New drama's aimed to satisfy 'morbid' audiences

We follow cops on their beats through temptation and triumph. We follow firefighters into burning buildings and deeper into their lives that are burning down around their ears. We watch the good men and women of any crime scene investigation room dissect, discuss and get into and out of danger week after week. The inherent appeal of any workplace drama or comedy is to watch other people in situations you can’t/won’t/shouldn’t/are incapable of being in yourself. We’d all like to think we can make it as a tough-as-nails police detective or a crack pathologist. Truth is, these jobs are probably not nearly as fun or glamorous as they look on TV. So what’s the appeal of these shows anyway?

Oscars raise best picture nominees from five to 10

The Academy Awards will expand the best picture category from five nominees to 10. This is something about this screams “obvious marketing ploy” to me. It’s also going to make the show longer, which is not a good thing. Although there are a few negative aspects to the announcement, I can’t help but feel any type of publicity that gets more good films seen can’t possibly be all bad — other than an extended run time in the telecast, I’m excited by the prospect, and for those avid Oscar watchers out there, this compounds the drama of the evening.

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New comedies may be darker than they seem

“The Hangover” continued the streak of hot R-rated comedies making a lot of money and tearing up college campuses and Facebook profiles alike. What makes these films “adult” is their subject matter surely, but there is something deeper at play than just delighting at seeing filmmakers push jokes as far as they can go. These are silly films on the surface, but truly aspire to address adult fears in a palatable way. We’re laughing, but what we’re laughing at is the same thing bound to make us run screaming for the hills in another context.

Film fest wraps up with great docs, so-so horror film

Saugatuck, Mich. — All right, this was my last day at the lovely Waterfront Film Festival before I have to head back to MSU. On my last day of soaking up all the sun and cinema I could handle, I made it count.

Crowd at film fest can meet directors, attend how-to seminars

Saugatuck, Mich. – On a hot beautiful day on the shores of Lake Michigan, there’s nothing I would rather do than spend my time in a cool, dark place watching movies. The weather and the promise of good film brought people to the Saugatuck streets in droves. Although the streets were crowded, there was plenty of room in most of the screenings.

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Festival opens with light-hearted success

There’s something to be said for the sense of community engendered in a group of people gathered around a giant screen in the dark to hear a story.

Revisit "Terminator 2" before seeing newest franchise flick

In anticipation of the May 21 release of “Terminator: Salvation,” I decided to revisit “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” because it is the sequel to end all sequels.

Summer movies offer entertainment, familiarity

The summer movie season is built on familiarity. There is a blockbuster, popcorn-popping, huge explosion, easy romance rhythm to movies that premiere to big box office numbers backed by a tireless barrage of commercials and soft drink containers.