Valentine’s Day is once more upon us, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a classic romantic comedy starring the legendary Clark Gable and Doris Day as this week’s Throwback Thursday. Courtesy of the Warner Archive Collection, Teacher’s Pet (1958) is an enjoyable rom-com about Erica Stone (Day), who is an effervescent journalism professor, and James Gannon (Gable), a hardboiled city newspaper editor who doesn’t believe a good journalist needs to be educated in the classroom.

In the grand tradition of all rom-coms that have come before and since, there is a meet-cute (boy and girl meet in a memorable way), followed by boy deceives girl and girl finds out and resents him for it, and then in the end, the two are able to forget about their misunderstanding because they realize they’re crazy about one another. In the case of Teacher’s Pet, the meet-cute occurs when Stone sends a letter to Gannon asking him if he would be a guest speaker in her classroom to inspire her students. Gannon scoffs at the letter and sends a rather scathing reply saying that he doesn’t subscribe to the concept of teaching journalism when individuals who want to be reporters should be knocking about as hangers-on in the newsroom, learning from seasoned veterans such as himself as they go.

However, not all newspapermen seem to agree. When the managing editor gets wind of the letter, he encourages Gannon to go and help Stone, but when Gannon arrives to the classroom, Stone mistakes him for a new student. I guess it’s his instant attraction to her/his desire to prove her wrong that causes him not to correct her and one can hardly blame him for not wanting to after she reads aloud his letter mocking him in front of the class. If this film had taken place in modern times, she probably would’ve recognized him as Gannon thanks to his social media profile photos, but back in the ‘50s, I guess it’s plausible she didn’t recognize a city editor she’d never met in person before.

The rest of the film pans out about as you’d expect it would. He of course continues to pose as a student and she sees “promise” in him as a budding journalist despite his age (which brings me to another key point). When the film first came out, critics didn’t like the 20-year age gap between Day and Gable, saying he was miscast in the role due to his age. Why would she be attracted to him as a student protege when he was obviously closer to retirement age? I read some fascinating trivia via IMDb that said both Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart turned down the role because they felt they were too old for it, and the film was shot in black-and-white to try to make Gable appear younger. While the gap is definitely noticeable, he seemed so spry in the role that it’s actually hard for me to believe that he died a few years later in 1960.

Teacher’s Pet also features some other familiar faces among its supporting cast, including fan favorite Gig Young as Dr. Hugo Pine (Gable’s adversary in pursuit of Day); Mamie Van Doren as a singer/casual love interest for Gable; Jack Albertson (Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) as a newspaper plant tour guide; Charles Lane (What isn’t that man in? He guest-starred in numerous television programs and films over his long-spanning career but I recognized him mostly as Potter’s right-hand man in It’s a Wonderful Life); and Marion Ross from Happy Days fame.

Being a former journalism student myself, this film interested me for more reasons than one. I semi-agree with Gable’s character’s belief system that the only way one can learn to become a good reporter is to be thrown into a fast-paced newsroom environment. I know I, for one, learned so much more being active in multiple publications than I did in the majority of my journalism classes during my four years of college. The semester I served as editor-in-chief of our weekly campus newspaper opened my eyes to the world around me more than half of my lectures did. You can spend a lifetime in the classroom discussing technique, writing tips, ethics and the like, but until you’re actually hands-on in that field, I’m not sure how much that education means. There’s a great one-liner in Teacher’s Pet stating, “To me, journalism is, ah, like a hangover. You can read about it for years, but until you’ve actually experienced it, you have no conception of what it’s really like.”

I also believe a reporter’s basic instincts as a captivating storyteller are something an individual is born with and not something that can be successfully taught. You can learn the techniques all you want, but if you’re not good at connecting with a reader, all those fancy techniques are in vain. Crafting an article is so much more than the “who, what, where, when and why.” It’s hard to believe that the wise gem “Newspapers can’t compete in reporting what happened any more, but they can and should tell the public why it happened.” comes courtesy of a film all the way from 1958 because that seems so relevant in today’s world!

I found Teacher’s Pet to be a hidden gem that I’d never heard of, let alone seen before. Poor Gig Young just never seems to get Doris Day. Another of my favorite classic rom-coms also pairs the two stars as a couple that’s never meant to be (Young at Heart) because another leading man (Frank Sinatra) sweeps in and takes her away from him. I guess his role is to be the affable, intelligent, handsome but nonetheless forever second-best man in Doris’ life – a role that does suit him to an admirable tee. While Gig shines in his supporting role, I guess if a girl can land a man like Clark Gable – whether he’s aging or not – she’s gotta go for it! Despite what the critics said, Gable still oozes charm from every pore in this film and proves he still had what it took to be a handsome leading man.

Between the first of October and the end of January, you can usually count on one or more movies that quickly make you forget all of the flash and bombast of the movies that had been out just a few months before. The time of superheroes, teenage dramas, special effects extravaganza and their kin is over. Now it’s time for the more thoughtful, adult, “meaningful” movies to light up the silver screen in the hopes of attaining good critical notices, big audiences and major awards. (Of course, there is another Hobbit movie coming so it won’t all be quiet dramas until 2015.)

One of those movies that critics love to dub “Oscar bait” has been slowly rolling out to theaters in major markets and is going wider now. That film is Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough and Zach Galifianakis. That the film is being released during Oscar season is understandable because, well, it’s simply a brilliant piece of filmmaking.

The story centers on Riggan Thomas (Keaton), a once popular movie star whose fame came from playing the superhero Birdman (wink, wink). Faced with becoming simply a Trivial Pursuit answer, Riggan decides to mount a Broadway play that he will write, direct and star in. It’s a huge undertaking for someone who’s never been on Broadway, and an even bigger undertaking for a Hollywood movie star, the likes of which are usually looked down upon by seasoned Broadway thespians.

