TV Preview: Boardwalk Empire [Season Two]

'Boardwalk Empire' Season Two (UK Airdate: 2011) // Words: Jake Tobin

This Saturday sees the return of HBO’s 'Boardwalk Empire' on Sky Atlantic and I was one of the lucky few invited along to a preview screening of the brand new episode. The screening took place during a prohibition speakeasy inspired night at The Candlelight Club in London, with plenty of cocktails, most people dressed up in '20s garb, a free roulette table, as well as jazz and burlesque performances throughout the night. All of these couldn’t help but set the mood for an exciting return to 1920s Atlantic City.

TV Preview: The Walking Dead Season Two

'The Walking Dead' Season Two // Words: Jake Tobin

After the success of the first season of 'The Walking Dead', including a renewal after only one episode (the feature length pilot) had aired, anticipation for the second season has been high, but events behind the scenes have been as much a topic of discussion in the press as the show itself. The show returns to US and UK screens in October, but will it be the same show we enjoyed for six short weeks last autumn?

DVD Review: Machete (2010)

'Machete' (UK Release: 28 March '11)
Words: Jake Tobin

When I saw 'Machete' in the cinema it what the most fun I’ve ever had watching a film; funny, action packed and it could quite possibly be the filmification of “awesome”. However, it has its problems: it objectifies women, has very little moral conscience and if taken on face value could easily be one of the most offensive films ever. What I’m trying to say is that it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, or maybe a mine full.

TV Review: The Walking Dead (2010) Ep 6 - TS-19

Words: Jake Tobin

'The Walking Dead' Episode 6: 'TS-19'

SYNOPSIS: "Rick and the group are allowed into the CDC, by a strange doctor. But all is not what it seems in their newfound haven." (fxuk.com)

So here we are at the sixth episode, the season finale, of 'The Walking Dead' - for an American series this quite short, but to us British viewers it is more or less standard. The series’ success despite its short run is possibly testament to Frank Darabont’s writing, as with most British shows it has primarily been written by a single screenwriter and the shortness of the season allows for the show to stay succinct and not diverge into too many side plots. It will be interesting to see how Darabont manages in the next season, with more episodes and higher expectations from both the audience and the studio.

TV Review: The Walking Dead (2010) Ep 5 - Wildfire

Words: Jake Tobin

'The Walking Dead' Episode 5: 'Wildfire'

SYNOPSIS: "Rick leads the group to the CDC after the attack. Jim must make a terrible life and death decision." (fxuk.com)

As dawn breaks at the start of 'Wildfire', the penultimate episode of the first season of 'The Walking Dead', we are forced to recall Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) promise to Morgan (Lennie James) in the pilot, and the rest of the episode calls back to many aspects of that episode.

TV Review: The Walking Dead (2010) Ep 4 - Vatos

Words: Jake Tobin

'The Walking Dead' Episode 4: 'Vatos'

SYNOPSIS: "Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) mission to Atlanta is jeopardized when things go awry. Jim (Andrew Rothenberg) becomes unhinged in camp." (fxuk.com)

After 'Tell It To The Frogs' kept most of the action back at the survivor’s camp, 'Vatos' again splits the action of 'The Walking Dead' into two plots, one in the Atlanta and one at the camp. This double narrative allows the program to examine the psychology of the survivors, both those in the camp away from the city, and that of those who have returned to it and the other people we meet in the city.

The group who have returned to city don’t take long to meet other survivors, though not in the best of circumstances. The others that they find are an interesting group, superficially they are an aggressive gang out to defend themselves over all others, but as the episode progresses we find out that they are actually protecting their elderly and sick relatives. This group give an interesting insight into the human condition in this post-apocalyptic world, despite the situation that all of humanity is in, aggression and self-defence is their first reaction to interaction with other humans, and much of Guillermo’s (Neil Brown Jr) dialogue expands upon this.

TV Review: The Walking Dead (2010) Ep 3 - Tell It To The Frogs

Words: Jake Tobin

'The Walking Dead' Episode 3: 'Tell It To The Frogs'

SYNOPSIS: "Rick makes a decision to go back to Atlanta to retrieve the bag of guns and save a man’s life. Lori and Shane must deal with the surprising return of someone they thought was dead." (fxuk.com)

For me, 'Tell It To The Frogs' marks the point when 'The Walking Dead' confirms itself as a television series, rather than just a long zombie movie. If this were just a movie everything would have been tied up by now and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) being reunited with his family would be the final scene, instead he has left the camp again by the end of the episode and returned to the city. We have a number of loose ends that don’t look likely to be tied up for, oh, say another three episodes, with some possibly left after that (just a hunch).

TV Review: The Walking Dead (2010) Ep 2 - Guts

Read Jake's review of Episode 1: 'Days Gone Bye' here.

Words: Jake Tobin

'The Walking Dead' Episode 2: 'Guts'

SYNOPSIS: "Rick unknowingly causes a group of survivors to be trapped by walkers. The group dynamic devolves from accusations to violence, as Rick must confront an enemy far more dangerous than the undead." (fxuk.com)

Before I go too far in this review I just want to say that this was a good episode of television and that I enjoyed it, but there is a ‘but’. This episode seemed like a letdown, after last week’s epic, emotionally deep and exciting almost-feature-length pilot, 'Guts' felt mediocre. It was still interesting, but it lacked the cinematic quality and grandeur of 'Days Gone Bye'

TV Review: The Walking Dead (2010) Ep 1 - Days Gone Bye

(Ed's note: Say hello to Jake, an old pal and someone who'll hopefully be writing a lot more for us about televisual entertainment.)

Words: Jake Tobin

'The Walking Dead' Episode 1: 'Days Gone Bye'

SYNOPSIS: Graphic novel adaptation, developed for television by Frank Darabont. The pilot episode sees Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes waking up alone in a hospital, having been shot. He then sets out to find his family amidst a zombie apocalypse.

Starting in medias res, the first shocking thing about 'The Walking Dead' in the pre-titles scene is Andrew Lincoln’s ('Teachers', 'This Life') American accent, shortly followed by him shooting a young girl in the face. The girl was a zombie, and here we have the key element of the show: it’s a zombie apocalypse. Post-titles, we reach the beginning of the story and are introduced to our hero (actual name: Rick Grimes), then shown how he survives until the action truly begins (he survives by getting shot - seriously).