I watch a lot of TV by trade and feel like I have seen all the necessary shows to be able to say what I think are the best ten characters on TV THIS YEAR (Sorry, Don Draper and co.). If I didn’t include some of your favorites it’s probably because I really like a…
Author: Alabama Liberal
Monday Morning Movie Review: Hugo
Like all the best kid’s films, Hugo isn’t really for kids. To say it’s the best movie ever made about an orphan and a forgotten director in a Parisian train station is probably an understatement. Of all the movies I’m reviewing today, this is without a doubt the one I would recommend, and yet Hugo…
“Movie” Review: Twilight, Breaking Dawn Part 1
That title is either a threat or a promise depending on who you are, and for me it’s most definitely a threat. I’ve been as patient as anyone possibly could be with the Twilight films (I actually liked parts of the first and third ones) but this fourth installment is a real turd. So far,…
Movie Review: The Muppets Do Thanksgiving
I have no idea what the actual title for The Muppets movie I saw this weekend is, but I know it involves them and opened on Thanksgiving so that’s close enough. This movie defied my expectations by not sucking. I know that sounds like a hell of a backhanded compliment, and is, but I found…
Movie Reviews: Arthur Christmas
Of the three family friendly movies that opened on Thanksgiving weekend, this one is by far the weakest. That’s not necessarily as bad as it sounds (I would take this movie over Jack and Jill and Twilight any day) but it’s still not a good thing either. What Works: The whole idea of a technologically…
Movie Review: The Immortals
Obviously, this movie is nice to look at and has a weak story. I doubt anyone even needs to tell you that before you go into it. What they might not tell you though, is that there’s really no need to watch this movie. Most of the best visuals are in the trailer, so you…
Mom Jokes: Thanksgiving
A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough. “Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams. We can’t stand the sight of each…
Interviews with the Invisible: The Aspiring Writer
Today brings something a little different with the interview section, but, seeing as how there hasn’t been a new interview in a month, I don’t think anyone will mind. [Fortunately, I’m talking to a couple of new people to get interviewed in December, so there are some new ones on the horizon.] I’m reposting the…
(Not So) Petty Issues: What I’m Thankful for in 2011
I’m thankful that we’re finally getting out of Iraq. I’m thankful for TV’s Justified, Fringe, Parks and Recreation, Community, the now-cancelled Rubicon, Damages, and especially Breaking Bad which is in a league of its own, also a dozen lesser shows that dare to stand out in the vast disappointment that is 2011 television. I’m thankful…
Working Class Economist: Why Alabama’s Fiscal Conservatism Attracts Illegal Immigrants
I think Alabama’s new, ultra-radical illegal immigration legislation is stupid, a political stunt, and a P.R. nightmare for a state already struggling against a ridiculously intolerant image. That being said, something about the legislation struck me as funny and that’s because something about the attitudes of people in Alabama that don’t like illegal immigrants strikes…
The Fast Food Critic Reviews Boston Market
In honor of Thanksgiving tomorrow, I decided to go on the hunt for the best possible Thanksgiving meal someone could get from a fast casual or fast food restaurant chain (quite a qualifier that is kind-of like saying the best possible college education you can get online). The list was pretty short as virtually no…
TV Reviews: HBO’s Hung, How To Make It In America, Enlightened, and Bored to Death
So right now HBO has no fewer than four half-hour comedy shows currently winding up their seasons as small reminders not to cancel your subscriptions to the network. The network’s current bread and butter are big ticket dramas like True Blood, Game of Thrones, and the also-in-season Boardwalk Empire and so it’s doubtful anyone will…
Monday Morning Movie Reviewer: J. Edgar
Regular readers know that not all movies are created equal even before you see them. There’s just no denying that I look forward to some movies more than others, and even though a movie I think will be bad can surprise me, it probably won’t. So for every three Jack and Jills, there’s usually one…