Articles written by Daniel Johnson - Page 4

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About me - Daniel Johnson

I am an avid fire watcher, poet and comedian. Also critic, lowly benefit MC, and soap user.

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Entertainment > Directors & Film Makers The genius of Woody Allen: 4 of 9
The best way to evaluate the genius of Woody Allen is to appraise his best films. These are my top 10 favorites: 1. CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) As the title pretty much states this is a serious drama with a comic subplot. Martin Landau plays a wealthy ophthalmologist whose massive guilt over murdering his mistress (Angeli... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes The Phenomenon that was "Woodstock": 4 of 9
"It's really amazing. It looks like some kind of Biblical, epochal unbelievable scene!" - Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead) "A bunch of stupid slobs in the mud." - Grace Slick (The Jefferson Airplane) Yeah, Woodstock divides folks, even folks supposedly on the same side. Whatever your feelings on the famous Woodstock Festival... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Disturbia: 11 of 24
DISTURBIA (D.J. Caruso, 2007) So I feel old and unhip because it took until his hosting of Saturday Night Light earlier this year for me to take note of Shia Lebeouf. I mean the kid is apparently really hot these days - magazine covers, TRANSFORMERS, and he's going to be the son of Indiana Jones next Summer. Lebouf was calle... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Wild Hogs: 6 of 13
WILD HOGS (Dir. Walt Becker, 2007) In the last few years there has been much op-ed piece and pundit speak about whether movie critics really matter any more. If we judge solely by the case of WILD HOGS the answer is a deafening "Hell NO!" This film, which was critically panned by practically everyone (it has a 15% approval r... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Waitress: 6 of 13
WAITRESS (Dir. Adrienne Shelly, 2007) Keri Russell is Jenna, a small town waitress with an abusive asshole husband (Jeremy Sisto) who may as well be always clad in a wife-beater sleveless t-shirt. She escapes her miserable existence by dreaming of new pie recipes but that may be harder to do since she finds out she's pregnan... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Angels & Demons: 7 of 15
Famed ficticious symbologist Robert Langdon, the hero of the critically condemned yet commercially successful 2006 film THE DA VINCI CODE, is back in this bloated blockbuster wannabe adaptation of Dan Brown's inconsequentially controversial bestselling book. As played by a unusually stiff (but still displaying A-list charm) ... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends TV series with the best finales: 11 of 22
NEWHART! I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned. It beats M*A*S*H (not ratings wise but we're talking quality here) and blows Cheers, Buffy, and just about every show ender out of the water. The last episode of Bob Newhart's successful sitcom about an Innkeeper in Vermont, his wife, and their wacky employees and guests i... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: National Treasure, Book of Secrets: 10 of 20
NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS (Dir. Jon Turteltaub, 2007)The first NATIONAL TREASURE was a direct lift of "The Da Vinci Code" (the book mind you - it beat the film adaptation by 9 months) imposing an American action formula on the bestsellers puzzles and distortion of history. It was as stupid as it sounds with Nichol... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead: 5 of 10
(Dir. Sidney Lumet, 2007) After the solid yet fairly unremarkable FIND ME GUILTY (2006) many (including me) expected the 82 year old Lumet, with a career behind him that included such undisputed classics as FAIL-SAFE, NETWORK, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, and SERPICO, to go gracefully into that good night. There's nothing graceful abo... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Rocky Horror Picture Show: 3 of 6
For almost 20 years the Rialto Theater in Raleigh has presented the cult classic THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW every Friday at Midnight. Despite hearing many amusing tales of sordid audience-interactive escapades that would occur during each showing, I had never attended before last night. I have seen parts of the movie on t... More..