Sensing his show is going to be one of the biggest disasters Broadway has ever seen, Riggan replaces his male co-star in a most unorthodox way and secures a name who sells tickets on Broadway. Except Mike Shiner (Norton) takes the Method to the extreme and causes Riggan more problems than he really needs at this point. While trying to save his show and his career, Riggan risks losing his grip on sanity as the spectre of the Birdman continues to haunt him.

Iñárritu’s story is the blackest of comedies and a scathing attack on an actor’s ego (not to mention a theatre critic’s). It’s also a poison pen letter to Hollywood crassness as much as it is a slap in the face to Broadway snootiness. And while all of that sounds unappealing, it’s truly very, very funny (and even moreso for those who follow any facet of the entertainment industry). Of course, what helps sell the premise is the casting of former Batman Michael Keaton, helping to blur the line between the film’s fiction and the reality of Keaton’s career.

Deny as they might, audiences are certainly going to believe Keaton is playing a thinly veiled version of himself. Whether he is or isn’t (and I’m not aware of Keaton mounting his own Broadway show), Keaton is superb playing a man with a tenuous grip on reality, bravely exposing as much of his soul (and body) as he possibly can. It certainly is the year’s first true Oscar-worthy performance by an actor in a leading role.

It also doesn’t seem an accident that Norton was cast as the notoriously difficult, self-centered Broadway star. Norton’s been known to have his battles with directors on and off the set, so his Mike Shiner may just have a little Norton in him. Everyone else in the cast also turns in superlative performances from the main stars to the smaller roles. Great acting all around.

However, the real star of the movie is Iñárritu from his contributions to the script to his amazing directorial style. I’ve only seen one of Iñárritu’s previous films, Babel, and while I was not a fan of the movie I did appreciate the directorial flair. With Birdman, Iñárritu pulls off an amazing feat by shooting the film as one continuous take. Of course it’s not really one take, but with clever edits and digital trickery (like shooting directly into mirrors), Iñárritu has made Birdman this year’s Gravity.

If the film falters anywhere, it’s in the final moments that may not wrap things up in a satisfactory way for some viewers. Other than that, Birdman is just brilliant from the acting and writing to production design, lighting and directing. It really is the whole package and is the first movie of the year that gets us thinking of awards consideration. Don’t miss it!

TNT’s Legends is set to premiere August 13^th. The show follows Sean Bean’s Martin Odom, a federal agent who specializes in deep undercover operations. Odom has gone so deep, though, that he might be losing the ability to tell fact from fiction, legends from history. CliqueClack sat down with the cast and executive producers of the show at San Diego Comic-Con, and this is what we learned.

What is a “legend,” and why is it different than simply going undercover?

Executive Producer David Wilcox explains: “A legend is a fabricated identity used in covert operations.” It’s a much more complete history than someone just going under cover. They have their own apartments, contacts, wardrobe, style … these are constructs that are developed and used over time and potentially in different investigations.

So, will the show be procedural or more serialized?

It sounds like a little of both. Legends won’t be an “undercover of the week.” Martin Odom lives in these roles for multiple episodes.

The season’s Big Bad will emerge over the course of the season, but that arc might include private armies, mercenaries and the perils of living in a surveillance state. We are introduced to a conspiracy in the first episode that will drive Odom the whole season. But producer Howard Gordon is proud that they’ve been able to avoid some of the lazy tropes with the character and the story that other shows have not.

Who is Martin Odom?

Martin Odom is a legend that Sean Bean’s character has gone so far into he no longer realizes he’s living. He is beginning not to be able to tell the difference between these legends and his real life. Wilcox says “the question of his identity is very much like a Russia doll: he opens it up and there’s another one.”

Sean Bean is bringing depth to the character, stepping into very different alternate characters “profoundly well.” But it was important to weave a piece of Martin Odom in each character, and each legend he plays informs the Odom legends as well.

(Bean couldn’t be with us at SDCC due to a wedding in the family)

Ali Larter plays a bit of a badass

Larter’s Crystal is a Special Agent at DCO (Division of Covert Operations) who leads the team and acts as Martin’s handler. She’s an extremely capable, kick-ass, undercover agent in her own right. She and Martin are a little like oil and water in the beginning, but she’ll begin to invest in him – and his mystery – as the season goes on.

Larter said the role of Crystal was a way to explore her alter ego, someone who has chosen her career over her family. She was interested in how that choice allows for the freedom to do her job differently, to be able to put her life in danger without worrying about the repercussions.

It was important to Larter that while Crystal is a strong, independent woman, her story would go beyond that. The producers promised her that they would explore the emotional side of the character. She wanted to play a character that lived in a male-dominated world, but still held onto her femininity.

So where does Crystal’s story go this season?

Her arc this season looks to be one of disillusionment. As the conspiracy plays out, she will question the system she works within. She’ll become disappointed by the fact that she’s following the rules her whole life and it isn’t giving her the outcome she desires. She will find that the people that she’s trusted and believed in have let her down, and let the country down.

Crystal’s father – whom we will meet this season – seems to have been a big catalyst for her career in the FBI. I am guessing he is a senior agent of some kind, and is probably part of the “system” that Larter mentions Crystal becoming frustrated with.

Wait … Tina Majorino too?

Yep. She plays Maggie, a part of the support team for the DCO. Her job is to help set up the operations and keeping the agents in the field safe. She’s highly trained and capable, and bears the responsibility of safeguarding the team well. She is, above all things, a patriot. Majorino says it takes a “very specific person to do work like that. You have to have a ‘greater good’ mentality. They sacrifice so much of their real life.”

Tina Majorino did a great deal of training in advance of the show, starting six months before filming. Running, boxing and what she called the “Jailhouse Workout” rounded out her workout. Just to mark how far she’d gone she voluntarily took the FBI PT test. It seemed like it was important for her to get the role right. She has very obvious respect for the men and women who do this job, and wants her performance to feel worthy of them.

