The True Story of Norm Macdonald, Comedy’s Best LiarA writer who got to know Norm remembers a generous, kind human being who also happened to be the funniest person on earth.
The Comfortable Problem of Mid TVIn “Atlanta,” Donald Glover sketched a funhouse-mirror image of Black experience in America (and outside it), telling stories set in and around the hip-hop business with an unsettling, comic-surreal language.
The Physics of When, Exactly, Star Wars Takes PlaceWhen watching a Star Wars film, you have to suspend your disbelief. Characters use magic brain powers to move things around, lightsabers are a thing, and there are civilizations spread over an entire galaxy.
The Star Wars Galactic Senate needed a minority partyWe are now just over two months away from the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This is the first of possibly several posts here at Mischiefs of Faction on how the Star Wars series deals with politics.
Exploring Diverse Representation of Women in Historical MysteriesIt’s no secret I love historical mysteries. I spent my childhood reading Nancy Drew, The Famous Five and Secret Seven, progressing to Agatha Christie in my teenage and adult years.
Inside the Stunning, Devious Cinematography of Netflix’s ‘Ripley’Ripley is an unusual show for many reasons, but chief among them might be its astounding visual command. All eight episodes of Netflix’s limited series, adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s iconic novel The Talented Mr.
Walton Goggins Elevates ItThere are few modern actors as purely watchable as Walton Goggins, a performer who is capable of both relishing in lowbrow material and elevating it with effortless charm.
20 Delightful Idioms From Around the WorldIdioms are by definition non-literal, but native speakers of a language rarely think about just how nonsensical these sayings can sometimes be.
Bouncing Around the Room: Scenes From a 4/20 Phish Sesh at SphereClouds shaped like seahorses; psychedelic exploding trees; the earth’s biggest screen in your face. Phish at Sphere on 4/20 was a feast for the senses—and a celebration of the four friends we’ve made along the way.
‘Challengers’ Heats Up: How Zendaya’s Star Power and a Sexy Love Triangle Could Give Gen Z Its Next Movie ObsessionOn June 20, 2022, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor sat at the edge of a motel bed on either side of Zendaya, kissing, licking and biting her neck.
11 Great Shows You Can’t Find Streaming Anywhere (and Why)When Andre Braugher died unexpectedly at the end of 2023, everyone was reminded that one of his best works, and one of the best shows in TV history, Homicide: Life on the Street, wasn’t available to watch in his honor.
Shōgun Is Reinventing the TV EpicLast fall, I made a classroom full of 20-year-olds read The Da Vinci Code. It was a seminar for junior American culture studies majors, and one of the themes was to focus on cultural texts from the year 2003, the year when most of them were born.
Confessions of a Hollywood Screenwriter: Brit Marling’s Secrets of SuccessThe 'Murder at the End of the World' creator and WGA Awards honoree bemoans the lack of performance metrics in Hollywood but shares that it is freeing as well.
7 Novels Inspired by the Author’s Day JobLike many authors, I don’t write alongside a “day job” but rather a portfolio career. For over a decade a key strand of my work has focused on human rights non-fiction editing. During the U.K.
Andy Daly Mines Art From Hack-Comedy CriticismI will never forget when I first heard Andy Daly’s set from 2006’s Comedy Death-Ray album.