Palladinos deliver a second great show with ‘Bunheads’ (2012-13)
One-season wonders (TV review): Lightning strikes twice for the Palladinos, but this show isn’t blessed with the long run of “Gilmore Girls.”
Teen Drama
‘Scream: The TV Series’ tries out horror-satire hybrid on small screen
First episode impressions (TV review): Ghostface makes a transition to the small screen — more or less.
‘It Follows’ masterfully blends horror and coming-of-age genres (Movie review)
“It Follows,” the first great horror film of the year, mixes nightmare imagery with a poignant coming-of-age drama with a travelogue of economically depressed Detroit. The end result is something greater than the sum of its […]
‘The Fault in Our Stars’ romanticizes cancer … beautifully (Movie review)
Have the Kleenex ready for “The Fault in Our Stars,” a story about a teen stricken with the death sentence of cancer. Or have your stress pills ready. This movie, based on the popular young-adult novel by […]
‘Veronica Mars’ is back, and it’s like she never left
Movie review: “Veronica Mars’ ” jump from the small to big screen is among the triumphs of the Kickstarter age.
Shows set in past, future can illuminate present – if they dare (TV commentary)
Awhile back, I engaged in a chicken-or-egg-style argument with a co-worker about mid-20th-century civil rights legislation: Were the laws piggybacking on public sentiment, or did they shape public sentiment? The more I think about it, […]
Spectacular performances make ‘Spectacular Now’ worth seeing (Movie review)
Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber have carved out a niche by making movies in familiar genres but with a fresh perspective. “(500) Days of Summer” (2009) was a romance movie with two rare […]
Liam James breaks out amid stellar cast in lovable ‘The Way Way Back’ (Movie review)
Between “The Descendants” — one of my top 10 movies of 2011 — and this summer’s “The Way Way Back,” screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash have become the masters of sweet-natured, gorgeous-looking, slice-of-life movies. This one […]
The top 10 episodes of ‘Veronica Mars’ Season 3 (2006-07)
TV review: “Veronica” switches to a new network and a slightly new format in the final season of its original run.
The top 10 episodes of ‘Veronica Mars’ Season 2 (2005-06)
TV review: Thought not as satisfying as Season 1, Season 2 is still compelling as Veronica probes a bus explosion mystery.