Morris Chestnut was a late, but important, addition to the cast

Chestnut’s Tony Rice begins his story at conflict with fellow agent Martin Odom. The latter asks him about a crime, but Rice isn’t getting the full story. Until he does, he becomes a bit of a thorn in Odom’s side.

He starts off in the Transportation Security Division, but joins the DCO team midway through the season. How that factors in to his case of Martin Odom remains to be seen. Will he be joining the team to further his investigation, or is he drinking the Kool-Aid?

Howard Gordon had a bit of fun before joining us

He joined our Press Room several minutes late as he rushed over from the big 24 panel in Ballroom 20. He shared with us, however, a picture he’d snapped on his way out the door. He’d gotten Kiefer Sutherland to hold up one of the #dontkillseanbean t-shirts that were given out to the audience in the Legends panel.

“If you have never spent whole afternoons with burning ears and rumpled hair, forgetting the world around you over a book, forgetting cold and hunger – If you have never read secretly under the bedclothes with a flashlight, because your father or mother or some other well-meaning person has switched off the lamp on the plausible ground that it was time to sleep because you had to get up so early – If you have never wept bitter tears because a wonderful story has come to an end and you must take your leave of the characters with whom you have shared so many adventures, whom you have loved and admired, for whom you have hoped and feared, and without whose company life seems empty and meaningless – If such things have not been part of your own experience, you probably won’t understand what Bastian did next.”

And thus begins one of the most beloved children’s books of all time – The NeverEnding Story by German author Michael Ende. Until last night, I had never actually read the book, which was first published in German in 1979 and translated into English in 1983. But what he wrote still rings true, if my bloodshot, “I was up reading until 1 a.m. even though I had to be up for work by 6 a.m.” eyes are any indication. While it’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since the film adaptation of The NeverEnding Story premiered on July 20, 1984, part of me knows not only is that possible but it’s probably been at least a good 25 years since the film first rocked my world.

Whether discussing the book or the film, the minute I was introduced to Bastian Balthazar Bux and his love for books and hatred for school bullies, I fell in love and the landscape of my imagination was forever changed. The NeverEnding Story was a film I used to watch at my grandparents’ house almost on repeat. As a child who came down with the incurable lifelong disease known as bookwormitis earlier than perhaps most, it appealed to my six senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste and imagination) more than many other kids’ movies of the time. Who was not to be entranced by a fantasy world as rich as Fantasia with its wildly inventive inhabitants of all species, sizes, shapes, colors and even textures (if you count the Rock Biter)? I think Bastian (Barret Oliver) and Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) were two of my earliest childhood crushes.

And when I discovered that Bastian got to become a character in the book he was reading as well as that fantasy world’s savior, I knew I was hooked. Sure, Dorothy may have ventured into the colorful Land of Oz inadvertently becoming its savior when she dropped her house on the Wicked Witch of the East, but she wasn’t reading about Oz in a fabulous looking book with an almost hypnotic-looking snake amulet on the cover that she had stolen from a cranky, old man in a bookstore. Nor did her movie have a rockin’ ‘80s soundtrack with a title song sung by Limahl from Kajagoogoo!

After reading the book, there are some things I’m sad I didn’t get to see translated onto the big screen. These would include Ygramul the Many (a swarm of bugs in the form of a giant spider who was feasting on Falkor when Atreyu came along and saved him), the Wind Giants, the House of Change and especially Perilin the Night Forest and Grograman, the Lord of the Desert of Colors and the Many-Colored Death. A night forest with edible luminous fruits and a desert with rainbow-colored sands and a lion for its protector? Sign me up for those special effects, please! I can overlook the fact that Artax was supposed to talk or that Atreyu was supposed to have olive-green skin.

The NeverEnding Story remains one of my all-time favorite films. Few films can compete with its sense of adventure and passion, its fantastic musical score, its story or its elaborately designed characters and costumes. I was a little surprised to discover the author of the book was not pleased with the film – that is until I read his book. The poor man probably felt like they had chopped his literary masterpiece in half because that’s exactly what they did. And a sequel didn’t come along until 1990, which was poorly received.

Aside from the fact that it starred Jonathan Brandis as Bastian, I remember being disappointed the first time I watched The NeverEnding Story Part II: The Next Chapter. The actors were all different and the production had a cheaper look to it. The plot was terrible and the villainess and her minions looked like something off Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It somehow felt all wrong. This was not the magical Fantasia (or Fantastica, as it’s known in the book) that I remembered. However, after reading the book, I have a little more respect for the sequel than I used to. Believe it or not, it actually did follow the book’s plot – the other half of the book that had been previously ignored. It might have botched the story in its delivery, but it makes more sense if you actually read the book. Bastian never left Fantasia and returned. Once he came and gave the Childlike Empress a new name (Moon Child – though that’s much harder to decipher from watching the film), the book goes on to describe his many adventures through Fantasia before he is returned to the human world and his worried father.

Don’t get me started on The NeverEnding Story Part III: Escape from Fantasia, which came out in 1994. Part III is a colossal waste of time and a scourge on anyone’s memories of Fantasia. Its plot is not only painful to sit through, but it has nothing to do with the book. Aside from the cheesiness factor of seeing Jack Black pretend to be a nasty high school bully resplendent in a clichéd black leather jacket (despite that he was around 25 years old at the time), there are absolutely no redeeming factors for this part of the franchise. I never watched the animated series, so I can’t vouch for its integrity.

