Posts Tagged ‘Comedy’
 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY @ TORONTO: “Frances Ha” & “Imogene”

  One of the things that happens at film festivals is that as you see many films in back-to-back proximity, mini-trends start to emerge, at least in the mind, and pictures that were made entirely separately, and which may ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON PREMIERE REVIEW: “The Office”

  THE OFFICE:  Thursday 9PM on NBC WHERE WE WERE:  Wondering how much longer THE OFFICE could last, as we wearily bid a not-so-fond farewell to Robert California (James Spader) and came to terms with the fact that Nellie...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SHOWBUZZDAILY REVIEW: “Wanderlust”

      WANDERLUST:  Watch It At Home – Hippy Jokes Thawed Out From 1966   The new WANDERLUST demonstrates the strengths and limitations of amiability in movies.  Its stars, Jennifer Aniston and Paul R...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED’S BUSTED PILOT THEATRE: “Family Album”

> See A Word About Busted Pilots FAMILY ALBUM was one of the more buzzed-about FOX pilots of this past development season, and although it’s not on the network’s announced schedule, Deadline reports that it’s ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SHOWBUZZDAILY REVIEW: “How Do You Know”

On Homevideo and VOD:  Still Not Worth Seeing. James L Brooks is legendarily responsible for some of the great comedies and comedy-dramas of his generation, with a record that stretches from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Raising Hope”

> Greg Garcia’s RAISING HOPE, like his My Name Is Earl, has a very particular chaotically surreal good-naturedness.  (The 2 shows exist in the same meta-universe, and Hope often nods to Earl–in tonight’s ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY @ TORONTO: “Seven Psychopaths”

  Few movies are as wholeheartedly dedicated to meta-ness as Martin McDonagh’s SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS.  The title of the movie is also the title of the script its main character Marty (Colin Farrell)–which, I belie...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Veep”

VEEP has no particular interest in going anyplace, so its season finale tonight was more or less the same as any other episode.  This has made for a fun, but somewhat repetitive, ride over the show’s initial 8-episode se...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE BIJOU REVIEW: “50/50”

> 50/50:  Worth A Ticket –  A Genuinely Feel-Good Cancer Comedy With The Big C renewed for its third season on Showtime, the concept of a comedy getting laughs from the experiences of a cancer patient is no long...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE BIJOU @ TIFF: “Peace, Love & Misunderstanding”

> I wasn’t aware that the Toronto Film Festival showed TV pilots until I caught a screening of PEACE, LOVE & MISUNDERSTANDING.  As a pilot, Peace certainly has its appeal, with a strong cast that includes Jane Fo...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Happy Endings”

> It’s not all that unusual for a situation comedy to change directions in the midst of its initial season and emerge a different, and better, show:  The Office and Parks & Recreation both took that journey (the ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SHOWBUZZDAILY LA FILM FEST REVIEW: “Ruby Sparks”

  RUBY SPARKS:  Worth A Ticket – A Narrative Feat   Woody Allen is one of the most influential figures in modern independent film, but his ghost is usually evident in the many romantic comedy-dramas we get each...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED SEASON FINALE REVIEW: “Californication”

> CALIFORNICATION lost a step this season, which is what often happens when a series of limited scope reaches Year 5.  Unlike other Showtime series like Weeds and Dexter, Californication has never had the appetite for seas...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED REVIEW: SNL With Christina Applegate

  There were a few moments in this week’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE where you could actually have mistaken it for a place that offers trenchant political satire.  That’s hasn’t been SNL‘s mode since Tina...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE BIJOU REVIEW: “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” – Palatably Painless

> Watch It At Home: Fodder For the Undemanding Young One of the running gags in MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS is that the birds are fascinated by old Charlie Chaplin movies, and can be kept calm for hours just by placing them in ...
by Mitch Salem