I give a list of the shows I will be watching starting now through the summer. Mad Men and Game of Thrones have already premiered, so I've been watching those. But there's still more to anticipate, especially Breaking Bad's final eight episodes.
What do Leonardo DiCaprio, Joaquin Phoenix, and Idris Elba all have in common? Along with seven other beautiful, talented men? They've never won an Academy Award for Best Actor. I would not be surprised if any of these ten actors were either nominated or awarded an Oscar within the next several years. Hopefully, I won't have given up on the silly award show by the time they make it.
I'm excited for many, many films in 2013. It promises to be a great year. Here I just name five of the ones I'm especially looking forward to, and I add several "honorable mentions" that, to be honest, on any other day, might have made the top five list. These include new work from directors Steve McQueen, Lars von Trier, Jeff Nichols, Sarah Polley, and Richard Linklater, with actors Michael Fassbender, Michael Shannon, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
In this feature, I list ten actors and actresses, under the age of 30, who have become magnets for me to go see a film. Some have already become stars, while others are still relatively under the radar. My favorite youngsters include Jennifer Lawrence, Elle Fanning, Michael B. Jordan, and, yes, Robert Pattinson.
I here choose my favorite actors, actresses, films, directors, and screenplays to win at the 2013 Academy Awards. Among my favorites are The Master, Amour, and Frankenweenie.
I here list the television comedies and dramas I will be watching - and hopefully enjoying - over the next couple months. The best of 2013's winter television includes HBO's Girls, FX's Justified, and the return of AMC's The Walking Dead.
Here are a few of the films I highly appreciated from 2012, from the engrossing The Master to the lighter fare of Moonrise Kingdom.
It's already December, so I've made a (preliminary) list of my top 10 (actually 12) shows of the 2012 TV season. The series I loved include five comedies and five dramas, with the great Homeland, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad topping the list in a tie. But the funny stuff isn't far behind, with Louie, Girls and more.
In light of some recent heavy between-meal snack eating, I've decided to share my U.S. packaged food fun with my fellow TV and Film watchers. We have to stay alert during these great experiences, don't we? I here start with yogurt, a personal favorite snack. I also include a film recommendation: Costa-Gavras's 1969 classic Z. Guessed the connection?
In light of Halloween, I have made a list of some of the best horror directors and the films that set them apart. In order to qualify, they have to have made at least two great horror movies. Any of these will do to make your Halloween weekend a truly terrifying one.
With the fall television season starting just next week, I'm here hurriedly giving my personal recommendations. My most anticipated dramas are Homeland and Boardwalk Empire, and I'm most happy to see the return of the comedies Parks and Recreation and Community. But it's going to be a fun three months, and it'll help us transition out of this (unbearably) hot weather to the quiet cold of November.
Here I have listed ten of the best directorial debut films from 2002 to 2012. I'm always on the lookout for what these directors are doing next. They include Steve McQueen, Jeff NIchols, and Duncan Jones, all of whom have released their sophomore films since. Others have yet to make a second appearance. It's good to know current, young directors are making some great films. No nostalgia here for the past.
The BAFICI Animados film festival will run from July 26 - July 29 and will offer a solid selection of notable animated films, from Argentina and abroad, and for children and adults. Films are screened at the Centro Cultural San Martín and include Japan's The Secret World of Arrietty, Argentina's Metegol, and USA's Ted.
The 2012 Emmy Award nominations were just announced, and I've listed the main ones here along with my picks for favorites. My top choices include Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Giancarlo Esposito, Lena Dunham, Claire Danes, and Louis C.K. I was sad to see the likes of Louie, Community, Walton Goggins, and Parks and Recreation not nominated; but these are mostly good, strong choices.
I discuss the recent success of females in TV comedic roles. HBO has been bringing female comedians to the forefront with shows like Englightened, Girls, and Veep. Networks are trying their hands with New Girl and The Mindy Project, while already offering Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. I list several others while calling on certain channels to step up their game.
I list the series, both comedies and dramas, that I'll be watching starting this June. Summer television is usually not very reliable, but with series like Breaking Bad and Louie, it's hard to complain. These beat out probably most, if not all, fall television as the best shows around. It will be sad to see Mad Men, Girls and Game of Thrones end, but I'll be happy to welcome back these wonderful series, as well as others like Wilfred and True Blood.
I list the ten movies competing at Cannes that I would love to be able to see. I hope to one day have the honor of assisting the Cannes film festival, but until then, I'll have to wait for pirated versions, art-house theater screenings, or DVD releases. Among my favorites from this year are films from fantastic directors Haneke, Loach, Kiarostami, and Resnais.
I reflect on the supposed "new" wave of female-oriented television fare. While questioning the authenticity of "girl" shows, I have high hopes for HBO's new series Girls, written by and starring the talented (lady) Lena Dunham. I also comment on some chick movies from the past, like Last Days of Disco and The Craft (remember those?)
I here give my two most anticipated drama returns of the Spring season - in addition to Mad Men, of course; as well as list some of the comedies that will be premiering in April or returning after short breaks. Are you ready to see if The Killing has any real juice? Or if Game of Thrones can continue its greatness? Can Community be funny again? Let's hope.
Here I've posted my picks for favorite Oscar nominees. Choices include Tree of Life, Moneyball, The Artist, and A Separation. Read on for the full list of nominations and my selections.
Here they are: my 10 (+5) favorite drama series of 2011. Breaking Bad topped the list and The Hour rounded it, but I couldn't help sneaking in a runner-up spot for The Walking Dead, which greatly improved upon its debut season. Some series surprised me with how good they were (Boardwalk Empire) and others just continued to prove themselves the best (Mad Men). Read on for the full list plus links to my year's posts discussing to these great shows.
