Articles from Contributor
Roger Ebert's New TV Show: Two New Thumbs, One Overdue Comeback (Video)
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Much has been written in recent years about the death of the professional movie critic, replaced by the ubiquitous movie blogger – bloggers who sometimes seem to prefer snark over substance, who occasionally seem willing to offer glowing buzz for the most mediocre of …
The Night Shift: Gervais Talks Globes, and We Wonder — Has the Fallout Said More About Celebs Than the Comedian?
Ricky Gervais certainly pulled no punches Sunday night, as the host of the Golden Globes. He mocked the organizing awards body for nominating a film that was widely dismissed by film critics. He touched upon the bribery scandal that has left many wondering if Burlesque was nominated for a best picture award only because voters were …
The Night Shift: Jon Stewart Confronts the Arizona Shootings, Makes a Passionate Appeal For Sanity and Hope
Talk about a hard night to be a late night comedian. Given the very public violence of the weekend, and the attempted assassination of a sitting United States congresswoman, more than a few media observers wondered aloud as to how the nation’s funny men would return to the air Monday night. In the case of almost all late night …
The Night Shift: Jon Stewart's Seamless, Searing Takedown of Congressional 9/11 Hypocrisy
It’s always been a touchy subject on The Daily Show – the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, which redefined the battlefield of American politics. Following his emotional return to the airwaves in 2001, Stewart seemed somewhat hesitant about discussing the attacks. In the nine years since, he’s unloaded freely on the Bush …
The Night Shift: Conan Gives Fans A Mission – And Reminds Us How Late Night Has Become an All-Day Affair
Something notable is changing about the relationship between late night television programs and the fans who watch them. Once upon a time, the back and forth was based around consistency and familiarity. People would kick back in the recliner, lay back in bed, and tune in to see their old friend Johnny, Dave and Jay. But today, thanks …
The Night Shift: Now A Serious Word or Two From Russell Crowe (Video)
Wednesday night’s Late Show With David Letterman started predictably enough: A couple jokes about Conan, about George W. Bush’s new book, about the cruise ship stranded out at sea.
Then Russell Crowe came on to talk about his new (and pretty good) movie The Next Three Days. In the past, Crowe’s been a provocative headline maker, …
The Night Shift: Conan Ups the Antics, Literally Pulls Out All The Stops (Video)
Okay, so let’s get this out of the way at the top: I’m a big Conan O’Brien fan, and I’m thrilled the red haired one has returned. But was I the only one who thought the opening night show was a little…meh? The cold open video, repurposing Conan as Sonny from The Godfather was hilarious. But the rest felt just a little… awkward, as …
Caprica: Murders, Bombs, Betrayal – and the Slight Whiff of Desperation
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to notice the rather startling shift in tone and intensity of last night’s Caprica. All season long, the show has been trying to find a way to pull in bigger Battlestar Galactica-like ratings, even as some sci-fi pundits have mused that the show isn’t electric enough for their tastes. Now, full …
Caprica Lives: Harnessing Immortality, Fighting For Survival
A rather thorough, spoiler-filled breakdown of Caprica below:
When you’re the prequel to a show called Battlestar Galactica, when you’re given the kind of major league promotions that accompany a Star Wars sequel, it’s hard to satisfy expectations. And that’s what has cursed Caprica since its first episode aired last winter. …
Emmy Drama: What Will Happen If Conan Wins?
It might seem unlikely that Conan O’Brien will walk away with an Emmy Sunday night for his short-lived stint atop The Tonight Show, but surely no more unlikely than the fact that he received a nomination in the first place. And if he were to indeed win and hop up on stage to accept his honor, the Hollywood Reporter Esquire Blog is …
Fine Art, Via YouTube: The Visual Poetry of 'Words'
I’m hardly the first to take notice of this (at least 370,000 others have beat me to the punch), but I promise you I am one of the few to actually listen to the radio show before ever seeing this accompanying video. I will explain it all in a moment, but first behold: Possibly the best short film I have ever seen on YouTube. Its title: …
Guilty Pleasure, 2010: TV Tales of Jaw-Dropping, Terrifying Marriages
Some television shows – hell, entire television networks – are built around the close-up of the jaw-dropping train wreck. Tales of voyeuristic catharsis, where us viewers can take a collective deep breath and thank the heavens that, no matter how bad things get, at least we don’t have it that bad.
I’m talking about the I …