If you learn one thing from Pixar, it is how to write without fear.  The folks over there don’t care how their ideas sound to focus groups.  They know without a doubt that they can tell a good story and that’s what they do.
I mean, look at their latest creation, Up.  I saw it this [...]

Hi, my name’s Mike and I watch American Idol.  I used to qualify that statement by adding quickly that I didn’t buy any of the music put out by former Idols.  But I can’t say that anymore.  In the last year, there has been an explosion in Idol music on the Ipod, including a major [...]

One of my favorite shows, Weeds, is coming back on Monday for season five.  Honestly, I’m not looking forward to it.  From the very start, the show has been darkly funny, but the emphasis was on the humor, twisted as it may be.  But last season it inverted itself, becoming only occasionally funny, but mainly [...]

Hello all formerly relevant high-profile franchise entertainment properties.  (Yeah, I’m talking to you, Jaws and Jurassic Park.)  Looking for some strategies for getting back on top.  Well, go no further.  Unsolicited advice follows.
I saw Star Trek last night.  It got me thinking about rebooting franchises.  I was never a huge Trek fan, but I’m pretty [...]

Spoilers follow.  Be warned.
Another day is over.  I made it through another 24 hours.  Actually, I’ve now made it through 168 hours of Jack Bauer’s life (or 170 if you include the 2-hour movie from last fall).  And apparently, Jack is going to make it through as well.
Ever since the first season shocker of an [...]

I’m just going to say it.  At the end of the movie Babe, I tear up.  Every time.  I don’t cry exactly.  I’m not a big one for crying.  But I definitely get watery when Mr. Hoggett and Babe have just proven everyone wrong at the herding contest and renewed their deep faith  in each [...]

Pretty much the only sitcom that I still watch is going off the air with a one-hour finale tonight.  Maybe.  Unless ABC decides to renew it.  But even if it comes back, it will likely be without key cast members and Bill Lawrence, who created and drove the show.
I am going to miss Scrubs.  It [...]

I don’t really need to say much about Talking Heads.  One of my favorite bands.  I can listen to Heaven or This Must Be the Place (naive melody) all day on repeat.  Really.  All day.  Repeat.  There are only a few bands where I can work my way happily through two to three dozen of [...]

The season finale of Heroes is tonight.  I am relieved.
Do you have this problem?  You’ve been watching a certain show for a while.  When it first came on, you were excited.  It was really good.  You wanted to spend time with it.  You couldn’t wait to see it again.  You hoped it felt the same [...]

As far as I’m concerned, Time Bandits is Terry Gilliam’s best movie.
I like 12 Monkeys and Brazil.  Others have a soft spot for The Fisher King.  But it is Gilliam’s fantasy adventure satire comedy that I can watch over and over.
It perfectly combines Gilliam’s surreal visual style (which always creeped me out in his Monty [...]