The year is not over yet and I have yet to see the majority of the recommended films, but I've posted this very temporary top list with thirteen of my favorites. I surely forgot a few and will be adding more as the year ends, 2012 begins, and I manage to see the rest of the films that will most likely make my final list. Melancholia is currently at the top and Moneyball finishes it off. Read for the rest!
Ever considered starting a family business? You might think again if you catch Pawn Stars on the History channel. It's on Monday night at 8:30 PM EST, and it features TV's most popular Las Vegas family business.
Fully prepared for fall television, I've here listed the dramas and comedies I'll be watching. Amongst my most anticipated returning shows are Downton Abbey, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parks and Recreation, Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire and Dexter. I also feature the new series I'm checking out, which include AMC's Hell on Wheels, HBO's Enlightened, Spielberg vehicle Terra Nova, and Will Arnett comedy Up All Night. What will you be watching?
The 2011 Emmy nominees are in! I've here listed some of the main (non-reality-show) categories and taken a stab at who I think should win. Among my favorites are the dramas Friday Night Lights and Mad Men; the great dramatic actors Jon Hamm, Kyle Chandler, Walton Goggins, and Margo Martindale; the comedy Parks and Recreations; and the comedic actors Louis C.K. and Amy Poehler. Plus I list some of the shows and people I thought were wrongly snubbed, chief among them Katey Sagal and Sons of Anarchy.
Summer television programming is about to take off, and I wanted to get a word in about what I'll be watching and why. These are all shows I recommend for the TV-hungry viewer with a few hours to kill in the summer heat. I'm the most excited for AMC's Breaking Bad, but there's also HBO's True Blood to strongly look forward to. Other shows of interest include The Big C, Misfits, Top Chef: Just Desserts, & more.
The nominees for the first ever Critics' Choice Television Awards have been announced. Many are deserving, but there are some huge gaps (No Breaking Bad, for example). In this feature, I list all the nominess as well as give my personal choices to win and reasons why. Favorites include Mad Men (& its cast) and Parks and Recreation (& its cast), but I also show love for Friday Night Lights, Justified, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
There's nothing quite like dedicating yourself to a show for three or more often emotionally grueling seasons - and then having to say goodbye. Just like that, no more episodes, no more plot lines, no more character life. But some shows make it easier for us. Some end giving us a sense of closure that satisfies, once and for all, our taste for that particular show. These are five television series that did that for me.
It's Brando's 87th birthday today, April 3, and to celebrate I've re-visited five great Brando films, any of which should or could be watched in honor of a truly amazing actor who, although passing in 2004, has left us with an outstanding array of roles. He is one of the main reasons I learned to love watching movies. Remaining an utter mystery to me despite having watched him in dozens of films, Brando is still the most beautiful, engaging actor to have ever graced the screen. I've here listed five but there are plenty, plenty more. Enjoy!
From April 6 to April 17, 400+ films will be shown throughout the city of Buenos Aires as part of the annual BAFICI film festival. In anticipation, I've here given some early recommendations as well as useful information/links to ease your festival experience. I will be posting participating and competing film reviews all during the festival and the days following. Please feel free to participate in the discussion, either on this site or elsewhere. And please, if you're in Buenos Aires, check out at least one of the many fabulous films.
There are so often series that survive on television just long enough to draw us in and make us care– and consequently lust after them once they get, to our horror though not always shock, quickly canceled. For some reason or other they don't find a large enough audience and networks decide to shut them down. For our part, we do what we can to keep them going (letters, campaigns, blog posts, etc.), but eventually have to settle for the few seasons (or, in some cases, lone season) we are lucky enough to have. This is an ode to eleven programs I was very sad to see come to a too-early end.
The Oscars were a huge dissapointment, but we should try to find something good in them, right? Here I've posted some of the "highlights" (a stretch, I know) of the show.
I here order the 2011 Oscar-nominated films and directors as I have preferred them over the last few weeks.
Inspired by the amazing character of Sheldon Cooper, I've made a list of ten great comedic characters currently seen on United States television. You can always rely on these men and women to make you laugh.
A strange genre has evolved – that of exploring the notion of institutions, private or government, "breeding" humans for the sole purpose of being organ donors. I take a look at how the story has taken new shape in 2010's "Never Let Me Go". It's come a long way since the 2005 disaster "The Island," but still has ways to go.
Ten films to get the mood going, remind you of the importance of love, or simply put a smile on your face. Valentine's Day is about much more than couples dining out, being "asked" to be a valentine, or feeling anxious about single life. It's about feeling romantic– alone, with friends or family, or with your of-the-moment or long-lasting "significant other."
Every year, the Oscars present us with 24 predictable winners – who more often than not are undeserved. This year will be no different. Here are the nominees, followed by my predictions and personal favorites, for eight of those categories.
These are ten directors, both seasoned and rookies, who brought something amazing to the big screen in an otherwise quite dull decade of movies.
It's tough to start a new web site, but I'm trying. Here's what I've come up with thus far – including "Best Of 2010" lists and a take on the Golden Globes –, plus what you have to look forward to in the coming days.
I here briefly lay out some of my reactions to a moderately entertaining night with Hollywood – from a great host under-appreciated by grumpy egotistical actors to mind-numbing predictability.
In lieu of the shortage of worthy cinema, 2010 was blessed with fantastic returning television series. I have here made a list of my favorite programs from 2010.
The best films of the year were incredibly paced "dramas" fueled by mood-setting and invigorated with true-to-life rawness. Here I put together my personal in-progress list.
Two of this year's top awards contenders have won my vote for the "All Buzz, No Sting" prize - awarded to films that promise more than they can deliver. The shame should fall to the critics for not doing their jobs and to us for blindly listening to them. Read on to learn who the lucky two are.