DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
2015
Aug
7
 
 
Today on TCM’s “Summer Under the Stars,” the star being saluted is the great Katharine Hepburn, in an all-day lineup beginning at 6 a.m. ET with 1933’s classic Little Women. The rest of the day is an embarrassment of riches – 1938’s Bringing Up Baby at 11:30 a.m. ET, 1952’s Pat and Mike at 1:15 p.m. ET, and 1949’s Adam’s Rib at 3 p.m. ET. And in prime time, the riches continue with 1935’s Alice Adams at 8 p.m. ET and 1968’s The Li
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
7
 
 
As yet another element of today’s TCM salute to Katharine Hepburn, the network shows, in their entirety, both parts of Dick Cavett’s revealing, unforgettable 1973 interview with the no-nonsense actress. Part 1, televised at 6:45 p.m. ET, begins very unofficially and candidly, with Hepburn entering the space set aside for the interview and becoming acquainted with the furniture and cameras. Part 2, unfortunately, is being withheld by TCM until 2:45 a.m. ET – but set your recorde
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
7
 
 
When a movie is directed and adapted by Paul Thomas Anderson, and based on a novel by Thomas Pynchon, it’s not going to be a straightforward narrative – or, for that matter, an easily described or analyzed movie. It’s strange, that’s for sure – and Joaquin Phoenix, as 1970s pot-addled private eye Larry “Doc” Sportello, adds to his roster of increasingly interesting and unusual film roles. I’m looking forward to seeing this 2014 movie again, because
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
7
 
 
On slow TV nights, it’s a nice idea to gravitate to an old favorite – and revisit, perhaps for the first time in a long time, a movie that entertained you in a previous era. This 1988 action film, starring Bruce Willis, might not be what you think of as a cinematic golden oldie, but it’s influenced more than one generation of action movies since – and seldom has been surpassed in terms of raw energy and sleek storytelling. Yippee-ki-yay, indeed…
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
7
 
 
As he returns with a new live hour after some time off, Bill Maher’s scheduled guests are Michael Mann, Mary Matalin, Gavin Newsom, Steve Schmidt, Caitlin Flanagan. And for the record, it’s not Michael Mann the director. It’s Michael Mann the climate change expert and author. And with Jon Stewart gone now, Maher gets the first shot at commenting in depth about Thursday's Republican debate.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
7
 
 
TV critics can be loath to admit that the smartest person in the room may not be one of them. FX Networks CEO John Landgraf, a forward-looking executive who actually enjoys our company, has more than enough brainpower to overpower even the most pompous posers among us...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
6
 
 
Fox took a big step forward last season with the mid-season smash Empire.  Now the network is taking several steps backward while also going to the same well...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
6
 
 
Part of today’s Jon Stewart farewell celebration is Comedy Central’s scheduling today of some of the vintage Daily Show programs it’s been streaming live all month on its website. You can catch up on this week’s programs to date beginning at 10:28 a.m. ET, and watch or revisit Stewart’s last-lap visits with Amy Schumer, Denis Leary and Louis C.K., respectively. But the true retrospective begins shortly after noon ET, when Comedy Central repeats the very first Stewar
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
6
 
 
For this first prime-time televised debate featuring the Republican politicians hoping to land the 2016 Presidential nomination, Fox News is hosting the event live from Cleveland, and allowing only “the top 10” contenders, in its own estimation based on five other polls, to participate. This means that Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum, among others, are out. But it also means that Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Ben Carson, Marc
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Aug
6
 
 
When the Republican debate is over at 11 p.m. ET, CNN will offer its own post-debate analysis. But since Fox News is hosting the debate itself, CNN is counter-programming – starting at 9 ET with a prime-time repeat of the first episode of this new documentary series. The opening hour is all about TV in the 1970s, and I’m one of the on-camera interviewees, in case you’re curious. But let’s be honest: I’ll be watching the debates, and so should you. (You could, howeve