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TV Review: THE WALKING DEAD – Season 2 – “Judge, Jury, Executioner”

By ARNOLD T. BLUMBERG 03/05/2012

A zombie in THE WALKING DEAD - Season 2 - “Judge, Jury, Executioner” | ©2012 AMC/Gene Page

Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Norman Reedus, Melissa Suzanne McBride, IronE Singleton, Lauren Cohan, Emily Kinney, James Allen McCune, Jane McNeill, Scott Wilson, Michael Zegen Writer: Angela Kang Director: Greg Nicotero Network: AMC, airs Sunday nights Original Telecast: March 4, 2011 In the eleventh episode of THE WALKING DEAD Season 2, “Judge, Jury, Executioner,” the entire group is drawn into a day of discussion and despair as they face the very real prospect that civilization as they knew it is gone. Randall (Michael Zegen) represents a threat, and Rick (Andrew […]Read On »

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TV Review: GCB – Season 1 – “Pilot” – Series Premiere

By CARL CORTEZ

Miriam Shor, Mark Deklin, Jennifer Aspen, Brad Beter, Leslie Bibb, Annie Potts, Kristin Chenoweth, David James Elliott, Marisol Nichols in GCB - Season 1 | ©2012 ABC/Bob D'Amico

Stars: Leslie Bibb, Kristin Chenoweth, Annie Potts, Jennifer Aspen, Miriam Shor, Marisol Nichols, Mark Deklin, David James Elliott, Brad Beyer Writer: Robert Harling based on the novel “Good Christian Bitches” by Kim Gatlin Director: Alan Poul Network: ABC, airs Sunday nights Original Telecast: March 4, 2012 With DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES leaving the air after eight seasons later this Spring, ABC looks like they’ve hit pay dirt with the perfect heir to that show with GCB. GCB (otherwise known as GOOD CHRISTIAN BELLES or GOOD CHRISTIAN BITCHES if you want to use the title of the Kim Gatlin novel that this is […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: Eloise Mumford navigates THE RIVER

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 03/04/2012

Eloise Mumford in THE RIVER - Season 1 | ©2012 ABC/Bob D'Amico

In ABC’s THE RIVER, Tuesdays at 9 PM, a documentary crew sails along the Amazon River, seeking traces of missing naturalist Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) and finding a few traces – along with a whole lot of supernatural menace. The series is co-created by PARANORMAL ACTIVITY auteur Oren Peli and Michael R. Perry. While most of the characters have family or work ties to the missing Emmet, Eloise Mumford’s character Lena Landry is there seeking her own father, along with a sense of purpose. There was closure this past week to that part of her arc with the “Peaches” episode […]Read On »

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TV Review: GRIMM – Season 1 – “Three Coins in a Fuchsbau”

By CARL CORTEZ 03/03/2012

David Giuntoli in GRIMM - Season 1 - "Three Coins in a Fuchsbau" | ©2012 NBC/Scott Green

Stars:David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz Writers David Greenwalt & Jim Kouf Director: Noberto Barba Network: NBC, airs Friday nights Original Telecast: March 2, 2012 The good news about GRIMM is it’s found a pretty comfortable weekly police procedural structure that always ends up involving monsters usually derived from the Grimm fairy tales. The bad news is the series tends to be a little redundant at times and the CGI-creature effects often take you out of the show. That said, “Three Coins in a Fuchsbau” is an okay episode that brings a little […]Read On »

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Movie Review: DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX

By SEAN ELLIOTT

Dr. Seuss' THE LORAX movie poster | ©2012 Universal

Rating: P G Voices: Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Betty White, Rob Riggle, Jenny Slate Writer: Screenplay by Ken Daurio & Cinco Paul, Based on the book by Dr. Seuss Director: Chris Renaud & Kyle Balda Distributor: Universal Studios Release Date: March 2, 2012 Dr. Seuss is not an easy thing to adapt to a full length feature, and there have been hits and misses over the years. THE GRINCH was a passable Seuss film, but Mike Myers as THE CAT IN THE HAT was kind of an unforgivable slight on the author’s original work. Now Universal […]Read On »

