On a slow night, this 2013 American Masters biography is a fine choice. It’s a biography of Jimi Hendrix, relying on lots of footage from his early days – including the place where I first saw him, as opening act for the Monkees in 1967. Check local listings.
This 1973 movie is one of my favorites. The use of the Scott Joplin music, the acting by Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Robert Shaw (next to Jaws, his best onscreen role), and the twists in the plot are equally entertaining, and amazing.
Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic is another movie that rewards repeated viewings, so don’t feel guilty about watching it all over again. For one thing, decide where in the film the story actually begins, and take a crack about deciding what’s in the case. John Travolta stars.
Brilliant 1980 movie by Stanley Kubrick, based on the Stephen King novel, this is one of the scariest films ever made. But also, in other parts, one of the slyest and most darkly comic. Jack Nicholson stars.
David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and is an occasional substitute host for that show. He's also an author and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His 2009 Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', has been purchased for film rights. His latest, The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific, is an effusive guidebook that plots the path from the 1950s’ Golden Age to today’s era of quality TV.