Michael Snydel, Author at The Spool
Critic in a past life, now I just write and podcast. Indiscriminate consumer of reality dating shows, good and bad trash, and Paul Verhoeven films. Host of Intermission, chair of The Film Stage Show, and previous bylines at various places that would have me but I mostly lurk here and The Film Stage these days.
Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time
The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.
Kandahar takes a shot it doesn’t quite land
Gerard Butler’s CIA-agent-on-the-run thriller aims to be more than a power fantasy, but for all its virtues, it doesn’t stick that landing. There’s an expected cognitive dissonance that comes with watching a man-on-a-mission genre piece set in the Middle East. Whether it’s a glorified shooting gallery or a power fantasy where the hero stops just ... Kandahar takes a shot it doesn’t quite land