Recipient of 15 Golden Globe and 25 Emmy nominations, The Waltons enjoyed nine seasons of high ratings and widespread critical acclaim. Premiering in Fall 1972 on CBS, the drama series catalogued the life and times of a close-knit country family during the depths of the Great Depression. Supposedly, the series is based on the real life events of creator Earl Hamner Jr. and his family. The Waltons answered critics who believed such family shows were passe, and its family-frien…
The New World (DVD) Review
Directed and written by Terrence Malick, the talented artist behind The Thin Red Line (1998), great anticipation surrounded the release of The New World. The project was bold and ambitious enough to peak ones interest, but unfortunately, the film could not deliver on its promise. Entire scenes drift by with nothing in particular being achieved to either advance the plot, the theme, or the premise of the film. Unfittingly, the soundtrack featured blaring snippets of concert m…
Walk The Line Movie Review
A real legend is…well, the stuff of legends. But much harder to reproduce on film, because of the depths of human expression that tend to get lost in the business of making it on time, on budget, and on a subject the public will “buy”. Which means 2005’s “Walk The Line” is that rarest of movies, one that dug deep into the story, put it up as it really unfolded, and managed to bag actors that could carry it off.
“Walk The Line” is the hard fighting/drinking/loving story o…
The Simpsons (Season 3) DVD Review
In the late-1980s, a one-minute segment on The Tracy Ullman Show (since long forgotten, except in trivia questions) morphed into its own series. That series was The Simpsons, and it became an anchor for the then-burgeoning FOX network. With a wildly original cast of oddball characters, The Simpsons instantly struck a chord with audiences, becoming the longest running prime time show among all genres, not just the animation genre. Loved by audiences from age 2 to 102, the show…
The West Wing (DVD) Review
Premiering in September 1999, the original NBC series The West Wing built an instant cult following with its seemingly realistic weekly excursions into the inner sanctums of the White House. The series became such a hit that some pollsters claimed that certain people actually believed Jed Bartlet was the real president (although, if true, this is more of a negative reflection on the intelligence of the electorate, and not necessarily an indication of West Wing’s realism). But…
The Notebook (DVD) Review
Adapted to screen from the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, The Notebook is one of the best romantic dramas to hit the big screen in decades. Garnering high marks from a wide-range of critics, The Notebook is a funny and emotional film which deals with love, relationships, and the risks people take. James Garner turns in a notable performance as the elder man, Duke, who reads the pages of his notebook to dying nursing home resident Allie (Gena Rowlands). Overall, this …
Walk The Line (DVD) Review
Nominated for five Academy Awards, and winner of the Oscar for Best Actress (Reese Witherspoon), Walk The Line chronicles the life and times of legendary country music star Johnny Cash with an intense, and sometimes dark, intimacy. Following on the heels of the previous years Oscar Award-winning picture Ray, based on the life of Ray Charles, I entered the theater under the mistaken impression that Walk The Line would be a cookie-cutter attempt to capitalize on the various th…
The Simpsons (Season 4) DVD Review
Fun for both adults and children, The Simpsons is one of those rare shows that smashed the conventional wisdom of its time and redefined its genre. By creating a truly adult cartoon, and not one watered-down for a younger audience, The Simpsons kept its finger of the pulse of American TV viewers, providing an unmatched wit with its biting satire. Its a combination that opened the door for later prime time animated series such as Futurama, King Of The Hill, and The Family Guy…
The Golden Girls (DVD) Review
Making its debut in the fall of 1985, The Golden Girls quickly established itself as a fixture of Saturday night prime time television. Following the lives of four older women living together as roommates in Miami, the show displayed a raw wit and a biting humor. The women live in the house of Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), a Southern belle who loves men of every kind and has dated every eligible bachelor in the Miami area. Her roommates are former high school teacher Do…
The West Wing (Season 2) DVD Review
Since its September 1999 premiere, the NBC series The West Wing immediately established itself with viewers as one of the top programs on television. With its purportedly realistic weekly foray into the inner-depths of the White House, the drama series became so popular that some pollsters claimed its president Jed Bartlet was the most recognizable candidate going into the 2000 presidential campaign. Nevertheless, the point is that The West Wing strikes a chord with its core …
The Office (DVD) Review
One of the most refreshing new comedy series on TV, The Office catalogues the inner-workings of a fictional Pennsylvania paper company called Dunder-Mifflin. The name itself alludes to some sort of bureaucratic labyrinth administered by dunderheads, and in reality, it is. Unfortunately, what makes The Office so hilarious is the ability of viewers to relate to the onscreen office culture. The branch office of Dunder-Mifflin viewers are privy to is managed by the politically-in…
Wedding Crashers (DVD) Review
One of the funniest and most outrageous comedies of 2005, Wedding Crashers will have you falling out of your chair with laughter. Directed by the underrated David Dobkin, the film features now veteran Hollywood funny men Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in their first film together as the central headliners. TV writers Steve Faber and Bob Fisher author the screenplay, a breakout hit for both, that has to be considered one of the best written comedies of the year. Of course, it he…
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