| ALL ARTICLES BY Raul Burriel |
Candy Crush SagaPC Game Review - May 18, 2013
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A multi-platform app which suffers from Zynga-style social media begging but overcomes it with exceptional gameplay. |
The Storm Over Hollywood and KickstarterEditorial - May 8, 2013
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Hollywood has learned how to use crowdfunding for its projects, and not everyone is happy. |
Iron Man 3Movie Review - May 6, 2013
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A supporting role from an Oscar winning actor elevates "Iron Man 3" beyond standard popcorn fare. |
Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the HudsonBook Review - May 6, 2013
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A compelling adult fairy tale that doesn't quite pan out. |
DC's Reboot, A Slap in the Face of Loyal ReadersEditorial - Jun 3, 2011
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DC is looking to streamline continuity to make their titles more accessible, but in doing so, are they just throwing up more roadblocks while forsaking their base? |
The ExpendablesMovie Review - Aug 15, 2010
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"The Expendables" is why the word "craptastic" was invented. |
Star Wars Clone Wars Character EncyclopediaBook Review - Jun 1, 2010
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DK brings us a comprehensive and enlightening companion to Star Wars: the Clone Wars. |
Conan O'Brien, "The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour"Concert Review - Apr 13, 2010
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Conan O'Brien may not be allowed to crack jokes on TV for a while, but that's a win for us who finally get to see him in person. |
10 Things I Hate About You (10th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]DVD Review - Jan 13, 2010
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Back before Heath Ledger was blond, there was "10 Things I Hate About You". He and Julia Stiles shine in their debut performances. |
Monsters, Inc. (4-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]DVD Review - Nov 9, 2009
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Monsters are real and they live on the other side of our closet door, scaring our kids for the fuel necessary to power Monstropolis. |
A Bug's Life [Blu-ray]DVD Review - May 18, 2009
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An ant colony under siege by grasshoppers needs some heroes to come to the rescue. Instead, they get a circus troupe. |
Lilo & Stitch 2-Disc Big Wave EditionDVD Review - Mar 31, 2009
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Years after first coming to the DVD market, "Lilo & Stitch" finally gets the white glove treatment it deserves. |
Bolt (Three-Disc Edition w/ Standard DVD + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]DVD Review - Mar 18, 2009
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It's a Disney movie not produced by Pixar, and for the first time in a long time, that's OK. |
Pinocchio (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition + Standard DVD) [Blu-ray]DVD Review - Mar 16, 2009
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Walt Disney's classic follow-up to "Snow White" succeeds in enchanting but will also traumatize some. |
Saving the Zune By Killing ItEditorial - Jan 2, 2009
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Microsoft's Zune has been playing catch-up to Apple's iPod ever since it was introduced. With its collapse on New Years Eve, it's time for Microsoft to throw in the towel and try again. |
Rod Stewart, "The Definitive Rod Stewart" (Deluxe Edition) [2 CD/1 DVD]Music Review - Dec 3, 2008
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There is no doubt that Rod Stewart has had a long and successful career, with numerous hits under his belt. But does this collection truly qualify as "definitive"? |
Wall-E (Three-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]DVD Review - Nov 24, 2008
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Disney's Pixar Animation Studio delivers another offbeat, unconventional and utterly endearing film sure to become a classic. |
Kung Fu Panda (Widescreen Edition)DVD Review - Nov 17, 2008
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Jack Black provides the voice for a large, huggable and rotund giant panda, who also happens to be a village's only chance to stop a villain bent on revenge. |
Billy Joel - 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition of "The Stranger", LP and 2-disc CDContest - Jul 7, 2008
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Billy Joel's seminal work, "The Stranger" has turned 30 years old. To celebrate, The Trades is offering a 30th anniversary 2-LP vinyl set commemorating the event. |
Frank Sinatra, "Nothing But The Best"Music Review - May 19, 2008
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Sure, it's another collection of some of Frank Sinatra's greatest hits, but don't mistake that for a bad thing. |
Michael Clayton [HD DVD]DVD Review - Mar 5, 2008
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Intricate in its story and its filmmaking, with superb acting to top it off, "Michael Clayton" is clearly one of the best films of 2007. |
Beowulf (Director's Cut) [HD DVD]DVD Review - Feb 27, 2008
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The epic tale of Beowulf and the monster Grendel comes to the big screen in a way you've never seen before. |
No Reservations [HD DVD]DVD Review - Feb 26, 2008
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If it looks like a movie you've seen countless times before, that's probably because it is. |
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [HD DVD]DVD Review - Feb 15, 2008
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Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck shine as the titular James and Ford. It's only too bad the movie couldn't serve their performances better. |
Next Generation Format War: Is It Over For Toshiba's HD-DVD?Editorial - Jan 9, 2008
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It may be easy to say that the next generation format war is over, and Blu-ray has won it all, but there's still a whole lot to consider, and we've still got months of jostling before a winner can be declared. |
Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition) [HD DVD]DVD Review - Jan 1, 2008
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A masterpiece of filmmaking finally gets the treatment it deserves. 25 years after coming to theaters, director Ridley Scott gives us his final cut of "Blade Runner", and we get four other versions of the movie, too. |
