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

 
 
2012
Dec
14
 
 
Joe Pesci stands toe to toe with Robert De Niro in this fabulous 1980 Martin Scorsese drama – not in the ring, but out of it, in this story of boxer Jake LaMotta and the people around him, on both sides of the ropes. What a brilliantly acted, stunningly photographed movie.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
14
 
 
To jog his impaired memory about his ridiculously complex plan to defeat the Observers, Walter does something else ridiculous: He takes LSD as a memory tool. Yeah, because that worked so well for people in the Sixties. And it doesn’t help that, under the influence, Walter looks out in the distance and thinks he sees… Emerald City. As in Oz.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
14
 
 
Clear room on your DVRs. Here comes a double feature, both parts of which you’ll want to snag as part of your permanent video collections. First up is this one-hour documentary on the making, and the context, of Magical Mystery Tour, the 1967 Beatles TV special that was never shown nationally in the United States. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr offer new insights, and the filmmakers are generous with outtakes and other materials that make sense of it all. For my full review, and an intervi
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
14
 
 
It’s restored, it’s vivid and, for Beatles fans, it’s Must-See TV: Magical Mystery Tour, the 1967 TV special filmed by and starring the Beatles, right on the heels of the Sgt. Pepper album. See John Lennon shovel spaghetti onto a woman’s plate in a restaurant – with an actual shovel. See George Harrison play the pavement – as a musical instrument – on “Blue Jay Way.” And again: For my full review, and an interview with the documentary’s
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
14
 
 
Homeland's protagonist, CIA operative Carrie Mathison, is a strong-willed, intuitive, dedicated agent who's hell-bent on preventing another 9-11. She also has bipolar disorder...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
13
 
 
The last new Theory of 2012 has Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and the others diving into rehearsals for Christmas carols – but even with bells on, the holiday festivities become a little less than festive. There are, however, moments of good cheer, as witnessed in the accompanying photo.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
13
 
 
Here’s another chance to see, in prime time, Mel Brooks tell stories, and jokes, and react to clips from various points in his career – including a wonderful dance duet with Anne Bancroft, his late wife. Don’t miss it. And don’t miss my two-part TVWW interview with Brooks, about this special and his new DVD/CD boxed set, in Bianculli’s Blog.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
13
 
 
With the new big-screen musical version of Les Miserables about to premiere nationwide, TCM is leading off prime time with the classic 1935 non-singing version. This is the one starring Fredric March as Jean Valjean, and the incomparable Charles Laughton as the indefatigable Inspector Javert, who chases Valjean across sewers, and across decades. Also starring: Rochelle Hudson as Cosette and Florence Eldridge as Fantine.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
13
 
 
This week’s holiday episode presents a series of mini-musicals – sort of extended videos, or dramatic sketches, that amount to a Glee Christmas equivalent of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween shows. Among them: A cleverly conceived It’s a Wonderful Life spoof, in which Kurt (Chris Colfer) has a black-and-white dream, a glimpse of what life at his high school would have been like had Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) not volunteered to teach the New Directions glee club
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Dec
13
 
 
No, you’re not seeing double. But if you stay tuned to TCM, you’re seeing double feature. After a showing of the 1935 film version of Les Miserables, TCM turns right around at 10 p.m. ET and shows the 1952 version, which stars Michael Rennie as Jean Valjean, Robert Newton as Inspector Javert, Debra Paget as Cosette and Sylvia Sidney as Fantine. And it’s followed, at midnight ET, by yet another version: the 1934 one, starring Harry Baur as Valjean and Charles Vanel as Javert.