By now, everyone and their brother has weighed in on the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman “incident” (or hate crime, depending on your perspective) and I wrote more than a couple articles about it all those months ago when it was just getting started. Since then, Zimmerman has been officially acquitted, the stand your ground law isn’t…
Author: Alabama Liberal
Fast Food Critic: Watermelon Oreos
For a limited time only, Oreo is releasing these beauties, which use a golden (vanilla wafer) oreo cookie instead of a chocolate one and a pink and green filling twisted into the shape of the inside of a watermelon. While You’re Eating Them: They’re basically a Starburst sandwiched in-between two Teddy Grahams. After You’re Done:…
Cancelled Shows Return: 666 Park Avenue, Zero Hour, and Do No Harm
Perhaps “return” is the wrong word, but several shows that were cancelled during the regular TV season are now having their “leftover” episodes burned off. Do the new episodes make me wish they weren’t gone too soon? Not exactly… 666 Park Avenue…Before it Got Yanked: This was a so-so show at best. The two main…
“TV” Review: Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” is Quietly Sensational
Netflix’s newest original series is also a triumph. Just after I got the bad taste of Hemlock Grove out of my mouth (more on that travesty down the road) I gave this occasionally indulgent, potentially alienating series a real shot and I found that each episode got better, deeper, funnier, and more touching. It starts…
Movie Review: Despicable Me 2
I think the original Despicable Me was only so-so but I would say that it is more of a B movie and this one is closer to a C+ if that gives you some sense of scale. What Works: Ummm…well, if you had a good time with the first one you’ll probably only check your…
Movie Reviews: Grown Ups 2
This is a sequel to (arguably) the worst Adam Sandler comedy ever, had a trailer that seemed to be even less promising, and is my pick for the least anticipated movie of the summer. To say I was going into this one with high hopes would have Pinocchio calling me a lying sack of shit….
Mom Jokes: Cooter and Gomer
Stanley died in a fire and his body was burned pretty badly. The morgue needed someone to identify the body, so they sent for his two best deer hunting friends, Cooter and Gomer. The three men had always hunted and fished together and were long time members of a hunting camp. They were inseparable. Cooter…
TV Review: Newsroom
I was a passionate defender of HBO’s much maligned drama The Newsroom last year, and I’m sure I will be again now that the new reviews are in and they aren’t any better than last year. Of course, the key difference between now and then is that this single episode didn’t grab me the way…
TV Review: The Bridge
FX unveiled their new series The Bridge tonight and although it’s never fair to judge a serialized drama on the basis of its pilot episode alone, I feel ambivalent about this show already. It’s really too early to tell if it’ll deliver or not, but two big things gave me pause in the pilot episode….
Movie Review: The Heat
I love the idea of a female buddy cop comedy, but I kept wanting to like this film more than I did. There are some surprising sideways laughs (nearly all of which were probably improved by Melissa McCarthy) but it’s not as funny as you might think, and I forgot most of this movie a…
Movie Review: White House Down
If I were only going to see one White House-taken-over-by-terrorists movie this year, it would be this one. It is better than G.I. Joe 2 and Olympus Has Fallen but I realize that’s not saying much and may be the definition of “back-handed compliment.” And, naturally, it’s the least commercially successful of the three… What…
Movie Review: The Lone Ranger
Apparently, no one really cares much for The Lone Ranger, judging by this weekend’s dismal box office performance. The question is more why Disney thought they would since Westerns have never been huge blockbusters, “big budget genre bending Westerns” (Cowboys and Aliens, Wild Wild West) are more commonly known as “Flops,” and they haven’t had…
TV Review: Family Tree
Christopher Guest’s gentile, no-great-shakes comedy series ended its first season last night on HBO and I’d say the first eight episodes of this show were a mixed affair. It’s no secret that Christopher Guest comedies are more for subtle chuckles than belly laughs, and his first ongoing TV show is no different. Of course, his…