[Editor's note: On rare occasions, I present guest blogs assigned to former students from Rowan University -- ones whose writing and perspective display exceptional potential. This latest entry comes from Valerie Balock, and is about her recent, enthusiastic discovery and embrace of Columbo, that classic 1970s TV series.... - DB]

2017

Jan

BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ By David Bianculli

Filmmaker Frank Darabont concludes his “Stars Behind Bars” overview on TCM with one final Tuesday night of prison films. Tonight’s chain gang of movies begins at 8 p.m. ET with 1962’s Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster (pictured), and also includes a late-night 2 a.m. ET showing of 1980’s Brubaker, starring Robert Redford.

2017

Jan

TALE OF TALES By David Bianculli

Fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Andersen, have permeated our culture for generations – but this 2015 movie is based on tales by an Italian folklorist, Giambattista Basile. Watch for Salma Hayek as a vengeful queen, and John C. Reilly and Toby Jones as her co-stars.

2017

Jan

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: "THE RACE UNDERGROUND" By David Bianculli

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, in Bianculli’s Best Bets, I made the mistake of thinking yesterday was today, and including two of the PBS offerings, this show and Frontline, in Monday’s recommendations instead of Tuesday’s. Please forgive me – it was one of those stress days, or, as I think of them, days. And maybe you can think of them as very literal sneak previews. Regardless. They’re on tonight, and here are details, repeated from yesterday. When you

2017

Jan

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. By David Bianculli

Tonight’s episode features Patton Oswalt in his recurring role as a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Actually, it’s more than one recurring role – and tonight, both of them are in danger.

2017

Jan

FRONTLINE: "BATTLE FOR IRAQ" By David Bianculli

Repeated from my error-filled yesterday: This new installment of Frontline takes a very close-up look at the war in Iraq, with the battle for Mosul photographed from a street-level perspective. Check local listings.

2017

Jan

LATEST ACORNTV SPIN OF 'WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION' FOCUSED, DARKER By David Hinckley

If you’re happy with TV crime procedurals where the bad guys get nailed and justice wins in a crisp 42 minutes, don’t bother watching the latest incarnation of Witness for the Prosecution when it debuts on Acorn TV Monday...

2017

Jan

IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING: SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS LAYS DOWN A MARKER FOR THE YEAR’S AWARD SHOWS WITH ROUSING, IMPASSIONED ORATORY By Alex Strachan

The standing ovation for Lily Tomlin was to be expected. After all, she was at Los Angeles’ 6,300-seat Shrine Auditorium to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award...

2017

Jan

WITH ‘BECOMING WARREN BUFFETT,’ WE DISCOVER THE MAN BEHIND THE FORTUNE By David Hinckley

Warren Buffett is the kind of guy who gives the super-rich a good name. That’s probably America’s dominant perception of a man worth about $63 billion...

2017

Jan

AGATHA CHRISTIE'S "WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION" By David Bianculli

MOVIE PREMIERE: The latest import from Acorn TV is this new British version of Agatha Christie’s durable courtroom drama,. In England, this latest version was shown as a two-part TV tale. For the States, it’s reconfigured slightly as a one-shot movie, but the real reconfiguring comes from writer Sarah Phelps, who aggressively updates some of the dialogue, sexual situations and other elements. Kim Cattrall plays a voracious cougar who pounces on a young WWI vet named Leonard (Billy Ho

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