Marrying a costume drama and a ghost story together makes a lot of sense. They suit each other. Largely because there is an opportunity for one’s imagination to run free without technology interrupting.
Confession: As a prospective viewer, anytime the plot of a "supernatural" thriller involves the acknowledgment of psychics faking -- a movie has placed its first hook. For every “Conjuring” there should be a genre rebuttal for skeptics. Unfortunately, “Malevolent” is not it.
When your predecessor is the scariest movie of all-time, there are bound to be expectations. No one could have reasonably thought “The Strangers” would or could go back-to-back with two equally unnerving installments. Enter “The Strangers: Prey at Night” into the fray. In fact, the idea of a sequ
24 Oct 18
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TV Review: 'Medici' Season 1 'Masters of Florence'
One of Eclectic Pop's picks for 2016's best television series; “Medici: Masters of Florence” boasts an excellent eight-episode freshman season. “Game of Thrones" grad Richard Madden stars as Cosimo de’ Medici, the Medici patriarch who paves the way for his House’s rise to newfound pr
Every once in a while a lot of us yearn for a little thrill. Perhaps it’s a certain chill in the air that helps put it there, but the desire is real nonetheless. So, what is worth watching on Netflix and elsewhere to give you that bite of fright? Eclectic Pop has some suggestions, and they range
Movies centered on a plot that questions whether a protagonist is sane or not is practically its own genre at this point. To be perfectly honest, yours truly is not its biggest fan. In fact, when perusing potential viewing options, it is the most avoided one. So, suffice it to say “Delirium” had
Netflix Many of us watch movies to take us on an emotional journey , and “Like Father” does precisely that. Our story picks up on the wedding day of job-addicted Rachel (Kristen Bell), who, unbeknownst to her, can count her estranged father, Harry (Kelsey Grammer), as a guest at her nuptials. The t
06 Sep 18
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Movie Review: 'Perdida' (2018)
Mystery and thrills converge unexpectedly in the enthralling “Perdida.” The movie introduces its lead character in the present day with a concise sequence that lets the audience in on everything they need to know about the essence of Pipa (Luisana Lopilato), a driven detective. What drives her is
Netflix One of the rare series of our time, “Dark” offers an arresting and raw take on a complex genre. It is a mesmeric science fiction series that is equal parts poised, sophisticated, and foreboding. “Dark” maneuvers its story with confidence as it weaves its elaborate tale. It is stylistic with
While it feels like yesterday, it has been 5 years since Eclectic Pop first spoke to Courtney Randall. In the time since then, a lot has changed for the up-and-coming singer-songwriter. Now going by CoAnn, her self-titled EP has debuted today (August 10). In time with its release, CoAnn has dis
There’s no getting around it. “Mamma Mia 2” is well worth the decade-long wait. The sequel to the exhilarating original is a narrative necessity that helps viewers understand the present by visiting the past. Picking up not too many years after the events of the first film, Donna has passed awa
Young people, alcohol, deceit, and bad ideas. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, that’s right…everything. Even with its fantastical bent of horror, “Truth or Dare” can be viewed as a cautionary tale with an honest narrative on the real cost of those forces colliding. As is the case in “Final Desti
When a teenager goes missing, her worried father and his best friend work to find her. “Safe” is that simple on the surface and all the more complicated underneath. Dr. Tom Delaney (Michael C. Hall) lost his wife to cancer a year ago. Now a single father, he is not-so-secretly hooking up with his
A complex thriller with more going on than could ever meet the eye, “In Darkness” is about the things that go on below the surface. Our story centers on Sofia (Natalie Dormer), a blind pianist, who plays as part of an orchestra on a movie or television score. From there we retreat back to her a
When you think of the color red, many emotions spring to mind and passion is chief among them. Unfortunately for “Red Sparrow,” it is unable to portray that kind of power at any point. Set in an undefined period of time, Dominika (Jennifer Lawrence) is a promising ballerina in Russia when her dre
Weird events are happening in the small fictional town of Villefranche. The murder rate has been escalating, eclipsing the national average. Determined to get to the bottom of that and other mysteries is a prosecutor with a firm grip on justice.
