifying causing the unrest. The producer behind Big Brother, Patrick, is concerned the news may bump his show and orders his team to keep everything running as per normal. In fulfilling his command, housemate Pippa is voted out much to her disappointment. As part of the planned coverage, Pippa’s mother is being transported to the studio to support her tearful daughter when her chauffer notices a figure shambling across the road.
The chauffer gets out of the car to investigate and is suddenly attacked by the lurking assailant. Pipa’s mother and a show runner, who was also in the car, flee the chaotic scenes until they reach the studio gates where they and a security officer are bitten by the now reanimated chauffer. It isn’t long before the security guard succumbs to the disease and makes his way towards the large, enthusiastic crowd who have gathered to see Pippa’s eviction segment. With such a vast gathering of people to prey on, the guard begins biting the audience members and the zombie virus rapidly spreads through the masses. The confined studio easily becomes overrun with the undead and the outside world doesn’t fare much better as the zombies are wreaking havoc across the United Kingdom. As the horror unfolds around them, the blissfully unaware housemates and one show runner by the name of Kelly have no idea of the danger they are in.
While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to the zombie genre, I had quite a lot of fun with ‘Dead Set’ and thought the use of the Big Brother house was an interesting setting for the story to unfold in. I particularly liked how it made good use of their isolation as the housemates were initially sceptical of the threat and believed it was simply a ruse by the producers. There is some good characterisation within it which riffs on the real life counterparts of the vapid contestants who participate in such reality shows, desperate for their national 15 minutes of fame. Reality shows have never been my cup of tea but I found there was a something of a nostalgic quality to this which I enjoyed as I recall simpler days back when Big Brother was a cult phenomenon. If you’re looking to satisfy your zombie cravings and your humour gels with Brooker’s, this may be the show for you.
Plot=7/10
Characters=6/10
Special Effects=6/10
Overall=7/10
Quote of the Day
I woke up. Why don't you? You're an asset. An expendable asset. And I used you to get the job done, got it?
Dillon
Predator
The Holdovers
Greetings, ‘The Holdovers’ is a 2023 film directed by Alexander Payne who is also known for directing ‘Election’, ‘Sideways’ and more recently ‘Downsizing’. His latest offering is a period piece as it is set around the Christmas holidays of 1970 and the cinematography is shot in a way to evoke the feeling or aesthetic of the bygone era. The main cast is fairly small due to the isolated plot and stars Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham. The actor had previously worked with Payne in ‘Sideways’. Newcomer Dominic Sessa, who plays Angus Tully, is another main lead as is Da’Vine Joy Randolph who is known for her recurring role in Steve Martin’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’. The OST was composed by Mark Orton who had also contributed musically to Payne’s film ‘Nebraska’ which was released in 2013.
The plot takes place in a New England boarding school named Barton Academy where Hunham teaches classical studies to apathetic students. Hunham, due to his brashness and off-putting personality, is disliked by the majority of his pupils and his fellow facility members. With Christmas fast approaching, a member of staff must watch over any students who have nowhere else to be during the holidays. Hunham is chosen for the position after another teacher shrugs off the duty with a fake excuse. The reason for his selection is because Hunham, in his high scholarly expectations, had flunked a wealthy donor’s son by issuing a poor grade after the submitted work failed to meet his rigorous standards. Hunham isn’t delighted by the news but accepts it without much complaint as he has very little in the way of a social life and rarely leaves campus.
There are only a few boys left behind as ‘the holdovers’ including one Angus Tully who discovers to his deep frustration that his mother had suddenly cancelled their festive plans in favour of honeymooning with her new husband. To add insult to injury, Hunham is an authoritarian who forces the boys to study for the majority of the day and forces them to run outside in the cold. This lasts for six days until a rich parent of one of the students arrives and offers to take ‘the holdovers’ on a family skiing trip. All but Tully are able to go as their parents provide their permission while his are unreachable. A dejected Tully realises he has to spend Christmas and ring in the New Year with Hunham and Mary Lamb, one of Barton Academy’s cooks who is recently bereaved over the death of her son in Vietnam. Hunham, sensing how difficult the time is for everyone left behind, tries to conjure up a little Christmas cheer.
I had heard rave reviews for this movie and had high expectations of it going in which were thankfully and effortlessly met. It is a funny, charming and touching film which I never felt bored of or felt that it dragged during any part of its over 2 hour run time. The characters were well realised with my particular favourite being the studious and socially awkward Paul Hunham who thawed out as the plot progressed. Randolph and Sessa also deserve some praise as they drove some of the more emotive scenes which struck a nice balance with its more humorous moments. As a result, I’m intending to watch some of Payne’s other works and delve into some movies in which Paul Giamatti starred.
Plot = 10/10
Characters = 10/10
Special Effects = 10/10
Overall = 10/10
Quote of the Day
The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.
Grand Moff Tarkin
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
