Many predicted FX’s new drama series The Bridge (their first new drama series since Justified premiered four years ago) would be the next great TV drama. It had all the classic elements: a soulful protagonist (Damian Birchir’s Juarez cop Marco), a slightly off-center protagonist (Diane Kruger’s autism-afflicted El Paso detective), a culture clash, societal issues,…
Author: Alabama Liberal
TV Review: The Trial of Muhammad Ali
A so-so TV movie based on the Supreme Court trial of whether or not to uphold the conviction of Muhammad Ali for not going to Vietnam when drafted. Ali said he was a conscientious objector because of his beliefs as a member of the Nation of Islam, and the government said that didn’t cut it….
“The Good Wife” Just Can’t Stop Portraying Black Women as Problems
It’s become something of a running theme on The Good Wife to portray black women as either antagonists or as headaches for the white characters. It’s sad that a show with such nuanced, well-developed portrayals of white women can’t seem to figure out that black women shouldn’t be treated as plot nuisances for the white…
TV Review: The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror
It’s not easy for a show that’s been on the air a whopping 25 years to still generate headlines, but that’s exactly what happened (sort-of…they were small headlines…mostly online) when The Simpsons announced that famed fantasy director Guillermo Del Toro would be directing the opening credits sequence for their 25th Treehouse of Horror episode. And…
Movie Review: Rush
A solid, well-made film about the ferocious rivalry between two great formula 1 drivers (between this film and Senna, I’m beginning to think the whole sport hinges on rivalries between play-it-safe rulesters and cocky daredevils) that didn’t quite connect for me. I can definitely appreciate the film, and it’s hard to say it’s not a…
Movie Review: Runner Runner
I feel a slight sense of protectiveness over this movie because the reviews are awful (a lousy 8 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), the box office was even worse, and even the audience grade (which usually ranges from B+ to A) was a dismal C. So I have to ask myself “Is this movie about online…
TV Review: Season Finale of “Low Winter Sun”
Low Winter Sun was given the tough-task of having to follow the final season of Breaking Bad, which broke ratings records and captured a specific moment in the culture. Sure, just about anything coming on after Breaking Bad would have seemed like a letdown, but that doesn’t mean Low Winter Sun had to lean into…
Anatomy of a Fake Outrage: Brit Hume Got Me Hated by Conservatives for 15 Glorious Minutes
Thursday Afternoon: I see a story about the stray shots at the Capitol Building. Realizing that anyone who thinks they can seriously harm congress by doing a drive-by on one of the most heavily guarded buildings on the face of the Earth is not exactly a criminal mastermind, I (correctly) assess that no congressmen/women were…
TV Review: Miley Cyrus on #SNL We Can’t Stop, But Should She?
It’s only the second episode into SNL’s new season so it’s a little early to tell what new cast members (if any) will pop out of the pack, and right now I’m having a hard time telling at least two of the five new white guys apart. Still, I’m ready to welcome the change since I feel…
TV Review: “Hell on Wheels” Takes on Mormon Gullibility?
Tonight brought the third season finale of AMC’s against-all-odds successful Western, “Hell on Wheels.” Hell on Wheels is subtly groundbreaking in that it keeps fighting uphill battles: an actual Western show that’s managed to survive three seasons, a show about the building of the Transcontinental railroad that manages to keep from putting us to sleep, a show…
Movie Review: “Gravity”–See It
I’ll have a much longer review on Monday (per usual) but craftsmanship like this can’t go unnoticed. Gravity is a film you should definitely see in theaters, and preferably as soon as possible.
Interviews with the Invisible: Interview with the Shut-Down Federal Worker #fedshutdown
It’s been a loooong time since I posted a new interview here on the site (although the archives have plenty of great ones if you haven’t read them…just saying), but an idea pretty much fell into my lap this week when I released that one of my good friends is an inspector for the USDA….
Petty Issues: Capitol Shots, Tea Party (Brain)farts, Bitcoin Drops, London NFL Team Scoffs
The bad news: Shots were fired outside the U.S. Capitol building…The worse news: No Tea Party members were hit. Bitcoin was apparently used on a black-market website called The Silk Road, and since the authorities raided the site and arrested its founder it has dropped Bitcoin’s valuation nearly 20 percent. Right…uhhh…I totally understand how Bitcoin works and…