Have I mentioned that I love ‘Life Unexpected?’ (TV commentary)
I don’t get as emotionally involved in the cancellation of shows as I used to (“Angel” in 2004 was the last one that really hurt). I just try to look at all shows as being […]
Romance
My new favorite show is an ‘Unexpected’ pleasure (TV commentary)
I’m not surprised that “Life Unexpected” (8 p.m. Central Mondays, The CW) is good — after all, the cast is incredible and exec producer Liz Tigelaar boasts an impressive resume with “What About Brian” and other credits […]
On ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ DVDs, the song doesn’t remain the same (and that’s a problem)
TV commentary: The show is ruined by not having its original music. Classics are replaced by generic tracks that scream “straight-to-video movie.”
6 ways J.D. Salinger influenced modern pop culture (Book commentary)
Like everyone, I think “Catcher in the Rye” is a brilliant book. I think J.D. Salinger’s other three books (actually compilations of his magazine short stories and novellas) range from very good to OK — […]
‘The Invention of Lying’ is great, and that’s the truth (Movie review)
Sort of like “Idiocracy” or that Mel Gibson picture where he could read women’s minds, “The Invention of Lying” (now on DVD) posits an alternate reality and then has fun exploring it with a series of “What […]
‘Adam’ shows how hard Asperger’s is to portray on film, but it’s a noble effort (Movie review)
Asperger’s syndrome is an internally dramatic condition. Outwardly, the person comes off as antisocial, but that’s not the inner truth. Aspies don’t provide facial expressions that cue the insight into their minds. Also, they have […]
Midseason preview: My favorite actresses return, but will their shows be any good? (TV commentary)
Three of my favorite actresses return to TV this midseason, and that’s probably a good thing, but I’m a little ambivalent. In TV, I often start to think of a performer as being their character, […]
2 films from ‘Arrested Development’ alums – ‘Extract’ and ‘Paper Heart’ – are interesting failures (Movie reviews)
I’m not crazy about Blockbuster’s (and most video stores’) decision in recent years to get rid of most of their old stock and focus heavily on new releases. That’s why I don’t casually visit video […]
John’s favorite movies of the Aughts (Commentary)
Next, here are my top 10 … OK, 20 … movies of the Aughts. 1. “Garden State” (2004) — I’m not going to lie: This is just a romantic fairy tale — average Joe finds true love with […]
John’s favorite TV shows of the Aughts (Commentary)
Next, here are my top 10 TV shows. Some started in the ’90s, but for this list, I am just showing the years they aired during this decade. This top 10 is front-loaded (the most […]