The annual North Korean military parade is always a spectacle, and generally no joking matter to watch. And it’s a safe bet that it was a worldwide audience this year since expectations about hardware sophisticated enough to reach neighboring countries and the United States were more or less confirmed...

2017

Apr

THE LAST WALTZ By David Bianculli

One of the all-time great concert films, Martin Scorsese captured his love of music, and the farewell appearance by The Band, in this bursting-with-energy, captured-in-amber 1978 movie about the group’s last performance, on Thanksgiving 1976, featuring a lineup loaded with very special guests. Yes, Bob Dylan is here to party with, and say aloha to, his former backing band. But also saying goodbye to Band members Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko are

2017

Apr

THE VOICE By David Bianculli

The Voice, in truth, is several shows in one, each entertaining in its own right. First was the “blind auditions” phase, a beautiful introduction in which, for a while at least, sound conquers image. Then come the battle and knockout rounds, where the singers compete to advance the initial competitions. And now, starting tonight, comes the next round, which is different because everything is live – showing new sides not only of the singers, but of the judges.

2017

Apr

1776 By David Bianculli

This 1972 version of the musical about the Continental Congress and its political battles to declare independence from England was made 196 years after the events it was dramatizing in music. Somehow, though, the verbal battles and back-room events, and especially the jockeying for position and political posturing, are as current as ever. And if you approach 1776 as a precursor and spiritual ancestor of the musical Hamilton, then you can enjoy this musical on that basis as well, because most of

2017

Apr

BATES MOTEL By David Bianculli

A&E is promoting this series as reaching the point where there are only “two episodes until check-out.” And last week, with Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) in police custody, charged with several murders, and with the spirit of Norman’s dead mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) occupying his split-personality consciousness, things look bleak. Last week we saw her dressed as Norman, in the witness interrogation room, but we know, before long, we’ll also see him dressed as Norma

2017

Apr

BETTER CALL SAUL By David Bianculli

Man, I loved last week’s Season 3 premiere of Better Call Saul. And I love tonight’s episode even more, because the trail Mike is following leads him, ultimately, to a fast-food chicken joint – which, in turn, leads him to one of the most memorable supporting characters from Breaking Bad, this show’s parent series. That would be Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, and, as always, he’s so polite, he’s scary. To hear or read my review on NPR’s Fresh Air with

2017

Apr

‘GIRLS’ LEAVES VEXED, FEARLESS By Eric Gould

In many respects, last week’s penultimate episode of Girls “Goodbye Tour” was the standard issue Hollywood ending to a successful series, but you knew that writer and director Lena Dunham couldn’t leave it at that...

2017

Apr

‘THE WHITE PRINCESS’ OFFERS A SOLID IF FLAWED TALE By David Hinckley

The new Starz series The White Princess takes the real-life union between England’s King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and makes it more, you know, interesting...

2017

Apr

STAYIN' ALIVE: A GRAMMY SALUTE TO THE MUSIC OF THE BEE GEES By David Bianculli

Taped in February, this star-studded salute to the music of the Bee Gees is attended by the last surviving group member, Barry Gibb, and its executive producer is long-time Grammy Awards showman Ken Ehrlich. That means this lineup will feature not just ratings-bait nostalgia, but inspired pairings of artists and material. Celine Dion sings “Immortality,” not a Bee Gees song at all, but a song the Gibb brothers wrote for her in 1997. Old, pre-disco Bee Gees compositions also are repre

2017

Apr

THE LEGEND OF IRON CHEF By David Bianculli

SPECIAL: This Food Network special is supposed to look back at “more than 12 years” of Iron Chef culinary battles, as well as set the stage for the show’s newest incarnation of kitchen duels. Alton Brown, who is taking over as the new Chairman of the games, hosts – and Iron Chef Gauntlet, which premieres immediately afterward at 9 p.m. ET, enlists among its professional adversaries two of the best Iron Chefs in the show’s long and entertaining history: Masaharu Mori

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