New School Critics

I wanted to love Hunter x Hunter but issues with exposition and the lack of consequential moments really kept me from thinking of highly of it as other shows. 

An American Dream is a 1965 novel my Normal Mailer. Chris details his back and forth relationship with Mailer's books and attempts to process the highs of lows of what he expected to be a dynamite read. 

The discussion of Ozark Season 3 focuses on the tension between plot arcs and character arcs, and the question of whether or not Ozark has started to fall into a bit of a pattern with its character arcs. With that said, I have a lot of praise for this season. I probably didn't praise Ben enough, as his arc in the show is perhaps the high point of all 3 seasons. 

To talk about Ozark Season 2, Chris breaks the show down into its character arcs. Then, for some reason, decides to rank them. But if you love Ozark, you'll learn a lot about the plot dynamics and the way in which the show uses the characters as the foundation to advance the story. As opposed to something like Stranger Things that uses the story to advance the characters.

The addition of "Remake" to the PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII had always seemed a little clumsy and on the nose to me. Like bad marketing? But it turns out there was a deeper, story-specific meaning to the title that you would never guess unless you played the game! We'll talk about that, the nature of FVIIR being a sequel, and how this compares to Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

If you love Rick and Morty, odds are you've been excited by the idea of larger story arcs, like Evil Morty or the eventual return of Evil Bird Person. But with the latest episode, it seems Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon may have just softly erased those things from the canon. Telling fans that the show has no interest in larger story arcs. Chris is here to breakdown the elements of this episode and what this means for Rick and Morty moving forward.

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov is a controversial text in that it ignited a debate about whether or not authorial intent matters. It's been something I've thought about since I first encountered the book in 2008 as part of my senior capstone. So here are some thoughts on Pale Fire, scholarship, authorial intent, and more!

I thought HBO's Watchmen was going to be the GOAT tv show, then it failed to land. A breakdown of where I thought the show went wrong, how it failed to live up to the graphic novel, and how it continues the disappointing legacy of Damon Lindelof's almost-tremendous projects.   ---------- Have a request for a movie, TV show, book, or album? Send them to NewSchoolChris@gmail.com, or send a tweet to @NewSchoolChris or @KanyePodcast.

Poor Howard is lucky at being unlucky. Chris takes a look at the dynamic characterization of the hero of Uncut Gems, a man who is as endearing as he is frustrating. Plus thoughts on what the meaning of going into the gem and into Howard's body could mean. Is there a deeper thematic element or not?   ---------- Have a request for a movie, TV show, book, or album? Send them to NewSchoolChris@gmail.com, or send a tweet to @NewSchoolChris or @KanyePodcast.

2666 is one of the best books ever written. On this episode of Chris, I give my thoughts on the book's structure and writing style. How Bolano builds out two mysteries in two different ways. And how he uses a "telling" style rather than a "showing" style in a way that still creates the narrative depth you expect from literary fiction.   ----------  Have a request for a movie, TV show, book, or album? Send them to NewSchoolChris@gmail.com, or send a tweet to @NewSchoolChris or @KanyePodcast.

Westworld had the courage to involve after each season, changing the status quo in a way that most shows are too scared to do. It's bold, it's refreshing, and it among the many reasons why Westworld has established itself as an immediate classic in the world of TV. Plus lots of other discussion. ----------  Have a request for a movie, TV show, book, or album? Send them to NewSchoolChris@gmail.com, or send a tweet to @NewSchoolChris or @KanyePodcast.