If you’re of a certain age, perhaps you remember the first time you watched The NeverEnding Story. If you giggled the first time you saw the Rock Biter roll across the screen on his gigantic Big Wheels made of stone or at the concept of a “racing snail,” you might be an ‘80s kid. If you ever wanted your very own luckdragon to soar the skies like Bastian and Falkor, you might be an ‘80s kid. If you were terrified of Gmork the wolf and The Nothing (which may or may not have haunted your dreams and kept you awake at night), you might be an ‘80s kid. If watching Morla the Ancient One sneeze all over Atreyu made you slightly sick to your stomach, you might be an ‘80s kid. If you cried when Artax sank into the dismal Swamps of Sadness, you might be an ‘80s kid. I don’t care how old I get … I still get misty-eyed when Artax bites the dust. I was six years old when I dramatically reinterpreted the Artax death scene for a large group of friends, but that’s another story for another time. (Get on my level!)

If you’re an ‘80s kid and are darn proud of it, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment recently announced The NeverEnding Story: 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray and The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter Blu-Ray will be released in October 2014. May the beloved creatures of Fantastia – those dreams and poetic inventions – continue to live forever in our hearts because that’s where they truly belong.

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It’s July.

We’re in the second half of the year and smack dab in the middle of summer. (*yeesh* Where did the first half go … ?!?) And, with the weather running in the triple digits, what better time to think about — you guessed it — Halloween. Or at the very least what better time for a Throwback Thursday Frankenstein film? (If you know me, connect all the dots in this paragraph and you’ll realize every bit of it makes sense.)

Fond Halloween memories — and my desire over the years to pay a revisit to this film I haven’t seen in ages — led me to 1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story. But I came to the conclusion while watching it there’s a big difference between a film as a “fond memory” from decades past and it being presented in the flesh. Translation: Time hasn’t been kind.

First off: Who was the Brainiac that decided to bill this adaptation as “Frankenstein: The True Story” … ??? Because it veers pretty far from Mary Shelley’s book. You could make a solid case of taking all the liberties used in the film, rolling them in a big ball and using it to discount the presupposed “true story” aspect and no one would fault you for it. But not all the liberties taken were bad ones; in fact, they served to keep the film engaging and also kept it grounded so that it didn’t take off and become a derailed mess.

Some Good

• First and foremost, putting Frankenstein’s creature in a fair light as a beautiful creation was a nice beginning touch. A brand new race of humans, after all, with beatific features and snow-white innocence can only enhance the evil that lives hidden beneath, an evil which will inevitably surface.
• The make up effects? Nifty stuff. The gradual transformation of the creature is interesting to behold. By tale’s end not only does it appear the sores and welts and deterioration are raw and painful, but they symbolize the physical manifestations of the rot and failure of man when he meddles in places he shouldn’t go.
• Digging up the graves of the newly dead, Frankenstein is heard stating “You know … I find I enjoy being a criminal,” something that comes back to haunt him several times over — not only in the form of Polidori but in his eventual rejection of his creation when he sees it begin to turn.
• David McCallum as the surly, withdrawn Dr. Henri Clerval: I loved every minute of him. From “consoling” villagers who had just lost loved ones right on down to giving the cold shoulder to Frankenstein’s fiancé Elizabeth when she came to call, he was a most terrific ass!
• One of the things I remembered about the film from all those years ago and hadn’t changed in the least was the score for the film. It was still the driving, ominous, rhythmic thud I recalled on first seeing it in two parts on television.
• Elizabeth? Her role in this adaptation was badass. There was nothing meek or fragile about her. Compare this Elizabeth to the one in the 1931 version and it’s a complete 180° turn around.

Some Bad

• The editing of the film is flawed. The are just as many scenes which yank you out of a chapter unceremoniously as there are awkward, prolonged fadeouts that leave you wondering if you should hold tight or head to the kitchen for a snack.
• That Brainiac who decided the non-sensical title of the film? I’d bet dollars to donuts he was the same yahoo responsible for James Mason’s right eyebrow sticking up comically throughout the film. Unless I’m completely off base, that wasn’t a fashion statement back in merry old England at the time.
• The creature — with its mind shifting back and forth between child-like naivete to a Clervalish lucidity — is often seen struggling to comprehend the events around him. Understandable as he hasn’t a clue what’s going on within his relatively new body. But the comedic kicker comes at the end of the film as he tends to Frankenstein: There’s a scene where the creature looks Frankenstein over and, satisfied he’s on the path to recovery, pats his hand several times in acknowledgment. I nominate that as one of the dopiest scenes in the film.
• While the make up effects are pretty impressive, the props are atrocious. The hand and arm Clerval was experimenting with … Agatha’s/Prima’s disembodied head … the creature falling from the cliff in a suicide attempt … the female body in the bath solution awaiting reception of its new head. These props were cheesecake and laughable. And that goes double for some of the lab equipment the doctors were mucking about with.
• The opening in the glacier at the very end of the show? I don’t think that thing was the same shape in any two scenes. Not only that, it bounced around as if it was positioned by a matte painter who had been up for 24 hours straight and had just finished his second pot of coffee.
• Do I need to go into the psychedelic-colored water globules in the bath solution used to create Prima? No, I do not. They just have to be experienced for themselves.

The down and dirty of the film? Its good stuff was equally countered by its bad. Overall, the film offers nice twists on themes we all know by heart. Add to that the fact this is a more thought provoking Frankenstein film (precisely what the producers were aiming for) and in many cases, despite some cheese factor, it worked rather well.

Is Frankenstein: The True Story worth the viewing if you’ve never seen it? Absolutely. But it didn’t hold water as it did the time I first saw it as a kid, all wide-eyed and champing at the bit for more.

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Every now and then a story comes along that is so powerful that it becomes a phenomenon. The premise resonates so true with so many individuals, the characters are so completely and utterly captivating and the emotions are so raw that it simply can’t be ignored. The Fault in Our Stars is such a story, and thanks to the movie, it is no longer limited to just the literary tween set.

