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,…
Category: Mindless Mondays
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…
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.
Ranking the Breaking Bad Criminals from Dumbest to Smartest #breakingbad
One good way to deal with Breaking Bad Withdrawal (surely as real as any crystal meth addiction) is to make up trivial lists and rankings. And that’s exactly what I’m about to do! I’m ranking the intelligence of all the criminals on the show! I would put it from LEAST intelligent to MOST intelligent and…
TV Reviews: “Hello Ladies” and the Excellent “Eastbound and Down”
Borrowing from Showtime’s formula of having one established show (Eastbound and Down, Homeland) paired up with one new show’s premiere (Hello Ladies, Masters of Sex) to face the juggernaut that is AMC’s Breaking Bad and subsequent Talking Bad coverage, HBO also premiered some shows last night: one good comedy, and one truly great one. …
TV Reviews: Homeland and Masters of Sex
While AMC was capping off a terrific run of Breaking Bad with a record 10.3 million viewers and 6.5 in the key demo (just for perspective, most broadcast networks like NBC or ABC would kill for that number) I’m sure more than a few eyeballs found their way to Showtime’s premieres of Masters of Sex and Homeland……