television
Joanne Rowling and the Cruel Legacy
Malice Managed.
television
television
4 Notes on the 98th Academy Awards
Conan O'Brien carried the show as well as he could, but it struggled under painful presenter banter.
television
Super Bowl Ads Have Hit Maximum Celebrity
The cost of Big Game ads for major brands is now too expensive to forego a famous face.
television
Welcome…to Jurassic Slop
Xfinity’s executives were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.
star wars
Kathleen Kennedy Wielded the Grey Side of The Force
Her leadership of Lucasfilm under Disney was a massive financial success. But creatively, ‘Star Wars’ feels more listless than ever before.
television
Jimmy Kimmel and the Canceling of Culture
The administration continues its war on disfavored speech.
television
'Fit for TV' and Making America the Biggest Loser
Netflix's recent documentary highlights our ongoing appetite for cruelty.
movies
Other People Want to Sacrifice the Baby
‘Squid Game 3’, ‘Fantastic 4’, and the problem with an overt symbol.
movies
'Friendship', 'The Rehearsal' and the Awkwardness of Being a Person
The high stakes of human connection.
star wars
'Andor' Brought 'Star Wars' Back to Its Best Idea
Tony Gilroy's brilliant series celebrated the messy heroism of normal people.
television
'SNL50' Celebrated a Middling Present Rather Than a Storied Past
Lorne Michaels put a lot of famous people in the same room. Congratulations?
movies
Stalemate in the Culture War
A brief corollary to my previous newsletter.