To me, this Summer seems much quieter than previous years and it seems more full of shoulder shrugs than sure-things, with almost half my “Most Anticipated” list coming out in August, traditionally the sleepier period of Summer. We may finally be seeing the affect of studios greenlighting fewer movies to release bigger tentpoles, a strategy…
Category: Mindless Mondays
TV Reviews: The Leftovers, The Son, American Gods
Three novels adapted into TV series, and even though “The Circle” demonstrated the downsides of movie adaptations that diverge too far from their source material, these shows may demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of source-novel devotion for TV. The Leftovers…Longtime readers know that I hated the first season of HBO’s adaptation of the Tom Perrotta…
The Best Movie Mothers
I didn’t even want to put “of all time” in the title of this posting, because I realized that if there’s anything harder than coming up with a list of Bad Movie Mothers, it’s limiting my list of Good Movie Mothers. There were so many to choose from, this list is going to be a…
The Worst (Movie) Mothers of All Time
There have been so many bad movie mothers that it’s hard to know where to begin with a list like this, so I tried to focus less on “bad moms” and more on “Bad Mothers.” What’s the difference? A “Bad Mother” is serious business and severe, possibly played by Nicole Kidman, and definitely representative of…
TV Reviews: Six, The Young Pope, Crashing, Feud
It’s beyond time I reviewed these shows that had their season finales a month (or more) ago, but don’t worry, later today they’ll be more current TV reviews, lists of the Best and Worst Movie moms, and even a list of the Most and Least Anticipated Summer Movies… The common thread of all four of…
Movie Review: “The Circle” When A Movie Can’t Properly Adapt A Great Book
A perfect example of why a movie reviewer should avoid reading the book a movie is based on–if they can–because I probably would’ve enjoyed this film (about an omnipotent tech company) much more if I hadn’t read the book. It’s true that when you really, really love a book that no movie can really adapt…
Movie Review: “The Fate of the Furious”…Does Charlize Theron Owe Back Taxes?
Life’s biggest questions: Is there a God?…What happens when you die?…What is the secret to life?…Why are “The Fast and the Furious” movies popular? Answers: Concepts of “God” are structured around an all-knowing and guiding being, and the creation of life (and millenniums of evolution) was probably much more random than that…I really doubt there…
Monday Morning Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
The box office is huge, the reviews are ecstatic, and the Cinemascore grade from audiences is an “A.” So it’s safe to say nearly anyone will really love this movie, and even if I thought it was only good rather than great, that’s no small thing at all considering I haven’t truly loved any Marvel property…ever, and am just…
When British Actors Play Southern Roles
Featuring The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln, Billion’s Damian Lewis, Tom Hardy, Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam, and Sir Lawrence Cableton (“Larry the Cable Guy”). As seen in a “Selma,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Preacher,” “Genius,” “Cold Mountain,” “12 Years a Slave,” “I Saw the Light,” and a million other fucking examples…
Why Won’t Hollywood Positively Portray Interracial Couples?
Alabama Liberal investigates Hollywood’s negative portrayals of Interracial couples…
Amazon Series Round-Up: Bosch, Hand of God, Goliath, Mad Dogs
The way I grouped yesterday’s series–Man in the High Castle, Fleabag, One Mississippi, Sneaky Pete, Patriot–may have felt more than a little random, but today has a distinct theme: anti-heroes. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, I actually enjoy even the weakest of these series during their worst episodes more than most series. Even if “Hand of God”…
Amazon Series Reviewed: Sneaky Pete, Patriot, One Mississippi, Fleabag, Man in High Castle
After reviewing Amazon’s Pilot Season and upcoming shows, why not take a look back at several series they’ve had recently…[And a handful more tomorrow too]… Sneaky Pete…This con artist-set series has already been renewed for a second season, but I found it to be a mixed-bag overall. There are certainly great things to recommend like…
Movie Review: Logan Vs. King Kong Skull Island
In this landscape of Disney remakes, unasked for Power Rangers reboots, uncalled for Fast and Furious sequels, and even a–oh, what the fuck?–R-rated, kitchen-sink CHIPS remake it may look like Hollywood has officially run out of ideas. Even a technically new idea like the sci-fi thriller “Life” looks cobbled together out of 100 “astronauts run…