September 2011

Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Using sports, especially baseball, as a metaphor for life can get dicey – sometimes the symbolic pieces don’t fit universally for everything. But “Moneyball, ” starring Brad Pitt, hits a grand slam with this old allegory, and educates regarding the true nature of modern large dollar sports.

CHICAGO – The second season of “Community” was a daring display of creativity without concern. It really felt like the producers of the show had been so freed by the fact that the nearly-canceled comedy was still on the air that they completely gave up on trying to please anyone but the program’s loyal fans. It was a show that didn’t “play” to anyone, never going for the easy, predictable joke as is common in the world of the sitcom. It was dark, clever, edgy, and unpredictable. And it was one of the best sitcoms of 2010-2011. Where does it go now? What will the third season of “Community” be like? Will it slide in quality? Maintain? Could it possibly get better?

CHICAGO – Steve Carell once said in an interview, if you don’t know a Michael Scott, you are Michael Scott. I am both terrified and delighted to report that I do not know a single person like Whitney, the title character of NBC’s new attempt at a Thursday-night hit, “Whitney.”

CHICAGO – Watching the premiere of NBC’s “Prime Suspect” again, I was struck by something undeniable — this feels like a TNT show. Yes, we’ve officially reached the point where basic cable is influencing network TV more than the other way around.

CHICAGO – Neither flat-out depressing nor mawkishly sentimentalized, Lasse Hallström’s 1985 Swedish classic, “My Life as a Dog,” avoids all the mistakes routinely committed by filmmakers working within the coming-of-age genre. It doesn’t view events through a treacly nostalgic haze and doesn’t condescend to its characters as if they were all quirky eccentrics ripe for satirizing.

CHICAGO – Out of all the franchises recently resurrected on the small screen, “Charlie’s Angels” is perhaps the least necessary. Does the world really need yet another rehash of the hit ’70s show that has been hailed for its female empowerment but was mainly popular because of its scantily clad female ensemble?

CHICAGO – Sony’s “Resistance 3” is as adrenalin-pumping an experience Playstation 3 players could possibly have this year and the perfect way to kick off what could be the most-crowded and beloved gaming seasons in the history of the console. Some generic level design is disappointing but your heart will be pumping too hard to care or complain.

CHICAGO – In our latest drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have 5 DVDs up for grabs for the home entertainment release of the action-filled neo-noir “Viva Riva!,” which is the 2011 MTV Movie Award winner for best African film!

CHICAGO – I had serious issues with the series premiere of NBC’s “Harry’s Law” earlier this year and some of those problems remain with the second-season premiere but there’s a reason that the first line of tonight’s episode is “Good morning, Harry — Our new beginning.” With a pair of mega-talented guest stars plus two great new permanent additions, “Harry’s Law” is significantly improved in season two. Everyone is going to be watching “The X Factor” tonight but those that stray to NBC should be pleasantly surprised by the first episode of this clever multi-part storyline.

CHICAGO – With lobbyists controlling the nation’s capital and the middle class perched on the edge of poverty, an increasing number of American viewers are seeking modes of escapism. And what better way to escape than watch a wronged girl wreak havoc on a cultish clan of rich snobs? Creator Mike Kelley (“Swingtown”) has the current economic woes to thank for making his new ABC drama serial, “Revenge,” all the more enticing.

CHICAGO – Warm, hilarious, silly and especially honest, “Bridesmaids” is the best, knock-out comedy of the year. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Maya Rudolph lead a cast that proves you don’t need testosterone to do a funny, sometimes gross-out comedy. What’s necessary is character, timing, set-up and execution, and this wedding party has it all.

CHICAGO – I had some serious issues with the first-season premiere of “Body of Proof,” a modest hit for ABC that they’ve decided to give another shot at developing into a major one with a second season. Having not watched an episode since Matt Fagerholm’s 2-star review (one which I agreed with wholeheartedly and echoed on my weekly WGN-AM radio segment), I was curious to see if they had fixed the problems with the show. Would tonight’s season-two premiere be an overhauled, new-and-improved version of what we watched six months ago? Nope.

CHICAGO – I’ll miss Tommy Gavin. FX officially said goodbye this month to the final survivor of their breakthrough slate of dramas as “Rescue Me” joined “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck” in the great cable show graveyard in the sky. The network has ably moved forward with phase two of their legacy but there was something comforting and reliable about Tommy and the boys on “Rescue Me” still being around. The sixth and final season DVD release serves as a fitting fourth quarter for this talented team.

CHICAGO – Is there anybody in show business that knows their character and personality profile better than Zooey Deschanel? Her accessible, quirky persona – evident in “(500) Days of Summer” – scores big time again with the new sitcom “New Girl,” premiering September 20th on FOX.