Peyton Manning is My Father
Peyton Manning is my father. Now, I don’t mean like, my biological dad, or anything—I have one of those, and he’s a great man. I love him to death. My mother too, for that matter. Peyton and I have something different though. In some ways, it’s deeper than the strong… [Read More]
Pondering the Trailer for Wes Anderson’s ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’
Today the first trailer for Wes Anderson’s new film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, was released. Based on its content, the three words best suited to describe what Anderson’s latest is likely to be are “playful,” “precise,” and “peculiar.” In what should come as no coincidence, these are also the best… [Read More]
An Open Letter to Scrundle, My Wi-Fi Network
Dear Scrundle, You’re a snively, sadistic little prick, aren’t you? Urban Dictionary aside, you truly are everything “Scrundle” sounds like: a whimper, a groan, an unreliable creature that disappears when it’s needed most. I can’t imagine another feeble Internet connection that better embodies its name. We really thought it was… [Read More]
I Spent $33 to See ‘Gravity’ and It was Worth It
I showed up at the AMC Metreon in San Francisco at 7:55pm, ready to get consumed by its gargantuan IMAX screen for an 8pm showing of Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. My friend, who was waiting to hand me my ticket, had texted me that he was in the lobby, so I… [Read More]
8 Knee-Jerk Reactions to the Breaking Bad Finale
Breaking Bad is over. It’s over. OVER. Before these final episodes started I wrote about being on the brink of a post-BB world, and now here we are. Let’s get through this together. Some thoughts: 1) It was great, but not “Ozymandias” great. The finale was tightly-wound, well written, and beautifully shot—just… [Read More]
Disappointing Dexter
All week leading up to the Dexter series finale, I knew I was going to write an article titled “Disappointing Dexter.” This is because no matter what happened in the finale, I knew the show’s writers had already flubbed the show’s eighth and final season. There was no way to… [Read More]
What if ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Mad Men’ were on HBO?
When AMC greenlit Mad Men and Breaking Bad in 2006 and 2007, respectively, it took a huge chance on first-time showrunners, unproven lead actors, and most notably, stories that pushed the audience unlike ever before. Fast forward to 2013, and it’s clear the risk has paid off. AMC put itself… [Read More]
Embracing the Gray Area With ‘Drinking Buddies’
As I sit drinking a craft brew I bought 30 seconds after walking out of Drinking Buddies, the film’s ambiguous ending is pretty fresh in my mind. For 90 minutes, Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson act out a classic will-they-or-won’t-they story that essentially leads nowhere; consciously withholding the happy ending… [Read More]
Popular Actors That Bailed on Their Hit Shows
With recent rumblings that Laura Prepon is leaving Orange is the New Black after a wildly successful first season, it’s as good a time as any to look back at other notable exits from hit shows and why they went down: Michael J. Fox, Spin City During the fourth season… [Read More]
Following the Fairer Sex Down a Spotify Rabbit Hole
Something interesting has happened with my music taste lately, and although I’m not quite sure how I got there, I have to say that I’m 100% down with it. Undoubtedly as a result of a series of Spotify radio rabbit holes, I’ve found myself on a new listening binge: female… [Read More]