Released by 20th Century Fox, based on the best-selling novel by Indianapolis author John Green, The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love as one would fall asleep, “slowly, and then all at once.” The movie stars Shailene Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster (a 16-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Stage 4 thyroid cancer when she was 13; it spread to form a satellite colony in her lungs, which is why she has to travel everywhere hooked up to an oxygen tank) and Ansel Elgort as Augustus (“Gus”) Waters (a 17-year-old boy with osteosarcoma in remission though it already claimed half his leg). I don’t know that I’ve ever been as fascinated by a pair of young star-crossed lovers as I was with these two. They banter extremely well together using very grown-up words, poking fun at their medical conditions and how the world views them as “cancer kids.” Their insights about life, love, death and how the world is not “a wish-granting factory” are at times funny and at times a bit morbid, but always right on the money. Frankly, I’ve never read a novel or seen a movie that dealt with cancer and children quite as honestly.

An Indianapolis native myself, I’d just finished the novel the night before my advanced screening and was rather excited to be seeing this movie in the same theater that Hazel Grace went to movies to in the book (the theater at the Castleton Square Mall). It was surreal to read a novel and know exactly what or where the author was describing. One of my friends quipped that must be what New Yorkers feel like all the time. Maybe it’s my Hoosier pride, but I immediately fell in love with three main characters in this story: Hazel, Gus and the city of Indianapolis itself. The city really came alive, and for the first time in a while, it made me proud to call it my home. I’ve shopped in the mall Hazel went to with her mom … I’ve picnicked at the Indianapolis Art Museum … I’ve shopped in Broad Ripple … I’ve even pumped gas and lived right around the corner from the gas station that Gus has a meltdown at towards the end. Because everything was so familiar, I think that helped me connect further with the characters.

I know books and movies are full of differences, and I’m usually on “the book was so much better than the movie” side of the fence. In this case, I think the movie stays pretty true to the book. Sure, they change minor details here and there such as Gus’ age (he’s 18 in the movie) or the fact that he comes to pick Hazel up to go to Amsterdam in a limo in a scene that reminded me of Pretty Woman. But I could live with all of that. Overall, I felt like they got the heart of the story right. The casting was great (Willem Dafoe is spot-on as melancholy alcoholic author Peter Van Houten, Nat Wolff is hilarious as Gus’ best friend Isaac and Sam Trammell really shines as Hazel’s father … Laura Dern does her best as Hazel’s mother, though at times she grated on my nerves due to her over-optimism and the delivery of her lines).

I loved being able to see everything unfold similarly to how I had already pictured it in my head. The movie is well-paced, and I’ve fallen in love with a few of the songs on its spectacular soundtrack. The Amsterdam scenes are breath-taking, but my one major disappointment with the movie was the feeling that the primary setting was lost in the translation. Because it was filmed in Pittsburgh, the scenery rang hollow. The city of Indianapolis was all but left out except for a minor reference here or there, including the Pacers’ Rik Smits jersey worn by Augustus in one of the most memorable scenes, and I couldn’t help but feel that was yet another snub by Hollywood. It should have filmed on location – but maybe that’s just me.

Usually, there are many noises to be heard in a crowded theater. Inevitably, someone will be caught talking to their companion or even be rude enough to answer a phone call during said movie. However, the crowd at The Fault in Our Stars was so quiet you could practically hear a pin drop. It was as if we were all collectively holding our breath as we waited for each scene and piece of dialogue to unfold. Towards the end, one could hear a collective sniffling. Emotionally drained, I think thoughts were probably scattered all over the place in that theater. Cancer has touched so many people. Perhaps some of the audience members were suffering from cancer or had lost someone near and dear to them from the battle already. Perhaps some of them were lucky enough to be among cancer’s many survivors and were counting their blessings. No matter what your story is, the ugly truth is that cancer has affected nearly all of us in some way or another.

So, when I looked over at my roommate and saw tears streaming down her face, I was slightly jarred. Naturally, I was crying already. But I wear my heart on my sleeve. If something strikes me as funny, I’ll boisterously laugh my head off. If something makes me sad or angry, I’m quick to shed tears. But my roommate is what I would describe as a bit stoic for a woman and not easily impressed by “chick flicks.” I fully expected her to make fun of the movie afterwards like she’s done in the past. But this time was different. Even the man on my other side who had sighed exasperatedly on several occasions before the movie started (I think perhaps the tweens in the crowd were getting to him) looked a bit visibly shaken by the time the credits started to roll.

The Fault in Our Stars is such a story that it makes you stop everything you’re doing or thinking about because “pain demands to be felt.” The title appears to have been taken from someone else who knows quite a bit about pain and young star-crossed lovers: Shakespeare himself. (In Julius Caesar, Cassius notes, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”) However, the meaning in this version is quite the opposite: sometimes “the stars” (or fate) make plans against the individual’s wishes. Is it fate that Hazel Grace and Gus came together and fell in love? Is it fate that the Hazel Graces and Guses of this world are cruelly cut down by disease in the prime of their lives? One is left pondering the unjust mysteries of the universe. One thing is certain though: You, too, will fall in love with this story “slowly, and then all at once.”

Judging by the reactions I’m seeing and the buzz surrounding the novel, I’m predicting this will be one of the biggest movies of the summer. And (spoiler): if I choose to imagine a certain leather-jacketed James Dean-like Adonis with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips feeling no pain and going on happily with the rest of his life, then that’s my prerogative. Sometimes both fiction and non-fiction can be too cruel to bear.

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Game of Thrones returned from it’s annual Memorial Day week off, delivering an incredible episode. Jorah? Ejected from the friendzone. Mole’s Town? Raided. Missandei’s innocence? Lost (Well, a little). Ramsay? No longer a (recognized) bastard. And the bout between the Mountain and the Viper lived up to it’s billing. It was big. It was brutal. And it was the ongoing Princess Bride reference it was always intended to be.

