The Brave and the Bold of Pixar
If you ask me, Pixar has a pretty good thing going. Its last 12 releases have been runaway successes at the box office. That’s an incredible string of winners, if you think about it. It’s not just the box office green that’s been impressive, though, but the movies themselves. With the exception of last year’s […]
Hey, It’s a Knockout!
Peer pressure is, and always has been, a pretty sketchy thing—especially if you’re a teen. Even the stupidest choices in the world can seem cool if enough of your friends are doing it. It was that way when I was a kid and it’s especially true today. Why, “especially” you ask? Well, because of a […]
Some Marvel(ous) Heroes
We’ve got comic book movies making lots of money. We’ve got newly designated gay superheroes making headlines. But there’s one comic-book related tale that you may not have heard. And personally I think this is the super one. It all starts with a 4-year-old boy named Anthony who lives in New Hampshire. This little fella […]
What Have They Done With My Show?
As you probably already know, the TV networks’ cancellation and renewal lists are official. And after giving them a once over, I couldn’t help but be surprised in some cases. I mean ABC’s cross-dressing Work It and Christian-thumping GCB are both shows whose passing will be lamented by very few. But there are a number […]
Statistics and Social Saints
OK, 80% of people are convinced that 90% of statistics are made up on the spot and completely useless (ba-dump-chuck). But I’ve got a few to share with you about online gaming. I know, at the mere mention of the phrase “online gaming,” you’re probably seeing a teen boy huddled in his parents’ basement killing […]
The ‘Shut Up’ Label
“Don’t listen to him, he’s just a [fill in blank here]” You may not have noticed as the world has subtly changed, but labels have taken on a new role—especially when we stick them on people. We used to think an identifier simply helped clarify who a person was. And I guess things like, “He’s […]
Have Movie, Will Text?
My wife and I both like going to a good movie. She may not ramble on afterwards about a pic’s artistic nuances and production values like I do, but we both dig that immersive moviegoing experience. When it comes to obnoxious seatmates at the cinema, however, our viewing public sensibilities diverge. Where I usually bite […]
The Fine Print’ll Cost Ya
Max Schrems is telling you to watch out. Earlier this year The New York Times reported Max’s ongoing battle with Facebook. It seems that after two or three years of using the social networking page, the Austrian law student suddenly sat up and said, “Hmm,” and began thinking about his personal data. What kind of […]
Do We Really Need Another Total Recall?
If you’ve been looking ahead to this year’s movie offerings, well, you’ve got to admit that the pickins appear to be pretty slim. We’ve got Men In Black (they’re up to what, number 14 now?), a new Spider-Man reboot, oh, and let’s not forget the latest Snow White redux (that makes two this year … […]
A Changing (Miss) Universe
If you’ve had any questions about whether or not our society is going through some cultural twistings and turnings, here’s another news story that lands solidly in the “yep” column. It seems that even the old bikini-and-evening-gown beauty pageants are being escorted into a new day. You may have heard about Jenna Talackova, a Miss […]