miniseries Archives -

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: EP 6 – COLUMBO: IT’S ALL IN THE GAME/DRUNKS/THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1999) Up next on Hollywood Royalty, we flashback a bit to see Faye in throwback mode, with the actress taking on three 90s titles that feel as if they came straight from her new Hollywood era. We begin with the 1993 […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINI EP.5: THE TOWERING INFERNO For our next minisode foray into the Faye classics of the 60s and 70s, we take the scenic elevator up to the promenade room for 1974’s The Towering Inferno. Irwin Allen’s big-budget action spectacular about a San Francisco high-rise that becomes engulfed in flames remains a hallmark in […]

HEART/FELT – TOGETHER FOREVER: THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND In this episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by One Of Us podcaster Kim Brown to revisit The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. We explore the film’s heartfelt lessons about friendship and sharing, Elmo’s place in the Muppet universe, and the strange world beneath Oscar’s trash […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY EP.5: COLD SASSY TREE/THE CHAMBER/ALBINO ALLIGATOR Up next on Hollywood Royalty, we head down south for three movies that make use of Faye’s Southern background. First, we travel to Georgia at the turn of the century to see Faye play a fiercely independent woman who enters into a May/December romance with a recently […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINI EP 4: BONNIE AND CLYDE Our next venture into classic 60s/70s Faye has us revisiting the film that turned the actress into an overnight sensation, 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde. Starring Warren Beatty and Faye as the infamous titular duo, this tale of crime and romance was one of the biggest hits of […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY EP.4: BEVERLY HILLS MADAM/BARFLY/DON JUAN DEMARCO Next up on Hollywood Royalty: Dunaway After Crawford, we head west to actual Hollywood (and thereabouts) for a collection of movies that sees Faye take on three different types of California women in three vastly different films. First up, Faye plays the boss of a group of […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINI EP.3: VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED Welcome to the third in our series of minisodes focusing on the 60s and 70s films that helped make Faye Dunaway a star Here we discuss the actress leading an international all-star cast in 1976’s Voyage of the Damned. The film was based on the true story […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY EP.3: THE MESSENGER/WAIT UNTIL SPRING,BANDINI/THIRTEEN AT DINNER In our third episode of Hollywood Royalty: Dunaway After Crawford, we explore time-traveling Faye and the actress’s ability to fit into any kind of world or time period on the screen. We begin in the Middle Ages with Faye playing real-life Queen Yolonde de Aragon in […]

HEART/FELT – OLD FRIENDS WHO’VE JUST MET: MUPPETS FROM SPACE In this episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by Esther’s Follies writer/performer and Fragile Rock creative Shaun Branigan for a cosmic conversation about Muppets from Space. We explore the film’s impressive puppetry, Gonzos search for identity, and everything from lunch at Caroll Spinney’s house to getting […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINISODE 2 – EYES OF LAURA MARS For the second in our series of minisodes in which we explore the 60s and 70s films that helped make Faye Dunaway a star, we take a look at the 1978 supernatural cult thriller Eyes of Laura Mars. In the film, Faye plays the title character, […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY Ep.2: DOC/MOMMIE DEAREST/FOLLOW-UP PROJECTS On our second episode of Hollywood Royalty: Dunaway After Crawford, we tackle the movie that serves as the true jumping-off point for this series, 1981’s Mommie Dearest. Originally meant to be a serious re-telling of the abusive relationship between Joan Crawford (famously played by Faye) and her daughter Christina, […]

HEART/FELT – SINCERITY AMIDST ABSURDITY: MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND In this episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by One Of Us critic, Kate Chambers, to revisit Muppet Treasure Island. We explore how the film blends wild comedy with genuine emotional stakes, why Tim Curry’s Long John Silver grounds the chaos, and how the Muppets honor classic storytelling […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: DUNAWAY AFTER CRAWFORD – PREVIEW Hosted by Frank Calvillo, Hollywood Royalty: Dunaway After Crawford offers a look at the post-Mommie Dearest career of legendary actress Faye Dunaway. Featuring a variety of guests and titles, we look at the Oscar-winner’s varied body of work from the early 80s to the early 00s, with some […]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BETTE & JOAN? – BONUS EPISODE 6: SIGNATURE ROLES “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night!” Welcome to the final bonus episode of What Ever Happened to Bette & Joan?, an ongoing journey through the later careers of Bette Davis & Joan Crawford. This holiday season, we’ve gone […]

HEART/FELT – IT’S IN EVERY ONE OF US: EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS & A MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS In this holiday roundtable episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by returning guests Shira More, Frank Calvillo, and Rhett O’Hara to reflect on Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas and A Muppet Family Christmas. We explore how these intimate seasonal specials […]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BETTE & JOAN? – BONUS EPISODE 5: GRANDE DAME GUIGNOL: A CONTINUING EDUCATION “I want this lying bitch out of my house!” Welcome to another bonus episode of What Ever Happened to Bette & Joan?, an ongoing journey through the later careers of Bette Davis & Joan Crawford. Although our travels […]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BETTE & JOAN?: BONUS EPISODE 3: PRODUCED BY BETTE & JOAN “Must you always let that sister of yours get ahead of you?” Welcome to the third bonus episode of What Ever Happened to Bette & Joan?, our ongoing journey of the later careers of Bette Davis & Joan Crawford. Although […]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BETTE & JOAN?: BONUS EPISODE 2: ROM-COM QUEENS Welcome to the second bonus episode of What Ever Happened to Bette & Joan?, an ongoing journey of the later careers of Bette Davis & Joan Crawford. Although our travels through Bette & Joan’s post-Baby Jane years may have come to an end, […]

PREVIEW: HEART/FELT Heart/Felt is a limited-series celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Muppets and the enduring legacy of Jim Henson, the quiet visionary who taught us to dream in felt, fur, and foam. Each episode invites a guest to reflect on a different chapter of Jim’s creative journey: from his early experimental films to the […]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BETTE & JOAN – EP 10 – SPECIAL GUEST STARS “You don’t trust women very much, do you?” Welcome to another episode of What Ever Happened to Bette & Joan?, our ongoing journey through late-era Bette Davis & Joan Crawford. As we near the end of our exploration, I thought we’d […]

SHOGUN SERIES REVIEW FX on Hulu presents James Clavell’s classic novel adapted into a mini series created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, Shōgun. Marooned on the Islands of Japan during the Edo era in the 1600’s, English navigator John Blackthorn (Cosmo Jarvis) plans to persuade the powerful bushō and lord of the Kantō, Yoshi […]

THE FEUD SEASON 2: CAPOTE VS THE SWANS REVIEW After his novel In Cold Blood in 1966, eccentric life of the party Truman Capote climbed the ladder of high life society and became the legendary culture icon we all know, love, and imitate to this very day. What’s a scaling of social ladders though without […]

TRUE DETECTIVE – NIGHT COUNTRY REVIEW Time is a flat circle…again. True Detective is back with its 4th season now with showrunner and director Issa López. This season, aptly named Night Country, takes us to Ennis, Alaska where the town is preparing for the grueling six month period of darkness. On the eve of the […]

THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST SERIES REVIEW You’ve seen hundreds of thousands of films based on the Lutz family and their Amityville Horror but you’ve probably only seen tens of dozens of haunted house films based on the Hodgson’s! This isn’t your typical paint by numbers gas station bargain bin buy 1 feature starring Rob Schneider get […]

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER REVIEW Every Hallow’s eve the corporate ghouls and ghosts gather in the stream from hell to celebrate the return of Michael Flanagan to Netflix. Last year the master of horror gathered inspiration from one of the most diabolical existential hauntings that have plagued mankind’s existence, terminal illness. This […]

SECRET INVASION SERIES REVIEW Back in the time of Blockbuster Videos and grunge rock, a young Nick Fury teamed up with a woman from outer space and together they would thwart the evil efforts of the Kree and stop the genocide of the peaceful, shape-shifting, extra terrestrials known as Skrulls. Thirty years later, branches of […]

GREAT EXPECTATIONS SERIES REVIEW The 1988 film Scrooged is about a TV executive putting on a live TV broadcast of the classic novel, A Christmas Carol. In the beginning rehearsals for this production, the aforementioned executive is confronted by a censor who tells him that the dancer costumes are indecent. In his defense, he replies, “I […]

THE LAST OF US SERIES REVIEW Neil Druckmann takes his blockbuster video game from the small screen to…the other part of the small screen. Pedro Pascal stars as Joel and Bella Ramsey stars as Ellie in a world ravaged by mutated cordyceps that turns anyone infected into a mindless zombie. The continental United States is […]

LIGHT & MAGIC SERIES REVIEW If you’ve seen a movie in the past 45 years, there’s a very, very good chance that you’ve seen the work of Industrial Light and Magic, the most important visual effects company that has ever existed. What started with a ragtag group of film loving nerds working on a weird sci-fantasy […]

THE FIRST LADY SERIES REVIEW As the old saying goes: behind every successful man is a great woman telling him to move the hell over…I may be paraphrasing slightly. Showtime’s newest limited series weaves together the stories of three iconic women: Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), all […]

OBI-WAN KENOBI SERIES REVIEW A long time ago, before Disney purchased Lucasfilm and completely erased the Star Wars Expanded Universe, there were thousands of pages of comics and novels, as well as games, detailing every corner of the galaxy far, far away. There was so much content from so many different publishers, that even the […]

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN SERIES REVIEW Based on the famous true crime novel “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer comes an adapted mini series created by Dustin Lance Black. Detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) and partner Bill Taba (Gil Birmingham) are investigating the grisly murder of Brenda Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her […]

GEORGE CARLIN’S AMERICAN DREAM SERIES REVIEW From directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio comes George Carlin’s American Dream, a two part documentary about the legendary stand-up comedian. Clocking in at nearly four hours, this is as definitive a documentary as we’re likely to get on Carlin’s life and career. Made with the participation of Carlin’s […]

THE GIRL BEFORE SERIES REVIEW Based on the sexy thriller written by J. P. Delaney, The Girl Before is a character examination of the inner houses we call our souls and what sort of portraits we hang on the walls of our hearts. But it features plenty of long legs and chiseled abs as well. […]

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD SERIES REVIEW Tonight’s the night. 9 years after the end of Dexter Morgan’s life in Miami and 8 seasons of one of the most successful and acclaimed Showtime series ever, the Dark Passenger has returned in this 10 part miniseries (and true final season). Dexter: New Blood follows the eponymous character effortlessly […]

THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR SERIES REVIEW Based on the popular podcast that originally related these true events, The Shrink Next Door tells the story of a man so desperate for change in his life that he’s will to give up everything he loves in life in order to please his therapist. Marty Markowitz (Will Ferrell) […]

MIDNIGHT MASS SERIES REVIEW Director/Writer Mike Flanagan has become a real favorite here at the OOU offices. And although “The Haunting of Bly Manor” wasn’t the hit Netflix was hoping for after the wild success of Flanagan’s “The Haunting of Hill House”, he’s back for a third round, sans “The Haunting of..” with “Midnight Mass”. […]

LISEY’S STORY MINISERIES REVIEW Stephen King’s novel “Lisey’s Story” is one that the author has referred to as his favorite and most personal of all his works. Unsurprising then that he wrote the entirety of the script for this eight-episode Apple + adaptation starring Julianne Moore as the titular character. Lisey is in mourning for […]

RESIDENT EVIL: INFINITE DARKNESS REVIEW *PS1 voice* RESIDENT EEEEEEVIL! Off the success of the most recent game, the four-episode miniseries “Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness” has been dropped onto Netflix for our viewing pleasure. Set between the fourth and fifth game, this show reunites Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they team up for an international […]

MARE OF EASTTOWN SERIES REVIEW The power of the miniseries remains as potent as ever judging by the wave of popularity that has erupted this past spring over HBO’s “Mare of Easttown”. A top-of-her-game Kate Winslet leads this 7-episode drama, along with solid support from actors such as Jean Smart, Evan Peters, Julianne Nicholson and […]

EDEN SERIES REVIEW A stellar voice cast and cell shaded animation are some of the defining qualities of Netflix’s next big anime mini-series “Eden”. Thousands of years into the future, the human race is but a distant memory and robots roam the earth harvesting apples and making light co-worker conversations. You know, typical robot stuff. […]