Peculiar Reviewer

I'm slightly late broadcasting the news about HBO 's fresh series  The Newsroom , as I'm sure many are along with me. Few television series have revolved around broadcast journalism - the '90s had NewsRadio  and Just Shoot Me!  - both were sitcoms, focusing more on situations between colleagues, doing what situation comedies do. There hasn't been a solid drama. The Newsroom has changed that. Writer/creator Aaron Sorkin ( The West Wing , The Social Network ) captures the anxieties and stress of not only reporting events in the nick of time, but also being able to provide the news - unfiltered. Powerhouse Jeff Daniels plays the "number two news anchor in ratings" Will McAvoy, who returns to his cable show "News Night" to discover that he has been given a new team of colleagues and producer. Emily Mortimer ( City Island , Hugo ) plays McAvoy's newly-hired-producer-behind-his-back MacKenzie McHal...

Reality bites, so "welcome to the island of misfit toys," says Emma Watson who plays Sam in Stephen Chbosky's own adaptation of his 1999 coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower . This brutally honest tale of preparation for the real world is reminiscent to that of Greg Mottola's little gem  Adventureland (2009). Logan Lerman ( Percy Jackson ) plays Charlie, a quiet adolescent who is nervous about his freshman year in high school because he has no friends, other than his English teacher ( Paul Rudd ). When he meets Sam ( Emma Watson ), her gay stepbrother Patrick ( Ezra Miller ) and buddhist punk rocker Mary, Charlie is brought into their world of tasteful music, parties, drugs, and tunnel rides to David Bowie's "Heroes." Perks is highly about evolution through music. Charlie studies the mixtapes that were made for his sister by her boyfriend, and we see him progress more into himself, finding his niche. The musi...

Critics' Choice Awards  is the show that jump starts the awards season every year, and the outcome generally satisfies the critics, as well as movie buffs. Now this awards show is a good time for the audience - and why? Because the actors, directors, producers and such are having a good time. For one - there's alcohol. How else are you gonna loosen up Tommy Lee Jones , the great stone face? The emotional blow of losing to your fellow nominee is diminished after 5 glasses of champagne. On the contrary, the loser is cheerful, and gently mutters out: "I love you, man!" The tables are arranged by the members of each nominated movie that night. The pressure of walking up on stage alone after winning an award is lightened, as you have your cast at your side while you stumble up, say something charming, and peace out because there is no annoying shut-up-and-leave-the-stage song like at the Academy Awards . The first award of...

My alarm wasn't set for 5:30am this morning when Emma Stone and this year's Oscar host Seth MacFarlane announced the nominees, but I compiled the gist of it. Villain-ry gets no love at the Oscars this year: Quentin Tarantino and Leonardo DiCaprio are painstakingly left out. Best Supporting Actor category is filled to the brim with all previous Oscar winners. At 85 and 9-years-old, both the oldest and the youngest ever nominees for Best Actress were announced. When I was 9 I was picking scabs and eating grass, so kudos to her. A foreign film no one has seen nabs 5 nominations, including Best Picture. As upsetting as yet another snub for great talent DiCaprio (who literally has no comfort zone as an actor. Seriously Academy, are you still with us?), my favorite film this year, Silver Linings Playbook , did get recognized for the 5 majors: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. Although, it has no chance up against the Spielberg sn...

Slave revenge meets spaghetti western in post-modern filmmaker Quentin Tarantino 's brutal ride/comedy of the races Django Unchained . Django ( Jamie Foxx ), now broken from the chains of slavery after being freed by Dr. King Schultz ( Christoph Waltz ), sets off across America's Deep South with the German bounty hunter. The two rebels are on a mission to rescue Django's wife ( Kerry Washington ) from the unforgettable plantation owner Calvin Candie who runs Candyland, played by no other than Leonardo DiCaprio . DiCaprio sinks his spurs into his Candie, silencing the audience in fear of his wrath during the scene at Candyland which is the most memorable of the film. Tarantino takes his time with each scene, and this is why the viewer remains attentive throughout. The running time is non-existent when the layout is so smooth . Django has many of the Western genre staples, including rural long shots, the outlaw underdog, a quest for justice, and a final showdown (slightly ...