Has Jess’ job become a poo-poo festival? http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2016/03/16/the-middle-season-5-episode-11-recap-t
New Girl 5.11 – “The Apartment”
March 16, 2016
New Girl, New Girl Episode Reviews, Television New Girl, New Girl 511, New Girl Season 5, The Apartment Leave a comment
SNL Recap March 12, 2016: Ariana Grande
March 13, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Ariana Grande, Ariana Grande Impressions, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4115, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41 1 Comment
SNL Promo: Taran Killam, Ariana Grande (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in March 2016.
Musical guests may have limited range compared to most “SNL” hosts, but they are still entertainers. On top of that, Ariana Grande is also a veteran of Nickelodeon, which – while excessively hacky – tends to make professionals out of its kid stars. If Grande is given good material, she will know how to hit her marks. So it should not be considered shocking that her hosting debut is mostly a success. But who would have guessed that in the pantheon of great “SNL” hosts, she would be most similar to Kevin Spacey?
CNN America’s Choice 2016 – Once again, the cold opening is a political catchall, but this one works better than most thanks to a more streamlined focus, with only the best impressions of the season (sans Hillary, though her moment comes later). Darrell Hammond and Jay Pharoah have sufficiently creepy chemistry as Trump and Carson, but the real twist is Larry David’s latest Bern-ing cameo. He rants delightfully on and on about the latest foibles of the primary, reserving special disdain for superdelegates (“I’ve met some of these superdelegates. They’re not that super”). B
What Won TV? – March 6-March 12, 2016
March 13, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Ariana Grande, Baskets, Childrens Hospital, Jane the Virgin, Last Week Tonight, Man Seeking Woman, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The People vs. O.J. Simpson, VICE Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Can Last Week Tonight with John Oliver be its own special-purpose district?
Monday – Jane the Virgin
Tuesday – The People vs OJ Simpson
Wednesday – Man Seeking Woman fulfilled its promise in Season 2.
Thursday – Baskets
Friday – TIE: VICE and Childrens Hospital met very different TV needs.
Saturday – Ariana Grande made quite the impression on SNL.
New Girl 5.10 – “Goosebumps Walkaway”
March 9, 2016
New Girl, New Girl Episode Reviews, Television Goosebumps Walkaway, New Girl, New Girl 510, New Girl Season 5 Leave a comment
SNL Recap March 5, 2016: Jonah Hill/Future
March 6, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Future, Jonah Hill, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4114, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41, The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party Leave a comment
SNL: Future, Jonah Hill, Future (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in March 2016.
Jonah Hill does not proclaim “I’m six!” during any part of his fourth stint on “SNL.” This is not the sort of episode that relies completely on steady favorites, nor is it the sort of episode in which the host is clearly promoting something. (Hill’s last movie was “Hail, Caesar!,” which he appeared in for all of five minutes.) Also, Future is the musical guest. He is one of those artists who is really hot right now even though a significant portion of the “SNL” viewership have surely never heard of him.
CNN America’s Choice 2016 – After a few weeks off, “SNL” gets back in the groove of cold openings that run down the latest electoral goings-on. This is a low ceiling/high floor venture: it is too scattered to have a real selling point, but nothing lasts long enough to stink up the joint and the individual parts are all decent. The highlight, such as there is one, is a returning favorite: Jason Sudeikis’ reprisal of his Mitt Romney. The material is predictable (he’s a vanilla Mormon milquetoast), but refreshing, as there are only so many incisive jokes that can be squeezed out of the current candidates. B-
What Won TV? – February 28-March 5, 2016
March 6, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – Chris Rock‘s monologue, Ex Machina winning Visual Effects, the black woman whose favorite white movie was By the Sea, and Louis CK presenting Documentary Short Subject
Monday – Better Call Saul
Tuesday – The People vs OJ Simpson plays the excellent TV card.
Wednesday – Man Seeking Woman
Thursday – Baskets
Friday – Childrens Hospital
Saturday – SNL Vintage – Louie Lincoln/SNL New – Girl at a Party
New Girl 5.9 – “The Heat Wave”
March 2, 2016
New Girl, New Girl Episode Reviews, Television New Girl, New Girl 509, New Girl Season 5, The Heat Wave, Winston Bishop Leave a comment
Nick is working those white jeans. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2016/03/02/new-girl-season-5-episode-9-recap-the-
The Muppets 1.15/1.16: “Generally Inhospitable”/”Because…Love”
March 2, 2016
Muppets (2015 TV Series), Muppets Episode Reviews, Television Because...Love, Generally Inhospitable, The Muppets, The Muppets 115, The Muppets 116, The Muppets on ABC, The Muppets Season 1 Leave a comment
“What are you going to wear for the most romantic day of your life?” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2016/03/02/the-muppets-season-1-finale-recap-gene
Oscar Surprises: How Surprising Were They?
February 29, 2016
Awards Shows, Cinema, Oscars Oscar Predictions, Oscars Leave a comment
(The Ex Machina VFX team accepts their award.)
I was 17/24 in my Oscar predictions. Here are the 7 categories I got wrong, ranked from least to most surprising:
1. Film Editing
I Predicted: The Big Short
What Won: Mad Max: Fury Road
This was always a tight two-way fight; the surprise would have been if anything else had won.
2. Documentary Short
I Predicted: Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
What Won: A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
In Doc Short, I look for what can be construed as “important.” Trouble is, that descriptor could fit every nominee.
3. Animated Short
I Predicted: World of Tomorrow
What Won: Bear Story
I need to stop using the logic of “It’s so good – no way the Academy won’t vote for it!” World of Tomorrow just does not fit the charming and/or goofy mold of most Animated Short winners; Bear Story does (though it was obscured a bit by the more high-profile Sanjay’s Super Team).
4. Best Picture
I Predicted: The Big Short
What Won: Spotlight
As I suspected, it came down to the preferential ballot; unfortunately for us prognosticators, that worked in two films’ favor.
5. Supporting Actor
I Predicted: Sylvester Stallone
What Won: Mark Rylance
This race was always wide-open, even though Stallone was really the only one with any precursor indicators.
6. Original Song
I Predicted: “Til It Happens to You”
What Won: “Writing’s on the Wall”
I guess Sam Smith was second-most likely, but it sure looked like GaGa was way out in front.
7. Visual Effects
I Predicted: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
What Won: Ex Machina
A film with a budget as modest as Ex Machina‘s winning Visual Effects is simply unprecedented. And with such tough competition, I would have never predicted it happening this year. (It is totally worthy, though!)
What Won TV? – February 21-February 27, 2016
February 28, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Baskets, Better Call Saul, Film Independent Spirit Awards, The Middle, The People vs. O.J. Simpson, The Simpsons, VICE Leave a comment
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – The Simpsons
Monday – Better Call Saul
Tuesday – The People vs. OJ Simpson
Wednesday – The Middle
Thursday – Baskets
Friday – VICE
Saturday – Film Independent Spirit Awards
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