Stardust [HD DVD]DVD Review - Dec 19, 2007
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Highly derivative and not the least bit faithful to its source material, "Stardust" still manages to deliver a delightful romantic fantasy. |
TV, How I Miss TheeEditorial - Dec 9, 2007
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The writers' strike is now in its second month, with no end in sight, and new programming is becoming scarce. What are we to do, and what's the future for television? |
Vince Guaraldi and Peanuts, "A Charlie Brown Christmas"Music Review - Dec 7, 2007
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A classic of holidays past is remastered for modern times. Hear "Linus and Lucy" like you've never heard it before. |
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [HD DVD]DVD Review - Dec 3, 2007
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The fifth installment in the Harry Potter series still brings you the magic, but the baggage of what has come before is starting to drag down the storytelling. |
Paul McCartney, "Memory Almost Full" - CD/DVD Deluxe EditionMusic Review - Nov 26, 2007
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Paul McCartney's latest album gets a second go around with added material, just in time for the Christmas shopping season. |
Shrek the Third [HD DVD]DVD Review - Nov 14, 2007
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A middling story and poor features drag down this movie, and even stunning animation in high definition can't save it. |
The Landscape Changes in Next Generation Video Disc Format WarEditorial - Nov 9, 2007
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A week after Toshiba HD-DVD players started selling at bargain basement prices, the home entertainment world is a very different place. |
RatatouilleDVD Review - Nov 6, 2007
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Visually beautiful, this latest offering from the geniuses at Disney/Pixar suffers from poor pacing. |
HD-DVD's Act of Desperation, and Why it Just Might WorkEditorial - Nov 2, 2007
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A beast is most dangerous when it's wounded. Right now, I wouldn't suggest you get in the way of HD-DVD. You just might get trampled. |
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume OneDVD Review - Oct 30, 2007
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Young Indiana Jones finally comes to DVD in a collection where the supplementary features far outshine the actual series. |
Veronica Mars - The Complete Third SeasonDVD Review - Oct 22, 2007
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The third season of Veronica Mars proved to be its last, but it was as good as its first, and the DVD extras give you a taste of what season four could have been. |
Ten Friggin' YearsEditorial - Oct 13, 2007
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The Trades is ten years old. It's time to celebrate! |
The Bee Gees, "Greatest"Music Review - Oct 9, 2007
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The re-release of a greatest hits album from 1979 loses none of its fire, but does manage to add some fuel. |
Tony Bennett, "Tony Bennett Sings The Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1"Music Review - Oct 1, 2007
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Collected here are a number of classic standards from the Great American Songbook performed by Tony Bennett throughout his half-century career. |
The Death of the MTV Video Music AwardsEditorial - Sep 15, 2007
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Can even the final fall of the Princess of Pop (or at least her latest stumble) save the MTV Video Music Awards from an unceremonious death? |
Of Course You Know... This Means (Format) WarEditorial - Aug 22, 2007
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Paramount's decision to go exclusive with the HD-DVD format re-ignites a format war that seemed all but over. |
The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth SeasonDVD Review - Aug 13, 2007
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By now you should know that these collections are not just about the episodes on the discs, but the countless extras that come along for the ride. |
Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition)DVD Review - Jul 31, 2007
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With "Hot Fuzz", we find ourselves trapped half way between a parody and a genuine attempt at an action film. Ultimately, we end up with a bit of both, neither of them particularly satisfying. |
Various Artists, "Monterey Pop Festival"Music Review - May 28, 2007
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This two disc set gives you the best of what was the festival that changed everything and set the stage for what was to come. |
American Idol 6: Finale ResultsA Dose of Reality - May 24, 2007
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We've waited this long, we can surely wait another two hours (plus!) to find out who wins this season of American Idol. |
American Idol 6: Week 13 ResultsA Dose of Reality - May 17, 2007
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When all three finalists are so good, how can any elimination come as a shock? But that doesn't mean it's going to suck any less when someone goes home. |
American Idol 6: Week 12 ResultsA Dose of Reality - May 10, 2007
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Tonight someone good must go home. But at this point, no matter who's sent packing, they're all winners. |
American Idol 6: Week 11 ResultsA Dose of Reality - May 3, 2007
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With Jon Bon Jovi as our guest this week, contestants were asked to rock out. But two contestants are going home, no matter how hard they rock. |
Is the Converging Living Room a Pipe Dream?Editorial - Apr 27, 2007
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Can a video game machine really become the center of your living room's entertainment experience? |
Is the Sky Falling for Microsoft's Home and Entertainment Division?Editorial - Apr 26, 2007
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Microsoft's Xbox 360 is Crushing Sony's Playstation 3 in the next generation console wars, so why is one analyst saying it's time for Microsoft to throw in the towel? |
American Idol 6: Week 10 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Apr 26, 2007
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We were promised shocking results tonight, but since the promise was made before a single vote could even be cast, we can all guess what the "shock" will be. |
Kidnapped - The Complete SeriesDVD Review - Apr 23, 2007
