So last night I watched the HBO TV film Too Big Too Fail, and even though I was already well versed in what led to the economic disaster of 2008, some things still surprised me. 1. Exactly what went into the behind the scenes negotiations the days of and how much power the banks actually…
Fast Food Critic: Soul Daddy, When Reality TV Tries to Open Restaurants
Today brings something new to The Fast Food Critic. First, we get to do a crossover with a TV Review I ran a few weeks back for America’s Next Great Restaurant, NBC’s reality competition to see who could make a restaurant that Chipotle founder, Judge, and uber bitch Steve Ells (who looks and acts like…
Entertainment Editorial: Forget the GOP nomination, Who Will Be the New Manager on The Office?
So last Thursday the search began for an official replacement for Steve Carell’s long reigning, brain dead manager Michael Scott. The two episodes before that were standalone episodes featuring different managers to good effect (Will Ferrell’s favorites playing boss Deangelo) and bad effect (after 7 long seasons of coveting the job you can’t have Dwight…
TV Review: The Borgias
Last night saw the first season finale of the new Showtime series The Borgias (after only 9 episodes which really feels like a problem that a first season show ran out of material that fast but anyway…). Problem is, the show doesn’t feel that new. Indeed, Showtime is the network that brought us The Tudors,…
Movie Review: Thor
By now everyone in the country that is going to see this movie already has, so you’ll be glad to know I would recommend it. I mean, after all, you don’t want to spend your money on a movie and then find out I wouldn’t recommend it two weeks later ;) What Works: The Asgard…
Sunday’s Sermons: Armageddon, The Weird Sensation of Looking Forward to The End
So yesterday was May 21st and–if we believe some true believers–the world should have ended. It’s fair to note that most Christians didn’t actually believe this was the day, and that only one mega church (led by 89 year old doomsday-er Harold Camping) really pushed this date as the end. BUT it wasn’t just followers…
Bubba’s Sex Tips 8: Picking Up Chicks at Armageddon
So apparently there were some true believers that thought the world should end today. Imagine the strange sensation of being disappointed to wake up today “We’re alive!…oh wait…well damn…”. I know I can just imagine there were a lot of heartbroken chicks out there. They’ve been told over and over again that their one true…
Interviews with the Invisible: The Tornado Survivor
Today we’re going to be talking with a recent survivor of the tornadoes that ripped through the state of Alabama, Brett Hamock, a Tuscaloosa based lawyer with Hamock & Ellenberg. We’re going to talk about the realities of owning your own business, Alabama’s business laws, life post-tornado, and if Obama did a good job with…
Larger Editorial: Defending Teacher Unions, the Most Misunderstood Organization in America
Blaming teacher unions for what’s wrong with public education is like blaming the coal miner’s union for the pollution a coal company causes. But yet, in everything from the worthless documentary Waiting for Superman—which faked an interest in probing what’s wrong with public education before taking the easy way out in blaming education unions—to the…
Working Class Economist: You Don’t Have to be a Socialist to Think Fiscal Conservatives Are Out of Control
“Socialist.” That one word is thrown around more than any other by the right wing trying to dismiss or slander anyone from me to President Obama. And since it’s hard to factually shoot down–unlike Obama not being born in the US–it lingers a lot longer, existing in that nebulous region of rumors you don’t have…
Monday Morning Movie Reviewer: Bridesmaids, a let down
Most of the time I’m perfectly in line with what other critics think, and we get to stand alone dissing movies that the general public goes to see in droves (hello Hop). Or sometimes I don’t like a movie the critics do, but since the general public doesn’t either, I don’t have to feel too…
Monday Morning Movie Reviewer: African Cats
Am I wrong for liking this movie as much as I did? I’m not the biggest lover of nature documentaries out there, in fact, I can’t make it through one without falling asleep, but I really enjoyed this one. What Works: This thing is as interesting as it possibly could be. Samuel L. Jackson provides…
Monday Morning Movie Reviewer: Something Borrowed, Something Shitty
I saw the movie Something Borrowed this weekend…wait, stop throwing eggs at me… What Worked: Most valuable player John Krasinski stole the movie with just a few lines, exhausted reaction shots, and by being the only character in the movie with any sense. What Didn’t Work: Kate Hudson looks like Kathleen Turner. Jennifer Goodwin has…