Waking the Dead opens with Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) watching a newscast in which he learns that the love of his life has been killed in a car-bombing that targeted Chilean activists (she was with them). We flash to a few years earlier when he met his love, Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly), for the first time. We soon see that perhaps things are not quite all fun and games for our young … [Read more...]
There are those who would argue that the general category of fantasy/sci-fi, or even more generally "that which cannot really happen," is indeed the best and purest category of fiction there is. Sure, it has everything from meaningless fluff to masterpieces just like every category, but when it's done right, it somehow has more to say about reality than reality as a framework can manage. … [Read more...]
If you liked the feature film Earth, or the television series Planet Earth it was built from, you're going to love the BBC follow-up to that series, Nature's Most Amazing Events. Narrated by David Attenborough, these six, hour-long presentations focus on wonders of the natural world, and their effects on the natural world. The gorgeous cinematography returns and is coupled with a more … [Read more...]
Richard Matheson is one of the strangest writers associated with Hollywood. I don't say that because of the myriad horror efforts, Twilight Zone episodes, or things like What Dreams May Come that have his name attached. I say it because so many things he's written just won't go away. Matheson has credits going back to things like 1957's The Incredible Shrinking Man, based on his novel The … [Read more...]
For fans of The Sims, the newest release is an automatic purchase that won't disappoint. The Sims 3 offers amazingly powerful updates to the theory, and everyone from the uninitiated to the die-hard will find themselves with limitless entertainment. EA has a new trick up its sleeve for The Sims 3, because you can now get the companion iPhone App version of the game as well. The game offers … [Read more...]
If you haven't been keeping up with TV Land's She's Got the Look, you've been missing a fairly interesting show. The beauty show that focuses on... less young women, plays a slightly different game, and if nothing else avoids 17 year-olds who think the fashion industry is, "Like, Oh my God, Wow." Whether you've been keeping tabs on the show or not, you've probably heard about the bizarre … [Read more...]
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is one of those exceedingly rare movies that will cause a great stir in the film criticism community to no purpose whatsoever. As well meticulously belabor the merits of Judge Judy, and its position on the spectrum of quality television. On the other hand, once in a while a movie surfaces in just the right way, and makes you take a look at just what … [Read more...]
NBC is pulling out a lot of tricks in order to capture the summer, and one of them is eight-part series The Philanthropist which starts Wednesday, June 24th. Billionaire Teddy Rist finds himself caught in a flood in Nigeria, and rescues a small boy during the effort to escape his flooded hotel. The event triggers something in Purefoy, mostly a great deal of emotional baggage left over … [Read more...]
By now everyone knows that Jon and Kate are set to make a big announcement tonight, and most everyone is about 95% sure what that announcement is going to be. The story everywhere is about the couple being apart at this or that time, and generally things not being at all well for the marriage. The only possible surprise at this point would be some positive announcement. At any rate, here's … [Read more...]
Inkheart, based on the novel by Cornelia Funke, is the story of a man who has the power to bring books to life simply by reading them aloud. While the possibilities there already stagger the imagination, this is the tale of the magical talent gone somewhat wrong, and the struggle with the unhappier side of getting too close to fairy tales. Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) is scouring the world … [Read more...]
If you're familiar with online, multi-user games such as World of Warcraft, Wizard 101 is a lot easier to explain. It's like that, only aimed at a younger crowd... and everyone is a wizard. The main page of Wizard 101 is here, and you can watch several videos at their site here. The game is specifically designed for the gap between games for the very young and those that are too mature in … [Read more...]
There are a lot of ways you can tell a story (especially in film) that are very dangerous. There are even some that are extremely dangerous. Basically, you are putting yourself in a situation where there could not possibly be more ways for it to go wrong. But, if you take one of these roads and make it work, you usually end up with something special. One of the most dangerous is to tell a story … [Read more...]
Whenever an award season rolls around, you can't help but run into everyone under the sun throwing their list of who should win at you. I'm usually as guilty as anyone. Well, TV.com has a nifty little Emmy Nominee Game going at their site which lets you put together the list of nominees. Check it out here. You've got three categories to choose from - Best Drama, Best Comedy, and Best … [Read more...]
NBC is rolling out Merlin this Sunday, June 21st, and it's opening the Sunday night schedule. While it's a pretty decent bit of fun, it's a tricky game for a primetime spot. It's even trickier because the show looks to be playing out in a manner that is going to require at least six or seven episodes to get settled into itself. That's a tough game in today's world of ratings … [Read more...]
Welcome to ScreenTime! If you haven't had a chance to catch Better Off Ted yet, I really suggest you get acquainted with it. New episodes are returning for a summer run, and the show is slated in ABC's fall schedule. You can catch up on what you've missed at ABC's Better Off Ted page here, and new episodes start this coming Tuesday 6/23. Catch my review of the show … [Read more...]
On July 23rd you can own not just another DVD, but a real piece of history. Tom and Jerry The Chuck Jones Collection brings together all 34 cinematic release shorts created when Jones took over the duo. It also includes two 30-minute special features that are a great treat for fans. The remastered, roughly seven-minute cartoons feature not only some of the greatest moments of Tom … [Read more...]