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It lasted only five episodes on TV, but now you get to see all thirteen episodes of one of the best series of last season. |
American Idol 6: Week 9 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Apr 19, 2007
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Things get turned on their head as the good stumble and the middling rise on Country Night. |
American Idol 6: Week 8 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Apr 12, 2007
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Guest mentor Jennifer Lopez had her work cut out for her this week as the contestants strayed from their comfort zones to sing Latin music. |
The Loop - Season 1DVD Review - Apr 10, 2007
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A short-lived comedy about an airline executive fresh out of college may have been the best comedy of last season. |
Stevie Nicks, "Crystal Visions - The Very Best of Stevie Nicks"Music Review - Apr 9, 2007
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More than a decade after releasing her first greatest hits album, Stevie Nicks releases her newest compilation. To no one's surprise, the line up is pretty much the same as the last time around. |
American Idol 6: Week 7 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Apr 5, 2007
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Tony Bennett may be under the weather tonight, but his advice last night helped the American Idol contestants turn in some of their best performances yet. |
American Idol 6: Week 6 - ResultsA Dose of Reality - Mar 29, 2007
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Gwen Stefani shows up to sell some albums and show the contestants how it's done. |
The Amazing Race: All Stars - Episode 6A Dose of Reality - Mar 26, 2007
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One team takes a big risk and it pays off big while others play it safe and suffer the consequences. |
American Idol 6: Week 5 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Mar 22, 2007
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Last night, Peter Noone and Lulu helped coach our performers through British Invasion night, and the results weren't half bad. Still, tonight someone must go home. |
American Idol 6: Week 4 - ResultsA Dose of Reality - Mar 15, 2007
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It's hard to believe that there will be eleven survivors from last night's car wreck. Tonight we find out who didn't make it. |
American Idol 6: Week 3 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Mar 9, 2007
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Four more contestants go home as the Top Twelve are announced. Get ready for some surprises. |
Sony at GDC '07 - Time to Play Catch UpEditorial - Mar 8, 2007
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After months of bad news - before and after the release of their new-fangled PS3 console - Sony tries to make amends. |
American Idol 6: Week 2 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Mar 2, 2007
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It's time to check common sense at the door as good singers go down and bad singers get their egos inflated. |
American Idol 6: Week 1 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Feb 23, 2007
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Four people go home tonight. After the first week of performances, don't be surprised if all four eliminated contestants are men. |
Natalie Cole, "Love Songs"Music Review - Feb 23, 2007
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Another collection of Natalie Cole's hits looks suspiciously like an album released in 2001. But when you've got so many great songs, who's going to complain? |
Norah Jones, "Not Too Late"Music Review - Feb 12, 2007
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Norah Jones gives us her third album in only five years, providing an eclectic mix of blues, jazz and country. |
Hollywoodland (Widescreen Edition)DVD Review - Feb 2, 2007
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Bedraggled detective Louis Simo is hired to find out what really happened to TV's Superman, George Reeves. But what will the investigation tell him about himself? |
Aqua Teen OutrageEditorial - Feb 2, 2007
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There is certainly outrage surrounding Wednesday's incident in Boston. But should the outrage be aimed at those who posted the offending signage or the authorities who turned it into a national crisis? |
Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt DisneyDVD Review - Jan 3, 2007
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Go back to a time when color TV was still a rarity and Walt Disney came into your living room every week. |
Walt Disney Treasures - The Mickey Mouse Club Featuring the Hardy BoysDVD Review - Jan 2, 2007
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It's nostalgia time as we go back to 1956. The Mickey Mouse Club serializes the adventures of Frank and Joe Hardy. |
Mission: Impossible III (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)DVD Review - Oct 24, 2006
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The capstone to the "Mission: Impossible" series is marred by bad PR from a star's fall from grace. But what about the movie? |
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Locked 'N Loaded Director's Cut)DVD Review - Oct 11, 2006
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Guy Ritchie introduces himself to the world with this crime romp rife with violence and profanity. |
Get the Message: The Best of ElectronicMusic Review - Oct 11, 2006
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You may never have heard of Electronic, but you'll surely recognize the bands that birthed this moonlighting collaboration. |
Reel Big Fish, "Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album"Music Review - Sep 5, 2006
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Equal parts festive and entertaining, Reel Big Fish's self-released album proves to be one of the best live albums to cross my desk in a long time. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 9 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Aug 31, 2006
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With six great performances last night, deciding who goes home tonight is going to be tough. |
The Cure, "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" [Original Recording Remastered]Music Review - Aug 29, 2006
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The Cure's breakthrough 1987 album is re-released as a 2-disc set, and finally featuring the lone orphan song that had been left out in the cold. |
Arrested Development - Season 3DVD Review - Aug 28, 2006
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The final season of the best comedy on TV was cut short, but it's still packed full of laughs. By the end, you'll be crying tears of joy and tears of sadness, both. |
The Simpsons - The Complete Eighth SeasonDVD Review - Aug 28, 2006
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Still the best example of a television show on DVD, The Simpsons keep going strong in their eighth season. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 8 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Aug 24, 2006
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The fireworks are off stage this week as Dilana's ego gets the best of her... several times. |
Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)DVD Review - Aug 21, 2006
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Spike Lee delivers a bank heist film that is more than it seems. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 7 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Aug 17, 2006
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Someone's got to go home tonight. The problem is that when the bottom three contestants are announced, it's very possible someone *very good* could be going home. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 6 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Aug 10, 2006
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Supernova gives with one hand and takes away with another. No, Zayra won't be going home tonight. But others will be. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 6A Dose of Reality - Aug 9, 2006
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The time will come when Supernova has to make some hard choices as to who goes home. Tonight's performances reassure us that that time is not nearly imminent. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 5 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Aug 3, 2006
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We all hope that more than one person will be eliminated tonight. Alas, no such luck. |
Third Eye Blind, "A Collection"Music Review - Jul 28, 2006
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Not exactly a greatest hits album, what we get is more of a contractual obligation and less of a work of love. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 4 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Jul 27, 2006
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Supernova has its work cut out for them. How do they eliminate only one contestant? |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 2 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Jul 13, 2006
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The bloodletting has only begun as the dead weight is cut away. |
Rock Star: Supernova - Week 1 ResultsA Dose of Reality - Jul 7, 2006
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After a sputtering start with more lackluster performances than good ones, it's time to find out which rocker is going home. |
Reality Roundup: Week of June 25thA Dose of Reality - Jun 26, 2006
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We're caught in a whirlwind of reality television as the summer season kicks it into high gear! |
Leroy & StitchDVD Review - Jun 17, 2006
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Yet another sequel to Disney's feature hit "Lilo & Stitch" proves entertaining and able to stand up to repeated viewing. |
Reality Roundup: Week of May 28thA Dose of Reality - May 29, 2006
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May Sweeps is over! A season of reality TV has just ended. Bring on the summer! |
Various Artists, "Scrubs Original Soundtrack Vol. 2"Music Review - May 27, 2006
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A solid collection of singer-songwriters deliver an alternative-pop/rock selection of songs with hints of folk, psychedelia and blues. |
The Da Vinci CodeMovie Review - May 21, 2006
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Two-and-a-half hours for a movie so banal is just asking too much. |
Scrubs - The Complete Third SeasonDVD Review - May 9, 2006
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A series so offbeat it should never have lasted one season enters its equally offbeat third. |
The Amazing Race 9 - Episode 08: Here Comes the Bedouin!A Dose of Reality - Apr 21, 2006
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Will the cocky frat boys continue their winning ways? Can the lovable hippies climb their way out of the basement? Let's find out. |
Empires - Martin LutherDVD Review - Apr 10, 2006
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This documentary is sure to become the benchmark for all films on Martin Luther for years to come. |
10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed AmericaTelevision Review - Apr 9, 2006
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With this mini-series, the History Channel promises us some top talent giving us some top-notch documentaries. But can the "all World War II, all the time!" channel really deliver? |
Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition)DVD Review - Apr 6, 2006
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You may not approve of what you see on screen or find the movie all that enjoyable to watch, but you cannot deny that this is an important and groundbreaking movie. |
Reality Roundup: Week of March 19thA Dose of Reality - Mar 20, 2006
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We're in the thick of it with a batch of fresh reality TV on the air, but there's even more on the way! |
The Blitz: London's Longest NightDVD Review - Feb 18, 2006
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On the 29th of December 1940, the London Blitz reached its pinnacle of destruction as Nazi Germany tried to burn the city to the ground. |
The Corrs, "Home"Music Review - Feb 17, 2006
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The Corrs promise a return to more traditional music with this album but still succeed in delivering a pop treat. |
Reality Roundup: Week of January 27thA Dose of Reality - Jan 29, 2006
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With Survivor: Panama - Exile Island just around the corner, it's time to catch up on some recent developments in the surreal world of reality television. |
Frank Miller's Sin City (Recut, Extended, Unrated)DVD Review - Dec 31, 2005
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One of the most brutal movies of recent years also proves to be one of the most visually impressive. |
Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox - Legendary HeroesDVD Review - Dec 31, 2005
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Disney gives the "Treasures" treatment to selected episodes from some of their classic frontier heroes. |
Reality Roundup: Holiday EditionA Dose of Reality - Dec 29, 2005
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The lull in reality programming is only there to help you catch your breath. In fact, make it two breaths. January's going to be busy. |
Family Guy, Vol. 3DVD Review - Dec 18, 2005
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Two years after being cancelled, the best animated series to hit TV since the Simpsons makes a shocking comeback. |
Remington Steele - Season TwoDVD Review - Dec 18, 2005
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The second season of this series was even more dapper, more suave. Watch Pierce Brosnan become a star, all over again. |
Kronk's New GrooveDVD Review - Dec 12, 2005
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This straight-to-video sequel to "The Emperor's New Groove" packs in plenty of gags and a lesson worth learning. |
AVP - Alien Vs. Predator (Unrated Director's Cut)DVD Review - Dec 2, 2005
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It's the long await - too long, really - match up that people were demanding in 1991. What we get makes us regret what we wished for. |
Scrubs - The Complete Second SeasonDVD Review - Dec 2, 2005
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A pleasant anomaly in the world of television - a smart, hilarious comedy that survives its first season! |
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeContest - Dec 2, 2005
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Enter for a chance to win a "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" prize pack! |
Unforgivable Blackness - The Rise and Fall of Jack JohnsonDVD Review - Nov 29, 2005
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There are countless tragic stories that come out of the era of Jim Crow. This is just one of them. |
The Muppet Movie - Kermit's 50th Anniversary EditionDVD Review - Nov 28, 2005
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Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side? |
Live 8DVD Review - Nov 28, 2005
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This is Live8. 150 bands. 2 million spectators. 3 billion viewers. And 1 message... To encourage 8 men in 1 room only july 6 to agree to a 3 point plan to stop 30,000 children dying needlessly every single day of extreme poverty. |
Brat Pack CollectionDVD Review - Nov 16, 2005
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Three of the most influential teen films of the 1980s are packaged together, but not for the first time. |
Sixteen CandlesDVD Review - Nov 15, 2005
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Today is Samantha Baker's sweet sixteen birthday. For most girls, that would be reason to celebrate. But tomorrow is her sister's wedding, the grandparents are staying over, and the hottest boy in school, Jake Ryan, doesn't even know she exists. Oh... and her family forgot about her birthday. |
The Breakfast ClubDVD Review - Nov 15, 2005
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Five misfits from different walks of life find themselves in high school detention on a Saturday. Confined to the high school library, they must learn to get along with each other if they're to survive the next nine hours of tedium. |
Weird ScienceDVD Review - Nov 15, 2005
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Something goes horribly awry when two unpopular high school geeks set out to create a computer simulated girl that will help them score with the ladies. Now their virtual woman is real and she can make their wildest dreams come true. |
War of the Worlds - The Complete First SeasonDVD Review - Oct 31, 2005
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An obscure piece of television history is released in time to capitalize on the DVD release of this summer's Tom Cruise blockbuster. |
Frank Lloyd WrightDVD Review - Oct 28, 2005
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The story of America's greatest architect is at times comical, but all too often, tragedy will wipe that smile from your face. |
Not for Ourselves Alone - The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. AnthonyDVD Review - Oct 25, 2005
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The 19th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was ratified in 1920. More than half a century earlier, two women launched the struggle that would bring about this momentous change. |
Thomas JeffersonDVD Review - Oct 24, 2005
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Ken Burns takes a look at the life of one of the most admired - and least understood - of the Founding Fathers. |
Empires - Holy Warriors: Richard the Lionheart & SaladinDVD Review - Oct 20, 2005
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An excellent documentary recounting the events of the 3rd Crusade and the men who became legends. |
Natalie Merchant, "Retrospective 1990-2005" [Limited Edition]Music Review - Oct 14, 2005
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One of the great singer-songwriters of the 1990s looks back at her solo career. |
Arrested Development - Season TwoDVD Review - Oct 12, 2005
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The best show nobody's watching is, quite likely, the best comedy ever to appear on TV. |
New Order: ItemDVD Review - Oct 1, 2005
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A New Order fan's dream come true. "New Order: Item" collects two great New Order DVDs in one box. |
New Order StoryDVD Review - Sep 30, 2005
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The story of one of the most influential bands of the the rock-n-roll era. |
New Order - A CollectionDVD Review - Sep 30, 2005
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38 New Order videos on one disc. It's bliss. |
The Amazing Race - The First SeasonDVD Review - Sep 26, 2005
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The first season of the greatest reality show on TV finally comes to DVD. |
Lilo & Stitch 2DVD Review - Sep 20, 2005
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A direct-to-video sequel to the endearing 2002 film, "Lilo & Stitch 2" performs well beyond expectations. |
Crime Story - Season TwoDVD Review - Sep 19, 2005
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By the second season, Crime Story was keeping up with it's style and innovation, but substance had fallen by the wayside. |
Reality Roundup: Week of September 2ndA Dose of Reality - Sep 10, 2005
