Mad Men

MAD MEN (AMC)
Wait, lemme see if I get it… the Sixties were sexist, simplistic, stylish and smoke-filled? Just not subtle. This retro Ad-man soaper is luscious to the eye, but mind numbingly predictable and didactic. Still, it’s worth watching for the production design and some great casting (Christina Hendricks is perfection).

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND
An embarrassment to fans of superheroes and of romantic comedies, as well as all women, and actually, all human beings. A crass, predictable, unfunny attempt to cash in on the superhero movie boom that fails on all levels. Okay, the shark scene is pretty cool. But that’s it.

Freaks and Geeks

FREAKS AND GEEKS (SHOUT! Factory)
Not nearly as groundbreaking nor realistic as I’d been led to believe, this just-okay high school sitcom is mostly laudable for the incredibly hilarious Martin Starr as geek Bill. Attention to ‘80s detail aside, the show’s just not nervy enough and falls too often on feel-good happy endings.

The New Adventures of Old Christine

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (CBS)
At least the unlikable characters on SEINFELD were comically unlikable. This bleak, angry, only sporadically funny sitcom paints a pretty ugly portrait of middle age that smacks of bitterness more than bemusement. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (and a decent supporting cast as well) deserves better than this.

Inside Man

INSIDE MAN
Wait… was this supposed to be a surprise ending? The movie’s called INSIDE MAN. There’s a kernel of a great film lost somewhere in Spike Lee’s ego-driven attempt at a mainstream bank heist thriller, but it’s not nearly as clever as it thinks and trademark Spike flourishes are distracting.

The New Adventures of Superman

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
It was in these cartoons that I first discovered Superman, so objectivity is hard, but I will say they hew pretty closely to the comic books of the mid-60s, both in design and tone. Alternately goofy and dramatic (really!), with swell music and bad jokes! Up, up and away!

The New Adventures of Batman

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN
The amazingly hideous cover art is indicative of the ineptitude on display in this sad ’77 sequel series to Filmation’s cool ‘60s Batman cartoon. By 1977, superheroes could only teach, not hit, and these cheap, cheezy stories are rife with lazy storytelling, limp villains and weak animation. For kids only.

Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series

SPACE GHOST AND DINO BOY: THE COMPLETE SERIES
The cartoons on this set, sublimely silly and gorgeous to look at, take a back seat to the ostensible bonus feature (worth the price alone), an 80 minute documentary on the legendary Alex Toth, cartoonist / animator who sits in the Comics Pantheon alongside Kirby and Eisner.

High Tension

HIGH (HAUTE) TENSION
Here’s the thing: If your film is going to have a surprise twist, then everything that’s happened up till that point needs to still make sense, even within a horror context. Nice cinematography, makeup and sound design can’t save a completely inept script. Being French is no excuse.