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

 
 
2020
Aug
17
 
 
Today through Thursday, the Democrats present their 2020 Democratic National Convention. (Next week, the Republicans take their turn.) Usually, this is an opportunity to compare the platforms and politicians of the two parties – but this year, another compare-and-contrast exercise has to do with the way each party approaches staging, and televising, during this pandemic. C-SPAN, which features its Jack Webb Dragnet “Just the facts, ma’am” approach to political c
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
17
 
 
On this day in 1997, Showtime debuted a remake of the legal drama 12 Angry Men...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
On this day in 1992, the Fox sitcom Roc debuted its second season — with a twist: It (and the rest of the season's 21 episodes) was broadcast live...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
HBO's new drama Lovecraft Country ambitiously attempts to blend two popular genres: a sobering Green Book-style tale of 1950s American social justice and a full-out 1950s-style monster horror movie...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
We’re only halfway through TCM’s “Summer Under the Stars” August salute, but I’m already embarrassed to admit how much time I’ve spent multi-tasking while these 24-hour cinematic movie-star binges keep me company. And today, the star in question is so luminous, I know in advance I’ll be spending many more hours with TCM. That’s because the star is Cary Grant, and the films shown today include 1938’s Bringing Up Baby (with Katharine
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
MIDSEASON PREMIERE: Season 5 of this timely political documentary returns with an installment called “The New Abnormal,” and returns the very week the Democrats have solidified their proposed presidential ticket for 2020, with Joe Biden selecting Kamala Harris. But it returns with quite a difference. Until now, The Circus has been distinguished by two elements that, for the short term at least, henceforth will be drastically minimized. One is an exhaustive itinerary of cros
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
MINISERIES PREMIERE: This 10-part miniseries, based on the novel by Matt Ruff and expanded substantially and cleverly by writer and showrunner Misha Green, is something to add to your must-see viewing list. Each episode may end up reminding you of a different movie or genre – I’ve only seen five of the 10 installments, and already have seen sly nods to everything from Poltergeist to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yet Lovecraft Country also has its own sensibil
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
What is this 1984 baseball movie, starring Robert Redford, doing as a Sunday night offering on FS1? Filling time, that’s what. Because when Fox Sports is short on sports, it has to present something.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
Last week’s premiere of this British import set up its characters and conflicts very nicely. It’s about two odd couples – one a pair of killers, the other a pair of detectives on their trail – and you might expect the murderous couple to be the more entertaining. But it’s the cops, played by Eve Myles (from the original Broadchurch and the Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood) and Babou Ceesay, who are particularly compelling – and, as mismatc
 
 
 
  
 
 
2020
Aug
16
 
 
Whatever you have to say this week, Mr. Oliver, I’ll be listening, and watching… Though I’ll have to record you this week, and watch after Charade is over.