CBS and Entertainment Tonight moved quickly to present the new entertainment special, Norman Lear: A Life on Television. Through Norman Lear’s career creating and producing television series, he had a belief that comedy should also deliver social commentary and perhaps even change lives. Chuck Lorre and Greg Berlanti are among today’s modern producers that have several shows on TV at the same time. However, none have come as close as Lear when it comes to…
"Norman Lear: A Life on Television – An Entertainment Tonight Special"Tag: Rob Reiner
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life is the newest documentary from Rob Reiner and it is the Jewish content we so badly need right now. There is a universe where this documentary is called Albert Einstein: Defending My Life. Albert’s family used his birth to name him Albert. He might not be a great scientist like Einstein but he’s certainly a brilliant comedian. I mean, if you can make Carl Reiner laugh, you’ve got to be…
"Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Is The Jewish Content We Need"
The Criterion Collection recently gave The Princess Bride an upgrade to 4K Ultra HD so audiences should prepare to watch the classic film. What is there to say about this classic comedy that hasn’t already been said? Last year marked the 35th anniversary of its release. Inconceivable? You tell me. In any event, the disc is stacked with a number of bonus features. A number of them were already available on the Blu-ray that Criterion…
"The Princess Bride Available On Criterion 4K Ultra HD"
Being Mary Tyler Moore is a documentary that allows the seven-time Emmy-winning actress to tell her own story through archival footage. Outside of the archival clips featuring Moore speaking with interviewers, James Adolphus takes the smart approach of not using talking heads in the traditional way. While there are a number of voiceover interviews, nobody is seen speaking on camera. Some are for a brief clip while others like James L. Brooks and Jim Burrows…
"Being Mary Tyler Moore Is A Definitive Documentary"
The entire basis for Rumor Has It… is that a woman learns that both her mother and grandmother were the basis for 1967’s The Graduate. Following the end of Sundance, I was in the mood for a comedy and decided to rewatch this film for the first time since the theatrical release. The fact of the matter is that this film has a solid amount of laughs and laughs are so desperately needed right now.…
"Rumor Has It… Is Still Funny Over 16 Years Later"
The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardio DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie, is an epic visual storytelling masterpiece from Martin Scorsese. Martin Scorsese and masterpiece are words that seem to go together every few years. Looking back on its 8th anniversary, this film is no exception. With the filmmaker supervising a new film transfer, the picture has never been more beautiful. Both Scorsese and DiCaprio have a history so there’s a shorthand in their…
"The Wolf of Wall Street: An Epic Masterpiece"
Sleepless in Seattle, a timeless classic, marked the second pairing between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the Nora Ephron film. New York City may be the city that never sleeps but there’s no sleeping in Seattle. I kid, I kid. But seriously though, this film is recognized as one of the top romantic comedies of all time. The film hits all the basic genre beats while featuring the classic ending on top of the…
"Sleepless in Seattle: A Classic Rom-Com"
Make no mistake that Primary Colors is a satire but the film’s events are rather uncanny when it comes to similarities with the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign. Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) signs on to manage the presidential campaign for Arkansas Governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta). Stanton has this charismatic attitude about the way he walks and talks. You can’t help but like the guy and want him to win! Stanton already has a strong team…
"Primary Colors Really Goes For The Satire"
When Harry Met Sally… still holds up as one of the greatest romantic comedies as the Rob Reiner/Nora Ephron film celebrates the 30th anniversary in 2019. The film starts at the University of Chicago in 1977 when Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) leave for New York. At the time, Harry is dating Sally’s best friend, Amanda. This trip to New York consists of their views when it came to relationships. Being…
"When Harry Met Sally…: The Perfect Rom-Com"
Director Rob Reiner gets political once more with Shock and Awe revisiting the politically charged lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003. The film tells the story of four journalists with the Knight Ridder News Service. The media wasn’t challenging the Bush Administration on Iraq’s lack of evidence when it came to Weapons of Mass Destruction. Knight Ridder, for what it’s worth, rose to the occasion when nobody else was challenging the administration. It’s something that’s…
"Shock and Awe stands up for Journalism"