In the last week, we’ve seen long running TV series end (The Closer), short running TV series end (Political Animals), and the second season finale of an occasionally strong, often frustrating series (Falling Skies). The Closer…I’ve never watched a single episode of this show, so the “finale” (which really just set up an almost identical…
Author: Alabama Liberal
Monday Morning Movie Reviewer: Hope Springs…A Minor Triumph of a Movie
The exact opposite of Killer Joe (a daring surface movie with a somewhat cheap center), Hope Springs is a comfortable, feel-good movie that actually contains a quiet, deep knowledge of relationships. There is more truth and perceptiveness in this film than in the last twenty big studio romances I’ve seen. Much like Ruby Sparks, it starts…
Movie Review: My First NC-17 Rated Movie Theater Experience with “Killer Joe”
I have never actually seen an NC-17 rated movie during its theatrical run until this film. Now I can say I’ve lived. It was drastically different than most films shown at big screen multiplexes. First I had to show ID when I bought a ticket, even though only the most obtuse theater cashier would think…
Monday Morning Movie Reviewer: Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer
“Red Hook Summer” is the new film from Spike Lee and one that quite a lot of people might be looking forward to since it returns the filmmaker to his Brooklyn roots and even has a cameo by Spike himself, playing his old Do the Right Thing character and still delivering pizzas. Those that might…
Movie Review: Ruby Sparks
Ruby Sparks is the indie romance of the summer that stars Paul Dano—–an actor you either don’t like or have never heard of—–as a writer and Zoe Kazan as the title-character, a woman he literally creates. The central plot involves Dano’s writer trying to cure his block with a writing exercise describing the girl he…
Movie Review: The Watch
This movie opened a mere three weeks ago, but has more or less vanished since. I’ll keep the review short, and put about as much time into it as all involved put into making this movie. What Works: To say this movie has no laughs would be wrong. It has four…spaced out over nearly 100…
Working Class Economist: August’s Rich Asshole of the Month is Jamie Dimon
I know, I know, “but the month of August is barely over yet.” And yet I know ultra-big banker Jamie Dimon is the man for the month. I’m that certain there won’t be a better candidate of rich assholishness to come along between now and August 31st. For any doubters out there, let me show…
Petty Issues: Interconnected “Scandals” Day With Joe Biden, Jamie Dimon, “K-Stew,” and Kelsey Grammar
Not many new juicy scandals this week, so of course the entertainment media is still beating the dead horse that is “K-Stew” “cheating” on “R-Patz” (I put it in quotation marks because who really knows how authentic a Hollywood relationship is?). It’s so bad that Kristen has even been fired from the Snow White and…
Libertarian/Career Politician Paul Ryan Advocates “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” Economics
Ever since his announcement as Romney’s VP selection—–which I still maintain as a poor pick, as noted in last Saturday’s editorial about it—–Paul Ryan has been under increased scrutiny in the eyes of “moderates.” “Moderates” being another word for the people that have never heard of him, since Republicans, Democrats, and people that actually follow…
Down & Out in Bumblefuck, Egypt…Why the Ousting of Top Military Leaders May Not Be a Good Thing
Over the weekend, Egypt’s new Islamist President (I could write his name, but would it matter? We’d all forget it in two seconds and I don’t know that his name is as important as his political ideas which skew ultra-religious and rigid) ousted a few top military leaders from power. This is seen as a…
Monday Morning Movie Review: “The Campaign” A Sharper-Than-You-Think-Satire
I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it for just about anyone, which is the film’s double-sided magic. People that already know about politics will laugh at the broad satirical parodies and enjoy the on-target belly laughs at our super-PAC age. People that don’t already know about politics will laugh at the dick jokes but be…
Two Train Robberies on AMC’s “Hell on Wheels” Premiere and Breaking Bad’s Latest Terrific Episode
In what must have seemed like a strange coincidence (or maybe it was deliberate), both of AMC’s dramas revolved heavily around train robberies last night. This type of heist hasn’t been popular since the days of Jesse James, so it was more than a little unique (and refreshing) that it was last night. First, the…
A Review of ALL the Bourne Films, and Noticing Exactly How Similar They Are
The moment is here to chat up the “new” Bourne film (which has more than a little bit in common with the old Bourne films) The Bourne Legacy. But in trying to be as thorough as possible in comparing them I re-watched the first Bourne trilogy starring Matt Damon—–not terribly difficult considering TNT or USA…