Entertainment

'Trump: An American Dream' reveals the dangers of chasing wealth

Netflix's new series, "Trump: An American Dream," narrates the character development of our current president. It unravels Trump's ascension in the business world through sketchy deals with local politicians, his accumulation of wealth and his short-lived downfall through foolhardy deals. All of this leads to the crescendo of him announcing his bid for the White House in Trump Tower. Interviews with those from Trump's past (his chauffeurs, friends and former employees) reveal an intimate portrait of the man behind the catchphrase: "You're fired"

'Ready Player One' is pop culture nostalgia at its most extreme

There's a scene about halfway through "Ready Player One" in which the story's hero, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), is approached by the villain, corporate CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn). Both parties are after the same thing: total control of the virtual reality technology Oasis, which has become the most important economic resource in their dystopic future, as well as an amount of shares which equates to nearly half a trillion dollars. Wade wants to preserve the Oasis as a fun playground for geeks and everyday people alike, while Sorrento and his company, IOI, want to litter the platform with advertisements and monetization.

An ode to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially in April, and you know what that means -- it's "Avengers" month.

This week's music: What to press repeat, play and skip on

Song of the Week

'A Quiet Place' is a tense, taut thriller

"A Quiet Place" starts in the silence of an abandoned and looted supermarket. The near-inaudible patter of bare feet finally breaks the silence.

This week's music: What to press repeat, play and skip on

Song of the Week

'Love' ends on an optimistic note

"Love's" third and final season was dynamic, surprising and generally optimistic, but the best part was the Bertie bottle episode. I, personally, like to think executive producer Judd Apatow and series co-creators Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin read my tweets and responded accordingly.

This week's music: What to press repeat, play and skip on

Song of the Week

This week's music: What to press repeat, play and skip on

Could 'Cruel Intentions' be made in 2018? Probably not.

The 1990s cult classic "Cruel Intentions" started streaming on Netflix last Friday, allowing viewers like me to witness the film for the first time. I was completely shocked by its stepsiblings-running-a-sex-bet-to-get-in-each-other's-pants narrative, and wondered whether the film could have been made this year.

Women's empowerment and progress celebrated at the oscars

As the lights went down on the 90th Academy Awards this past Sunday evening, one thing was certain: Women in Hollywood mean business.

'Red Sparrow' is a revolting, pointless show of human cruelty

"Red Sparrow," the latest Jennifer Lawrence vehicle, is an espionage thriller with a bland plot and very little in the way of thrills. It's a film with a lot of production value that merely puts a glossy sheen over a story so trashy it ranks with gorefests like "Hostel" and other smut. Mindless and limitlessly cynical, its only saving grace is that eventually, it ends -- though it makes us wait an excruciating 140 minutes for the sweet release of credits.

'Annihilation' is bold, beautiful and bland

We are in the midst of a new era of science fiction.

Inspiration and support at the Oscars

The Academy Awards are about winning, or so some say. They are about honoring those who have worked hard to get there. They are about celebrating movies. But more importantly, the Academy Awards are about celebrating and inspiring others.

The biggest Oscar wins, ranked by level of disappointment

As anyone who watched the 90th Academy Awards this past Sunday can tell you, I take awards shows way too seriously. For me, the Oscars is like watching my favorite team in the World Series 24 times, and every other nominee is the Yankees. This is what was going through my head for some of last night's biggest awards:

Shows you need to start watching (so they can get renewed for another season)

One of the few drawbacks of living during peak TV is facing the harsh reality that with so many great shows, many will also be cancelled. With that spirit in mind, here is my impassioned plea for you to watch five shows so they don't meet that fate. Hopefully, you watch them because I convince you that they're all wonderful comedies which deserve loyal and enthusiastic fandoms. Then, once viewership spikes due to the massive popularity of this list, I will get to see another season of many of my favorite shows:

Five new songs everyone should hear

Here are five new songs released in the last week that every music fan should listen to.

'A Futile and Stupid Gesture' isn't that futile or stupid

If any genre of film will endure until the end of time, it's the biopic. Famous, unique and important individuals will always fascinate us normal folks. Unfortunately, too many biopics feel familiar; it can feel like we've seen the same song and dance before, no matter who's the star of the show. Thus, experimenting with the genre can yield fun and exciting results. David Wain's "A Futile and Stupid Gesture" attempts (and mostly succeeds) at doing just that.

Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment break new ground on 'Black Panther' album

Welcome to the new standard for movie soundtracks. A week before "Black Panther" takes movie theaters by storm, Kendrick Lamar and record label Top Dawg Entertainment have released the much anticipated "Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By." This isn't your average movie soundtrack -- it's a full-fledged album and should be treated as such.

Clever marketing couldn't salvage 'The Cloverfield Paradox'

On Super Bowl Sunday, two organizations pulled off miracles: the Eagles beat the Patriots, and Netflix made people interested in "Cloverfield" again.