Steven Shinder
Bio
Author of fantasy horror comedy novel Lemons Loom Like Rain, which is available on Amazon. You can also read excerpts at stevenshinder.com and check out facebook.com/StevenShinderStorytelling.
Stories (81/0)
50 Years of 'Yes' - A Review of the Band's Debut!
Over the past five decades, Yes have cemented themselves as one of the biggest progressive rock bands. And though other albums may be first to come to mind when fans think of Yes, their discography began when they recorded an album released on July 25, 1969. Simply titled Yes, this debut album illustrates what the band's music was like at a time when they did more covers and sounded more psychedelic in some places. While it may be a far cry from some of their later works, Yes shows some seeds of what the band would become.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
'Batman: Hush' Gets Surgical Improvements
Batman: Hush is the latest installment in the DC Animated Movies Universe, which resulted from time travel depicted at the end of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, and began properly with Justice League: War. This universe started out as mostly an adaptation of The New 52 relaunch of DC Comics. But over the last couple of years, it has incorporated adaptations of older DC stories, including Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, The Death of Superman, and Reign of the Supermen, all of which are re-contextualized, so that they fit within the timeline of this universe.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
'The Lion King' Remake Proves That the Original Is Still King
The Lion King is the latest offering from Disney's line of remakes. This photo-realistic computer animated film is directed by Jon Favreau, who previously directed Disney's 2016 adaptation of The Jungle Book. While one could argue that the 1967 animated The Jungle Book was surpassed by that version, they might be a bit disappointed by how this remake of The Lion King does not really improve upon the 1994 classic. Much of the first half lacks the energy of the original. The back half has some good additions here and there, but it's not enough to make this interpretation great overall. For a movie that is a half hour longer than the one it's based on, it's astonishing how little newness it feels like it has.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
'The Return of Swamp Thing'—Review of the Sequel Film
1989 was a big year in the history of DC films. It saw the release of Tim Burton's Batman movie starring Michael Keaton in the titular role. That film was a cultural phenomenon that pleased many Batman fans. But a month prior to that film's premiere, there was another DC film, one that was not as big as Batman 89 turned out to be. It was a sequel to 1982s Wes Craven-directed Swamp Thing film. Titled The Return of Swamp Thing, this Jim Wynorski-directed sequel is seldom brought up during discussions of DC movies, which is understandable. One could argue that it is in some ways better than the first film, but it still was not enough for it to make a huge splash.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Horror
High Schoolers and 'Stranger Things' - A Review of '3Below'
Last Friday, Netflix released the second season of 3Below, the second show in Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia trilogy. While the first show, Trollhunters (which is required viewing before watching this show), had three seasons, 3Below has two seasons, the second of which ended in a way that feels like a series finale. No spoilers (yet), but 3Below Part 2 was better than Part 1. The series as a whole has felt like a natural continuation from Trollhunters, utilizing some familiar characters and providing little updates on others. Below are broad comments regarding the show overall, followed by a spoiler section
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Futurism
Bat Out of Shell - A Review of 'Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a direct-to-video animated film based on the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comic series released by DC and IDW from December 2015 to May 2016. Crossovers can end up feeling silly, and this comic book crossover seemed like it could easily fall into that category. However, the properties meshed very well, and the animated adaptation follows suit.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
Don't Look Away from Trevor Rabin's 'Can't Look Away'
When it comes to the rock music scene, Trevor Rabin is perhaps best known for his work as a guitarist within the band Yes. The progressive rock band became more of a pop rock band in the 1980s when he joined. But Rabin was still capable of being heavy when he needed to be. Following Yes' Big Generator tour, Rabin took some time to work on his fourth solo album, Can't Look Away, which was released July 10, 1989.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
Spider-Man Is 'Far From Home' and Far From Done
Avengers: Endgame was the culmination of 22 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But there was still another film to close out Phase 3. And that film is Spider-Man: Far From Home, which I'll review briefly in non-spoiler details before the spoiler warning.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
'Stranger Things 3' Reflection
Having finished Stranger Things 3, I have some non-spoiler thoughts to present, followed by marked spoiler thoughts. Overall, I thought the season was good. I am not sure whether I prefer it over the previous seasons, but I do think that no scene has topped the Snow Ball dance at the end of season two in terms of how emotional it feels. One's mileage may vary, of course. Without diving deep right away, I have some impressions regarding the nostalgia factor. And then after that, other aspects that I cannot really discuss without spoiling.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
The 2010s Will Be Remembered As the Sequel Era of Pixar
When you look back with hindsight at a franchise that has had many releases, it gets easier to divide the history of its releases into eras. Pixar has released 21 feature-length films since 1995. Some might say that one era ended in 2006 when Pixar was acquired by Disney. But I believe that when one takes a look at what's been released so far, they could divide it up into two major eras, the latter of which is comprised solely of the 2010s. With this decade almost over, I believe that we can firmly refer to this era as The Sequel Era of Pixar.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
- Top Story - July 2019
Should Marvel Adapt 'The Empire Strikes Back' Again?Top Story - July 2019
Since 2015, Marvel has been publishing an ongoing comic series simply titled Star Wars. These issues have essentially been the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Artoo, and Threepio, filling in the gap between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. For a while, readers have been wanting this series to go beyond this three-year period. Now, Greg Pak is taking the reigns of the series, starting with Star Wars #68. This will kick-start the Rebels and Rogues arc, which is set just before The Empire Strikes Back. It seems that readers are finally getting their wish. But if this series is to go beyond Empire, there remains a question: Should Marvel adapt The Empire Strikes Back again?
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Futurism
Does 'Toy Story 4' Line Up with the End of 'Toy Story 3'?
Recently, I wrote an article about how Toy Story 4 probably won't ruin the ending of Toy Story 3. After seeing the fourth movie and thinking it over, I wondered whether or not I ought to eat my words (though I'd say that words are editable, not edible). I think it definitely changes how I view the end of Toy Story 3. So here lies the question: Does Toy Story 4 line up with the end of Toy Story 3? I believe the answer is... yes and no. I know, that sounds like a cop-out answer. I'm no Lotzo, but bear with me here.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks