I hail from a family of rock-ribbed Republicans (my grandfather disliked FDR so much he only referred to him as ”that fool in the White House”), but I got pushed left during the idiocy that was Vietnam and have been voting Democrat ever since. My euphoria over the election of Barack Obama was only surpassed […]

I no longer make New Year’s resolutions – it’s too easy to break ’em. But wishes and hopes are essential parts of the human condition, and since this is my first column of 2009, I thought I’d share some of mine with you. First, and maybe most important, I wish for a year during which […]

Let’s start with a confession: I’m not trustworthy when it comes to movies. I’m two-minded about them. Take this year’s Saw film. I sat there in my favorite seat – third row middle, so the screen towers above me – and my forebrain was thinking, Oh, man, this is the year’s biggest pile of cinematic […]

Okay, gang, pay attention: In 2007, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners, the average price of a movie ticket was $6.88. Let’s say it goes up to $7.00 in 2008. And say that you and your sweetie buy $10 of snacks (featuring your Uncle Stevie’s famous ”heavy” bag of popcorn). Even leaving out […]

That famous philosopher (and banjo picker) Steve Martin once said, ”Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” I couldn’t agree more. Of all the things I write about for EW, pop music’s the hardest, because a columnist doesn’t get paid for saying, ”I dunno, I just like it.” But can I really explain why […]

For me, the holiday choice between Thanksgiving and Christmas is easy. I choose the Turkey Day every time. Christmas, which entails the Great American Mall Death March, is stressful. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is a day of peace in my house. Everyone stuffs up, then chooses their post-meal favorite: football or a nap (I […]

The most popular soap opera of 2008 has been the presidential campaign. Those of us who’ve become addicted to it (I am one, although I say it with no pride) have had a chance to savor every quip, gaffe, and tear. We’ve listened to thousands of pundits and 10,000 sound bites. If words were weasels, […]

Here’s a truth that should be self-evident: There can be a big difference between what you think is great and what you actually like. When it comes to TV, the finest series currently on offer is – in your Uncle Stevie’s humble opinion – Breaking Bad (not AMC’s other series, Mad Men, which is just […]

If you catch publishing types in a ”don’t quote me” mood, they’ll tell you the male audience for fiction is disappearing. Agents and editors are constantly on the lookout for the next hot female writer, and why not? At the end of August, 7 of the 10 New York Times hardcover fiction bestsellers were by […]

Yes, it’s a column about baseball. But before you click away (grumbling, „If I wanted to read about sports, I’d subscribe to Sports Illustrated), let me add it’s also about TV and greed. Have you ever noticed that those two simply go together like peanut butter and jelly, or Cheech?” This subject has been on […]