A new piece of material introduced into the show had book readers and show watchers alike scratching their heads. The conversation between Jaime and Tyrion Lannister before the battle that would determine the later’s fate was more than a bit of a swerve. We were all champing at the bit to see the showdown … what was this extended monologue? But that conversation, as much of a non-sequitur as it might have seemed, was a bit of a microcosm of one of the series’ central themes.

Bob: I guess Storm of Swords was so chock full of great moments, that the producers couldn’t wait until episode nine to start the big shocks like they normally do. As if Lysa’s “suicide” weren’t shocker enough, we also got the battle between the Mountain and Oberyn before the penultimate episode of the season (and I think, breaking with tradition, the finale this year will have even more shocking moments than episode nine). It was a couple of the smaller moments in the episode this week that really stuck out to me.

My favorite moment had to be Arya’s reaction (and the Hound’s) to the news that her aunt had died. It was such a perfect spot of writing, highlighting both characters as well as the absurdity and cruelty of Westeros. Sorry Arya, everyone you are related to is dead or missing, but at least the Hound’s plans are fucked!

Ivey: I loved that moment as well. I think the series has handled her journey since King’s Landing so much better than the books did (Arya’s was one of the few storylines in A Clash of Kings that I disliked — especially early on). You are right … this episode was filled with those great “little” moments; the blood leaking through the floorboards in the Mole’s Town brothel, Theon’s attempt to take Moat Cailin and the callback to his last moments in Winterfell.

Bob: The moment that I really want to discuss, though, is the conversation between Tyrion and Jaime in the prison before the trial by combat. On the surface it’s a long fairly meaningless conversation — there are no grand conclusions drawn and a story about crushing bugs seems to go nowhere, but I think there are some deeper meanings in the story, and at the very least, a lot to learn about the characters.

Ivey: It’s ironic that their conversation leads to a cousin, as the beat when Jaime mentions cousin-killing not having its own word was a brilliantly subtle reminder of his past. I was a bit put off by this conversation myself the first time through. Hell, it’s longer than the titular fight between the Mountain and the Red Viper.

But producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss — the credited writers for the episode — surely didn’t included it on accident, so I began to think about why it was there. Was it a bit of a meta-tease, delaying audiences from getting their visceral satisfaction that was surely soon to come? Or a simple stress-avoidance tactic on Tyrion’s part? As I watched the scene again and again, it was obvious it was deeper than that.

Bob: I feel like the whole story is a metaphor for the series, in a number of different ways. So many of the characters could be a fill-in for cousin Orson, big bullies smashing the weak. It highlights the meaninglessness of so much of the violence and destruction that we have seen on screen. How much of the pain that Joffrey caused was for a reason other than his own amusement? The same question could be asked for Ramsay.

The exchange was the masked wonderings of a man who knows that he is most likely going to die, and soon, and for no good reason. Why does Tywin do what he does? How did he end up a beetle in this game? Jaime has the only answer that can really be given to most of these questions: “I don’t know.”

Ivey: Sure, many characters could be the metaphoric Orson, but whoever is standing in for the dim-witted Lannister, the beetles are always the smallfolk of Westeros. One of Martin’s central themes — especially in A Feast for Crows — is exploring the devastating effect this game of thrones has had on those that didn’t want to play. I always felt that the books beat this point to death, but this was a much more subtle and interesting way to take it.

Bob: Life’s not fair, Tyrion, but at least you didn’t get your head smashed in by The Mountain.

The Fox television network unveiled its 2014 fall schedule and gave us a peek into what 2015 has in store as well. Fox had previously announced its new series acquisitions — Gotham, Red Band Society, Mulaney, Gracepoint, Utopia, Backstrom, Empire, Hieroglyph, Wayward Pines, Bordertown, The Last Man on Earth, Weird Loners — but many of them won’t be seen until 2015.

With the absence of The X Factor, and American Idol not returning until 2015 (with a shorter schedule than usual at about 37 hours instead of 50), that has freed up some time to debut some new shows in the fall. One glaring omission from the schedule is Glee, which has also been benched until 2015 and its 22-episode order may be trimmed to as little as 13. The plan is to run the final season without any breaks and to wrap up the story the best way possible. Another big change for the network is the break-up of Sunday’s Animation Domination block with only Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons and Family Guy still on the schedule (American Dad moves to TBS, The Cleveland Show is cancelled). One of this season’s bright spots, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will occupy the spot after The Simpson and newcomer Mulaney, starring John Mulaney and Martin Short, moves into the post Family Guy time slot.

The show everyone seems most excited about, Gotham, will make its debut in the Monday slot leading in to last season’s hit Sleepy Hollow. Fox is so high on both shows that Gotham was given an initial 16-episode order and Sleepy Hollow, which was originally planned to get a second 13-episode season, is going to get an additional 2 – 5 episodes. Fox believes Gotham should outshine and out-perform ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. simply for the fact that the Batman prequel will include famous fiends like The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman … at least the people they were before they become the famous Bat-villains. If nothing else, Gotham is certainly the most talked about new show of the coming season.

Besides Gotham, Fox has a couple of prestigious dramas on the boards with Red Band Society and Gracepoint. Red Band Society is based on a Spanish TV series and takes place in a hospital where a group of teens meet in the pediatrics ward. The comedic drama stars Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and Dave Annable, and is executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Gracepoint is the US adaptation of the hit British crime drama Broadchurch. Former Doctor Who David Tennant reprises his role from the original series.

Looking ahead to 2015, a truncated American Idol will return (no word yet on the judges), and the network hopes that the show will remain on the air for many years to come (rumors were swirling that the original trio of judges would return for the final season, whenever that may be), and Fox is planning three big special events for 2015 starting with a New Year’s Eve event hosted by Pitbull, a special to commemorate Evel Knievel’s attempted jump over Snake River Canyon, and a three-hour live musical presentation of Grease.

