“Last night, I got on Netflix with one goal: find a good Robin Williams movie. Luckily, The Birdcage, a favorite since I was young, was available. Based on a musical, the movie tells the story of a gay couple whose son wants to get married to a conservative senator’s daughter. Needless to say, hijinks ensue. But it’s a lot more than a funny movie with drag queens and Republican jokes. It’s about family and the lengths you’re willing to go for them, and that love comes in so many different forms, including family and romantic love, as well as love between friends. I’ve watched “The Birdcage” countless times over the years and it was a great way to celebrate the life of an actor that has had a great effect on so many people.”
– Christina Casano, TV & Film Writer
“I was very excited about starting Scandal, not only because of its popularity, but because of the impact it’s had with its racially, ethnically and emotionally diverse cast of characters led by Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope. The show turned out to be compelling, original, thrilling and highly addictive. I loved the cases and how Olivia Pope and her associates worked to solve them and save the reputations of their clients, the involvement with the White House, and the moral ambiguity of the characters. I was a bit disappointed with how the show changed during the 2nd season and the plot became centered around the White House and Olivia’s disturbing relationship with the President. I see how this relationship goes with the moral ambiguity and the blurring between right and wrong that the series has thrived on, but, in my opinion, this has hurt and weakened Olivia as a character, and the needy and yo-yo-like nature of their relationship has given the series a slightly melodramatic feel that has overshadowed the thrilling and twisty nature of the show as it started originally with the cases, the political implications and the intense power plays between the characters. I am still looking forward to next season, of course, because it still is a fantastic show and I’d recommend the show to anyone looking for intense and clever shows about political games from a legal perspective, and those who, like me, enjoy watching the hypocrisy of partisan politics in the US exposed, but I wish the show would go back to how it started and not rely so much on super dramatic, – sometimes illogical-, plot twists, deaths and betrayals as it does now to maintain the intensity the cases alone provided in the beginning.”
– Lorraine Acevedo Franqui, Staff Writer
“I didn’t think I would get into a show involving calligraphy, but Barakamon is proving me wrong. After punching a curator for criticizing his calligraphy, Seishuu Handa’s father forces him to live on Gotou Islands to cool off. As he’s trying to figure things out with his life, many of the townsfolk, specifically a little girl named Naru, come by his place whether he likes it or not. I’ll admit, the first two episodes were a little hard to sit through (Naru was really trying my patience), but by episode three the show has found its groove. If you want to check out a feel-good slice of life anime this summer, definitely check this out. “
– Janelle Smith, TV & Film Writer
“PodCastle is, well, a podcast(le). The audio magazine publishes weekly fantasy short stories, although they’ve just introduced essays, which they kicked off with the then Hugo-nominated now Hugo-awarded We Have Always Fought by Kameron Hurley. With an archive that goes back to 2008 they’ve got a pretty amazing selection, and it’s a great place to go if you’ve ever considered reading short fantasy but don’t know where to start. They’ve published a lot of pretty big authors: Saladin Ahmed just had a short published with them this week (which you should check out), Jim C. Hines has published with them, as has Cat Rambo and Peter Beagle. If science fiction or horror is more your thing then there’s PodCastle’s sister podcasts Escape Pod and PseudoPod.”
– Mallory Hagmann, Staff Writer
“It’s always weird to think about volleyball (the bane of my fifth and sixth grade life experience) as something that’s entertaining, but Haikyuu! is an intense and hilarious anime that’s proving me wrong on so many counts. Following the very short athlete Shoyo who dreams of becoming a champion men’s volleyball player, Haikyuu! is a story of friendship, teamwork, and following your dreams, even if you’re really short. (This is something with which I can strongly identify.) If you’re into relatively light-hearted anime, or if you’re just really fascinated by anatomically-correct sports anime illustrations, Haikyuu! is probably a fun fit for you.”
– Feliza Casano, Editor
