Now that I’ve given a name, “spider-web movies,” to those films that ensnare me on TV no matter how many times they’ve been televised, I keep running into – and getting trapped all over again by – more of them. Here’s another: a 1987 comedy classic starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn, Robin Wright, Andre the Giant and more. I consider this, without question, one of the best family movies of its generation. Every actor, every scene in The P

2012

Aug

DELIVERANCE By David Bianculli

Here’s another “spider-web movie” of mine – another film that I’ll recommend, and watch, almost every time it’s televised. I can’t believe this drama is 40 years old now, because it still grabs me by the throat like an action thriller should. Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Jon Voight and Ronny Cox play the four suburbanites who take two canoes for a weekend adventure paddling down the Cahulawassee River. What a trip. What a film. John Boorman directed, and s

2012

Aug

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER By David Bianculli

After a political convention week, there’s nothing like tuning in to a smart political satirist to get a timely take on things. Here’s one great place to do just that.

2012

Aug

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART By David Bianculli

After a political convention week, there’s nothing like tuning in to a smart political satirist to get a timely take on things. Here’s another great place to do just that.

2012

Aug

THE COLBERT REPORT By David Bianculli

After a political convention week, there’s nothing like tuning in to a smart political satirist to get a timely take on things. Here’s still another great place to do just that – and by changing channels between Maher and Stewart, you can watch all three, in a row, as a stupendous political comedy triple-header.

2012

Aug

2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION By David Bianculli

Every four years, when the conventions are televised, I give thanks to C-SPAN – now more than ever. When the country is more divided than at any time since the Civil War, it’s the only network to provide both wall-to-wall coverage and a civil discourse.

2012

Aug

2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION By David Bianculli

This is the final night of the 2012 Republican National Convention, which means, in this final hour, Mitt Romney will receive, and accept, the nomination of his party as its nominee for President of the United States in the upcoming election. Whoops – I guess I should have prefaced that with a Spoiler Alert! But you know, by now, where to watch: NBC and ABC are covering the final hour of prime time, Current TV begins its coverage at 7 p.m. ET, with Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC joining the (Rep

2012

Aug

LOUIE By David Bianculli

Part 1 of 3. Louie (Louis C.K.) gets shipped out to the West Coast, to be a guest of Jay Leno’s on The Tonight Show. That’s the plan, anyway – but the plan may go awry when Louie starts to fear that he’ll be bumped. And you’re not paranoid if someone is out to get you.

2012

Aug

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART By David Bianculli

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: The best part of a convention night is the one-two punch of this show and The Colbert Report. And every night, they prove me right. And righter.

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