‘Buffy: Chosen’ a laser-focused study of Nina the Vampire Slayer
Book review: Kiersten White gives us another strong, laser-focused character piece in her second “Buffy” novel, “Chosen.”
Teen Drama
‘Buffy: Chosen’ a laser-focused study of Nina the Vampire Slayer
‘Kick-Ass 2’ (2013) finds its groove
Superhero Saturday (Movie review): This superhero-comedy sequel finds its groove with better jokes and action.
‘Let It Snow’ is a light but watchable Gen Z X-mas gathering (Movie review)
“Let It Snow” (November, Netflix) comes from a 2008 novel co-written by coming-of-age chronicler John Green. It’s adapted by Kay Cannon (“Pitch Perfect”) and two other writers for this who’s-who of Gen Z actors. Although […]
‘Good Boys’ is somehow both the raunchiest and cutest comedy of the year (Movie review)
There were many ways “Good Boys” could go wrong, from over-reliance on the shock value of tweens dropping F-bombs, to kids who can’t act, to recycled “American Pie” gags. But this latest entry from writers […]
‘Blinded by the Light’s’ Pakistani family drama awkwardly mixes with Springsteen tunes (Movie review)
I love the way Javed (Viveik Kalra) loves Bruce Springsteen in “Blinded by the Light.” The Pakistani-British youth sings and dances in the street once he gets the Boss bug. He smiles when listening to […]
Hilarious Florida roast aside, ‘Big Mouth’ takes a step backward with hit-and-miss Season 3 (TV review)
Although “Big Mouth” Season 3 (October, Netflix) ultimately delivers enough good episodes that I give it a soft recommend, it is a clear step back from its first two seasons. In the worst episodes, the […]
‘Roswell’ flashback: ‘Loose Ends’ (2001) (Book review)
After Melinda Metz’s 10-book YA series “Roswell High” (1998-2000) handed the baton to the TV series “Roswell” in 1999, Jason Katims and his writing team took the teens in a different direction from the books. […]
‘Cobra Kai’ shows no mercy to the competition, stays badass in Season 2 (TV review)
With Season 2 (April), which recently wrapped its free-to-all run on YouTube Premium, “Cobra Kai” has secured its spot as the best continuation of a 1980s premise (a surprisingly robust genre lately). The safe, cheesy […]
All 18 episodes of ‘Roswell’ Season 3 (2001-02), ranked
TV review: The star-crossed saga’s swan song on UPN is uneven but certainly has its share of highlights. Here are my rankings of the 18 episodes.
Eulogy for a trope: ‘Looking for Alaska’ turns its Manic Pixie Dream Girl into a full-fledged character (TV review)
The eight-episode Hulu series “Looking for Alaska” shatters the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope while also being one of the best MPDG stories ever told. Walking a delicate tightrope from start to finish, showrunner Josh […]