Alabama Liberal
Blue in a Red State
Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
1 week ago
That convoluted title might be a mouthful, but this sequel of a remake defies expectations by not being terrible. It seems that someone may have finally figured out that apes-vs.-human battles is what people go to a Planet of the Apes-film to watch.
What Works: Andy Serkis is incredible as lead ape More >
Movie Review: The Purge: Anarchy
1 week ago
Just because a film is a lot better than the first one doesn’t necessarily make it worth watching. That’s the dilemma I have with whether or not to recommend The Purge 2. Hmmm…decisions, decisions…
What Works: The first movie was one of the bottom ten-percent of last year’s list, a faux-political More >
Movie Review: Begin Again
1 week ago
A soft musical that might have you leaving the theater in a good mood, but doesn’t stay with you long afterwards.
It’s about a frayed record label executive who’s watched his indie boutique turn corporate (Mark Ruffalo) and thinks Keira Knightley’s fresh voice will be his way back to…the middle? More >
Movie Review: Planes: Fire and Rescue
1 week ago
Just because an animated movie is aimed squarely at kids, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t try. All of the best Disney and Pixar films know that, but the “Planes” franchise doesn’t seem to. This dated and half-assed sequel is even less inspired than the original, and you can’t help but feel it’s all a More >
Movie Review: Tammy
1 week ago
By now, there’s no point kicking this bomb—-which pretty much everyone in the country has already been forewarned about—-and the only thing I can tell you is to keep checking back today for reviews of more recent movies.
What Works: Not much…Susan Sarandon adds an occasional dollop of flash as More >
Ranking the Seasons of “24″
2 weeks ago
Another season of “24″ drew to a close last night, and although the reboot wasn’t quite as exciting as past seasons, I think most fans would rather have some form of 24 than nothing. But what about new fans who maybe are wondering which of the show’s first 8 seasons to watch or skip on Netflix? More >
TV Reviews: “Extant” Vs. “The Strain”
2 weeks ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
So two big-budget science fiction shows with “mainstream” appeal (meaning they aren’t some crappy Syfy channel shows for fanboys only) and major league talent involved debuted this week. However, not all things are equal…
“Extant”…I had a hard time keeping my eyes open for the premiere of this More >
TV Reviews: “Orange is the New Black” is Better Than Ever
1 month ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
This review won’t be terribly long because the headline pretty much says it all: season 2 of “Orange is the New Black” is even better than the first one, which wasn’t too shabby to start with.
The first season was strong, but suffered slightly from too many unwieldy subplots, gross out gags, and an More >
“Californication” Finally Says Goodbye
1 month ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
“Californication” might be the worst show that I’ve ever watched for 7 seasons, and never missed a second of (although usually caught up with On Demand months or even years later). Still, endings make me sentimental and I have to admit that there was always something weirdly soothing about this More >
Why I Refuse to Watch “Transformers 4″
1 month ago
There won’t be a review for “Transformers 4: Revenge of the Fallen Extinction Dawning Dark Moons” or whatever it’s full horseshit title is. And the reason for that is because I won’t be seeing it.
“Why’s that?”–you might ask. Well, it’s really because of some comments that the film’s notoriously More >
TV Reviews: “Rectify” vs. “The Leftovers”
1 month ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
Even in the summertime, it’s not all “Devious Maids,” “Mistresses,” and margaritas. There are a couple of semi-pretentious summertime angsty shows to hold us over to the Fall. However, not all angst is earned…
“The Leftovers”…Something isn’t clicking for me and this show. Sure, I’ve only seen the More >
Movie Review: Obvious Child
1 month ago
Otherwise known as the “abortion comedy” but that’s not really accurate. Yes, the main character—-a female comic played by Jenny Slate in a breakout performance—-does become accidentally pregnant, but that’s only one of the many subplots and winning things about this film. It’s more a gentle comedy More >
Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon 2
1 month ago
Real quick: Is it as good as the first one? No. Is it still at least pretty good? Yes.
What Works: The first one felt more like a contemporary classic, and altogether more coherent with really clean scenes that work no matter how many times you see them. This one is a bit more scattershot, and More >
“Tyrant” Should Be Your New TV Obsession
1 month ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
It feels good to experience a great new TV show from the pilot onward. The same way it might mean more to invest in a company before the whole world knows about it, well, that’s roughly the way I feel when I watch a show like Breaking Bad or Arrested Development from the pilot episode the night it More >
Movie Review: 22 Jump Street
1 month ago
I enjoyed the sly yuks of the first Jump Street movie, and this one is right at that level. If you had a good time with the first one at all, it’s hard to imagine you’ll leave disappointed.
What Works: The best thing this subtly clever franchise has going for it is self-awareness. It seems to be More >
