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Top 10 Lies, Hoaxes and Pranks of 2014
2014 was full of Hollywood stars behaving oddly (See Shia LaBeouf and Amanda Bynes) and loads of fake viral videos (Did you see "The Drunk Girl video?" - Fake!) But this year saw fabrication with...
View ArticleTop Five Is Not Top 10 Material
Chris Rock lays it all on the line with his new film, Top Five. He wrote, directed and stars in this film. So all that goes right with the movie is because of him and conversely all that goes wrong...
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The Rise of the Israeli Short Film
In the last 10 years, Israeli feature films have made their mark on the international film scene. From multiple Oscar nominations through awards at every major film festival to increasing box office...
View ArticleMovie Review: Top Five... Faulty, but Wonderful
I was contemplating walking out of Top Five during the first half hour, but, boy, am I glad I didn't. Top Five, directed, written and starring Chris Rock, is a slow build like a set up for one terrific...
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Waxing Poetic Via Selfie
WAX: We Are the X is an Italian film, currently making the festival rounds that can be effectively called the first "selfie" movie. Featuring a nouveau cast performing along side such stalwarts as...
View ArticleChris Rock and Rosario Dawson in a Cinderella Story: Top Five
Remember in Pretty Woman when Richard Gere asks Julia Roberts what happens after the prince rescues Cinderella? Not missing a beat, she says, she rescues him right back. In Top Five, Rosario Dawson's...
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'Eleven' - A Brilliant Exposé of a Dark, Disturbing Topic
I don't know about you, but when I'm watching a movie for the first time, I love being surprised. I also love being transfixed. I have to say, though: if you've ever had any up-close-and-personal...
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Live from the Marrakech Film Festival: Growing the Moroccan Film Industry
As I've worked my way through my first visit to the Marrakech International Film Festival, one thing that struck me was the almost-boutique nature of the festival. Some festivals double as markets --...
View ArticleThe Good, the Bad, the Golden Globe Nominations
"TO SUCCEED in life you need two things: ignorance and confidence." Mark Twain. •WELL, the Golden Globe nominations are out, and as usual, some things don't make sense. But I suppose that's the fun of...
View ArticleIggy Azalea and the Perils of Reinventing Oneself
Eight years ago a young white girl from the rural northern-Australian town of Mullumbimby moved to Miami. Only 16 years of age, she refashioned herself as a rapper by the name of Iggy Azalea with a...
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The Dubai Film Festival Diaries: The Groundbreaking Dolphins, Paul Bettany's...
A still from Dolphins by Waleed Al Shehhi Best way to start a day, if you're me, is to watch a thought-provoking film, like Shelter, and then interview the filmmaker, in this case actor Paul Bettany...
View ArticleThere Is Nothing Casual About Prejudice: The Popular Podcast 'Serial' and the...
Like millions of others, I have been an avid listener of the new podcast Serial. Its "one story, told week by week" is the true case of Adnan Syed, who was convicted of and is serving life in prison...
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Podcast Review: Bullseye With Jesse Thorn: Chris Rock and John Cleese
The guests that pass through the portals of Bullseye with Jesse Thorn run the gamut of show business and the conversations can get serious. Still, given the host's comedy connections, no one would...
View ArticleSide Show's Sad Demise
That Side Show will close its run at the St. James Theater on Broadway is sad news. After an ebullient first preview in late October, the revival had a meet & greet at Sardi's. Many of the show's...
View Article'Ascension' Is a December Rarity; It Doesn't Have a Christmas Theme
TV Review Jackie K Cooper "Ascension" (Syfy) "Ascension" is a new mini-series on the Syfy Channel that shows a lot of promise. It is a story about a manned spaceship on a one hundred year journey to a...
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Everdeen Encumbered: Hour of the Wolf Movie Review of The Hunger Games:...
Usually, when you play "Whatever Happened To...?" it's with some washed-up celebrity. You track the downward career spiral of a Max Baer Jr, a Johnny Whittaker, a Kim Kardashian (not yet, but one day,...
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Bianca Del Rio, Interviewed and Reviewed
Photo credit: Jonathan Hernandez When the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began earlier this year, it was clear that Bianca Del Rio was a force to be reckoned with. Del Rio was a strong competitor...
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Gamers Deck the Virtual Halls of Their Disney Infinity Toy Boxes
As you've probably already heard, Disney Parks and Resorts go kind of Christmas Crazy this time of year ... ... with character-specific decorations giving each land at the Parks an especially festive...
View ArticleAmerican Sniper Gets It Right for Veterans: Why That Matters
There's something unique about American Sniper. If this were just another modern war movie, Chris Kyle might be portrayed as a replica of the hollowed out versions of the soldiers we often see splashed...
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When the Bad Doggy Is the Good Doggy: Hour of the Wolf Movie Review of The...
Kirk Cameron can kid himself, but these are the films that will truly save Christmas. Just in time to provide a respite for anyone sick of all that Holly-Jolly, IFC is releasing a pair of notorious...
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