Book Review: ‘The Playbill Broadway Yearbook: June 2013 to May 2014: Tenth Annual Edition’
The tenth annual edition of The Playbill Broadway Yearbook is out and, as usual, it’s chock full of all things that are wonderful.
Theater Review: ‘Enron’ at Moxie Theatre in San Diego
Lucy Prebble’s Enron, a satiric dramatization of the rise and fall of the now infamous Texas-based energy company, closed way too early when it ran on Broadway. I can see why. I’d think most people in the city for a night out want to escape reality and not want to
Broadway Review: ‘Disgraced’ at the Lyceum Theatre
If you put an ex-Muslim lawyer, an African-American lawyer, a Jewish art curator, and a WASP artist who primary works with Islamic themes in her art together at a dinner party, mix with a few cocktails and professional stress, and then bring up religion and politics, well, you can guess
Documentary Review: ‘Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show’
I’ve been at the mercy of showrunners more times than I can count; auditioning for everything from nice guest star roles all the way to tiny one-liners. And every time, a showrunner has been there. To think, that when I’ve auditioned for even the smallest role, that they are there
Movie Review: Jake Paltrow’s ‘Young Ones’ Starring Michael Shannon, Nichoulas Hoult and Kodi Smit-McPhee
Writer/Director Jake Paltrow must be a huge fan of The Road Warrior because his new film, Young Ones, is a watered down version of George Miller’s classic film. The film is set in the near future where water is the most treasured resource you can have. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon)
Movie Review: ‘My Old Lady’ Starring Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith
After sitting through the mess that was The Last of Robin Hood, where Kevin Kline portrayed the aging swashbuckler Errol Flynn, watching him go toe-to-toe with Maggie Smith in My Old Lady was a welcome treat. Kline plays Mathias Gold, a New Yorker who’s on his last last shot. He’s
Movie Review: Bobcat Goldthwait’s ‘Willow Creek’
I’m not the biggest fan of found footage movies. In fact, I hate them. The last one, Into the Storm, was so awful, I told myself that I’d never see another one again. But, then I found out that Bobcat Goldthwait had directed one and I went back on that
Movie Review: ‘The Last of Robin Hood’ Starring Kevin Kline, Dakota Fanning & Susan Sarandon
Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn is almost no-brainer casting. He’s got the look and can be as suave as anyone on screen. It’s too bad that the script gives him almost nothing to do. The Last of Robin Hood focuses on the last 2 years of Flynn’s life, when the
Movie Review: ‘The Longest Week’ Starring Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde & Billy Crudup
If you’re a fan of Wes Anderson, you might want to check out The Longest Week because it’s got the look and feel of a Wes Anderson movie, minus that whole Wes Anderson part.
Movie Review: ‘Frank’ Starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Domnhall Gleeson
Frank, the new film starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Domnhall Gleeson, screened at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. It was high on my list of films I wanted to see and I tried everything I could to squeeze it into my schedule. But, I just couldn’t make it happen.
Movie Review: ‘The One I Love’ Starring Elizabeth Moss & Mark Duplass
Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass have some terrific moments together in Charlie McDowell’s first feature, The One I Love.
Movie Review: ‘The Calling’ Starring Susan Sarandon, Topher Grace & Donald Sutherland
It’s been far too long since Susan Sarandon has headlined a movie.
Movie Review: ‘The Giver’
The Giver, based on a wildly popular young adult novel by Lois Lowry, is a huge disappointment. The film has a nice cast – Jeff Bridges as the Giver, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes and Brenton Thwaites. But as good as they are, they can’t salvage this mess. The
Movie Review: ‘Into the Storm’
I have two pieces of advice for you: the first is that if you’re ever near a deadly tornado, do not under any circumstance, run into the storm. The second is to run away from the movie Into the Storm because it’s terrible. Into the Storm is another pointless found
Movie Review: Joe Swanberg’s ‘Happy Christmas’ Starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey & Lena Dunham
When I saw Joe Swanberg‘s Drinking Buddies at SXSW, I was in heaven. The all-improvised film about employees working at a small brewery was teriffic and I loved every second of it. You can read my review here. Even upon repeated viewings, the film, starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna
Movie Review: ‘4 Minute Mile’ Starring Richard Jenkins, Kelly Blatz & Analeigh Tipton
There’s nothing really new or original in 4 Minute Mile but thanks to its winning cast, I doubt anyone will really mind. It’s the story of a talented high school athlete, Drew (Kelly Blatz), who finds himself kicked off the track team. He’s got a dirtball drug dealer of a
Movie Review: Cameron Diaz & Jason Segel’s ‘Sex Tape’
If you’re interested in watching Sex Tape, the new film starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, I have a suggestion: stay home and watch a real sex tape or make one of your own. You’ll have a much better time and you’ll save yourself a couple of bucks. It actually
Movie Review: ‘Mutual Friends’
With friends like these… Mutual Friends, the concept, started off with an interesting idea. Have a handful of writers craft separate stories involving the same characters and then craft those stories into a screenplay. One problem with that idea though is that each set of stories has a different voice.
Movie Review: ‘Hellion’ Starring Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul stars as a single father trying to deal with the loss of his wife in writer/director Kat Chandler’s new film, Hellion. Paul’s Hollis, dealing with his demons, isn’t around much so that leaves 13-year-old Jacob (Josh Wiggins in his film debut) and younger brother Wes (another newcomer Deke
Broadway Review: ‘Holler If You Hear Me’
Holler If You Hear Me, the new Broadway musical based on the music of Tupac Shakur, has moments like the rapper himself: raw and electric. And when those moments happen, it’s truly exciting. But unfortunately, there aren’t enough of those moments here. Written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Kenny