‘American Dreams’ Season 3 review
“American Dreams” Season 3 (2004-05, NBC), episodes 1-5 – Like the new show “Jack & Bobby,” “American Dreams” conjures up better days, but it looks to the past instead of the future. It lionizes the […]
Music
‘American Dreams’ Season 1 review
“American Dreams” Season 1 (2002-03, NBC) – OK, I’m not going so far as to say this series is actually good, but the “American Bandstand” segments and pre-Vietnam innocence are charming enough that I’ll continue […]
‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ reviews
John’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” flashback review, johnvhansen.com, Sept. 13, 2016 John’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” review, Brainerd Dispatch, Aug. 21, 2008
16 years ago, geek culture transitioned to the mainstream (Commentary)
Geek culture is indisputably mainstream today (as evidenced by the 57 superhero shows on TV), but that wasn’t always the case. So when did the transition happen? It was a gradual process, but I like […]
‘Pitch Perfect 3’ ends the franchise on a low note (Movie review)
“Pitch Perfect 3” is far and away the weakest film in the franchise. It feels incomplete yet somehow oddly overstuffed, with some story elements that feel extremely out of place.
‘The Greatest Showman’ wears its heart and its flaws on its sleeve (Movie review)
I was in the tank for “The Greatest Showman” from the first trailer, so take my brief remarks here with a grain of salt.
‘Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ reviews
John’s “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” Completely Random Slice of Pop Culture column, Brainerd Dispatch, Oct. 9, 2008 John’s top 10 movies of 2008, May 6, 2009 John’s “Nick & Norah: One movie that’s better […]
‘Walk the Line’ review
“Walk the Line” – He wasn’t just a guy with a cool voice who dressed in black. Country legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) also swooned over a woman (Reese Witherspoon’s June Carter), battled a pill […]
‘Almost Famous’ review
NDSU Spectrum: Movie review ‘Almost Famous’ makes you feel all warm and fuzzy By JOHN HANSEN Oct. 13, 2000 “Almost Famous” is so relentlessly warm and fuzzy that at times I just hoped for a […]