In praise of Melissa McCarthy, puppet master

by Tim Brayton

The Academy Awards are meant to reward great acting, not provide examples of it, but for a couple minutes during Sunday's ceremony, I'm convinced I saw the best comic performance I'll see for the rest of 2019. When Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry arrived to present Best Costume Design in polyglot outfits designed to evoke all five of the nominees, the visual gag is already enough. In a different year or with a lazier duo it might have been all we got. But it's when McCarthy and Henry start to introduce the category that it went from silly to downright inspired.

I am obsessed with every bit of what McCarthy is up to in that clip – and it doesn't even include the best joke of the bit, when she has the bunny attack Henry's hand as he tries help her open the envelope. Part of it, of course, is that she's playing things so completely straight...

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25th Anniversary: "Reality Bites"

by Mark Brinkerhoff

Sandwiched between (and oft-overshadowed by) the so-called Baby Boomers and Millennials, Generation X, those born between 1965-1980, seems to get little attention from Hollywood — or from anyone, really. In fact, just last month CBS infamously omitted Gen X in an otherwise comprehensive chart, “Generation Guidelines Defined by Birth Year.” For Gen Xers (of which I am one), this was generally considered as simply par for the course. Of course, of course, of course! 

But 25 years ago this week, we got our cinematic Valentine in the form of Reality Bites, the seminal film of a “forgotten” generation...

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Sundance Closing Night: "Troop Zero"

by Abe Fried-Tanzer

It’s almost always appealing to see two recent Oscar winners work together shortly after they take home their trophies. The notion of the last two Supporting Actress victors, Viola Davis and Allison Janney, teaming up is certainly enticing. Their Oscars were for playing very different types of mothers, and in Sundance’s closing night selection, they face off as competing scout leaders in a hilarious 1970s-set comedy about being who you are...

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"The Other Two" is Essential 2019 Television

By Spencer Coile 

The cancellation of Difficult People left a gaping hole in our hearts. The Hulu original series about two failed comedians, actors, etc. (Billy Eichner & Julie Klausner) brought out our most cynical selves, our razor sharp wit, and scratched that itch many contemporary comedies were not reaching for. Indeed, it’s been tough coping with this loss.  

However, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider (both writers from Saturday Night Live) have sensed our grief. The premiere of their Comedy Central series The Other Two, might somehow fill that Difficult pop culture void. After their teenage brother becomes an overnight celebrity when his YouTube video goes viral, siblings Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) – a struggling actor and dancer respectively – must define what success means to them. 

If that sounds trite, fear not. Because here are five reasons why The Other Two is essential 2019 television...   

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"Where are my lesbians?"

(A question fit for any occasion.)