1. Scooby Doo Hanna-Barbera cartoons in general were a major, beloved part of my childhood (and yes, they still are as an adult) but it was Scooby Doo, whose cartoons were one of the anchoring programs of holidaying programming on the one and only commercial TV channel available to Continue Reading
Movies
Love surprises in Hello, My Name is Doris
SNAPSHOT After the death of her mother, Doris, an isolated 60-year-old woman, becomes motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker at a hip Brooklyn clothing company. As she finds ways to connect with John (going to an electronica concert, hanging out in hipster coffee shops..), Continue Reading
Watch out Mog! It’s a Christmas cat-astrophe … or is it?
It’s a Christmas cat-astrophe! First appearing in Deborah Kerr’s delightful 1970 book, Mog the Forgetful Cat, and sticking around for a series of delightful books which culminated, at least until this Christmas with Goodbye Mog in 2002, Mog is one very adorably klutzy cat. While she technically died in Continue Reading
“I always knew I would die in an elevator!” Christmas Eve spent in very tight spaces (poster + trailer)
SNAPSHOT When a power outage traps six different groups of New Yorkers inside elevators on Christmas Eve, they find that laughter, romance, and a little holiday magic will get them through—and change their lives in unexpected ways. Starring Patrick Stewart, Jon Heder, James Roday, Cheryl Hines, Max Casella, Julianna Continue Reading
Movie review: Tanna
It was Shakespeare, through the character Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, who eloquently observed that “The course of true love never did run smooth.” It’s a universal truth that resonates powerfully in Tanna, the first feature film by Australian documentary makers Bentley Dean and Martin Butler, which tells Continue Reading
“We’re just specks of dust in the pop culture universe”: The agonised anticipation of Waiting For That Movie
We’ve all been there, especially in this information-rich, social media-drenched age. Word leaks that a movie, THE movie you have ALWAYS wanted to see, is finally in production! Hallelujah! Let the weeping angels rejoice! A release date is announced and all seems well with the world. Sure, it’s WAAAAY Continue Reading
Happy 25th anniversary Home Alone! Now you can read about Kevin’s adventures too
Home Alone turns 25 today. I’ll step and let that sink in for a moment – right, all good? Yes, the Christopher Columbus-directed film about one 8 year old boy, Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) who is mistakenly left behind at home by his family on Christmas Eve when his Continue Reading
Movie review: Spectre
When you sit down to watch a James Bond film , now up to its 24th instalment with the Sam Mendes-directed Spectre, there are a number of well-tested tropes that you expect to be presented and accounted for. Bombastically-large, awe-inspiring, edge-of-your-seat opening scene? Check. A pivotal scene set somewhere Continue Reading
Christmas comes early: Touching ad #TheManontheMoon reminds us everyone deserves some festive cheer
I ordinarily don’t feature ads, no matter how creative they are, on this site. But there’s something so delightfully cinematic and heartwarming about the annual Christmas ads released by British department store John Lewis, which have become quite the festive institution in their homeland, and now worldwide, that they’re Continue Reading
Popped Culture: Dan LuVisi’s gloriously twisted take on pop culture icons
SNAPSHOT POPPED CULTURE features 64 pages of Dan LuVisi’s bizarrely skewed takes on popular culture in one eye-popping book. Some of the images contain short stories, explaining the disturbing and/or sometimes thoughtful backstories behind the characters. The book also includes some amazing work from several guest artists: Chase Conley, Continue Reading