“The Simpsons Movie” – This mid-summer “Simpsons” fix is essentially an extra-long, extra-good episode that sends the family on the run to the snowy northwest (“Clap for Alaska!”) after Homer’s latest gaffe causes Springfield to […]
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” – Perhaps the most challenging book of J.K. Rowling’s series to adapt, “Phoenix” ends up being the best “Potter” movie so far. The cinematography is rich and […]
“Walk the Line” – He wasn’t just a guy with a cool voice who dressed in black. Country legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) also swooned over a woman (Reese Witherspoon’s June Carter), battled a pill […]
John’s “Pieces of April” flashback review, Nov. 26, 2020 “Pieces of April” – This indie charmer has two main plotlines. Well-intentioned bad cook April (Katie Holmes) fumbles her way through preparation of a Thanksgiving meal […]
“Freaky Friday” – If you’ve seen their previous work, you’ll know that Jamie Lee Curtis as a teenager trapped in an adult’s body and Lindsay Lohan as an adult trapped in a teenager’s body isn’t […]
“About a Boy” — This is the latest film adapted from a novel by witty Brit Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity”). Featuring Hugh Grant as a 30-something layabout, “About a Boy” features even more of Hornby’s […]
“E.T. The Extra Terrestrial” — This 20th Anniversary release allows Steven Spielberg fans to go back to a time when a simple movie about intergalactic friendship could make you cry. A time when Drew Barrymore […]
John’s “Unbreakable” flashback review, May 4, 2019 NDSU Spectrum: Movie review Shyamalan’s latest casts an unbreakable spell By JOHN HANSEN Dec. 1, 2000 There have been movies about superheroes before. There have been movies exploring […]
“Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” (8 p.m. Eastern Tuesdays on ABC) is both the most original show of the fall TV slate and very familiar. Let me explain: On one hand, there’s nothing else like it […]
TV review: It sounds basic now (the story of a family of five in Pasadena), but “Family” revolutionized the hour-long drama.