First episode impressions: ‘Atlanta’ (TV review)
I put off sampling the first hour of “Atlanta” (10 p.m. Tuesdays on FX) for a couple weeks because I knew I’d have a tough time watching police beat up an unarmed man, which happens in the […]
Comedy
One-season wonders: ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ (2008) (TV review)
So I’ve finished my rewatches of all the Joss Whedon series between 1997-2010 except one – and it’s the most unusual one. “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” (2008) is three 15-minute web episodes that add up to length […]
Appealing leads give heart to funny but formulaic ‘Bad Moms’ (Movie review)
Whereas “Bad Teacher” and “Bad Santa” played up the jokes in their titles – wouldn’t it be funny if a teacher or a Santa was monumentally bad at their job? – “Bad Moms” goes a bit deeper. […]
‘Mike and Dave’ need wedding dates, but have no shortage of laughs (Movie review)
“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” takes a clever premise, casts the right actors and peppers the narrative with solid gags for an hour and a half of exactly the kind of stupid humor the trailer […]
First episode impressions: ‘Roadies’ (TV review)
“Roadies” (10 p.m. Eastern Sundays on Showtime), the new series from Cameron Crowe, feels a little more like “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” or “Love Monkey” than it feels like “Almost Famous.” The pilot episode […]
‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’ falls apart after stating its funny premise (Movie review)
“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” kicks off an unofficial summer trilogy of “women acting as stupid as men” comedies, but I expect “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” and “Bad Moms” will be vastly better. This sequel […]
10 random observations about ‘Groundhog Day’ (Movie commentary)
Here are 10 random observations about one of the greatest comedic dramas – or dramatic comedies – of all time: “Groundhog Day” (1993). I’ll try to not make the list too repetitive.
‘Trainwreck’ derailed by unlikable main character, boring 2nd half (Movie review)
“Trainwreck” (now available from Redbox) is a surprisingly boring theatrical debut from screenwriter and lead actor Amy Schumer, who has shown signs of genius in her half-hour sketch show “Inside Amy Schumer.” It has some nice […]
New ‘Vacation’ is no classic, but it has enough laughs to be worth a rental (Movie review)
The fifth theatrical release in National Lampoon’s “Vacation” series – which confusingly has the exact same title as the first entry — has enough laughs to be worth a rental (it’s now available from Redbox). […]
First episode impressions: ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (TV review)
After a fairly awful September of new show premieres, October is off to a much better start with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (8 p.m. Eastern Mondays on The CW), a delightfully note-perfect mashup of genres from Rachel Bloom, who […]