Posts by Tara Ariano
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Video on Demand Report: Flight, Oogieloves, and Everything in Between
The Headliner Flight I’m not a nervous flier, and I thought that, based on what we saw in the trailer, I was prepared for the plane crash in the first act of Flight. I was not. I will always remember Flight for eliciting a reaction in me that no other movie ever has: That crash […]
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Freak Show & Tell: ‘It Was a 5-Star Skunk Resort’
Every week, television documentaries present us with so many unusual people, so many strange and/or disturbing problems, you might find it hard to keep up with all of them. That’s where I come in! Here’s an unflinching look back at TV’s Week in Freak Shows. Infested! (Animal Planet) Who Is This Now? Mae and […]
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Video on Demand Report: Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña Buddy Up in End of Watch
The Headliner End of Watch Say what you will about David Ayer, but the man has staked out some territory. From Training Day to Dark Blue to S.W.A.T. to End of Watch, he’s written some of the grittiest L.A. cop dramas of our time. Not only that, but he’s attracted some killer talent to his […]
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Freak Show & Tell: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Will Eat Live Ants
Every week, television documentaries present us with so many unusual people, with so many strange and/or disturbing problems, you might find it hard to keep up with all of them. That’s where I come in! Here’s an unflinching look back at TV’s Week in Freak Shows. Doomsday Preppers (NatGeo) Who Is This Now? Snake Blocker. […]
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Video on Demand Report: Watch Some Idiot Criminals Try to Mess With Liam Neeson’s Family Again in Taken 2
The Headliner Taken 2 When a somewhat under-the-radar movie breaks out in a big way, it’s natural for producers to go back to the well and make a sequel. The problem is when this happens with a movie that wasn’t really left open-ended. So with Taken 2, as with The Hangover 2, you get a […]
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Freak Show & Tell: When Life Gives You Stinkbugs, Patent a Stinkbug Trap and Start a Small Business
Every week, television documentaries present us with so many unusual people, with so many strange and/or disturbing problems, you might find it hard to keep up with all of them. That’s where I come in! Here’s an unflinching look back at TV’s Week in Freak Shows. Infested! (Animal Planet) Who Is This Now? Andy […]
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Video on Demand Report: Now Nothing Is Stopping You From Watching the Surprisingly Awesome Dredd 3D
The Headliner Dredd Was anyone really clamoring for a remake of Judge Dredd, the 1995 Sylvester Stallone vehicle? No. No one was. I think we all agreed that the mid-’90s were what might charitably be termed a fallow period in Stallone’s career, and probably mixed up Judge Dredd with Demolition Man anyway. (“Wasn’t Judge Dredd […]
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Freak Show & Tell: Worst Funeral Ever
Every week, television documentaries present us with so many unusual people, with so many strange and/or disturbing problems, you might find it hard to keep up with all of them. That’s where I come in! Here’s an unflinching look back at TV’s Week in Freak Shows. Best Funeral Ever (TLC) Who Is This Now? John Beckwith […]
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Video on Demand Report: Catch Up on the Under and/or Correctly Rated Films You May Have Missed in 2012
The Headliner Pitch Perfect I believe my esteemed colleague Mark Lisanti was the first person I heard refer to Pitch Perfect as Sing It On, which is at once an apt endorsement and an apt dismissal. Pitch Perfect is a well-executed, likable, and entertaining (unofficial) reboot of the 2000 film Bring It On, with a […]
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Video On Demand Report: Get a Crisis Suite and Have Yourself a Bourne Marathon
The Headliner The Bourne Legacy At this late stage of my life, I should be more comfortable with the idea of living through the inevitable recasting of pop culture reboots. After all, I’m on my second Spider-Man, second James T. Kirk, fifth Batman. I’ve watched four different versions of Fitzwilliam Darcy, a bunch of different […]