Fox will also be filling in the time vacated by The X Factor with a new reality series called Utopia. In this new show, a group of people are sent to an undeveloped location for a year and will be forced to form a society of some sort. With elements of Survivor and Big Brother, viewers will be able to follow the action on the air and online, and those who do not make themselves indispensable to the group are sent home. The twist is that they are replaced by new castaways, giving the show an eerily similar feeling to a former Fox reality program that was supposed to have no end, Forever Eden … which lasted all of seven episodes (18 remain unaired). Will Utopia be a bright spot on the Fox schedule?

As of now, the 2014 schedule is set with many of the big guns set for 2015 including Backstrom, from Bones creator Hart Hanson, Lee Daniels’ Empire, starring Terrence Howard, the ancient Egypt action-adventure series Hieroglyph, from Pacific Rim writer Travis Beacham, limited run series Wayward Pines from M. Night Shyamalan, and comedies Bordertown (working title),  The Last Man on Earth (with Will Forte), and Weird Loners starring Becki Newton. Here’s what to expect in the fall:

Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. — Gotham
9:00-10:00 p.m. — Sleepy Hollow

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. — Utopia
9:00-9:30 p.m. — New Girl
9:30-10:00 p.m. — The Mindy Project

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. — Hell’s Kitchen
9:00-10:00 p.m. — Red Band Society

Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. — Bones
9:00-10:00 p.m. — Gracepoint

Friday
8:00-9:00 p.m. — MasterChef Junior
9:00-10:00 p.m. — Utopia

Saturday
7:00-10:30 p.m. — Fox Sports Saturday

Sunday
7:00-7:30 p.m. — NFL Game
7:30-8:00 p.m. — Bob’s Burgers
8:00-8:30 p.m. — The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 p.m. — Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00-9:30 p.m. — Family Guy
9:30-10:00 p.m. — Mulaney

Two years ago, Sony Pictures rebooted what had been a massively successful franchise just five years after the last installment. New stars, a new director, new(ish) story, but The Amazing Spider-Man’s $752m worldwide box office gross – while phenomenal – failed to best the first trilogy’s worst performer (Spider-Man 2’s $783) and that’s not factoring in inflation.

While The Amazing Spider-Man might not have lived up to Sam Rami’s success, it still made Sony a metric crap-ton of money, and I’d argue the “parts” of the film were better than anything we saw in the original trilogy. Andrew Garfield’s take on the Webbed Wonder was streets ahead of Toby Maguire. As much as I like Kirsten Dunst, Mary Jane Watson she was not (and inserting Emma Stone into the mix is an instant upgrade). The film had its problems, but it created a world I couldn’t wait to see followed up on.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2, opening this week, is the next step in Sony’s grand Spider-Man plan. The sequel greatly expands the universe, adding several new major characters and seeding in several more for future movies. Dane DeHaan joins the cast as Peter Parker’s childhood friend Harry Osborn and Jamie Foxx is Electro (one of the six – or more … who knows – villains introduced). The studio already has a third movie in the works, plus – taking advantage of all of those new villains – both The Sinister Six and Venom are in the pipeline as well.

Before Sony gets too crazy, step two the plan of world domination needs to be successful before any of us can be sure steps three through seventeen will come to pass (a problem Marvel Studios doesn’t have anymore), and I’m not sure The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is going to set the world on fire. The movie is just missing that “it,” trying to be many things at once and excelling at none.

Sure, Garfield still embodies your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man better than anyone I’ve seen on screen, Emma Stone is still Emma Stone and DeHaan brings to Harry Osborn the nuanced, dynamic performance we knew he would be capable after his star-making turn in Chronicle. Plus Sally fricking Field is still playing Aunt May. Norma Rae is Aunt May!

Unfortunately the good – and the goodwill the first movie established – can’t overcome some fundamental problems. Jamie Foxx is an incredibly talented actor, but some of the lines he was asked to perform as Electro were downright embarrassing. The flick suffered from horrible pacing, especially in the first act as the story saw the Peter/Gwen relationship go through the same cartwheels we experienced the first go around. The score, a collaboration between titans of their industries Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams, felt disjointed and at times and a nightmare at others. And in trying to tackle one of the most iconic stories in Spider-Man lore, Marc Webb shifted to a tone that the comic books can take on, but which casual fans – the ones buying the lion’s share of the movie tickets – will find unsettling.

It’s hard – and probably unfair – to not judge comic book franchises in the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But looking at where Sony looks to be taking Spider-Man (and what Warner Bros. is looking to set up with the DC properties) it is difficult to have faith in their ability to make an interesting, interwoven movie series, let alone individual flicks.

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The Walking Dead deviated from its usual M.O. in the season 4 penultimate episode. Taking a different approach, it didn’t knock off a major player for the first time in its relatively young history.

And that can only mean one thing: Viewers will be saying “Sayonara!” to someone during the season finale instead.

Because let’s face it — it’s The Walking Dead. Shocking as the deaths of Mika and Lizzie were in “The Grove,” that can’t be all the show’s producers have in store for us death-wise. Surely, someone else dies. And a big someone at that.

My TWD partner in crime Bob Degon and I believe someone else is targeted … and here’s what we’ve been bandying about:

How about Rick kicking the can?

Michael: I doubt Rick is on the chopping block. There’s still more output from him … and I’m willing to stake that output comes in the form of a major event, not the likes of additional “Farmer Rick” tales, etc. as seen at the start of this season. Granted: Offing him would stir things up and tug at the hearts of viewers, something not out of the realm of possibility. But I just don’t see it at this juncture.

Bob: I agree from a story standpoint, but this isn’t the comic book where story is the only factor in the matter. I think the only real reason that Rick would be killed off the show is if Andrew Lincoln wants out. With the announcement that he’s going to be on the couch on The Talking Dead for the first time ever after the finale on Sunday, I think there’s a chance (maybe not a big one) that we may see the end of Rick. I doubt it though.

