Author Archives
Josh Lasser is a freelance entertainment reporter/critic. His work has appeared in print, online, and perhaps one day in book form.
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Bridge to Terabithia – Not Like the Trailers at all!
Having read and enjoyed the novel in my youth, and then seeing the trailers for Bridge to Terabithia now, I was concerned that the entire novel had been changed into a Lord of the Rings-type film, completely geared towards the… Read More ›
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Four and a Half Hours of Great Television
As I sat there watching 4.5 hours of TV last night (it was a good night), I had an epiphany. An epiphany of enormous proportions. An epiphany to outlast all other epiphanies. An epiphany that makes the sheer notion of… Read More ›
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That Steve Martin is a Wild and Crazy Guy
Steve Martin is a funny guy. Let’s face it, he just is. Not always, but often, and often enough that when people think of Steve Martin they tend to think “he’s a funny guy.” Helping show off Steve Martin’s comedy… Read More ›
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Nova Seeks out "The Last Great Ape"
Nova’s latest episode, “The Last Great Ape,” has the makings of a wonderful documentary. Check that, it has the makings of two wonderful documentaries. As a single piece, it is fails to hold together or hold the viewer’s interest. And… Read More ›
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I am Dwight Schrute
I had a horrific realization last night, something that scared the utter bejesus out of me. I don’t want this to be true, but it is. Last night, watching The Office, I came to the inescapable conclusion that I am… Read More ›
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Play With Fire – There’s a reason why this is a no-no
Woo-hoo! It’s time for another video game review! Imagine this: a game with poor graphics, a bland concept, less than intuitive controls, and poor camera angles. If you put them all together you may very well end up with a… Read More ›
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Flags of our Fathers Comes to DVD
Clint Eastwood’s Flags of our Fathers, the first of his two Iwo Jima movies from last year, explores the war and its aftermath from the American side (Letters from Iwo Jima provides the Japanese perspective). Wonderfully conceived and executed, the… Read More ›
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Taking ER Off Life Support
I made an incredibly hard decision this past weekend. It was one that was a long time coming. It cut me to the quick, but I found that I had no other choice. It was one of the harder decisions… Read More ›
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Rules of Engagement: Rule No. 1 – Don’t.
David Spade has managed to make a career out of playing the exact same obnoxious character. There are absolutely still times that I find the character funny, watching CBS’s new comedy Rules of Engagement is not one of them. Rules… Read More ›
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Nova’s "Forgotten Genius"…How Can There Be a Show if He’s Forgotten?
For the few who don’t know, February is Black History Month. In celebration of this, the folks at Nova are rolling out a mammoth, two hour episode entitled “Forgotten Genius” that follows the life of scientist Percy Julian. The story… Read More ›
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Because I Said So…That’s Why!
This Sunday the NFL will hold its forty-first Super Bowl. For many individuals around the country this leads to a weekend-long celebration. It also, annually, causes at least one Hollywood studio to release a romantic comedy, or what many people… Read More ›
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Cinderella III on DVD
Disney’s latest direct-to-DVD offering, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time is a pleasant surprise. No, it’s not as good as the original Cinderella, but that sort of magic is exceedingly difficult to achieve. It is, however, a more than acceptable… Read More ›
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This Film…It’s Not Yet Rated
It is very easy for a documentary characterized by good technical filmmaking and an interesting premise to be completely subverted by an overly dogged pursuit and wholly biased point of view. Sadly, such is the case with This Film Is… Read More ›
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TiVo Series 3: A Blessing and a Curse
Today, I thought I’d share with you my latest problem: sometimes, it seems, you can in fact have too much of a good thing. Those wonderful, wonderful people at TiVo recently ran a deal: if you own Series 1 or… Read More ›
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Smokin’ Aces – Ummm…Yeah…
Though not completely bereft of style, Joe Carnahan’s latest film, Smokin’ Aces, is almost wholly without purpose and substance. And while the movie will certainly have its fans, make no mistake, Smokin’ Aces is not what it could, or should,… Read More ›
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Catch and Release or: I Throw the Fish Away and it Comes Back to me
It is quite a feat for a movie to be entirely, wholly, completely, and utterly predictable and yet still generate laughs and be relatively likable. Somehow, Jennifer Garner’s new movie, Catch and Release, manages this difficult task. Written and directed… Read More ›
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Pondering the Academy Awards
I’ve thought long and hard about the Academy Award nominations that came out this morning, and here’s what I’ve concluded: I saw nowhere near enough films this past year. Sure, I probably saw most of the nominees, and there were… Read More ›
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What Are Your Thoughts?
Dear Reader, A quick check of the archives here indicates that I’m semi-rapidly approaching my 100th piece here on the site in just over 6 months. It seems like a good moment to stop, take a breath, reflect, and ask… Read More ›
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Ah, Jane Eyre, Whatever are we to do with you?
Airing over the next two Sundays as a part of PBS’s long-running Masterpiece Theatre, is a brand new version of Jane Eyre. Or, at the very least, it’s new-to-you because while it’s aired in Britain, on the BBC, this is… Read More ›
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The Endings and New Beginnings of Television
In a great many ways the world disappoints me. Virtually every day I find a new way in which I’m thoroughly disheartened by what I witness. Be it Jack Bauer crying, Laura Spencer disappearing, or Kidnapped being prematurely cancelled, the… Read More ›
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