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TV Review: SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE – “Libertus”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 03/02/2012

Dustin Clare in SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE - "Libertus" | ©2012 Starz

Stars: Lucy Lawless, Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Viva Bianca, Craig Parker Writer: Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing, Created by Steven S. DeKnight Director: Rick Jacobson Network: STARZ, airs Friday nights Original Telecast: February 24, 2012 I feel that “Libertus” in the line of episodes of SPARTACUS VENGEANCE is more than likely what many fans have been waiting for. This new season has been a slow build, allowing for the audience to adjust to the new actor playing Spartacus (Liam McIntyre), and now clearly that time is over as the action in this episode stands as testament. Crixus (Manu […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: Amber Benson on HOW TO BE DEATH novel – Part 1

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN

How To Be Death - A Calliope Reaper-Jones Novel by Amber Benson | ©2012 Ace

Calliope Reaper-Jones started as the title character in Amber Benson’s first solo novel DEATH’S DAUGHTER as a young New Yorker very reluctantly grappling with her supernatural heritage. Thanks to the book’s best-selling success and the adventures, tragedies and triumphs in two follow-up novels, CAT’S CLAW and SERPENT’S STORM, Calliope has now graduated from offspring to Death herself. In HOW TO BE DEATH, Calliope finds herself trying to solve several murders among a group of most unusual suspects, including a number of gods and goddesses. Benson, who still has a multitude of fans for her portrayal of Taraon BUFFY THE VAMPIRE […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE RIVER – Season 1 – “Peaches”

By CARL CORTEZ

Eloise Mumford in THE RIVER - Season 1 - "Peaches" | ©2012 ABC/Mario Perez

Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Joe Anderson, Leslie Hope, Eloise Mumford, Paul Blackthorne, Thomas Kretschmann, Daniel Zacapa, Shaun Parkes, Paulina Gaitan, Scott Michael Foster, Katie Featherston Writer: Wendy Battles Director: Robert Bailey Network: ABC, Tuesdays @ 9 PM Original Broadcast: February 28, 2012 Five episodes in (with only three more to go), it’s still a mystery if THE RIVER is finally going to jump start itself and find a way to satisfy casual viewers as well as fans (I think there are some others of you out there). It’s a short run, yet the latest episode “Peaches” feels so belabored and unnecessary […]Read On »

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AMERICAN IDOL recap (and photos): Who are the Top 13? How about more boys than girls!

By PETER BROWN

Hollie Cavanagh performs in front of the Judges on AMERICAN IDOL - Season 11 - Finalists Chosen | ©2012 Fox

Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays @ 8 p.m. Original Telecast: March 1, 2012 It’s decision time on the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL. But why do we need a two-hour results show? Seriously, we have had four freaking hours already of this show why make us suffer through fluff, needless drama and lousy bits? Just give us the results and move along. Luckily, they went right to most of the results at the beginning but it proved they could have squeezed it into an hour. I’ll spare you the […]Read On »

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TV Review: REVENGE – Season 1 – “Scandal”

By ANNE LOUISE BANNON 03/01/2012

Henry Czerny and Madeleine Stowe in Revenge - Season 1 - "Scandal" | ©2012 ABC/Vivian Zink

Stars: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Henry Czerny, Josh Bowman, Nick Wechsler, Gabriel Mann, Ashley Madekwe, Christa B. Allen, Connor Paolo Writer: Elle Triedman Director: Kenneth Fink Network: ABC, Wednesday nights, 10 p.m. Original Telecast: February 29, 2012 I have to give the creators of REVENGE points for not dragging out who killed Tyler (Ashton Holmes). There’s enough drama to go around in “Scandal,” what with Daniel (Josh Bowman) getting arrested for the murder, Jack (Nick Wechsler) thinking Amanda (Margarita Levieva) did it and trying to cover that up, and Emily (Emily VanCamp) getting all messed up because she’s in love with Daniel. Yes, it’s another action-packed episode of everybody’s favorite guilty pleasure. Oh, and […]Read On »