Media Mischief .com

A Star is Manufactured

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:17:21 -0500

One thing I’ve always found fascinating is America’s fascination with celebrities. We just seem to crave knowing everything about them. Who cares what’s going on around the world, did you hear what TV personality is getting married? Getting divorced? Getting... well... you don’t want to know. W

The Illuminating In Darkness

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 16:57:19 -0500

The first thing my wife Cindy said to me as we were exiting the theater after seeing In Darkness, the new film from Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, was “I’m exhausted.” She took the words right out of my mouth. It’s hard to think of a recent film with more emotional impact. In Darkness will m

Big Miracle and a Whale of a movie Quiz

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:24:43 -0500

Summing up the new film Big Miracle, starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski, is easy. Just refer to the familiar Greenpeace slogan “Save the Whales.” That, in a nutshell, is the essence of the latest from director Ken Kwapis, working off a screenplay by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. Drawing

Contraband... What’s Not to Like?

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:02:20 -0500

If you’re looking for a couple of hours of diverting fun, you could do worse than Contraband, Mark Wahlberg’s latest flick. Few play better likable guys that you’re not supposed to like than Wahlberg. And this film is no exception. In Contraband, he plays Chris Farraday. Farraday is so good at h

Occupy This!

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:10:04 -0500

Having watched the Republican presidential candidates in action, one thing has become clear -- not a one gets the Occupy Wall Street movement. Michele Bachmann labels the participants “ignorant” and “disrespectful.” Mitt Romney believes the protesters incite dangerous class warfare. Herman Cain’s

Justice is Served: J. Edgar Style

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:04:57 -0500

For decades, he was arguably the most powerful man in America. As founder and director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover stood as the symbol of our country’s law enforcement -- for better or for worse. But curiously, that’s all the public really knew -- a symbol. Apart from this, few of us know little

Say Ball!

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:56:28 -0400

With the World Series upon us, I couldn’t think of a better way to mark the occasion than by telling baseball fans about a neat new book I’ve run across. Tom Hanks may have declared in A League of Their Own that there is no crying in baseball, but he never said anything about quoting. There are few

Hit the Switch

Thu, 4 Aug 2011 16:01:35 -0400

Hollywood loves the concept of the switch comedy. Take two characters... add in a vague, but functional, magical device... and before you can say “vice versa,” the characters have switched bodies. And the bigger the differences between the two, the more hilarity ensues. The Change-Up is the latest

Your Choice Movie Viewing

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:56:12 -0400

It was a busy week at the movies. I caught four features hitting theaters this Friday. And what’s great about the lineup is its variety. There’s something for everyone. You’ve got your big screen blockbuster, an adult romantic comedy, a quirky independent gem, and a campy visit to a childhood cartoo

Harry Potter and Me by Brittany Bonilla

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:24:32 -0400

(Editor’s note: Though I saw Harry Potter and the Death Hallows: Part 2 last week, it just didn’t make much sense to me write a review of a review-proof movie. Rather than waste your time and mine with that, I thought it would be much more fun to read something from someone who came of age with the

How a Star is Born: Julia Roberts

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:30:59 -0400

With her beaming smile and intoxicating laugh, Julie Roberts can easily lay claim to the title of America’s cinematic sweetheart. But behind that sweet facade lies a powerhouse talent that has made her one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The queen of romantic comedy, Roberts continually delights her

The Likable Larry Crowne

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:08:31 -0400

Is there anyone who doesn’t like Tom Hanks? And I’m sure most feel the same about Julia Roberts. So, as you may imagine, there’s a lot to like about Larry Crowne, the new film that stars both. Taking on the tough subjects of unemployment and the economic downturn, Larry Crowne weaves an amusingly