David Strathairn

‘Louder Than Bombs’ is an audacious and uncompromising collage of the joys and sorrows that punctuate our humanity.

Godzilla Written by Max Borenstein Directed by Gareth Edwards USA, 2014 It’s been almost 16 years to the day since Roland Emmerich attempted and failed to bring Godzilla to a wider American audience, a mistake almost as gargantuan as the monster itself was an accident of nuclear radiation and mutation. Surprisingly, the concept of making …

Maladies Written and directed by Carter USA, 2012 Somehow, the most inexplicable thing about Maladies is that it’s being released around the United States for release; considering the film’s deliberately experimental and impenetrable quality, this is no easy feat to achieve. But the overriding question upon watching Maladies is as follows: who is this movie …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 13, “God’s Eye” Written by Bruce Miller Directed by Matt Hastings Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy It’s time for the big showdown between Dr. Rosen and Stanton Parish. The entire season has been building to this moment, but it lacks the predictable fireworks of the typical finale. Suffering …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 12, “Need to Know” Written by Michael Karnow & Adam Levy Directed by Nick Copus Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy In times of war or impending terrorism, a predominant question asks how far authorities should go to stop an impending attack. Does the line for ethical behavior change …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 11, “If Memory Serves” Written by Terri Hughes Burton & Ron Milbauer Directed by Allen Kroeker Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy Ever since its premiere, Alphas has hinted at  a darker side of Rosen that isn’t just concerned with helping Alphas. A serious anger lurks beneath his calm …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 10, “Life after Death” Written by Eric Tuchman Directed by J. Miller Tobin Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy Last week’s high-flying episode of Alphas was the highlight of the season and showed the remarkable potential for this series. It ended with the tragic death of Rosen’s daughter Dani, …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 8, “Falling” Written by Nina Fiore and John Herrera Directed by Nick Copus Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy Alphas has its share of “hell yeah!” moments, but it always pulls back to show that super powers aren’t such a great thing. “Falling” opens with young daredevils taking a …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 7, “Gods and Monsters” Written by Kira Snyder Directed by Mairzee Almas Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy This season of Alphas has made it clear that nothing’s more powerful than control over the mind. Some villains might shoot fire or have super strength, but the true authority isn’t …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 6, “Alphaville” Written by Michael Chamoy Directed by Nick Copus Airs Mondays at 8pm (ET) on SyFy There have been plenty of hints on Alphas that Dr. Rosen’s actions can be destructive. Even when his intentions are good, he doesn’t always consider the negative impact. In “Alphaville”, we get the …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 5, “Gaslight” Written by Terri Hughes Burton and Ron Milbauer Directed by Leslie Libman Airs Mondays at 10pm (ET) on SyFy It’s clear that a show is working if even the lesser episodes are compelling. After last week’s stunning look at Nina’s tormented past, there was almost certainly going to …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 4, “When Push Comes to Shove” Written by Adam Levy Directed by Omar Madha Airs Mondays at 10pm (ET) on SyFy During its first 15 episodes, Alphas has consistently depicted the fine line that exists between using the super powers for good or evil. Even the gentle Dr. Rosen has …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 3, “Alpha Dogs” Written by Nick Copus Directed by Eric Tuchman Airs Mondays at 10pm (ET) on SyFy One of the consistent surprises about Alphas is the way it wades into conventional plots but sidesteps a predictable outcome. This week, SyFy’s promos had teased a Fight Club-like underground fighting ring …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 2, “The Quick and the Dead” Written by Michael Karnow Directed by Michael Nankin Airs Mondays at 10pm (ET) on SyFy Following the plot-heavy opener, it’s refreshing to see Alphas roll back into a character-driven show this week. Stanton Parish and his band of super villains are still driving the …

Alphas Review, Season 2, Episode 1, “Wake Up Call” Written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe Directed by Matt Hastings Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on SyFy When Alphas premiered last July, it drew comparisons to Heroes with its characters learning to cope with extraordinary abilities. While it lacked the grand ambitions of the fallen NBC …