Flatiron Hot! Critic
Game of Thrones Season 3 Premiere – “Valar Dohaeris” – Review & Recap
March 31, 2013 | Eric ShapiroWarning: This review contains spoilers from “Valar Dohaeris” as well as Game of Thrones Seasons 1 & 2
Fans of Game of Thrones’ first two seasons should not be surprised that the premiere of Season 3 is a bit slow. With so many characters … Read More
Game of Thrones Season 3 Primer: New Characters
March 27, 2013 | Eric ShapiroThis article contains major spoilers from Seasons 1 of 2 of HBO’s acclaimed fantasy TV series Game of Thrones and minor ones from Season 3 (only what’s necessary to provide a basic background for the new characters).
What Game of Thrones Season 3 MUST Get Right (Spoilers) Read More
“Drink Another Bottle” with Indie Rock Duo Pretty in Blue
March 21, 2013 | Eric Shapiro
A music critic walks by an Irish pub called Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar on Second Avenue and 29th Street when something catches his ear. It’s jarring, immediate, clearly live. Bare bones, just guitar and vocals. A sign on a chalkboard next to the entrance reads “Pretty in Blue.”
Indie Rock Review: Above The Fold Band – Deep End of Down – “Press On” Review
March 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indieshuffle
In an album loaded with angst and heartache, “Press On” provides a much-needed dose of unrestrained optimism.
From its opening drum roll to its final chorus, this standout track exudes positive energy, suggesting that for all the sorrows chronicled throughout Above the Fold’s debut album, Deep End of Down, guitarist/vocalist Sean Gibson sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
What Game of Thrones Season 3 MUST Get Right (Spoilers)
March 7, 2013 | Eric ShapiroWarning: This article contains massive spoilers from A Storm of Swords and, by extension, season 3 of Game of Thrones. Read no further if you haven’t read the book and want to be surprised.
In only two seasons, Game of Thrones has established itself as not only a worthy adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s beloved fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, but one of the best drams on TV in its own right.
Never Mind the Oscars, Here are the Top Five Movies of 2012
February 27, 2013 | Jonas PaslauskasWith the 2013 Oscars come and gone, here’s a look back at five intriguing 2012 films. Whether they have been nominated multiple times or utterly overlooked at the Academy Awards, here are – in no particular order – five movies that merit recognition for their boldness, conviction, and innovation: Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Steve McQueen’s Shame, William Friedkin’s Killer Joe and the Wachowski siblings’ Cloud Atlas.
2013 Oscars: The Onion’s High-Tech Lynching of Beasts of the Southern Wild Star Quvenzhané Wallis
February 25, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDuring the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony (sorry, the Oscars), satirical publication The Onion set Twitter ablaze with an outrageous – and, many claim, racially-charged – tweet about 9-year-old Beasts of the Southern star Quvenzhané Wallis. And just what were those 17 inflammatory words that sparked such an uproar on the night of the Oscars?
American Idol Star Phillip Phillips Plays JFK Airport Terminal 5
February 18, 2013 | Eric ShapiroMost would not count waiting for plane flights as among life’s most pleasant activities. However, flyers lucky enough to be present at New York JFK Airport’s Terminal 5 (not to be confused with the concert venue) at 3:00 PM today … Read More
Music Monday: Grouper – The Man Who Died in His Boat – “Vital” Review
February 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally Published on indie shuffle
Many artists, spurred by critical acclaim for an album, feel compelled to subvert listeners’ expectations with a radical departure from their sound, whether because they are emboldened by lavish praise or because they are determined to avoid being pigeonholed.
Music Monday: My Bloody Valentine – MBV – “Only Tomorrow” Review
February 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indie shuffle
Twenty-two years after the release of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, cited by critics as one of the finest albums of the 1990s, the band’s new LP, humbly titled MBV, has finally arrived. Those expecting the band’s songwriter, Kevin Shields, to single-handedly change the direction of music like he did in 1991 will be surprised to find that the album picks up pretty much where its predecessor left off. That’s not to say it’s by any means disappointing.