FX Looks For Next Drama Hit in “Tyrant,” “The Bridge,” “The Strain”
FX launches three dramas in the next three weeks—”Tyrant,” “The Bridge,” “The Strain”—with mixed results.
TV/Streaming
A Reappraisal of Oliver Stone’s “Alexander: The Ultimate Cut”
On the eve of its 10th anniversary, a new version of Oliver Stone’s Alexander on Blu-ray demands a reappraisal.
Streaming Consumer Guide: June 19, 2014
The best films recently added to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon with links to RogerEbert.com’ reviews.
The Mesmerizing Rhythm of Sundance Channel’s “Rectify”
A review of the second season of Sundance Channel’s “Rectify”
If I Had An Emmy Ballot 2014
Picks for the best of the 2013-14 television season, in the form of a Dream Emmy ballot.
A Community Grows in Texas: The 2014 ATX Television Festival
Libby Hill recaps the 2014 ATX Television Festival.
Comfort Food TV: USA & TNT Prepare For Another Wave of Summer Hits
TNT & USA are premiering or returning eight series in the next two weeks and yet they get half the press of other networks. What are they doing right and are any of the new shows worth a look?
The Case Against 8
There’s still a long way to go but “The Case Against 8” deftly and
emotionally chronicles one of the most important legs of this journey
for equality.
Confident Writing and Performances Elevate Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black”
The joy of “Orange is the New Black” comes in how it unfolds, the ways the writers and performers constantly defy expectations.
Streaming Consumer Guide: June 3, 2014
The latest and greatest additions to streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and more.
Early Days of Tech Craze Captured in Engaging “Halt and Catch Fire”
The easy crib note for “Halt and Catch Fire” could be “Mad Men in the
‘80s tech world” in the sense that they’re both AMC period pieces about
workplace culture and changes in the marketplace in the times they take
place. It’s not quite as nuanced as “Mad Men,” but it could be before the
end of the season.
NBC Dumps Three New Shows in Lackluster Summer Season
Three new programs premiere on NBC this week. None are worth your time.
You Just Might Find: The Midseason Finale of “Mad Men”
Libby Hill takes a look at the last few episodes of the 2014 season of “Mad Men.”
Effective Melodrama of HBO’s “The Normal Heart” with Mark Ruffalo
Fantastic performances balance out Ryan Murphy and Larry Kramer’s
melodramatic approach to the history of the AIDS crisis in HBO’s
highly-anticipated “The Normal Heart,” premiering Sunday, May 25th,
2014.
Streaming Consumer Guide: May 20, 2014
A bi-weekly feature on the best movies new to Netflix, On Demand, and other streaming services.
“Rosemary’s Baby” Never Justifies Its Existence, “Penny Dreadful” Delivers
NBC’s remake of “Rosemary’s Baby” and Showtime’s new weekly adventure
series “Penny Dreadful.” One is awful and it’s not the one with a
synonym for the word in its title.
Streaming Consumer Guide: May 8, 2014
Your guide to the best movies New to Netflix, On Demand, and other at-home services.
In Defense of Norma Bates or How Bates Motel Radically Reinvents Psycho
LIbby Hill examines how A&E’s Bates Motel has reimagined the history and impact of Norma Bates on her legendary son.
You’re gonna make it after all: Mary Tyler Moore and the women of “Mad Men”
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong notes the parallels between the fictional world of Mad Men and the behind-the-scenes stories behind The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