Are Glenn and/or Maggie riding off into the sunset metaphorically speaking?

Michael: Has Glenn become tedious? How about Maggie? I mean … they just reunited. Wouldn’t it play into the writers’ interests to have one or the other 86’d for that added bit of tragedy, as the surprise Lizzie and Carol left us with in “The Grove?” One of them exiting would certainly make that happen in grand fashion.

Bob: After seeing Maggie and Glenn finally reunite, I don’t think the writers have the balls to kill one of them off before the end of the season. Yes, even these writers. I think Glenn and Maggie are one of the few rays of hope on this show (along with baby Judith). They’re going to be sticking around for a bit longer, I think.

Where’s Beth? Dead already?

Michael: Beth’s ouster right now, not knowing what really became of her after she was (supposedly) kidnapped by that funeral car, would be a let down. And an outrage. Not discovering who took her or why she was taken, showing up dead somehow would simply be dumb.

However …

Bob: Robert Kirkman has promised us in recent interviews that we have not seen the last of Beth, but he didn’t promise that we would see her again this season. I’m hoping we’ll see her again, though I’m not sure in what capacity. Her disappearance and the true nature of Terminus remain the biggest mysteries left this season.

(*Spoiler alert for non-comic readers*) I’ve seen a lot of chatter and theorizing on the boards across the web and folks have some very interesting ideas about Beth and Terminus. I wonder if the writers are toying with the comic readers. At first it seemed like Terminus was going to end up taking the place of Alexandria in the comics, but now I’m not so sure. Many believe that Terminus, instead, is going to be chock full of cannibals. Could it be possible that brunette Tasha Yar could be fixing Maggie a big plate of her sister? Egads, I hope not.

What about everyone’s favorite, Daryl?

Michael: Talk about a shocker … and something to cause an uproar even more than what happened with Mika and Lizzie and Carol! Everyone would be Up! In! Arms! if Daryl was to take a powder. Might as well prepare the angry mobs, torches and pitchforks. Then! Having Carol discover his demise. Better yet, Daryl dying in her arms! Tragedy! Angst! Yikes!

Bob: The more I’ve considered a Daryl death, the more I’m ok with it. I’m not sure if it’s going to happen, but his character arc feels a bit complete. We’ve learned just about everything there is to learn about the guy: his past, his family, his skills with a crossbow. He’s come a long way from the angry “Merle’s brother” we saw in season one. If given a heroic (or tragic) exit, it might be the right time to say goodbye to Daryl. How tragic would it be if he got caught in the crossfire of a battle between Rick’s group and Joe’s group, with Rick not even realizing he was there?

What say us about “Cough Syrup Quaffin'” Bob Stookey?

Michael: One of my bets involves struggling alcoholic Bob Stookey drawing the short stick. We got a pretty good bead on Bob a few episodes ago, finally drawing us closer to him with the revelation of some of his back story. So now might be the perfect time to take him out of the picture. The ‘ole “bring’em-in-then-take-him-out-quick” bait and switch to elicit a reaction. I can see that working just fine — enough drama to make us feel for the dude, but not so much as it would be for some other major character.

Bob: Yeah, the dude just screams “zombie fodder,” but this finale is shaping up to be fairly walker-free. I say that now, though who knows what really lies in store. It may end up being a quieter finale than we have grown used to … at least for those that have already walked through the eerily unguarded gates of Terminus. Bob seems expendable, though.

Surely Tara and Sasha could be in the mix … right?

Michael: We don’t have much on these two. We delved into Sasha somewhat, but Tara not that much. Either are throw away characters in my book with little investment in either of them. I’d be good with one or the other hitting the road. Of course there would be more heartache on Tyreese’s part with Sasha being his sister … and Tara’s fall would make it easy on Glenn feeling guilty about revealing who she really is with relation to “Brian” (The Governor).

Bob: Yeah, two more expendable characters, but I’m not sure I would read too much into that, unless the episode is going to end up a blood bath. I think there are stories left for both of these characters, especially if Sasha and Tyreese are reunited and her relationship with Bob continues to flourish.

Tyreese?

Michael: Having Tyreese killed at this point after the events of “The Grove” seems rather wasteful. There’s no punch there. He barely has any skin in the game … so I think he’s clear.

Bob: Tyreese is safe. There’s too much potential with the character. He’s a huge fan favorite from the comics who was introduced late. It’s going to be fun seeing him in some of the storylines that he wasn’t a part of in the books.

Could it be Michonne?

Michael: Given her back story, her tragedies, her pain and suffering all around and recent joys with Rick and Carl, Michonne is a good bet to make the grade … or grave, rather. She would be a big enough kick in the gut to viewers and characters alike. Not as big as a Daryl or Glenn or Maggie, but there would be impact there …

Bob: I feel like Michonne is completely off-limits at this point. She’s a huge fan favorite from the comics and we have barely scratched the surface of the character on the show. Her death would annoy me greatly. Probably just as much as Dale and Andrea (who I thought left before their time).

Could Carl be considered in the mix?

Michael: There’s a large enough contingent of fans who would like to see Carl given the heave-ho just the same as there were for his mother Lori last season. There’s a good chance that could happen.

Bob: Doubt it. I would be shocked if we ever saw Carl die. The smart money is never going to be on Carl, regardless of how annoying he is.

And then there are newbies Abraham, Rosita, Eugene …

Michael: I don’t see any of them exiting stage right. No emotional impact, simply no good reason they should go. There’s nothing invested with any of them. So … what would be the point right now?

Bob: They’ve got to get Eugene to Washington! They’re going to save the world!

Okay, readers … your turn. Think anyone is getting the shaft on the finale Sunday? Chime in and let us know.

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