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‘Before I Disappear’ is a droll, trippy pleasure

Before I Disappear Written and directed by Shawn Christensen USA/UK, 2014 We don’t get many cinematic one-man shows these days.  Shawn Christensen takes up the challenge by writing, directing and starring in the new indie mind-screw, Before I Disappear.  Though thin on plot and heavy on convulsions, there’s enough visual flair and wickedly-dark humor to …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.10: “Fifty Shades of Grayson” shows Gilbert’s involvement with Augustine

The Vampire Diaries, Season 5, Episode 10: “Fifty Shades of Grayson” Written by Caroline Dries Directed by Kellie Cyrus Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on The CW Over the past few episodes, the Augustine society has become a compelling entity, as their true nature and the extent of their actions have come to light. As …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.07: “Death and the Maiden” brings closure for several characters

The discovery last week of what the supernatural purgatory was really anchored to opened up the story of Silas and Qetsiyah with an added variable that ended the episode on a fragile note. With the formerly immortal witch proving himself less than trustworthy, the Mystic Falls group was left with a dilemma on how to keep Amara alive long enough to bring Bonnie back. This week’s episode puts its entire focus on this storyline, bringing all the participants together in dramatic fashion in a superb episode that brings about some resolutions quicker than expected.

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.06: “Handle With Care” welcomes another doppelganger to Mystic Falls

The Vampire Diaries, Season 5, Episode 6: “Handle With Care” Written by Caroline Dries and Holly Brix Directed by Jeffrey Hunt Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on The CW Turning Silas mortal at the end of last week, in true Vampire Diaries fashion, reconfigured the stakes once again. As he had gotten what he needed …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.04: “For Whom the Bell Tolls” explores the inner workings of Stefan

The Vampire Diaries, Season 5, Episode 4: “For Whom the Bell Tolls” Written by Brett Matthews and Elisabeth R. Finch Directed by Michael A. Allowitz Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on The CW While last week’s episode gave the Mystic Falls gang a slight win in their fight against Silas, the loss of Silas’ mind …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.03: “Original Sin” introduces a new threat

Last season, as the show revealed the legend of Silas, one name kept popping up; that of Qetsiyah, the witch who had built the supernatural purgatory, created a cure for immortality, and neutralised the first immortal. With Silas now back and stronger than ever, it was a foregone conclusion that the group would try to reach out to Qetsiyah at some point, a task made much more difficult by the death of Mystic Falls’ last remaining witch, Bonnie. That issue solves itself this week as Silas’ old nemesis pops up, re-aligning the show’s stakes once again in a strong episode that doesn’t suffer from a smaller cast.

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.02: “True Lies” lets Bonnie shine

The Vampire Diaries, Season 5, Episode 2: “True Lies” Written by Brian Young Directed by Joshua Butler Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on The CW Last week’s premiere of The Vampire Diaries had the burden of recalibrating the show to numerous changes, including the departure of the Original family, the shift of Elena and Caroline …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep 5.01: “I Know What You Did Last Summer” sets the show off in some interesting new directions

The series premiere of The Vampire Diaries came amidst a slew of vampire stories in movies and books, facing an uphill battle in attracting an audience already wary of another spin on the supernatural creatures. The show soon set itself apart however, with compelling characters and a quick pace to its storylines as it expanded its universe. With its success leading to a spinoff this season in the form of The Originals, the show heads into its fifth season with major changes underway, as Bonnie Bennett’s death opens a major weakness among the crew of Mystic Falls, a weakness compounded by the absence of Stefan, replaced by Silas, and the departure of Elena and Caroline to college. Fortunately, the show starts off the new season on a strong step, with the introduction of some interesting new foes for the show’s core group.

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep. 4.15, “Stand by Me”: Powerful episode driven by strong, emotional performances

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 15: “Stand by Me” Written by Julie Plec Directed by Lance Anderson Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Elena tailspins, Bonnie gets the crazy eyes, and Shane is still alive Last week’s The Vampire Diaries ended with a stark image- Jeremy …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep. 4.11, “Catch Me If You Can”: Character beats can’t save predictable, boring ep

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 11: “Catch Me If You Can” Written by Brian Young and Michael Narducci Directed by John Dahl Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Kol plays with Damon, Bonnie plays with fire, and Rebekah plays with Stefan After a disappointing installment last …

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The Vampire Diaries, Ep. 4.10, “After School Special”: Frustrating ep highlights series’ flaws

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 10: “After School Special” Written by Brett Matthews Directed by David Von Ancken Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Rebekah puts Elena and Stefan in time out, Tyler has Mommy issues, and Klaus takes Jeremy’s training in a new direction The …

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The Vampire Diaries Ep. 3.22, “The Departed”: Strong finale delivers twists, character

The Vampire Diaries Review, Season 3, Episode 22: “The Departed” Written by Julie Plec (Teleplay), Brett Matthews and Elizabeth R. Finch (Story) Directed by John Behring Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Bonnie makes her play, Elena makes her choice, and the writers make a bold season-ending …

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10 Ways The Vampire Diaries Is Getting It Right

Over the past few seasons, while True Blood became HBO’s #1 show and serialized storytelling hit creative highs with Breaking Bad, Justified, and Game of Thrones, one network series has quietly become a go-to for fans of intelligent, well-made serialized genre television. The Vampire Diaries may not be a perfect show, but it carefully avoids …

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