Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand was an instant smash upon its publication in 1936, even outselling Gone with the Wind and becoming the year’s best seller in the United States. Still, the slim volu…
TV Review: Master of None Season 2
While Master of None doesn’t quite achieve a coherent greatness, it does something almost as impressive, which is to establish a level of distinction and assurance rarely seen in TV comedies.…
TV Review: Vinyl 1X01 “Pilot”
In the beginning and ending of the pilot episode to HBO’s latest great-looking drama Vinyl, coked-up record executive Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale) is in a crowded club in New York City, 197…
Jon’s Movie Review: “Danny Collins” Aspires to Inspire
Films based on a true story can rarely keep true to the source material. It’s inevitable, and sometimes understandable. Sacrifices have to be made, and as long as the deviations are made for the…
Jon’s Movie Review: You Won’t Want to Adopt This “Annie”
Rebooting a series is a huge undertaking. There are so many pitfalls along the way that you have to be careful not to fall and snap your neck. There are very few reasons to reboot anything: updating/c…
2014 Tribeca Film Festival: Chef
I don’t really like saying I’m a “foodie.” It’s almost as if I were to say I’m a “breathie” or a “sleepie” but it’s a word that sticks around and apparently does not get that red line under it as brea…
Gaby’s Movie Review: Blue Jasmine
For putting out a new movie each year, you have to admire Woody Allen. (Especially these past few years where he’s made some great to pretty good films.) Not many filmmakers can do what he does, or at…