Is there anything harder to find on TV than a “family show” you can watch with kids but can find in primetime? I can remember growing up watching “Seinfeld,” “Frasier,” a bunch of other sitcoms, and eventually “Lost” with my entire family, but what could you really say that about today? Cable TV has narrowcasted…
Author: Alabama Liberal
Does “House of Cards” Look Different in the Age of Trump?
House of Cards…After rebounding from a lousy season 3 with a series-best season 4, it’s another step backwards with a season that is a little off-the-rails and once again asks us to believe characters would do something that seems completely against their nature. During the season finale, you have to wonder if the writers were trying to…
Ranking and Reviewing the Seasons of “American Crime”
Normally, I’m ahead of the curve on a much buzzed-about TV show, and am perhaps a little proud of the fact that I watched “Arrested Development,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Shield,” etc. when they were actually on TV (from episode 1) rather than a year after they went off the air. “American Crime” is different in…
Ranking All Pixar Films from Worst to Best
Note: Really, even “the worst” Pixar film is worth seeing, and after I got to about the mid-point of this list I realized I was just ranking different degrees of excellence (the difference between an A- and an A or even an A and an A+). It’s truly remarkable what this studio has accomplished, that an…
“Cars 3” Reviewed by a Critic that Actually Likes This Franchise
Is there a more underrated franchise out there than “Cars?” The first film was terrific, but is usually ranked in the middle-of-the-pack or towards the bottom when people begin comparing Pixar titles, and “Cars 2” is usually (wrongly) labeled “the worst Pixar film.” Even on Rotten Tomatoes, people seem surprised that they actually liked “Cars…
Movie Review: Wonder Woman
Once you get past the exaggerated praise (that feels more about what’s happening outside the theater than anything shown in the movie), it’s a solid superhero movie that’s at least as good as anything Marvel (or DC) has put out since “The Dark Knight” trilogy ended. What Works: Most critics have somewhat-myopically focused on “Wonder Woman”…
Movie Review: Captain Underpants
The title of “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Adventure” is either a hopeful promise of sequels or a threat of more early Nickeldeon-esque inanity depending on how much you liked this first installment. Like the titular hero (the brainwashed alter ego of a joyless, so-miserable-he’s-angry principal), I was somewhat divided watching it: I enjoyed long…
Movie Review: Hunter Gatherer, The Discovery, Monster Trucks
Sometimes movies slip through the cracks, and then it’s time to throw the unlikeliest of films together for a mixed-salad of reviews… Hunter Gatherer…A classic example of how a bad ending can really ruin an otherwise solid film. The Wire’s Andre Royo has been so good at livening up stale material (he brought energy to…
The Biggest Asshole in American History is…[Drum Roll]…
Note: If you missed the 10th “Biggest Asshole in American History” through the 2nd or the Runner-Up list, by all means catch up before reading further. There’s a lot of people who could’ve been chosen for the top spot, and it was pretty much a coin toss between the “Top 4” to determine their rankings. Although…
Reviewing Every Episode of “The Leftovers,” and Ranking the Seasons
Note: I’m only reviewing each individual episode in the third and final season, but I’ll have reviews of Season 1 (not so great) and Season 2 (a masterpiece). I chose not to write reviews of each episode in those seasons because it would be tedious, episode quality is more uniform in those seasons, and to be brutally honest,…
In Defense of Real Time: Bill Maher is Awesome
Let’s not be Republican pawns and turn on THE toughest, most consistent anti-Trump voice in The Resistance. Here a “Real Time” superfan who’s seen every episode defends one of the best voices on TV for criminal justice reform, freedom from religion, and especially the environment. [People may have missed that Bill’s interview with Ben…
American History’s 2nd Biggest Asshole is…Fred Koch!
Note: Before we say goodbye to our countdown with the “Biggest Asshole in American History,” make sure to check back on the 20th through 3rd place finishers. Lots of the things you may dislike about modern America can be traced back to those individuals. Not unlike our second place holder… Fred C. Koch…Those that have heard…
American History’s 3rd Biggest Asshole is…General George Gordon!
Note: As our list rapidly draws to a close, make sure you go back and check out the 20th through 4th “Biggest Assholes in American History.” I like to think it’s been memorable… General George Gordon…How do you pick which of the former Confederate leaders is “the worst” in American History? Confederate President Jefferson Davis was a real…