Teen Drama

Pitch-black ‘Thoroughbreds’ a meditative portrait of empathy-challenged teenagers (Movie review)

People who lack emotions, ironically, can spur conflicted emotions in filmgoers. As Amanda (“Ready Player One’s” Olivia Cooke) says in “Thoroughbreds,” since she doesn’t feel

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‘Blockers’ is a sweet but safe gender-swapped ‘American Pie’ (Movie review)

The films of the “American Pie” trilogy open with Jim caught in an embarrassing – and to the audience, hilarious – sexual situation by his

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‘Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger’ aims for teen viewers on Freeform

Writer and showrunner Joe Pokaski, no doubt drawing on what he learned as a writer on “Daredevil,” has crafted another winner for the Marvel Cinematic

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‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ and 9 other movies John wouldn’t mind seeing in Summer 2018

The idea of “summer movies” is already past its time, as “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War” prove that “summer” is now year-round in the

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First episode impressions: ‘Rise’ (TV review)

I was never involved in theater in school, but I learned to appreciate it during my years covering arts and entertainment for newspapers (even if my

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Gerwig delivers beautiful love letter to Sacramento, but Lady Bird herself remains a cipher (Movie review)

“Lady Bird,” now available from Redbox, didn’t totally connect with me, and since the glowing theatrical reviews and awards are long since in, that statement

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‘Everything Sucks!’ mostly gets 1996 right, definitely gets the pain of first love right (TV review)

“Everything Sucks!” (Netflix), the first season of which includes 10 half-hour episodes, starts off like a second-rate “Freaks and Geeks” but eventually strikes painfully accurate

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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Season 3 reviews

John’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 3 flashback review, johnvhansen.com, Nov. 28, 2011 NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Buffy’: The best show on television By JOHN

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‘The Best Years’ Season 1 review

“The Best Years” Season 1 (2007, The-N), episodes 1-10 – The summer’s most impressive new series, “The Best Years,” is enough to cure any doldrums.

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‘South of Nowhere’ Season 1 review

“South of Nowhere” Season 1 (2005-06, The-N) – “South of Nowhere,” about a conservative religious family that moves from Ohio to Los Angeles, has gotten

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