Since premiering in 2011, “Bob’s Burgers” has very quietly become an invaluable part of Fox’s Sunday night animation lineup. In fact, it has become the best part. By which I mean that current-era “Bob’s Burgers” is better than current-era “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons,” though 90’s “Simpsons” is something of an all-time champion. Now struggling […]

I watched the original “Top Gun” from 1986 to prepare for “Top Gun: Maverick.” The aerial stunt work and action sequences were impressive, but like many 80s movies, it fell into the trap of having a smarmy protagonist in Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. I was particularly skeezed out by a scene where he blatantly […]

It might not be the epitome of blockbuster entertainment, but I do understand the appeal of “Downton Abbey.” The British television series, which ran from 2010-2015, is recognized as the most acclaimed “international” series in Emmy history. And of course, it developed a fandom based on its impeccable 1920’s costumes and sets, as well as […]

It’s the week after a big blockbuster in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and you know that means: I’m going to review a movie that got absolutely stomped at the box office. There can be respectable runners-up in busy holiday seasons, but very rarely does something worthwhile open right after that first-weekend-in-May extravaganza, […]

The animated comedy “The Bad Guys” follows a group of supposedly unlikeable animals as they do bad, do bad while they pretend to want to do good, then grapple with the decision whether to actually do good. Spoiler alert for this family movie: they do not unanimously decide to remain bad. The leader is the […]

MECHANIC FALLS — Maine country musicians, Don Campbell, Peter Allen and Bobby Reed, will be inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame at the 45th Annual Induction Ceremony and Show at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, at the Silver Spur, 272 Lewiston St. The ceremony and show will showcase Campbell, Allen and […]

Unlike the 8-movie “Harry Potter” series, the “Fantastic Beasts” sector of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World has never been able to quite get off the ground. Maybe it’s because audiences find it hard to get behind skittish protagonist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as a hero. Maybe it’s because of all the bad press surrounding actors Ezra […]