Review: Birdman
Birdman, or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, is a very special film. Infinitely creative and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, you can bet it will be a major contender for Oscars and other awards. It’s certainly among my favorites of the year so far, thanks to its brazen freshness, and spectacular performances. It’s the…
Nescafe Dolce Gusto Mini Me Makes Magic
Calling all coffee lovers: There’s a brand new single-serve coffee system in town, and it has this java fanatic smacking her lips. As much as I love my cappuccino, I never could master the fine art and mess of steaming milk. Now, with the advent of the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Mini Me, there’s a sweet, compact machine that…
Review: God's Not Dead
By Cindy Crompton Editor’s Note: We critics are a jaded lot, and it’s just impossible for us to see everything, so from time to time I invite guest critics in to give fresh perspective on films that I think are significant, like God’s Not Dead. Today’s guest critic is Cindy (MacIntosh) Crompton, mom of three,…
Review: Stonehearst Asylum
Okay, if you’re only going to see one scary movie this year, or if you just feel like a good chilling fright around Halloween, I recommend that you chose Stonehearst Asylum, a gaudy, gory, gothic horror of a film with an all star cast including Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Brendan Gleason and…
Designing Woman Annie Potts Lists Her Hot Hacienda
Yes, Annie Potts had a heavy hand in designing and remodeling this sprawling Tarzana Spanish Hacienda. And yes, she did her television series persona proud. I’m in love with the way she added her colorful flair to a 1934 structure, and still managed to keep its old world charm. The Andalusian hued kitchen knocked me out, as…
Review: White Bird in a Blizzard
Gorgeous and talented little Shailene Woodley got naked on the screen for the first time in this? What a waste! That’s my overall reaction to the quality of the film, but I am intrigued by White Bird in a Blizzard for a completely different and irrelevant reason. This could be the first and only time…
The Good Wife Loses Her Best Frenemy
The Good Wife fans were gobsmacked last season when Will Gardner (Josh Charles) was shot by a client and left the show for good. But we won’t be so taken aback at the end of Season Six when Kalinda meets her ultimate fate, because it’s been announced Emmy winner Archie Punjabi has just signed a…
Review: Gone Girl
And they’re off! The Oscar race has officially begun, with David Fincher’s Gone Girl pulling ahead for an early lead. And it may well have the legs to carry it right across the finish line first come Oscar time. The film is, in a word, sublime. If you’re an avid fan of Gone Girl, the novel, like I…
Where Desi Loved Lucy
“Lucy, I’m home!” You can almost hear that iconic television phrase wafting through the entry hall of this most classic of Beverly Hills mansions, which recently came on the market for a very reasonable (for the area) $6.985 million. It was the temporary love nest of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez back in the 1950’s, while they awaited another regal…
Review: The Judge
Will someone please explain to me how such a stellar cast can wind up in such a miscarriage of movie justice? I mean, it’s Robert Downey Jr., for heavens sake, along with Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga and Billy Bob Thornton. You need a really bad script and an inept director to show some of the greatest actors…