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Whoever said that reality TV was dead? This week we look at a show with nearly forty reality TV stars competing for prizes! It's the beast that feeds upon itself! Plus Big Brother, Rock Star: INXS, Survivor, Celebrity Poker Showdown and more! |
Ned and Stacey - The Complete First SeasonDVD Review - Sep 5, 2005
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In the era of Friends and Seinfeld, Fox tried their own hand at a relationship sitcom set in Manhattan and didn't do half bad. |
Reality Roundup: Week of August 28thA Dose of Reality - Sep 4, 2005
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We do our best to keep you on top of the goings on this week in reality television. This week, a look at Big Brother, Rock Star: INXS, The Amazing Race, Survivor and more! |
Undeclared - The Complete SeriesDVD Review - Aug 20, 2005
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"Undeclared" is the story of college freshman Steven Karp and the people he meets there. It is a sequel to "Freaks and Geeks" in everything but name as much of the same crew and cast from the prior series resurfaces here. But unlike its predecessor, "Undeclared" proves itself to be pure, unadulterated comedy. |
Timeless Tales Volume 2DVD Review - Aug 16, 2005
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Disney has collected some of their all-time favorite animated shorts in a series of DVDs they call Timeless Tales. But the weak selection offered in Volume One of the collection isn't helped at all by Volume Two which offers a decidedly b-team selection. |
Timeless Tales Volume 1DVD Review - Aug 16, 2005
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In Timeless Tales, the Walt Disney company collects a handful of its classic Silly Symphony animated shorts (each about eight minutes long) and couples them with one longer animated short. |
Electric Light Orchestra, "All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra [Original Recording Remastered]"Music Review - Aug 14, 2005
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"All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra" delivers what its packaging promises. It's unfortunate, though, that even with 20 songs on the CD, you're still not getting the full picture. |
Earth 2 - The Complete SeriesDVD Review - Jul 26, 2005
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Another science fiction series cut down before its time. Find out why "Earth 2" should have lasted more than one season. |
Various Artists, "Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box [Box Set] [Original Recording Remastered]"Music Review - Jul 26, 2005
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Nothing like a music retrospective of the 1990s to make you feel old. |
Remington Steele - Season 1DVD Review - Jul 11, 2005
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Before Moonlighting brought sexual chemistry to the detective agency... and before Pierce Brosnan was drafted to play James Bond... there was Remington Steele. |
Northern Exposure - The Complete Third SeasonDVD Review - Jun 22, 2005
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Watching Northern Exposure again is like visiting old friends. It's been too long and you've missed them a lot. It's nice to see them again. |
HostageDVD Review - Jun 20, 2005
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Bruce Willis plays a burned out cop with a troubled past. Sound familiar? |
Jaws (Widescreen 30th Anniversary Edition)DVD Review - Jun 20, 2005
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"You're gonna need a bigger boat." It's one of those infinitely quotable lines from a big time Hollywood summer blockbuster. But this isn't just any big time Hollywood summer blockbuster. This is "Jaws", the movie that originated the concept of big time Hollywood summer blockbusters. |
Tarzan IIDVD Review - Jun 17, 2005
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It's an untold tale from Tarzan's past. How did young Tarzan come into his own as both a human boy and an ape? With the help of something called a Zugor. |
Scrubs - The Complete First SeasonDVD Review - Jun 14, 2005
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Fans of this offbeat and unorthodox comedy are finally treated to the first season on DVD. |
BackbeatDVD Review - Jan 29, 2005
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Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon are best friends in a band. One day that band will be the greatest rock-n-roll band of all time. Right now they're just a bunch of teenagers playing a gig in Hamburg, Germany. But it all changes when a young woman walks into their lives and threatens to tear apart the friendship between Stu and John. |
The Amazing Race 6 - Episode 6The Accidental Columnist - Dec 22, 2004
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CBS plays "hide the reality show" with The Amazing Race this week, but we found it, and we're here to tell you all about it. |
The Amazing Race 6 - Episode 1The Accidental Columnist - Nov 17, 2004
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Eleven teams. Twenty-two contestants. Six continents. One million dollars. A host with a damn good head of hair. The sixth season of The Amazing Race starts right here! |
Last Comic Standing 2 - The Final Six - ResultsReality Bites - Aug 5, 2004
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On Tuesday we witnessed six comics compete for only three spots in the finale. Tonight we find out who makes it. |
Last Comic Standing 2 - The Final SixReality Bites - Aug 3, 2004
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Six comics go head to head for 3 spots in last week's finale. Who will be... the last 3 comics standing? |
The RipFuture Features - Apr 19, 2004
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A thief hired to steal the De Beers diamonds from the Millennium Dome has some plans of his own in this UK crime caper. |
The Return of SuperflyFuture Features - Apr 19, 2004
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In the 1970's, Frank Lucas was the king of heroin in Harlem. Now Denzel Washington is going to play him on film. |
The Gardener of EdenFuture Features - Apr 18, 2004
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When a college drop-out returns to his home town and accidently becomes a local hero, he decides he likes it and starts setting up more "accidents" in search of more praise. |
The Fast and the Furious IIIFuture Features - Apr 18, 2004
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Vin Diesel returns to the frachise to reprise his role as Dominic Toretto, now wrapped up in the underground world of street racing in Tokyo. |
