Despite my better judgment, I continue my love/hate relationship with 3D (mostly hate). I went to see Wrath of the Titans. The original Clash of the Titans is one of my favorites, and this sequel to the critically lambasted remake is pulpy fun if you're looking for over-the-top speci/…

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As promised, here's some information on the documentary I worked on -- Leatherman's Loop: 25 Years. Created by Level 92 Films, it tells the story of a quarter-century of one of the greatest trail races anywhere. 

Take a look at the trailer. If you can't see the embedded video below,/…

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Have you been hearing and seeing a lot of news about the RMS Titanic lately? The reason is because April 15 will mark 100 years since the sinking of the luxury liner, killing 1,514 people. There are new books, new documentaries, new television specials, revivals of the Titanic musical, an/…

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Product placement in movies is nothing new. M&Ms maker Mars, Inc., is probably still regretting turning down Amblin Productions' request to use its candy for a pivotal sequence in its blockbuster movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Hershey Foods Corporation swooped in and granted perm/…

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Hearing about the death of soccer Hall of Famer Giorgio Chinaglia brought back a lot of childhood memories when my dad used to take me to New York Cosmos games back in the Pele heyday when they used to fill Giants Stadium (yes, do not let my youthful good looks deceive/…

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My apologies for not posting a blog entry yesterday. It has been a ridiculously busy week and I feel a bit burned out. On Saturday I did some errands and then my wife and I went to dinner to celebrate a birthday of a friend -- we didn't get home… Read full post »

It's always an adventure to go from my home in the Bronx to an event in Brooklyn, but Thursday night was one to remember -- thank you, overturned tractor trailer that forced the closing of all southbound lanes on the BQE! I was heading to BAM's Harvey Theater to see the acclaimed/…

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The Cartoon Network announced that it will debut a new animated series in 2013 called Beware the Batman. This will be the first time an all computer-generated cartoon of the Dark Knight will be on the air, but it is by no means the first (or last) time the Caped Crusader/…

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The commercials for the new movie Dark Shadows seem pretty funny and quirky, but how true is the remake to the original gothic soap opera that inspired it? The new film seems to be an outright comedy whereas the television series that it is based upon (which aired from 1966 to 1971)/…

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If R.E.M. had not immortalized it in a song in 1994, would anyone remember that bizarre incident in 1986 during which CBS anchor Dan Rather was jumped by an unknown assailant who asked the mysterious question, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" Who's Kenneth, and what is the frequency?&nbs/… Read full post »

Once you see images in high-definition, anything less appears shoddy by comparison. Since most television sets sold today are HD flatscreen/widescreens, if you're watching standard definition on them the picture quality is pretty disappointing. My living room set is optimized for HD/…

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John Carter failed because the marketing was terrible, starting with the bland, misguided title right down to the poor PR dealing with the negative buzz before the movie even hit screens. But there is plenty more blame to go around.

When a studio spends over 200 million dollars on a motion/… Read full post »

The venerable show biz trade paper, Variety, is up for sale. Further proof of print media struggling in the digital age, the publication that has been synonymous with Hollywood deals and glamour is finding it hard to compete for the eyeballs of the public and is looking for new ownership/…

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As a lifelong Yankee fan, I was very saddened today to hear about the serious injury pitcher Joba Chamberlain suffered while allegedly jumping on a trampoline with his son. His severe ankle dislocation is not only the latest set-back for him, the loss of blood initially was almost life-th/…

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There is talk that Netflix might reach a deal to produce new episodes of Terra Nova, which was recently cancelled by FOX. The much hyped science fiction television show, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, only lasted one season after a long wait to get it on the air. If it eventually/…

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At first, I felt a chill run down my spine because I thought they were doing the unthinkable and remaking Psycho again, but they learned their lesson after the horrible, ill-advised Gus Van Sant shot-for-shot remake in 1998 of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece. Instead, relief overcame me as/…

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What's wackier than baseball news in December? How about football news dominating sports talk on the first day of spring? There I was in my car on this balmy March 20th, which felt more like June, flipping radio stations between WFAN and ESPN, hoping to catch some updates on baseball/…

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I have a splitting headache tonight, so I'll keep this short and sweet. The first image of the new TV show, Arrow, based on DC Entertainment's Green Arrow character, has been released.  I've included a cropped detail shot above and the full image below.


Promotional shots like/…

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Have you heard the latest awful news about a real-life tragedy allegedly "inspired" by a fictional movie, TV show, or novel? Apparently, a teenager died after gunfire broke out at a houseparty that was similar to the outrageous one in the movie Project X.  We can't blame media for pe/…

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In honor of St. Patrick's Day Weekend, I have decide to share with you a list of some of the greatest things -- characters or objects -- in Popular Culture that are green.  Enjoy...

The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Emerald City
Frankenstein's Monster
Godzilla
Greedo
Green Acres
Green Arrow
Gree/…

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A lot of my friends and family are excited for the weekend -- they'll be going to the St. Patrick's Day parade or watching some "March Madness" basketball games -- but I'm a geek so I'll be keeping track of what's happening on the West Coast (Anaheim, California to be exact) at/…

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The first two Godfather films are some of the finest examples of cinema ever produced. The original, released in 1972, is just a perfect movie, and the sequel, released in 1974, is a fine bit of storytelling with some of my favorite scenes of all time. I love those first two films so/…

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With a name like The Best Man, one might expect a wedding-themed romantic comedy, but the Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's 1960 play is instead a political drama that still remains timely over a half century later. The new production has a star-studded cast that elevates the production to/…

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Disney's blockbuster-wannabe John Carter, which allegedly cost a quarter billion dollars to make (not counting all the marketing expenses), has quickly become the poster child for Hollywood bombs, even though it is less than a week old. It underperformed at the weekend domestic /…

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I love the coming attractions for movies. Sometimes, the sneak peaks are the best part of the movie-going experience, since some motion pictures don't live up to the hype! Often, though, you can't judge a film by its trailer.  A while ago, I briefly wrote about the art of m… Read full post »