Movie Monday: Into The Grey
Fifty-nine might seem a bit on the grey end of things to be a believable action hero. But don’t tell Liam Neeson. In the last few years, the Irish-born actor has become a big-screen protagonist that bad guys have learned—the hard way—not to trifle with. Whether he’s taking on thugs who kidnapped his daughter (2008’s […]
The Language of George Lucas
In my formative years, there wasn’t any nuance or mystery when it came to words I wasn’t supposed to say. The f-word and s-word were definitely out of bounds. But so were some other common vulgarities that, while not as harsh as the really nasty stuff, were still very much considered profanity in my family. […]
Dude, Where’s the Talking?
At some point in our lives, most of us have probably found ourselves sitting in a theater watching a film that wasn’t what we expected. (Though, admittedly, this should never happen to Plugged In’s savvy readers, right?) But a story out of England yesterday takes this common experience in a pretty comical direction. The Artist […]
Lyrical Misadventures in the Key of Cee
Last year was a pretty good one for singer Cee Lo Green. His profane hit “F— You” (along with its much milder radio counterpart, “Forget You”) was one of the Top 10 singles of the year. And the song’s popularity paved the way for him to join NBC’s singing competition The Voice as a judge […]
When Russell Left Katy
In late November, comedian and actor Russell Brand stopped by to chat with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show. Among other things, Ellen asked him to address rumors of marital difficulties between Brand and his wife, pop star Katy Perry. I appreciated Brand’s response, and we published what he said in our Dec. 5 Culture […]
War Horse and My Mom
Film has the power to move us in profound ways, both positively and negatively—sometimes even in the same movie. I was reminded of that truism during an unexpected conversation with my mother last night. I was talking on the phone with her when she mentioned that she and Dad had gone to see Steven Spielberg’s […]
Bon Jovi: Dead or Alive? Yes
Celebrities have different problems than you and I do. For instance, if someone mistakenly reported online that you or I had passed on to our great reward, a few folks (like our spouses and mothers) might be sad. But it likely wouldn’t become a viral rumor that required extreme social networking measures to refute. However, […]
Golden Globes’ Positive Picks
Every year about this time, Hollywood’s cognoscenti gather in undisclosed locations with furrowed brows to decide which of the year’s hundreds of theatrical offerings are worthy of further critical notice. And this morning marked the official kickoff of movie awards season with the announcement of the Golden Globes nominations. Often over the last decade or […]
Tim Tebow’s Secret Weapon: Good Parents?
In the last seven weeks, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has led his team to six remarkable, unlikely victories in seven outings. And approximately 14,116,288,201 articles about every aspect of his equally unlikely story—from his faith to his throwing mechanics to whether he’s got what it takes to go the distance in the NFL—have been […]
Video Games: Boon or Bane? Part 2
Editor’s Note: Yesterday, Bob Hoose discussed some of the evidence suggesting that video games can be beneficial—serving to improve hand-eye coordination, reduce stress and even thicken the cortex of the brain. But all games are not created equal. Today, Adam Holz will offer a more cautionary note in the world of video gaming. The Case […]