‘Airplane!’ review
“Airplane!” — With this classic, the “absurd dialogue delivered with a straight face” brand of comedy from David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams was unleashed on the masses, and Leslie Nielsen became the master of […]
Comedy
‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ review
“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” — To quote Lisa Simpson, “Jim Carrey can make us laugh with no more than a frantic flailing of his limbs.” Before he decided he was a serious actor, Carrey delivered this […]
‘Clerks’ reviews
John’s “Clerks” flashback review, Aug. 1, 2021 “Clerks” — Kevin Smith’s black-and-white debut film is a day-in-the-life tale of a convenience store clerk and all the people and situations he encounters. It’s the reality of […]
‘The Naked Gun’ and ‘Naked Gun 2 1/2’ reviews
“The Naked Gun” (1988) and “Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear” (1991) — From the files of 1982’s six-episode run of “Police Squad” comes the big screen exploits of bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Neilsen). The […]
‘Friends’ Season 7 review
NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Friends’ or ‘Survivor?’ I choose ‘Gilmore Girls’ By JOHN HANSEN March 2, 2001 Well, I finally stopped watching “Friends.” The reason is only partially due to what you’re thinking: that I’m […]
‘The Lone Gunmen’ reviews
John’s “The Lone Gunmen” flashback review, johnvhansen.com, May 8, 2011 NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Lone Gunmen’ finds its niche in comedy By JOHN HANSEN May 5, 2001 At first, “The Lone Gunmen” didn’t seem like […]
‘Gilmore Girls’ Season 1 reviews
John’s “Gilmore Girls” Season 1 flashback review, johnvhansen.com, Nov. 7, 2013 NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Gilmore Girls’ makes you want to hug your TV By JOHN HANSEN May 4, 2001 I’ve always been a fan […]
‘Boston Public’ Season 1 reviews
NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Boston Public’ sheds light on the teachers’ point of view By JOHN HANSEN Feb. 9, 2001 “Boston Public” is not your stereotypical high school drama. Despite some surface similarities to “Dawson’s […]
‘Freaks and Geeks’ reviews
John’s “Freaks and Geeks” flashback review, March 16, 2023 NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Freaks,’ ‘Creek’ put different spins on high school By JOHN HANSEN January 2000 It seems natural to compare newcomer “Freaks and Geeks” […]
Mockumentary ‘American Vandal’ is also a gripping mystery with spot-on performances (TV review)
“American Vandal” – an eight-episode fictional docu-mystery that dropped last fall on Netflix – explores the snicker-worthy case of someone spray-painting penises on 27 cars. And to be sure, creators Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda […]