‘Pitch Perfect 3’ is completely off key in formerly fun franchise’s finale (Movie review)
“Pitch Perfect 3” (2017), now available for home viewing, is an unfortunately perfect example of a franchise that keeps going after it has run out of good ideas. Following the fun and catchy original (2013) and the ultimately winning sequel (2015), the third entry is a mishmash of a concept it doesn’t commit to, a
‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ reviews
John’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” flashback review, johnvhansen.com, Sept. 13, 2016 John’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” review, Brainerd Dispatch, Aug. 21, 2008
‘The Greatest Showman’ wears its heart and its flaws on its sleeve (Movie review)
I was in the tank for “The Greatest Showman” from the first trailer, so take my brief remarks here with a grain of salt.
One-season wonders: ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ (2008) (TV review)
So I’ve finished my rewatches of all the Joss Whedon series between 1997-2010 except one – and it’s the most unusual one. “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” (2008) is three 15-minute web episodes that add up to length of one TV episode. It was penned by Whedon and his brothers Zack and Jed and Jed’s wife Maurissa Tancharoen
John’s top 10 songs from ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ so far (TV commentary)
Two new shows I kept on my viewing schedule have already been canceled – “Wicked City” and, for all intents and purposes, “Minority Report,” which had its episode order cut to 10. But the TV networks have kept the best fall show: “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” I’m setting myself up for more disappointment, perhaps, as I’m now not only
First episode impressions: ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (TV review)
After a fairly awful September of new show premieres, October is off to a much better start with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (8 p.m. Eastern Mondays on The CW), a delightfully note-perfect mashup of genres from Rachel Bloom, who came up through the ranks of “Robot Chicken” and self-produced YouTube comedy videos.
First episode impressions: ‘Smash’ (TV review)
I have to confess that I generally don’t enjoy musicals. With the notable exception of the “Buffy” musical episode, the genre doesn’t work for me. Most musicals are repetitive, using songs to emphasize what we already saw in the between-songs scenes; many of them repeat the same song multiple times; and often the overall story
Midseason TV preview: The momentum continues? (Commentary)
Fall 2011 served up so many good shows, and so few of them have been canceled, that it’s easy to overlook the midseason premieres. Yet the networks have found a few open slots. I have a feeling the top two on this list will be really good, furthering this season’s status as the best since
Where have all the epic season finales gone? (TV commentary)
For as long as I can remember, TV has served up an epic season finale or two every May. In recent years, up until 2010, there were the season-enders of “24” and “Lost.” Before that, we had “Buffy” and “The X-Files,” just to scratch the surface.