The Skeleton Twins
Attention everyone! The Oscar race officially begins with the release of the wonderfully poignant The Skeleton Twins. You heard it here first. Knowing that this tender movie stars Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as complicated twins, with a little Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell thrown in on the side, you might think this dark “dramady” would…
The Best of the Emmy Gift Suites
Every year prior to the major awards shows (Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammys, Emmys) savvy PR and marketing companies hold lavish gifting suites in posh hotels. You might guess they’re full of top designer swag — Gucci, Prada, Cartier, etc. — but you’d be wrong. Those huge brands have to pay A-List stars millions of dollars to…
Life of Crime
This is a classic Elmore Leonard tale, adapted from his novel The Switch. Full of hardened but sympathetic criminals, crazy eccentrics, corrupt businessmen, ambivalent lovers and dames of distinction, you’ll find Life of Crime a darkly amusing diversion. The casting is smart and intriguing. We have Tim Robbins (when did he become John Voight?) as…
Guardians of the Galaxy
Make way for the next big Super Hero franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy will blast its way into your heart and stay there — for at least three more episodes, according to moi. Who can resist a sassy super raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a powerful talking tree (Vin Diesel), a green, not blue super heroine (Zoe…
Saving Face With SoniClear
One of the best products I was introduced to at GBK’s Emmy gift lounge is the brand new SoniClear from Michael Todd True Organics, “The world’s first anti-microbial sonic cleansing system.” I know, you’re probably already cleaning your face with that other “sonic” skin care device, and you probably love the effect it has on your…
Jill Kirsh Shows Your Best Colors
Don’t spend another penny on clothes or makeup until you check out JillKirshColor.com. Yes, Jill is one of my best friends in the whole wide world, but we got that way after being introduced professionally, and I became so excited about her energy and her completely original color system that we became fast friends. You’ve…
Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company Coffee
One of the items I found in my gift bag from the Secret Room Emmy gift lounge was a box of Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company K Cups. Since this brand is not available in stores anywhere near here, I probably never would have heard of it otherwise. And that would be a shame, because not…
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
From time to time, I have guest reviewers do the honors. This one is by my husband, Miles Doppler, because he is such a Sin City fan. It also helps that I happen to agree with his assessment. The story goes that when director Robert Rodriguez first met Sin City author and artist Frank Miller,…
The Strain
Update: Apparently, millions of viewers disagreed with my review of The Strain. I recently received the following info from the network: “FX has ordered a 13-episode second season of its newest hit drama series The Strain from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX…
The Giver
Jeff Bridges and the rest of us have been waiting for more than 20 years for the film version of this original young adult dystopian future saga, which long preceded (and perhaps inspired) The Hunger Games and the Divergent franchises. It seems “The Dude” has been trying to make this movie for two decades, with…