Survivor: All-Stars - Episode 10Lost and Delirious - Apr 9, 2004
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Will Lex and Kathy regret having put their trust in the Robfather? What do you think? |
Logan's RunFuture Features - Apr 3, 2004
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Bryan Singer and Joel Silver team up to remake a classic sci-fi film of the '70s. But can even Silver and Singer make "Logan's Run" cool? |
The MatadorFuture Features - Apr 3, 2004
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Pierce Brosnan is an international assassin. Hope Davis and Greg Kinnear are the naive Denver couple he forms a relationship with. Hilarity ensues? |
SerenityFuture Features - Apr 2, 2004
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Can Buffy, the Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon take a failed television series and turn it into a smash movie? Unlikely. But, dammit, he's going to try. |
Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimeFuture Features - Apr 2, 2004
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Jerry Bruckheimer and Walt Disney Studios have found a video game they want to turn into a movie and nothing's going to stand in their way. |
Ghosts of VesuviusFuture Features - Apr 1, 2004
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James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment has optioned a novel on the last days of Pompeii. Could it be that Cameron is finally coming back to the blockbuster genre? |
A Princess of MarsFuture Features - Apr 1, 2004
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Paramount is looking to turn John Carter of Mars into their next big franchise. With the Lord of the Rings and the Matrix trilogy wrapped up, there's room for a new franchise. But is this the right one? |
The Ice HarvestFuture Features - Mar 20, 2004
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Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack are a couple of crooks who are about to have a falling out in the middle of a snow storm in this dark comedy by Harold Ramis. |
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, BangFuture Features - Mar 9, 2004
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A thief posing as an actor. A tough-guy private eye. A frustrated actress. A murder mystery. Hilarity ensues. |
The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeFuture Features - Mar 3, 2004
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Disney goes all out for the adaptation of the classic C.S. Lewis book that introduced the world to the realm of Narnia. |
Hip-Hop CopsFuture Features - Feb 28, 2004
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Peter Berg produces and directs the story of a secret division in the NYPD that deals exclusively with crime in the rap and hip-hop world. I hear it's a really cushy job with lots of free time. |
Men Don't QuitFuture Features - Feb 25, 2004
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Can Ray Romano and Kevin James save their jobs as frozen meat door-to-door salesmen? And why would they want to? |
Pure EvelFuture Features - Feb 24, 2004
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From jumping buses to flying a rocket car over the Snake River Canyon, Universal wants to bring you the early years of Evel Knievel. |
AntarcticaFuture Features - Feb 21, 2004
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Two men risk their lives to save a sled dog team left behind in the most forbidding place on earth. |
Canadian IdolA Dose of Reality - Sep 17, 2003
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Last night Canadian history was made in more ways than one. |
TV TalkTV Talk - Aug 18, 2003
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There was a time when watching TV in the summer was an exercise in futility. The dial was a vast wasteland of reruns. Well, no more! Raul takes a look at this past summer's TV highlights. |
The Family - March 4, 2003TV Talk - Mar 5, 2003
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Has ABC perfected the concept of a reality show that's so bad, it's good? You bet it has! |
American Idol LIVE!Concert Review - Nov 20, 2002
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I braved 20,000 screaming teenie boopers and lived to tell the tale of American Idol LIVE! |
Fall TV Season - A Second LookTV Talk - Oct 10, 2002
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It's been about three weeks since the fall TV season began and I think it's time now to re-evaluate some of my viewing decisions. My Tivo season pass for quite a few shows is getting deleted just as soon as I figure out how this thing works... |
Fall TV Season - Part 2TV Talk - Sep 24, 2002
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In hopes of getting a jump start on the new season, ABC hit us early and hit us hard. But they left their best - Alias - until next week. But now that ABC's had its turn, it's time for everyone else. And the big guns are coming out. |
Fall TV Season - Part 1TV Talk - Sep 18, 2002
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The Fall TV Season is only 3 days old and I've only survived thus far by sheer grit and determination. How am I supposed to last until May? Maybe I can give my TV away... but I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy. |
Mean MachineDVD Review - Sep 9, 2002
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The first thing I noticed about "Mean Machine" was that it was a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds prison/football movie "The Longest Yard". I'm surprised I didn't know this until actually watching the film. No one tells me these things! I'm even more shocked to think that I wouldn't have known this had I not seen "The Longest Yard" at 1am on cable two weeks ago. Quite the coincidence. |
Shakespeare in the Park 2002: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare AbridgedTheater Review - Aug 13, 2002
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38 plays, 154 sonnets, 3 actors, 90 minutes and a whole lot of vomiting. It's the way William Shakespeare should be seen. |
Orange CountyDVD Review - Jul 23, 2002
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Once in a very long long time, a movie comes along that's just plain fun. It may not win any awards, but maybe it's because they're not giving out awards for the right reasons. |
The Simpsons in the FleshConcert Review - Jul 22, 2002
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I have seen "The Simpsons in the Flesh," and now I can die. |
The 2001.2 Internet Movie AwardsEditorial - Feb 11, 2002
