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For HBO's Well-Made 'The Wire,' Crime Pays |
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| Topic: Movies |
7:15 am EDT, May 31, 2002 |
HBO is an Energizer Bunny whose assembly line of first-rate series keeps going and going. Joining "Six Feet Under," "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Sopranos" is "The Wire," a scorching look at the drug trade in a Baltimore housing project through the eyes of mid-level dealers and police. "The Wire" has virtues galore. Its first five episodes rank with TV's elite crime-busting hours at their best ... Pay-cable channels, which are supported by subscriptions instead of advertising, often have detractors in their largest broadcast competitors. The latter aging titans pout and whine on cue, for example, when HBO embarrasses them by annually earning Emmys and other big awards far out of proportion to its relatively slim audience base. ... All in all, "The Wire" is more evidence that TV's best crime shows are in their own golden age. From a cop on "The Wire", on fighting drugs: "You can't even call it a war. Wars end." This article is both a review of HBO's new series and a study of the dynamics between the pay and advertiser-supported ("free") programming. Worth the read. For HBO's Well-Made 'The Wire,' Crime Pays |
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| Topic: Movies |
6:18 am EDT, May 15, 2002 |
The emotional climax of "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" is fabulous. Soaring and majestic, it reaches deep inside you to stroke chords of fond memory, to reaffirm the pleasure and healing power of narrative, to liberate the imagination. Unfortunately, it comes in the first two seconds. After that, the movie doesn't go downhill or uphill; it doesn't go anywhere. It flatlines. Memo to George Lucas: Hire an editor, bud. ... It's too long, it's too dull, it's too lame. Lucas seems to have based this episode on "The McLaughlin Group." ... What little story creeps out in dribs and drabs ... Hmmm, I forget what happens next. This is now the second "Episode II really sucks" review I've seen; NYT's A.O. Scott said much the same thing in last week's review. Force Fizzle |
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Big Networks Show 'Sopranos' Respect |
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| Topic: Movies |
6:35 am EDT, May 13, 2002 |
Chris Albrecht, the head of entertainment programming for HBO, knew the scheduling game had changed in a significant way for the big four broadcast networks when he got a phone call from a top network programmer, desperate for some information. "When are you guys bringing back `The Sopranos?'" the executive asked. "I need to plan around that." ... Worried they are -- and not just about "The Sopranos." All of the entries on Sunday night on HBO have increasingly eaten away at network audiences ... Of "The Sopranos," another senior entertainment executive said, "To be honest, it's a real serious concern." Its premiere on Sept. 15 is so highly anticipated, and will be so heavily promoted, that a record rating is almost assured. [It will be] among the top 10 shows in the 18-to-49 category most weeks even though HBO reaches only about a third as many homes as broadcast networks. ... "Just imagine an 18-to-49 cyclone, or giant vacuum cleaner sucking up those young viewers on Sunday night." Count me vacuumed! You have to wonder, is there any truth to entertainment industry claims about an intellectual property crisis, when so many Americans are choosing to pay for the top-notch programming they want, rather than accept the free crap being pushed by the major networks? Big Networks Show 'Sopranos' Respect |
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| Topic: Movies |
11:37 pm EST, Jan 29, 2002 |
This recommendation is long overdue. In case you've been on the lam, the Monday, January 28 edition of the Wall Street Journal modestly describes 'The Sopranos' as "the best TV drama of modern times." Now available on DVD. Get caught up now! ... only eight more months left until the new season begins. The Sopranos | HBO.com |
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| Topic: Movies |
12:02 am EST, Nov 14, 2001 |
Buzz abounds for this popular new French film as it enters American threatres. The original title of the film is "Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain." (Be advised: this promotional site is very Flash-intensive.) Visit IMDB for more details, reviews, etc. http://us.imdb.com/Title?0211915 So far, with 3700 IMDB votes, it's a 9.0 on a 10.0 scale, making it #39 on the top 250 between #38 Das Boot and #40 Some Like It Hot. Amelie from Montmartre |
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Internet Archive: Movie Collection |
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| Topic: Movies |
3:52 pm EDT, Oct 16, 2001 |
"This collection contains movies that the Prelinger Archives has digitized (about 956 now online) and donated to the Internet Archive. The films focus mainly on everyday life, culture, industry, and institutions in North America in the 20th century. This is the first time that most of the films have been available to the public. They are available for viewing at no cost and with few restrictions. About 956 films are now online." Be sure to check out all of the San Francisco films, including the "riotous celebrations" which took place on V-J Day. Very high-quality products here; not your average postage-stamp movie trailer. Internet Archive: Movie Collection |
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