These were my 10 favorite movies of 2015: 1. “Spotlight” — This chronicle of the Boston Globe’s 2001-02 probe of rape allegations in the Catholic Church is a thank-you letter to the dying art of investigative journalism. An all-star cast of actors including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber does a marvelous job of […]
I’m not as big of a Christmas movie guy as I am a Christmas TV guy, but I have settled on my answer – at least for now – when someone asks me my favorite Christmas movie: “Gremlins”(1984). Growing up, I was more familiar with the 45 rpm read-along record, which in many ways is actually scarier than […]
Movie review/commentary: Poll results say “Die Hard” isn’t a Christmas movie. It makes me wonder if Americans should be trusted to vote on anything.
These were my 10 favorite TV shows of 2015: 1. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (Season 1, The CW) – In blending musical numbers, broad comedy and genuine character drama about a troubled 20-something, Rachel Bloom’s brainchild is the most ambitious show of the year. By doing all three of those things well (particularly the musical numbers, which are consistently […]
The casting of black actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in J.K. Rowling’s new “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” stage play – set a couple decades after the books/movies – has opened up a minefield (or treasure trove, depending on your point of view) of discussion about continuity, color-blind casting, double standards and, inevitably, racism. I personally […]
“The Clone Wars” was unceremoniously canceled by Disney in 2013, but almost without exception, the cast hasn’t let that shoddy treatment diminish their love of “Star Wars.” Most of them try to stay involved in the saga and entertain the fans. For example, James Arnold Taylor hosts a “Star Wars” debate web series called “A Certain Point […]
“Star by Star” (2001), the ninth book in the “New Jedi Order” series and the first “Star Wars” novel by Troy Denning, is a rough one. I had put off my “NJO” re-read for a long time largely because of my dread of this 606-page behemoth. Whereas reading most of this series is a pleasure, this […]
“Spotlight” almost brought tears to my eyes with the way it respectfully portrays the Boston Globe’s 2001-02 investigation into the Boston Catholic church’s systemic sexual abuse of children by its priests. In the vein of “All the President’s Men” and “Zodiac,” “Spotlight” is a procedural about the down-and-dirty details of investigative newspaper work, and it might […]
I’m a die-hard “Star Wars” fan who isn’t looking forward to “Episode VII: The Force Awakens,”which opens on Friday. And it’s extremely weird, awkward and uncomfortable. When people ask me if I’m looking forward to the film, I’ve found the best answer is “Not particularly. I’m a fan of George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars,’ but not so […]
“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 comedic moments, particularly in the early going, but it becomes almost unwatchably boring about halfway through before recovering slightly with […]