film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Cenk Uygur was a host for an MSNBC news talk show. MSNBC let him go this week because he was not sufficiently deferential to the power structures in Washington.
Plus: more trouble for Broadway’s ‘Spider-man’; what’s so hot about crazy chicks?; does journalism have a surprising savior?; more…
This Call of Duty: Black Ops ad has been bothering me. There most certainly is not “a soldier in all of us,” even if we like to play military style computer games. So why does this ad campaign — and this game — resonant with audiences?
Is it time to be scared yet?
Every week my browser gets cluttered up with tabs for stuff that I stumble across and figure I might be able to use as a Question of the Day or a WTF Thought for the Day or grist for some other post…
I was pretty surprised when, one night last week, Keith Olbermann ran some unedited, unbleeped Senate testimony about the recent Wall Street disaster that featured evidence from Goldman Sachs internal emails proving that they knew that at least one fund they were selling was not only toxic, it was “a shitty deal.” Senator Carl Levin, … more…
I was away from the TV for most of the day yesterday, between work stuff and a screening in the evening and dinner out afterward and a long subway ride home, so I managed to miss the TV news hysteria over Michael Jackson’s death. Now, though, I’m watching last night’s Keith Olbermann on my DVR, … more…
I’m catching up with last night’s Keith Olbermann now, and I just heard John Hodgman say that despite the fact that Iranians don’t know who Doctor Who is, they’re nerds because they’re Twittering their revolution. I find this shocking. I can’t believe Iranians don’t know who Doctor Who is. Prove John Hodgman wrong. Someone tell … more…
I already knew Keith was a geek — every time he makes a Monty Python reference, a dead parrot gets its wings — and hence a hero of mine. But tonight he made what may be his geekiest reference yet. No, it wasn’t about Doctor Who, though I eagerly await that night, but the retelling … more…
Shazbot, I’m late this week. But it’s still Thursday, so there’s still time to remake an 80s classic TV show or movie with an all-new cast. This week: Mork & Mindy, the 1978-82 ABC sitcom about the doofiest alien in the universe and the human girl who lets him sleep on her sofa. (If you … more…
