Movies and TV shows John is looking forward to in 2017 (Commentary)
Here are 10 movies and TV shows I’m looking forward to as a new entertainment year begins:
John’s top 10 TV shows of 2015
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
First episode impressions: ‘Fargo’ Season 2 (TV reivew)
Executive producer and lead writer Noah Hawley positions his chess pieces for another year of murder, crime-syndicate maneuvering and Minnes-ooh-ta accents and quirks in the premiere of “Fargo” (10 p.m. Eastern Mondays on FX) Season 2. This a brand-new story, but similar to the relationship between “Fear the Walking Dead” and its parent show, it is a
Fall TV 2015: 6 returning favorites worth checking out (Commentary)
The ax fell fairly lightly on TV shows at the end of last season, and as a result we have a nice selection of returning shows to choose from. Here are the six I’m most looking forward to, ranked in order of my anticipation for them:
Movies, TV, books and comics John is looking forward to in 2015 (Commentary)
Here are 10 movies, TV series, books and comics I’m looking forward to in 2015: “Marvel’s Agent Carter” (TV show, Jan. 6, pictured) – While I’m not a huge fan of the Marvel movie franchise, I have found some things to like about the sort-of-Joss-Whedon-produced “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” This eight-episode ABC prequel has my interest
John’s top 10 TV shows of 2014
These were my 10 favorite shows of 2014: 1. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (Season 6, Netflix) – “The Clone Wars” saves the best for last with arcs delving into the Order 66 brainwashing, Palpatine’s manipulations to take over the galactic banking system, and Yoda’s surprising encounter with a dark avatar and his first communication with a
The shows of summer – from ‘Fargo’ to ‘Garfunkel and Oates’ (TV commentary)
In this age of hook-laden, high-concept summer TV shows, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. “Fargo” (FX) maintained its momentum all the way through its first season, culminating in Tom Hanks’ son satisfyingly blowing away Billy Bob Thornton’s almost parodically vile Lorne Malvo. And it looks like “The Strain” (9 p.m. Central Sundays, FX) is in
Taking a stand against plot holes, or: How the heck did Lester sneak back in to his hospital room?
TV and movie commentary: The “X-Men” saga and recent episodes of “Fargo,” “Hannibal” and “24: Live Another Day” have suffered from plot holes.
John’s 10 favorite TV characters at the moment (Commentary)
The recent return of “24” further solidifies that this is an age of shock-value TV, where the body count of main characters is more valued than good character building. But TV’s reputation as a character medium isn’t dead yet. Here are 10 reasons why:
First episode impressions: ‘Fargo’ (TV review)
I have mixed feelings about the 1996 Coen Brothers movie “Fargo”: I can appreciate the craftsmanship, yet it’s also not really my thing, with its moments of extreme violence. I feel much the same way about the stylistically faithful TV series (9 p.m. Central Tuesdays on FX), but I think I’ll stick with it a while thanks to Billy