A little rough around the edges, but it certainly won me over. It’s quite possibly the first gay-rights and “AIDs movie” that I think even rednecks might enjoy and that’s no easy feat. It’s as much about the struggles to get the best drugs past a sham-FDA as it is HIV. What Works: Matthew McConaughey’s…
Movie Review: Last Vegas
This movie about four old friends (a sourpuss Robert DeNiro, a spry Morgan Freeman, a likable Kevin Kline, and Michael Douglas in smooth ladies man mode) getting together in Las Vegas for the bachelor party of Douglas’ character certainly knows what the older folks want to see. And knowing your demo is key to any…
Movie Review: Ender’s Game
Now that Thor is out, nobody really cares about this movie anymore, but if I have to watch it, then you have the option to read a review about it…That’s the deal. What Works: This movie is based off the enormously popular Ender’s Game books the controversial author Orson Scott Card started all the way…
Monday Morning Movie Review: Thor 2
So pretty much anyone who went to a theater this weekend happened upon Thor 2 and even though the film broke records, cemented Marvel’s place as a kingmaker, and raked in money hand over fist, I can’t help but ask an all-important question: “Is the movie good?” Now true, there aren’t many Marvel fans that…
Goodbye and Good Riddance Mayor Bloomberg! The Top 5 Reasons I Don’t Like Him
This week, NYC elected it’s first true Democrat in two decades, and I’m happy to welcome Bill de Blasio to the office of mayor. NYC is one of the wealthiest cities in the world but it’s one that desperately needs new ideas and more opportunities for its millions of poor residents. And it became clear…
Petty Issues: The Pettier the Better
There was a shooting in a Detroit barbershop that left three dead….Let’s see you turn that into comedy gold Cedric the Entertainer! The gauntlet has been thrown. Taylor Swift says her fans are always nice and never say mean things…Well it’s great that someone’s fans aren’t calling them a cunt to their face, but isn’t…
5 Reasons Why TV Remakes Almost Never Work
NBC just cancelled Ironside and did that lesson teach them that maybe TV remakes of old TV shows aren’t such a good idea? Hell no! They’ve just green lit new remakes of “Remington Steele” and “Murder, She Wrote.” Yikes… Don’t get me wrong, TV adaptations are hotter than ever (The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, even True…
Movie Review: “Blackfish” the Doc that Doesn’t Make Me Hate SeaWorld
I skipped this documentary in theaters, but luckily CNN is somehow airing docs that only just recently left the multiplex. [I’m talking this film and “Pandora’s Promise” only just left screens in August and they’re now on a basic cable channel, which is unheard of and better than Netflix.] What Works: The film is an…
Petty Issues: Kerry Washington’s “Secret” Pregnancy, Obama’s Bad Numbers, LAX Gets Worse
Obama’s poll numbers hit a record low but something tells me he doesn’t much give a shit. I suspect he has a “Countdown to Leaving Hell” calendar set for the exact day he leaves office, and has already written his “I’m getting too old for this shit” leaving office speech. Kim Kardashian was proposed to…
Fast Food Critic: Arby’s Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich
Another example in meaningless adjectives appealing to our subconscious nature Arby’s new “Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich” is neither from a smokehouse nor true brisket, although it is technically a sandwich. More and more fast food chains are throwing in mouthwatering adjectives like “Asiago,” “garden,” or “fresh,” to sell the same damn chicken sandwich they’ve always been…
Movie Review: The Counselor
This will go down as one of the all-time biggest bait-and-switches in movie history. You’ve got an excellent cast (Brad Pitt in ambiguous mode, Penelope Cruz as the sexy fiancee, Javier Bardem in colorful mode, Michael Fassbender as the compromised hero, and Cameron Diaz as the villain), a prestige director, and the first original screenplay…
Movie Review: The Fifth Estate
A total bomb of a movie that had a pitiful 2 million dollar opening weekend (the worst of the year for a wide release). I’m not sure why people were so disinterested in seeing the story of Julian Assange and Wikileaks, and I guess this means people really aren’t interested in whistle blowing or the…
Movie Review: “Bad Grandpa”
Do you think an old man getting into outrageous situations is funny? Do you think a little kid getting into outrageous situations is funny? Well, you’ll need to because that’s pretty much the only two jokes “Bad Grandpa” has got. What Works: The idea of giving a Jackass hidden-camera-style movie a thin plot—-a young boy’s grandpa has…