David Kallison

12/20/15

Into The Badlands reveals much but surprises little

Film Crit Hulk, one of the Internet’s greatest, greenest thinkers once wrote “the ending is the conceit.” After all…

12/13/15

Into The Badlands finds its footing by losing the fights

Conflict creates drama, but relationships create emotional stakes. Into The Badlands finally earns some of those…

12/6/15

Into The Badlands holds the wrong focus

It makes no sense why The Widow and her clan are not the center of this show. Composed and calculating, but with a…

11/29/15

Into The Badlands stalls in a middling middle episode

I often think about the initial impetus creators had when conceiving a television show. Matthew Weiner wanted to…

11/22/15

Into The Badlands only cuts skin deep

Joss Whedon started out his big-screen finale, Serenity, of his small-screen show Firefly with a long, continuous,…

11/15/15

Into The Badlands proves a solid sidekick

Superheroes are the new samurai, so it makes sense that the co-creators of Smallville have teamed up again to create …

9/9/15

The League follows a familiar playbook in its final season

The League is unapologetically anarchic, a ribald exploration of male-centered friendships. In its seventh and final…

7/30/15

30 For 30: Angry Sky

As sports stories go, Nick Piantanida’s is a boring one. He attempted a feat, three times, and failed. Nick…

7/9/15

Comedy Bang! Bang!: “Michael Cera Wears A Yellow Collared Shirt And White Sneakers”

Despite (or perhaps because of) its prolific output, Comedy Bang! Bang! has not changed much during its four-season…

6/1/15

Adventure Time: “You Forgot Your Floaties”

It is amazing how much plot Adventure Time can fit into eleven minutes, and “You Forgot Your Floaties” is…

5/22/15

Comedy Bang! Bang!: “Thomas Middleditch Wears an Enigmatic Sweatshirt and Sweatpants with Pockets”

“Thomas Middleditch Wears an Enigmatic Sweatshirt and Sweatpants with Pockets” is a funny episode of sketch comedy.…

5/1/15

Comedy Bang! Bang!: “Colin Hanks Wears A Denim Button Down And Black Sneakers”

Whatever nascent budget IFC gives Comedy Bang! Bang!, Aukerman and company decided to spend it all on this one…

4/29/15

Modern Family: “Integrity”

When Modern Family first came on the scene in 2009, it was lauded for the progressiveness of its characters’…

4/10/15

Comedy Bang! Bang!: “Jack Black Wears An Embroidered Cowboy Shirt And Ox Blood Sneakers”

Sketch comedy, like fruit, is a gamble. You know that going in. When it works, it transcends the script, lights,…

4/4/15

Lackluster direction and effects mar A.D., Mark Burnett’s new take on the Bible

The Bible, the book, is not boring. Inspiration for countless works of both religious and secular bents, its themes…

4/1/15

Modern Family: “Grill, Interrupted”

Modern Family has no business being as good as it is. Sitcoms are expected to go stale, retread old jokes, jump the…

3/16/15

Annie Clark and Andy Gill geek out about guitars on The Talkhouse

In Podmass, The A.V. Club sifts through the ever-expanding world of podcasts and recommends 10–15 of the previous…

3/6/15

Comedy Bang! Bang!: “Dax Shepard Wears A Heather Grey Shirt And Black Blazer”

Comedy Bang! Bang! is unique in both its origin (the podcast that beget a network that beget a television show) and…

2/13/15

Comedy Bang! Bang!: “Mark Duplass Wears A Striped Sweater And Jeans”

“All is fair in love and war,” someone famous said. Host Scott Ackerman and melodic sidekick Reggie Watts put that…

1/22/15

Al Madrigal’s new special explores how the other half lives

Al Madrigal is half Latino, half white. Al Madrigal gets heat from whites for being too Latino and Latinos for being…

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