September 2008 - Posts
It is possible to make a great movie based on an equally terrific book. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is proof of that. As is last year’s “No Country For Old Men.” This week, two wildly different books hit the big screen: Jose Saramago’s “Blindness” and Toby Young’s “How To Lose Friends and Alienate People.”
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"Desperate Housewives" took a chance with Sunday night's season premiere. Instead of picking up where the May finale left off, creator Marc Cherry rebooted the show, setting it five years ahead. And, miracle of miracles, it worked, at least for this viewer.
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After three long, painful years of having to squint through the fuzz, I finally chucked my rabbit ears earlier this month and now enjoy the crisp, clean picture offered by cable television. But now that I have more than 75 crystal-clear channels to choose from again, I’ve discovered that what I once really enjoyed doesn’t quite hold the same attraction.
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There’s a difference between a chick flick and a romantic movie. A really good romantic movie transcends that label. This week Richard Gere and Diane Lane star together in the Nicolas Sparks’ adaptation, “Nights of Rodanthe.” And while my hopes aren’t high that that film will be able to break through that “chick flick” barrier, it does bring to mind a few films that do.
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"Dancing With the Stars" starts tonight, but really, haven't we all known who we're rooting for since the cast was announced? And I'll admit it, there's at least one dancer I'm actively rooting against.
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There’s something so basic about watching a Western. Good guys and bad guys. Horses. A Western is the perfect way to spend a fall afternoon (these film works better in the day time, beer in hand, than in the evening). Here are some of my favorite types:
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I don't see that many movies in the theater these days, but some just cry out for the big-screen, see-it-with-a-group experience. For me, "The Road," "Frost/Nixon," and, embarrassingly enough, "Twilight" make that list.
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A year and a half ago, as the birth of my first and only son was bearing down on me, I kept hearing from know-it-all friends how much my life was about to change. "You'll never do that again," they'd say about any of the number of random activities I considered entertaining.
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I love Coen brothers films. In fact, except for “Intolerable Cruelty” and “The Ladykillers,” Joel and Ethan Coen have made nothing but excellent movies. Where it gets tricky is in ranking them. Some Coen fans lean toward the comedies: “The Big Lebowski,” “Raising Arizona.” Others, and I’m one of them, love the drama and genre stuff, “Blood Simple,” “Miller’s Crossing.” It’s actually a great way to start an argument with a friend.
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I'm just not very excited about the new fall shows this year. I might give "90210" another shot and I might have to watch "Fringe" at least once because J.J. Abrams is involved, but the rest? A "Knight Rider" remake? Hideously unfunny comedies? Uh-uh, no thanks, you can keep 'em, please. Thankfully, I have a pile of old favorites coming back on the air, including "The Office," "House," and "My Name Is Earl."
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As I stood in the Seattle Center stadium on the last night of the Bumbershoot festival, listening to the crowd sing along as Death Cab For Cutie played “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” the smell of the ocean filled the air and the seagulls that flew overhead gleamed white against the darkening sky. People in the stands sported twinkling, blue, glow-in-the-dark pins that looked like thousands of open cell phones and I found myself thinking about how completely invigorating it is to see a band play live.
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When the CW announced that it was doing a reboot of "90210," I was a bit doubtful – until it was announced that Jennie Garth and Shannen Dougherty would be back. Garth said in an interview that the new show would push the envelope, and I thought it was already pretty edgy back in the day. I became hopeful. I wanted to see what the new generation would bring.
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