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One year ago, as critics and pundits looked at their best and worst lists for 2000, many declared that good cinema was dead. This season's Internet Movie Awards shows that an industry that re-invents itself on a regular basis doesn't stay dead for very long. |
Sid Meier's Civilization IIIPC Game Review - Dec 7, 2001
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"Just one more turn." It's a promise you make. Not to your parents or long suffering spouse, but to yourself. It's a promise you make when playing this game. And it's a promise you know - the instant you make it - that you're not going to keep. |
Jerry Seinfeld - In ConcertConcert Review - Oct 1, 2001
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Some months ago I heard the news on the radio that Jerry Seinfeld was coming to Montreal to do a concert. The news came as quite a surprise as I wasn't even aware he was touring (as it turns out, he really isn't... he's just going to a few places and telling a few jokes - call it a tour if you like). |
SerendipityMovie Review - Sep 29, 2001
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We have an agreement. John Cusack makes a "Hollywood" movie. And then he makes a "John Cusack" movie. That's the way it works. That's the way it worked with "Con Air". Because of "Con Air", we got "High Fidelity". Now John Cusack's given us "America's Sweethearts". And for that, he owes us one "John Cusack" movie (and it better be a hum dinger!). Instead, we get "Serendipity". John Cusack now owes me TWO movies! |
Big Brother 2: Introducing Chill Town, A Wolf Pack of Vain, Arrogant, Immature NarcissistsA Dose of Reality - Jul 24, 2001
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There's a kind of macabre satisfaction watching people you really despise... people who epitomize so many qualities you dislike in people... get what they deserve. On nationwide TV. |
Big Brother 2: It Keeps Getting BetterA Dose of Reality - Jul 12, 2001
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Back stabbing, deceit and betrayal. It's not MacBeth. It's not even Survivor. It's the new - and improved - season of Big Brother. |
Big Brother 2: I Hate Thee, I Hate Thee NotA Dose of Reality - Jul 11, 2001
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The only people I don't hate in the Big Brother 2 house right now, I just haven't gotten to know yet. |
Big Brother 2: Getting to Know YouA Dose of Reality - Jul 10, 2001
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What kind of person commits himself to living in front of a camera for weeks on end in a house full of strangers? Some people do it for the potential jackpot. Some people do it for national exposure. Most of them are just plain nuts. |
Big Brother 2: This Time, They Got It RightA Dose of Reality - Jul 8, 2001
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The second episode of Big Brother 2 proves that the premiere episode of the new season wasn't just a fluke. BB2 really *is* good! |
Big Brother 2: Not More of the Same?A Dose of Reality - Jul 6, 2001
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When your expectations are low, you're very easily surprised. I guess that's why I liked the first episode of Big Brother 2 so much. |
Survivor: The Australian Outback - Episode 8Lost and Delirious - Mar 17, 2001
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Everyone loves the Kucha Survivors, but they're in trouble. Can they find a way to overcome Ogakor's numerical advantage? |
Nurse BettyMovie Review - Sep 25, 2000
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The first thing you have to understand about "Nurse Betty" is that it's no comedy. Many have described the film as a tale of obsession and celebrity, and that's exactly what it is, but not in the way you think. |
Meet the ParentsMovie Review - Sep 25, 2000
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With "Meet the Parents", Robert De Niro proves "Analyze This" wasn't a fluke. |
What I Did On My Summer VacationEditorial - Jul 19, 2000
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Hi! My name is Raul and this is my essay on "What I Did On My Summer Vacation". |
The Whole Nine YardsMovie Review - Feb 21, 2000
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Bruce Willis is Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski, a mob enforcer who's on the run from the mob after having sold out his boss to the Feds. Matthew Perry is Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky, the hapless dentist, and Jimmy's next door neighbor. Rosanna Arquette is Sophie, Oz's French Canadian wife from hell, although judging from her accent, you'd think she were actually playing a French maid. Amanda Peet is Jill, Oz's assistant at the dental clinic, and a big fan of Jimmy's. |
EdtvMovie Review - Mar 18, 1999
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Ed Pekurny isn't as dumb as he looks...This is no mean feat, considering Ed Pekurny is played by Matthew McConaughey sporting a southern drawl. |
La Vita è bella (Life is Beautiful)Movie Review - Mar 18, 1999
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It is sad to know that Roberto Benigni has such a poor grasp of the English language, since almost every exposure we get to this actor/director on American television leaves him looking like a total idiot. But Benigni is quite the opposite. In "La Vita è bella", Benigni has created one of the greatest films of all time. |
Analyze ThisMovie Review - Mar 10, 1999
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There's one thing I know for certain after seeing this movie. And that's that I never ever want to see Robert De Niro cry this much again... ever. |
200 CigarettesMovie Review - Feb 26, 1999
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It's New York City on New Year's Eve, 1981, and Monica (Martha Plimpton) is throwing a party. |
The Wedding SingerMovie Review - Sep 9, 1998
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Adam Sandler, usually prone to Chris Farley-esque features, has finally found himself something different. |
The AvengersMovie Review - Aug 19, 1998
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The Avengers is based on the British action-comedy-spy series of the 1960's originally starring Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. The series itself is fairly obscure and generally forgotten to most movie goers, although most will remember the show about the guy with the bowler hat and umbrella, and the girl in the rubber cat suits. |
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CD Giveaway - Paper Bird, "Rooms"
Ends May 28, 2013
Drifting ever so slightly away from traditional folk music, this Colorado band delivers harmony and energy aplenty. |
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