The Halftime Top 10 (2008 Jul 02)

A number of years ago, I asked myself the question of why Top 10 list are made only at the end of the year. Why not make one at the mid-point? The idea behind this is not to create yet another list (anyone who reads enough of the stuff I write ...

The Grinch After Christmas (2009 Jan 05)

Sorry if this seems gloomy, but I'm not in a good mood. I have an illness (congestion, post-sinus drip, fever, chills, body aches - most likely a bad cold). I'm annoyed by the lack of snow. And I just spent an hour analyzing the rest of the winter...

The Great Netflix Customer Rebellion (2011 Sep 27)

When it comes to Netflix's streaming service, the promise is in the premise, not in the execution. My ideal future movie service would be something that allowed me to box up all my DVDs and not buy another one. I also don't want to have to worry ...

The Great IMAX Scam (2009 May 13)

It has been noted that Star Trek set a new first-weekend record for gross receipts in IMAX theaters. This should come as no surprise, since the number of "IMAX" venues has increased dramatically during the past year. This is the result of ...

The Great 2010 Turkey Hunt (2010 Nov 24)

I'm not calling this my "Worst Movies of 2010" list. There are two reasons for that. First, the term "worst" implies a level of objectivity of which I'm not capable. I equally avoid the term "greatest" unless discussing Mohammed Ali. Also, ...

The Gossip Pages (2005 Jun 11)

I have often wondered why people care so much about the private lives of actors and actresses. This is not a recent phenomenon - in fact, it predates movies - but the increasingly intrusive antics of the paparazzi have elevated it to new levels. ...

The Golden Doctor (2013 Nov 23)

Today, November 23, 2013, is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. In a perfect world, I'd be able to write an eloquent passage putting the show is some sort of cultural context but The Last Whisper of the Gods has constricted my available time. So ...

The Golden Boobs (2006 Dec 15)

Some people think I should care, but I really don't. To what do I refer? The Golden Globes, of course. Around noon yesterday, I saw a list of nominations. I didn't commit it to memory, but it seemed like it contained the usual suspects. Judi ...

The Game's Afoot (2005 Nov 29)

Over the years, I have gotten my share of irate e-mails from annoyed devotees who don't think I give video games enough credit. I think at some point, I may have written something along the lines of "this movie has a plot worthy of a video game" - ...

The Future of the Superhero Movie (2015 Apr 29)

Where does the Superhero Movie go after "The Age of Ultron"?

The Friendly Skies (2008 Jun 18)

About ten years ago, I arrived at a plan whereby I intended to attend three film festivals per year. My annual vacation allotment of 22 days allowed this, and there were no financial impediments. There was only one year when I achieved the goal: ...

The Four Star Conundrum (2008 Jul 16)

Some reviewers hand out four-star ratings like candy. Such is their right. It's their rating and their system. I have always felt that, for a four-star citation to mean anything, it must be handed out on only the rarest of occasions to the most ...

The First Sin (2006 Mar 27)

A month or so ago, I wrote a column about one of journalism's deadly sins: lying in a piece that is supposed to be non-fiction. In recent years, a number of high-profile writers have been called on the carpet for reporting stories that were either (...

The First Date Movie Fallacy (2012 Jun 15)

"Dear Mr. B, Pardon me if it sounds like I should be writing to a Lonely Hearts Advisor, but I have a question I thought you could answer. This Friday, I'm going out on a first date with a girl I have had a crush on since junior high. We both just ...

The Fifth Cylon (and other TV Tidbits) (2007 Mar 29)

SPOILERS for: the third season of Battlestar Galactica, the second season of Rome, and the sixth season of 24.Now that Battlestar Galactica has shown its hand for the season finale, it's as good a time as any to look back at the past season and ...

The Fat Lady Sings (2007 Jun 11)

SPOILERS for the final episode of The Sopranos...So, for fans of the long-running HBO mob drama, the fat lady has sung, but did she hit a low note or a high one?By now, the controversy has boiled over, being discussed in front of water coolers, on ...

The Fall of Night (2008 Jun 13)

It's Friday the 13th, and Jason isn't in sight. That's not to say Hollywood has given up on one of America's most venerable and bloody cinematic serial killers but, at least for this year, he won't be slashing his way through a crowd of nubile ...