Category Archives: TV and movies

One of the perhaps underappreciated joys of the TiVo is the things it records for you on spec, stuff it thinks you might like based on the things you have asked it to record. Thanks to this feature, Tiffany and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s official: Our national case of the vapors resulting from Janet Jackson’s exposed boobie has become a clown show. A Tennessee woman has sued Janet Jackson and others involved in her breast-baring Super Bowl halftime show in Houston, saying millions … Continue reading → Continue reading →

OK, reaction to Janet Jackson’s naked boobie is getting just a wee bit out of hand. The head of the Federal Communications Commission ordered an investigation Monday into the broadcast of the Super Bowl’s halftime show, which included a revealing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

OK, I admit it: I have a soft spot for those Budweiser “Real Men of Genius” ads which have migrated recently from radio to TV. Apparently, there were a lot more of these spots on the radio than I knew … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Man, I nearly choked on my Cheerios this morning when I came across the Chron’s very own State of the Union drinking game. This would never have happened if Ann Hodges (who is no doubt lying down with a cold … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Every once in awhile, you can actually learn something from those end of the year Weird Stories wrapups. Tom Hanks was signed to play flamboyant congressman Charlie Wilson of Lufkin, who helped Afghani mujahedeen oust the Soviets, in a movie … Continue reading → Continue reading →

While it’s true that the author of this silly review of Return of the King, which has been rightfully mocked by Ginger and Jim, clearly knows nothing about what kind of movie women like, she also clearly knows nothing about … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m pretty sure that the maker of The Golden Globes: Hollywood’s Dirty Little Secret will not be getting a Best Documentary nomination from them. The Golden Globe nominations will be announced Thursday. But casual viewers of the annual awards show … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Much like Dave Barry when he did his Bad Song Survey, I was rather overwhelmed by the response to my personal Ten Worst Movies List. One link from Atrios and the hit counters go nuts. Anyway, a number of other … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Thanks to an earlier double-dog dare on my part, Pete has not only graced us (if that’s the right word) with his ten worst films list, he even went so far as to detail his methodology for choosing said films. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This article about how it’s OK to enjoy cheesy movies validates Pete‘s entire existence, though I’m quite sure that Pete would have listed a much better selection of admirably cheesy flicks. Continue reading →

I once lived a pretty good bachelor’s life. Oh sure, the place was always a mess, the fridge was full of beer and accidental science projects, and the decor could charitably be described as “the lease says no holes in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Man, I love 24. I think Season 3 is going to kick even more butt. Don’t read this Chronicle story about the season premier until and unless you’ve seen it. I gotta get me the season 1 and 2 DVDs… Continue reading →

It’s been said that Bambi was the best piece of anti-hunting propaganda ever produced. From this description of two new reality-based TV shows, there are some new contenders for the title of best anti-wealth propaganda out there. Television’s embarrassment of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s a sad day today: Fred “Rerun” Berry has passed away, apparently from natural causes, at the age of 52. By his passing, he leaves behind an eternal mystery: He wore his red beret and suspenders in real life, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We finally broke down and got TiVo recently. Actually, more accurately, I finally convinced Tiffany that we needed TiVo. Our VCR had coughed up a hairball, and rather than replace it, since we mostly used it to tape stuff that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

My buddy Pete has been reviewing movies at Film Threat for a year now, and to celebrate he takes a fond look at one of his (and my) favorites, Big Trouble in Little China. (Note to self: put the DVD … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This isn’t exactly fresh news, but what the heck, it was news to me. Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), a leading developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software products, today announced that it has filed a breach of contract suit … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, hey, not only did our friend from Alaska make the first callback at the American Idol tryouts today, she and her dad made the front page of the Chron website, in the photo above. She’s also quoted in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

They’re holding tryouts for American Idol at Minute Maid Park here in Houston. That picture is the line of hopefuls currently camped out at the stadium. Auditions are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, meaning these 5000 or so folks (so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

When I got home from work yesterday, there was a message on my answering machine that I had to listen to three times before I was sure I heard it correctly. The caller was a woman who said she was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Longtime Chron TV critic and professional prude Ann Hodges is hanging up her remote after 40 years in the business. Hodges could always be counted on to take great offense at some obscure lowbrow sitcom that was defining yet another … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Here’s a bizarre twist in the firing of Savage Mikey Weiner – the call that precipitated his finally-too-much-for-MSNBC outburst was a prank call by a troll for a competing radio talk show. Here’s what the caller was saying when he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Michael “Savage” Weiner, host of that moronic MSNBC talk show, has been fired for – get this – making anti-gay remarks on the air. The popular radio talk show host who did a weekend TV show for the cable channel … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Best news I’ve heard today – the MYSTERY! series on PBS will be premiering a series of episodes based on the books of Elizabeth George. Turns out they’d already done her first book, A Great Deliverance, last year, but I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There turned out to be a large group of us at the new Alamo Drafthouse to see the Mister Sinus Theater presentation of “The Terminator”. The show started late because the Alamo needed more time than they originally thought to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Remember David Manning, the movie critic that Sony invented in order to put his rave-review quotes on advertisements? When Sony fessed up and promised not to make up critics and favorable quotes any more, did you breathe a sigh of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

NPR had a longish story on All Things Considered yesterday about the coming end (sniff) of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The story was about how academics have gotten into the act: Buffy enjoys a special following among academics, some of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Amazingly enough, the Killer D’s walkout hasn’t stopped other things from happening around the world. Chron TV writer Mike McDaniel, who’s been a big booster of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for years now, has a nice farewell article in today’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

TBogg is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it any more. He’s started a petition in response to the awful news (warning: multiple obnoxious popups) that JLo and Ben Affleck are signed on to do a remake … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I saw an amazing movie on Cinemax yesterday, a one-hour documentary called Welcome to North Korea. I’d read a review of it before watching (here’s another one that compares this film to the similar documentary Uncle Saddam) so I had … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I thought it was pretty clear from the plotline, but just in case there was any doubt, Sarah Michelle Gellar says that this is the last season for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Well, in its present form, anyway: But the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I don’t know how they’re going to do it – I’m afraid to even think about it – but Fox is preparing another Joe Millionaire. Not that I’ll watch anyway, but I confess the speculation interests me. One of NBC’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Now here’s a made-for-TV movie that looks promising: Hollywood- Holy blast from the past, Batman! Adam West and Burt Ward are reuniting for a TV movie they hope will score bop-socko-pow ratings for CBS. But West and Ward aren’t playing … Continue reading → Continue reading →