The ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Ending Is Also A Prompt To Launch A RewatchA couple of weeks ago, we explored The Office on the occasion of its 15th anniversary, finding ways to appreciate its greatness and the density of its characters. A thing that I fixated on was growth: how Michael softened, how Jim and Dwight reached… Apr 09 20April 09, 2020Article at UPROXX
In Appreciation Of Adam Schlesinger, ‘Welcome Interstate Managers,’ And When Small Things Felt BigMy connection to Adam Schlesinger’s work is slight compared to others who followed him through every stop of a lengthy and varied career. Sure, I’ve long admired the technical splendor of “That Thing You Do” and how he managed to place a masterful… Apr 02 20April 02, 2020Article at UPROXX
The Greatness Of ‘The Office’ Stemmed From Its Willingness To EvolveThere are characters and dynamics from The Office that are frozen in our minds: Michael Scott as the dimwitted and insensitive boss, Jim and Pam as the fairytale couple, Jim and Dwight as mortal enemies. But there are also variations and an… Mar 24 20March 24, 2020Article at UPROXX
‘The Daily Show’ Is Finding The Funny During Our Collective IsolationSocial distancing pushed late-night comedy into exile for a minute, but several hosts quickly found a way to still connect with their audiences, most notably by way of home-bound editions like what Stephen Colbert kicked off Monday from his bathtub… Mar 20 20March 20, 2020Article at UPROXX
The Final Lesson From ‘A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood’ Is One Worth Holding OntoThere’s an ethereal quality to Mister Rogers that Tom Hanks wholly and skillfully channels while playing the legendary children’s TV host in Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood; a role that earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar… Feb 07 20February 07, 2020Article at UPROXX
The World Needs More Of Smug Chris EvansI don’t want this to get lost in the sea of breathless reactions to the sweater porn on display in Knives Out: Chris Evans, the pristine vision of masculine and moral goodness as Captain America, is playing the hell out of a smug jerk while stealing… Dec 09 19December 09, 2019Article at UPROXX
Can Legendary Cinematic Performances Truly Be Brought Back To Life With CGI?The act of trying to synthesize a classic is as seemingly alluring as it is difficult. Or maybe it’s impossible. Last week, we saw two distinct examples that may have proved that theory in the announced eventual return of James Dean’s visage to the… Nov 14 19November 14, 2019Article at UPROXX
On That ‘Undone’ Ending, The Show’s Future, And Pop-Culture OwnershipAmazon’s Undone inspires and concerns itself with all kinds of heavy thoughts and it has me wondering about the nature of fandom, ownership, and pop culture gluttony as I push away from the show deeply satisfied after one season. But while that… Sep 20 19September 20, 2019Article at UPROXX
‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Fails To Live Up To Its Potential As The Next ‘Tango & Cash’1989’s Tango & Cash, which starred Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell, and the Fast & Furious franchise stand out as symphonic bro-downs that feed a need to see things explode and see villains get punched. They also offer up a heaping helping of… Aug 09 19August 09, 2019Article at UPROXX
It’s Time To Reboot ‘Quantum Leap,’ And Quentin Tarantino Is Just The Person To Do ItInterest never ebbs when it comes to what Quentin Tarantino is going to do next. Even when we have fresh work to digest. Is he inching closer to retirement? Is Kill Bill 3 on the horizon? Will he put his mark on the Star Trek franchise? Will he go… Aug 02 19August 02, 2019Article at UPROXX
Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ Remains Relevant 30 Years LaterIt’s clear when re-watching Batman ’89 for its 30th anniversary that it lacks the dimension (and scope) of a modern comic book movie, but there is something to be said for its simplicity. Especially in 2019. Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren’s script for… Jun 24 19June 24, 2019Article at UPROXX
How ‘Brockmire’ Lost The Bottle And Re-Found The Religion Of BaseballThere’s a part of Brockmire star Hank Azaria that misses playing the show’s title character, Jim Brockmire, as perpetually wasted. Azaria worked for years to get the act down (he created the character years before the series began), getting laughs as… May 22 19May 22, 2019Article at UPROXX
‘Captain Marvel’ Features The Most Important Action Sequence In MCU HistoryIt’s a nice thing when the high points of a movie are so rich that they act as a sort of perception filter, allowing you to track minor annoyances without being able to really focus on them or have them dampen your enjoyment. That’s where I’m at with… Mar 14 19March 14, 2019Article at UPROXX
The New Ghostbusters Movie Shouldn’t Ditch Everything From The RebootI want to feel unrestrained glee over the idea of a new Ghostbusters film from Jason Reitman (son of Ivan, the director of the original two). It’s quite likely the pop culture staple that I most give a damn about. Peter Venkman was the rock upon… Jan 17 19January 17, 2019Article at UPROXX
Loudon Wainwright III’s ‘Surviving Twin’ Highlights The Complexity Of Father-Son RelationshipsI may have been the wrong person to interview Loudon Wainwright III and write an article about his new music and storytelling filled Netflix special, Surviving Twin (which you can stream now). It’s not that I’m unfamiliar with the veteran folk… Nov 16 18November 16, 2018Article at UPROXX
Mac’s Dance On ‘Always Sunny’ Is A Reminder Of How Great It Feels To Be Surprised By ArtPeople pass videos to me all the time. “This is AMAZING!” and “You’ll laugh your ass off” kind of videos. But it’s not often that someone tells me that a video made them cry and feel represented. That’s what happened when my friend, Chris, told me to… Nov 09 18November 09, 2018Article at UPROXX
Conan O’Brien’s First ‘Late Night’ Episode Still Stands Out As Punk Comedy ArtIt’s been one day past 25 years since Conan O’Brien introduced himself to TV audiences, replacing David Letterman as the host of NBC’s Late Night in the 12:30AM timeslot that had been (and which has long continued to be, thanks, in large part, to… Sep 14 18September 14, 2018Article at UPROXX
Teen-Led Town Halls Should Become A More Frequent ThingTeens are marching, they’re screaming at the top of their lungs demanding action and justice, and they’re trying to cut through the “BS” of our political discourse in the process. These teenagers are driven by anger, driven by fear, and, in the case… Feb 23 18February 23, 2018Article at UPROXX
The Montreal Expos Can Fix Baseball’s Free Agency ProblemThe World Series was pretty great for the second year in a row, and we’re in the middle of a dinger golden age. Is baseball great? You bet. But it’s very possible that the sport is also broken on some level. Some of the principals seem to think so,… Feb 12 18February 12, 2018Article at UPROXX
John Mahoney’s Impact Could Be Felt Even In His Forgotten RolesJohn Mahoney played Martin Crane on Frasier for 11 seasons and had memorable roles in Say Anything…, Moonstruck, Barton Fink, and on the stage in New York and in Chicago. It’s natural that those highlights have defined his career in the appreciations… Feb 06 18February 06, 2018Article at UPROXX