10 Jul 18
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TV Review: 'Silver Spoon' Season 2
Caution: Mild spoilers for “Silver Spoon” (originally titled “Mazhor”) Season 1 are below. Another spoonful of this delectable series is exactly what every television fan needs. Igor and company are back for a second season of the crime thriller that keeps impressive pace with the exquisite q
What makes a good action drama great is when it emphasizes its dramatic side, and that is something that “Braven” marvelously excels at. Joe Braven (Jason Momoa) is a hard-working guy with a loving family. The owner of a logging company, he has to spend a lot of time away from his wife and daught
The life of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) only gets more complicated in “Fifty Shades Freed,” and the movie is kind enough to bring viewers along for the exotic, erotic ride. The third installment in the sexy trilogy brings the story of Anastasia Steele and her devoted beau Christian Grey (Ja
Caution: Mild spoilers for Season 1 of "Sneaky Pete" lie ahead. Hilarious moments of deception-based comedy, underscore a dark and thrilling drama about the con game. “Sneaky Pete” Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off with Marius trying to convince two heavies that he isn’t Pete.
Amazon Studios Amazon’s con-man series offers a delightful blend of situational comedy and high stakes drama. “Sneaky Pete” follows Marius Josipović (Giovanni Ribisi), an ex-con fresh out of prison, who needs to lay low for a while. He owes money to a ruthless mob boss (the excellent Bryan Cranston
04 Jun 18
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TV Review: 'Ekaterina: The Rise Of Catherine The Great' Season 2
All hail the Empress! “Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherine the Great” returns for a second season of ferocious finagling. Picking up six years after the tumultuous events that led to her ascension. Season 2 finds Ekaterina (Marina Aleksandrova) trying to maintain her power as an Empress, and establi
Before his breakout turn as Captain Ross Poldark, Aidan Turner played another role that involved romancing a similarly passionate redhead in the miniseries “Desperate Romantics.” The 2009 BBC miniseries charts the rise of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group founded by a trio of artists when n
Lights, passion, action! That sums up Canada’s 2018 Stars on Ice. A 26-hour drive (round-trip) culminated in a life-long memory that will carry this skating fan for eternity. The 2018 Stars on Ice in Ottawa was a spectacular event that showcased the exquisite talent of its starring skaters.
The stunning moves of Canada’s 2018 Stars on Ice skaters are backed by an incredible soundtrack. In the case of 3-time Olympic gold medalists, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, that includes the majestic "Moulin Rouge" medley they skated to gold with, in Pyeongchang.
If you love Agatha Christie mysteries, then you are likely to love "The Chalet." The French miniseries tells a set of intertwining stories that unravel running parallel. It's a tricky plot maneuver and "The Chalet" pulls it off to mesmeric effect.
Image by Amazon / AXW It has been a long time since the treatment of a character in either a movie or a TV show got under my skin to the extent it did watching "Absentia." The last time was the movie “Warrior,” but that is a discussion for another day. For now, the Amazon series holds t
“The Royal Taylor” takes a dramatic look at the saying “out with the old, in with the new.” It is a story that starts with a strong sense of comedy before turning a few shades darker. The movie begins in the present day at a press conference that unveils the works of Jo Dol-seok, the royal tailor
Oh, “Absentia.” This 10-episode thriller opens with two captivating back-to-back installments. The premise is as dramatic as they come. Emily Byrne (Stana Katic) is a wife, mother, and FBI agent, who disappeared chasing a serial killer. She has been missing for six years when she is found clingin
When it comes to movies and their plots, it is next to impossible to invent anything viewers have never seen before. You can improve upon it though, and that is what director Christopher Landon deftly accomplishes with "Happy Death Day." As strange of a combination as it sounds, the mov
For a film whose title suggests it is about Tonya Harding, “I, Tonya” doesn’t feel like a movie about Tonya Harding. Even as Tonya (Margot Robbie) frequently narrates the film and turns to the camera to break the fourth wall, it still feels like she is chasing the spotlight of her story. That is
Opening with a daring action sequence, “The Villainess” makes its intentions known from the get-go. Jung Byung-gil’s sudsy revenge epic is beyond bold, and you will know if you are sold within its first breathless minutes. With its hook firmly in place; viewers are pulled through a time-hopp
Writer/director Greta Gerwig’s endearing coming-of-age dramedy is a breath of character-driven fresh air. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is a spunky, unconventional, and extremely confident 17-year-old. Heading towards the end of her high school career with little personal direct