Here's Why We're Actually Still Watching Crime Shows
Since I write television, allow me to begin by stating the obvious: America has become more polarized than at any time since the 1960s. People on opposite sides of the partisan divide have not only...
View ArticleHappy 50th Birthday Courteney Cox
If it's not too trite to hail a skinny-assed, multi-millionaire Hollywood film star as proof that life begins at 50, then hello Courteney Cox. And a happy birthday. By Alexa Baracaia for High50 The...
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World Party on Tour: Long Live Rainbows and Revolutions
Karl Wallinger is sitting on the running board of his tour van and smoking a cigarette. He just finished World Party's sound check at the Variety Playhouse, and I'm showing him iPad photos of the...
View ArticleSandra Bernhard: Provocateur at Guild Hall
Sandra Bernhard makes me laugh. Her brassy, wild mouthed persona has always seemed an exaggeration of femininity, her humor bold, her image could be menacing as in her role in The King of Comedy,...
View ArticleKino! Festival of German Film Opens With Christian Schwochow's West
A pretty, blue-eyed blond and a young boy say a tearful goodbye to one man, and in the next scene, leave by car with another. Border patrol, strip searches, humiliating intrusive interrogations lead to...
View ArticleFairies, Witches and Astronauts
I saw Maleficient yesterday. Sharing the theatre with preschool girls and their moms, I couldn't help but think about the special connection between girls and fairies (boys, for the most part, ignore...
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CTRL+ PLUS: A Closer Look at AMC's Halt and Catch Fire
AMC premiered its newest series, Halt and Catch Fire, three weeks ago tonight, in the void that was left by the season finale of the jewel in the AMC crown, Mad Men. HCF (the title refers to a...
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Jeff Blumenkrantz and The Art of Playing 13 Characters in the Hit Show Murder...
It's hard enough playing one suspect in a murder mystery musical. Imagine playing all 13 suspects -- while never leaving the stage? In the hit whodunit comedy, Murder for Two, that's exactly what Jeff...
View ArticleRita Wilson -- Tuned-In To Life
Rita Wilson lives on the edge. The actress ("Volunteers," "The Bonfire of the Vanities," "Sleepless in Seattle"), writer, producer, director, Huff/Post 50 editor-at-large -- and singer -- admits it was...
View ArticleBoyhood: A Rare Cinematic Feat That Should Totally Engage You
I'm not always a big fan of Richard Linklater's films and found his Before Sunrise/ Sunset/Midnight series a bit talky and not overly deserving of the acclaim it received. However, that said, and with...
View ArticleWhy Is the Villain in Dragon 2 the Only Non-White Character?
I'll keep this short. How to Train Your Dragon 2 could have been great. It could have been an exciting, funny tale of a boy overcoming both a life-altering injury and his close-minded society to become...
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'Ida': A Film Review by Dr. Lloyd Sederer
Ida A film review by Dr. Lloyd Sederer This is a film about two paths to liberation. Both paths are exquisitely portrayed in Ida, a black-and-white film from Poland that runs a mere 80 minutes, yet...
View ArticleA-Sides with Jon Chattman: "The Other Side" of Madi Diaz; "Wishing" with...
Last year, Madi Diaz packed up all of her stuff, left Nashville , and drove to Los Angeles. The singer/songwriter arrived five days later but seemed to become a new person along the way to "la la...
View ArticleWarning: If You Plan to See How To Train Your Dragon 2, Prepare to Cry
What a difference five years makes! In the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon 2 we find a few familiar faces blazing through the sky in an exhilarating dragon race, and a lot of big changes in...
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Why I Have No Shame in Honoring the Game of Thrones
My very purist, arty friend sat on my porch and said matter-of-factly, "Kellee, you are gonna need to address why you do pop culture stuff." She was referring to this Game of Throne's video below, for...
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What City Is Your Music Soul Mate?
According to Stevie Wonder, "Music is a world within itself/ With a language we all understand." Its history spans decades, its genres are prolific and it's constantly progressing: Classical music's...
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5 First Impressions of TV Shows We Forgot to Watch
It's summer, which is typically the time of year we find our TV viewing schedules a little light. In order to steady our shaky remote finger until the fall, we've decided to go deep into the archives...
View ArticleCasey Kasem and the Death of American Mass Culture
This weekend I had to do some boring Saturday chores -- hardware store, oil change, that sort of thing -- so I made sure I left the house right at noon, as I often do. That's because that's when the...
View ArticleDjimon Hounsou's Advice for Playing a Villain
Djimon Hounsou plays bad guy Drago Bludvist, "a madman without conscience or mercy" in How to Train Your Dragon 2 from DreamWorks Animation. We sat down in Washington D.C.'s new Capella Hotel to talk...
View ArticleRolling Stone Chooses "I Walk the Line" as the Greatest Country Song,...
"I FIND it very, very easy to be true, I find myself alone when each day is through/Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you. Because you're mine, I walk the line." Lyrics from the great Johnny...
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