This 2018 comedy changed cinema history a little – maybe more than a little. Tonight, it makes its cable premiere on HBO, showcasing a collection of Asian actors including Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan. The movies may be paying attention to them for the first time, but TV fans already had the chance to recognize and enjoy them all. Yeoh is a star of CBS All Access’ Star Trek: Discovery, Wu stars on ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, and Chan has been a scene-stealer on both

2019

Apr

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN By David Bianculli

The two films shown by TCM tonight in prime time happen to be films I showcase when teaching early film history at Rowan University. Even though 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain is a bit too “young” for a class that’s supposed to culminate with 1941’s Citizen Kane, I slip it in there anyway – because we spend so much time on silent films and the transition to sound, the comic treatment of it in Rain is something they newly enjoy in context. Besides, Gene Kelly

2019

Apr

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON By David Bianculli

Here’s another film I strive to make room for in my early film history class, especially during midterm and presidential election years: 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, in which James Stewart and Jean Arthur play the type of people you’d really like to have in Washington, then or now. And when my students see this film for the first time, they’re astounded by how cynically politicians and the media are portrayed in a movie from so, so long ago. They’re also sur

2019

Apr

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE By David Bianculli

There are some guest hosts on Saturday Night Live who show up not just to promote and survive, but to play well with others. Alec Baldwin is a fabulous guest host. Justin Timberlake is another. And Emma Stone, who returns in tonight’s new installment for yet another romp in the SNL sandbox, is another. Musical guest: BTS.

2019

Apr

THE MAN BEHIND THE PRIZE –'JOSEPH PULITZER: VOICE OF THE PEOPLE' By David Hinckley

Rich people sometimes keep their names alive by endowing institutions that remain prominent after their own demise. In the process, they often leave an open question whether they earned this fame or they simply purchased it...

2019

Apr

2019 MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT By David Bianculli

Round 2. After one day at Augusta National, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are in the lead, Phil Mickelson is right behind, and Tiger Woods is just outside the Top 10. Plenty of reasons to watch today’s second-round action, not only to see who makes the cut for the weekend – but who best positions himself for the second half of the tournament.

2019

Apr

DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB By David Bianculli

Two fabulous films featuring Peter Sellers are shown by TCM as a prime-time double feature tonight. First up: Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant 1964 black comedy, in which Sellers plays three roles. All three are brilliant.

2019

Apr

AMERICAN MASTERS: “JOSEPH PULITZER: VOICE OF THE PEOPLE” By David Bianculli

The newspaper editor and publisher whose name now is attached to the most prestigious honor in print journalism is profiled in this new American Masters special – which goes back to the Spanish-American war of the 1890s to examine how Pulitzer, as well as his media rival William Randolph Hearst, got swept into the riptide of “yellow journalism.” Or, to use a more modern bit of nomenclature, “fake news.” For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtowe

2019

Apr

BEING THERE By David Bianculli

Next up for Peter Sellers tonight is 1979’s Being There, based on the Jerzy Kosinski modern fable. Both Dr. Strangelove and Being There are all about politics, perception, paranoia and power – it’s a truly inspired double bill. Both movies are flawless, funny, and will have you thinking about them long after their disturbing final images. And what a contrast in performances: in Strangelove, Sellers, in every role (especially the title one), is cartoonish and caricatured, while

2019

Apr

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER By David Bianculli

Tonight’s scheduled guests include Dave Barry. If he can make us laugh about this week in politics, he’s an even better humorist than I thought he was.

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