Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
A love story spanning more than five decades, “Closing the Ring” may appeal to fans of “The Notebook.” Academy Award-winning director Richard Attenborough utilizes shifting time frames to tell the story of Ethel Ann and WWII fighter pilot Teddy. The two fall madly in love and secretly marry in a sweet ceremony that is destined for tragedy.
A thoroughly entertaining series that lasted just one season, “Moonlight” tells the story of a sexy vampire who wants to do good. (Think along the lines of Angel from the Joss Whedon series of the same name.) Mick (Alex O’Loughlin) became a vampire in the 1950s when his beautiful vamp bride Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon) created his new incarnation.
“Another Cinderella Story” adds a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale on which it is based, and it aims straight for the hearts of 21st century tweens. Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) plays Mary, a shy high-school student saddled with a wicked guardian and a pair of mean girls stepsisters.
In the first season of “‘Til Death,” a good chunk of the episodes centered on the grizzled married couple eying their affectionate newlywed neighbors with both jealousy and pity. In the followup year, Eddie and Joy Stark (Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher) have accepted Jeff and Steph Woodcock (Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster) not only as their neighbors, but also as friends (though sometimes begrudgingly).
A fast-paced, beautifully executed film, “The Rebel” works hard at being an epic martial arts picture set in 1920’s French-occupied Vietnam. While that may sound like a bit much, director Truc Charlie Nguyen does a formidable job creating a plausible scenario with some awesome fighting sequences.
The secret in “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” becomes all too clear early on. After having sex for the first time, 15-year-old Amy (Shailene Woodley) becomes pregnant. Scared and unsure of what to do, Amy keeps it a secret from her parents, hoping she’ll be able to figure things out.
The second season of “Kyle XY” begins with an episode called “The Prophet” and ends with Kyle’s high school prom. Clearly, the sci-fi drama shares as much an affinity with “The X-Files” as it does “Gossip Girl.” Last season, Kyle (Matt Dallas) learned how to fit in with human beings.
“The Note” is vaguely reminiscent of the 1999 Kevin Costner film “Message in a Bottle”–in which a newspaper reporter finds a letter in a bottle and tracks down the author. In this movie, a newspaper columnist discovers a note that appears to have been written by a father to his child just minutes before his plane crashed.
Touted as a comedy but filled with its share of drama, “This Christmas” focuses on a middle-class African American family celebrating the holiday together at the matriarch’s home.
Actress and former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Lisa Rinna burns up the dance floor in the instructional DVD “Lisa Rinna Dance Body Beautiful: Ballroom Learn and Burn.”
A brilliant but low-rated series, Swingtown tackles the social mores of the 1970s by focusing on three couples. Susan (Molly Parker) and Bruce Miller (Jack Davenport) have just moved into the wealthy Chicago suburb of Winnetka. Across the street, their neighbors Trina (Lana Parrilla) and Tom Decker (Grant Show) eye them with curiosity. The Deckers are swingers who’re hoping that their attractive new neighbors will be open to a little experimentation.
The beauty of the Law & Order franchise is its ability to capitalize on its revolving cast of characters. The sixth season of Law & Order introduces viewers to a new detective and kills off another series favorite. There’s also a seamless crossover episode with Homicide: Life on the Street and a compelling season finale that gives insight into how the main characters deal with tragedy. The 23 episodes featured in the five-disc set originally aired during the 1995-1996 television season. Aside from a few style issues–and the lack of cell phones–the episodes hold up well today.
Lisa Gabriele’s The Almost Archer Sisters (Simon & Schuster, 272 pages, $14) is being promoted as chick lit. But if readers can get past the heaving book jacket and the heroine’s cutesy name (Peachy), they will be treated to a novel that’s as easy to read as your average chick-lit pick, but with much more substance and heart.
Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, who exhibits a wry sense of humor while keeping the show moving at a brisk pace, the series is smartly entertaining. Fan favorite Tim Gunn returns, as does judge Nina Garcia. This season’s guest stars include fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker, who helps critique the contestants’ creations for her affordable Bitten line.
A pregnancy, career change, and the unraveling of a relationship are front and center on the fifth season of “Girlfriends.” The sitcom, which is executive-produced by Kelsey Grammer, takes a more serious approach this year. Yes, the jokes and physical comedy are all still here.
Based on the real-life story of college football hero Ernie Davis, “The Express” will remind some moviegoers of the heart-tugging “Brian’s Song.” Ernie Davis was a star athlete at Syracuse University and the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Unlike other winners of that era, he wasn’t allowed to attend his banquet dinner because the venue didn’t serve blacks.
Headed by an all-star cast of women, The Secret Life of Bees is the heartwarming and well-told story of a young girl who finds love and acceptance from a trio of independent sisters. “The Secret Life of Bees” is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd and centers around the plight of 14-year-old Lily (Dakota Fanning).
The eighth season of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” begins with the answer to the previous season’s cliffhanger: Yes, CSI Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) survives. But fans of this top-rated crime procedural won’t be able to breathe a sigh of relief. By the end of the 17 episodes–which originally aired during the 2007-2008 television season–two fan favorites will be gone.
Comedian Jamie Kennedy is used to getting laughs in the United States, thanks to his work in the “Scream” films and his TV show “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.” But making foreign audiences laugh wasn’t something he felt confident he could accomplish.
During the 1990s, Juliana Hatfield was the It Girl for alternative rock. More accessible and cooler than Courtney Love, Hatfield had a knack for penning clever songs with her group Blake Babies. She was an indie sensation that girls wanted to emulate and boys wanted to date. What her fans didn’t know was that Hatfield was battling both an eating disorder and depression. She contemplated jumping out a window — not, she says, to commit suicide, but so that she could escape her depression.