The 20 best female ‘Star Wars’ villains before Captain Phasma
Commentary: Captain Phasma is not the first female “Star Wars” villain, let alone the best. Here are my picks for the best female “Star Wars” villains.
Lists and Rankings
10 ‘first’ female ‘Star Wars’ villains before Phasma
Commentary:Despite the hype, Phasma is not the first female “Star Wars” villain. Here are 10 other characters who could stake that claim.
The 10 best short stories in ‘The X-Files: Trust No One’ (Book review)
“The X-Files” returned to comics in 2013, it will return to the small-screen for six episodes starting on Jan. 24, and last year it returned to bookshelves with “Trust No One,” a collection of short stories published […]
Movies and TV shows John is looking forward to in 2016 (Commentary)
Here are some movies and TV shows on my radar in the year ahead: “The 5th Wave” (movie, Jan. 22) – Chloe Grace Moretz stars in this “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” riff. While the preview […]
John’s top 10 movies of 2015
These were my 10 favorite movies of 2015: 1. “Spotlight” — This chronicle of the Boston Globe’s 2001-02 probe of rape allegations in the Catholic Church is a thank-you letter to the dying art of investigative journalism. […]
10 random observations about the Christmas classic ‘Gremlins’ (Movie commentary)
I’m not as big of a Christmas movie guy as I am a Christmas TV guy, but I have settled on my answer – at least for now – when someone asks me my favorite […]
John’s top 10 TV shows of 2015
These were my 10 favorite TV shows of 2015: 1. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (Season 1, The CW) – In blending musical numbers, broad comedy and genuine character drama about a troubled 20-something, Rachel Bloom’s brainchild is the most […]
John’s top 10 songs from ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ so far (TV commentary)
Two new shows I kept on my viewing schedule have already been canceled – “Wicked City” and, for all intents and purposes, “Minority Report,” which had its episode order cut to 10. But the TV […]
The 25 biggest ‘Star Wars’ Expanded Universe unanswered questions (Books and comics commentary)
Before its cancellation in 2014, the “Star Wars” Expanded Universe (now called Legends) was a treasure trove of interconnected stories, creative retcons, and – admittedly – a fair number of unanswered questions and plot holes […]
Fall TV 2015: 2 PKD adaptations and 5 other new shows worth checking out (Commentary)
The laboratories of innovation are churning away in the world of TV. Competition from cable, pay cable and – most recently and importantly – Internet streaming has led to the formerly unheard-of sight of network […]