TV Review: Outlander S2 E01, “Through A Glass Darkly”

By Laury Scarbro

After the way season one ended, delving into season two of Outlander could be a little disorienting for some. It follows much as the book did, but such is the way of a story involving time travel. Stick with it; you won’t be disappointed.

(more…)

Outlander Season 1 Primer: a.k.a. Why You Should Be Watching

By Laury Scarbro

Let me begin by saying I came upon the Outlander series during a Starz “free” weekend, which resulted in a miniature binge session of the first half of the season. I couldn’t wait for the second half to air, so I got the entire series in e-book format just because I couldn’t wait to know what happened to Claire and Jamie next. I’m now four books into the series, and I’ve not yet been disappointed in either the tv show or the books.

(more…)

In Case You Missed It: May 9 – 20, 2016—Please Stand By

By Less Lee Moore

It’s Good News/Bad News time. The good news is that I am submitting a chapter to an upcoming book anthology. The bad news is that the deadline is quickly approaching and I need to finish!

This means that Popshifter will be going on a bit of a break until June. In the meantime, please enjoy the following articles that you might have missed over the last couple of weeks.

What about movies? If you’re looking for something to see this weekend that is the exact opposite of The Nice Guys, you might try Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise. Tyler Hodg enjoyed the videogame adaptation of Rachet and Clank, while Christine Makepeace was appalled by the sexism in documentary All Dolled Up.

If you want music recommendations, look no further than Popshifter! Melissa Bratcher enjoyed the self-titled debut of Big Star’s Jody Stephens with Luther Russell, a.k.a. Those Pretty Wrongs; adores by Ominivore’s reissue of two albums from The Blind Boys Of Alabama; thinks the latest album from Gregg Martinez, Soul of the Bayou, is a charmer; and is thrilled by the way On The Ropes shows that the Honeycutters keep getting better.

Tim Murr thinks Black Absinthe could be as big as AC/DC after hearing Early Signs of Denial; Tyler fondly reminisces about Sloan’s album The Double Cross on its five-year anniversary and praises Royal Tusk for adding some spice to the frequently stale genre of rock on DealBreaker; and Eric Weber describes his history of discovering Divine’s music in his review of the Cherry Red Records anthology, Shoot Your Shot.

Finally, Sachin Hingoo catches us up with what’s happening on Lucha Underground.

TV Review: Lucha Underground, S2 E11 – 15

By Sachin Hingoo

Hey, I just met you,
and this is crazy,
Robert Rodriguez
loves lucha libre!

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve visited the Temple, and with Dario Cueto back in control and his feral brother Matanza as champion, the whole show has a different feel. Gone is Mil Muertes looming over the Temple on his throne and the candles and other spooky touches Catrina put in Dario’s office. Instead we’re back to having live bands play us into the shows and a general feeling that chaotic violence can erupt at any time. I have to say that I’m glad to have Dario back in the backstage vignettes in particular, because he’s a much better actor than Catrina and has his sadistic douchebag character down pat.

(more…)

Podcast: TV or GTFO Episode 3, “Cop Rock”

By Sachin Hingoo

On this episode of TV or GTFO, Gary and Sachin review a short-lived curiosity of early 1990s television, the bizarre Steven Bochco (Hill St. Blues, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, MD) project, Cop Rock. Rated one of the worst television shows in history by TV Guide, it’s a musical police procedural where cops and elected officials tackle heavy topics like selling babies, serial rapists, entrapment, and bribery—in song?!

Here’s a little taste of the series, soon to be available on DVD:

Will these incompetent cops ever complete a case without mishandling evidence? Why is the police chief constantly shooting his gun inside his office? Is $200 an appropriate price for a crack addict’s baby? Is Randy Newman a genius or a madman? Has anything on television ever matched the fourth-wall-breaking final scene of the series? Find out at the link below, download the episode right here, or listen from your favorite podcast app!

Top Ten: Worst Moms In Pop Culture

By Laury Scarbro

There are good moms, and then there are these selfish hags. These are not the kinds of women you want looking after a houseplant, let alone being in charge of a child’s welfare. If you’re a parent, please, either don’t be like these people or do your kids a favor and put them up for adoption. If you’ve ever questioned your mom’s parenting abilities, just have a look at this list. Then go hug your mother and be grateful.
(more…)

Top Ten: Best Moms In Pop Culture

By Laury Scarbro

In gathering information for this article, I found that I had a much harder time choosing who to include than I thought I would. The last thing I wanted was to regurgitate the same lists that have been copied and pasted ad nauseum on every other site. I just cannot stomach one more list extolling the virtues of Claire Huxtable, Mrs. Brady, and June Cleaver. A mother should be able to love fiercely and unconditionally. She should know the benefits and consequences of selflessness and sacrifice (sacrifice of her wants/needs, not animals or neighborhood children—just to clarify). She does not need to be beautiful, have dinner on the table by the time dad gets home, and keep the house immaculate. She should be the kind of woman who would storm the gates of hell itself armed with nothing but a bucket of ice water, for her family.
(more…)

TV Review: Outsiders S1 E13, “Long Live The Bren’in”

By Laury Scarbro

This episode was directed by Peter Weller, and I truly hope to see him do more episodes next season. Episodes of other shows that he has directed (such as Sons of Anarchy, Salem, The Strain, and Tyrant) have been some of the best that those shows had to offer. The otherworldly aspects of Shay Mountain and it’s inhabitants have only been vaguely hinted at thus far, and I believe he did an excellent job in ratcheting up the spook factor.

(more…)