Okay, seriously Alabama Liberal what is up with all these reviews for movies that no one cares about anymore? Don’t worry, the newer reviews truly are coming. Have a little faith. What Works: Not much. This White-House-in-peril thriller may have defied all box office expectations but it’s still pretty bad. On the plus side, Gerard…
Author: Alabama Liberal
Movie Review: Pain and Gain
Another late April movie I’m just now getting to, but don’t worry, this is just one of many new reviews coming out today. Plus, this film is actually really good and it’d be a shame for you to miss out on it. What Works: This film about three bodybuilders who enter a life of crime…
Movie Review: 42
This film came out more than a month ago, and I’m sure everyone who cared about seeing a biopic of Jackie Robinson already has, but don’t worry, this is just the first review of many today. What Works: I think this is a solid film, but not a great one. There are some great scenes…
TV Review: Behind the Candelabra
Tonight is the Super Bowl of gay television as it was not only the series finale of NBC’s Smash, but the premiere of this above-average TV movie about Liberace. HBO continued their winning streak of biopics for unconventional icons (Al Pacino in You Don’t Know Jack and The Phil Spector Story) with this film, which…
Pop Culture Battle 3, Book of the Summer: “The Interestings” vs. “Reconstructing Amelia”
What’s the book of the Summer? Both of these books have been mentioned on countless lists, and it’s time to settle this… The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer…About: A group of six creative kids goes to a summer camp for artists in the 70’s and make friendships that last a lifetime, even as some of them…
Pop Culture Battle, Part 2: Netflix’s House of Cards vs. the BBC’s House of Cards
Netflix is hustling to get in the original content game (this month’s Arrested Development return is probably their biggest coup to date), and their nasty political drama, “House of Cards,” truly is as good as anything on most cable networks. [I still don’t think it touches most dramas on AMC or HBO.] It’s smart, well-made, and excellently…
Pop Culture Battle…Bates Motel vs. The Following vs. Hannibal
Three shows enter, only one show shall leave (the first of three pop culture battles today). What’s the best serial killer show on TV? Bates Motel…Going for it: Is the show better than I thought it would be? Yes, but that’s not saying much. The cast is strong, particularly Vera Farminga as the infamous Mother…
Now That Mark Sanford is Back…Can Somebody Good Be Next?
Last week, I wrote an article about Mark Sanford’s big comeback. He was re-elected to his old congressional seat (the one he occupied before becoming an infamous Governor) beating no less than Stephen Colbert’s sister. But now what? By all accounts the once-and-future congressman will cause friction for the RNC, who refused to back him…
More Book Reviews: The Teleportation Accident, What the Family Needed
Two literary novels with a sci-fi angle that are more interesting than truly successful… The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman…This book has already been described as a “cult hit,” which means that most people probably won’t like it very much. Sadly, I’m in that category. It is occasionally brilliant (a man in 30’s Germany wonders about…
Book Reviews: Ghost Man, Dinner, 12 Tribes of Hattie, Bringing Up the Bodies
Ready for a round-up of books that came out last year or a few months ago? No…well, too bad… Bringing Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel…This book came out last year and pretty much everyone who was going to read it already has, but I thought I would weigh in briefly on this (slightly)…
Movie Review: “Mud,” a Quietly Triumphant, Romantic Film
A slow-building, completely charming indie about two boys in the waaaay rural South (think Mississippi Delta) who travel out to an island and discover a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey, continuing his career resurgence) who needs their help. One of the boys is having some personal problems (his parents are getting divorced…his “girlfriend” barely acknowledges him when…
Movie Review: Disconnect
This film wants to be “Traffic” for online crimes instead of drugs, but the impact is softened at every turn because of a faux-Crash vibe. The film keeps telling us that everyone is human, and that soft emotional center really undercuts the movie’s would-be grittiness. What Works: Three interconnected stories following a teenager who meets…
Mom Jokes: Hell of a Day
[Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!] There I was sitting at the bar staring at my drink when a large, trouble-making biker steps up next to me, grabs my drink and gulps it down in one swig. “Well, watcha gonna do about it?” he says, menacingly, as I burst into tears. “Come…