On the tenth anniversary of her tragic death, I pay tribute to the remarkable musical legacy that Amy Winehouse left during her brief time on Earth. Here, I delve into her artistry and impact and rank her 30 best songs.
Ten years ago today, Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 in the Camden area of London. The official cause of death was accidental alcohol poisoning, which was sadly of little surprise to the millions who watched her very public battle with alcoholism, drug addiction, and other mental health problems. Her very tumultuous — and ultimately tragic — life…
This morning at 8:30am PDT/11:30am EDT, Emmy-winning father-daughter duo Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) and Jasmine Cephas Jones (Hamilton) announced the nominations in the top categories for the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in a presentation that was streamed live. Yesterday, I posted my predictions in all 16 top categories and reviewed what the Emmys are and how they work. (Click here to read that article.)
Given an unprecedented amount of turnover in eligible series, some recent rule changes, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic on virtually every aspect of show business, this year was bound to be full…
With an unprecedented amount of turnover in the major categories due to some high profile shows ending their runs and others having production delays due to COVID, an astounding number of surprises are inevitable when the 73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Award nominations are announced on Tuesday, July 13th at 8:30am. Here are my predictions in the sixteen major categories covering comedy series, drama series, limited series, and made-for-television movies.
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU READ MY PREDICTIONS
- For those of you who don’t know, the Emmys are television’s top honor. They are what the Oscars are to film, the…
The ten-episode second season of the Hulu hit teen dramedy that spun off from a landmark big screen film is a charming and moving return to Creekwood. Although there are some missteps, the show by and large continues to effectively explore important thematic territory — particularly the journey of a mother struggling to accept her son’s sexuality.
A Brief Recap of the Origin of Love, Victor
In 2015, Becky Albertalli wrote a young adult novel called Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. …
On June 18, Pixar Animation Studios released its 24th feature film on Disney+. “Luca” is a coming-of-age tale set on the Italian Riviera that is charming and refreshingly “low stakes.” Immediately upon its release, however, two problematic discourses erupted on social media — one about the queer themes many saw embedded in the film and another about whether Pixar films are as good as they used to be. Here, I review the film and comment on these discourses.
Luca: Film Review
After receiving an Oscar nomination for the 2012 Pixar short La Luna and spending several years as part of…
After her days as a famed Lakers girl and choreographer for the likes of Janet Jackson and George Michael and before her career resurgence as a judge on American Idol, Paula Abdul had a brief but remarkable recording career. In honor of her birthday today, I briefly review her recording career and rank all of her songs.
Paula’s Early Life and Career
Paula Abdul was born 59 years ago today on June 19, 1962 in the San Fernando Valley of California to Jewish parents with Syrian and Ashkenazi ancestry. Inspired by Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, she began…
Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s visionary 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale wrapped its fourth season on Wednesday. Some once-adoring critics and viewers gave up on the show due to frustrations with certain creative decisions in the show’s second and third seasons, but they missed out on a fourth season that ambitiously advances virtually every plot thread, delves deep into the complicated effects of trauma, and expands the universe of the series in fascinating ways.
Why I Never Gave up on The Handmaid’s Tale
Most people give up on television series much faster than me. And I understand why. In this…
17 years after Friends aired its record-breaking series finale, the sextet reunited for a reunion special that premiered Thursday on HBOMax. Here, I delve into how the special came to be, the challenges it faced, and how well it honors the show’s legacy.
Author’s Note: I recently published a five-part series on the legacy of Friends in honor of its silver anniversary. Click here for Part I, in which I delve into the show’s astonishing legacy and the controversies that have been associated with it. Click here for Part II, in which I delve into what the show meant to…
After 8 seasons and 170 episodes the veteran CBS sitcom wrapped its run last night. Over the course of its run, the show evolved from a zany family sitcom into a nuanced exploration of addiction, recovery, and sisterhood. Here, I pay tribute to the series’ impressive legacy and review its final episodes.
When I started writing on Medium in 2018, one of my first articles was about the evolution of the CBS sitcom Mom. I marveled at how over the course of its first five seasons it evolved from a fairly standard-issue family sitcom from the Chuck Lorre factory into…
Tonight, the 93rd Academy Awards were held live from Los Angeles.There were a couple of shocking upsets and a couple of touching speeches, but overall the ceremony was a dry and long-winded affair that fell short for reasons having virtually nothing to do with COVID. Thankfully, the awards that were handed out went to richly deserving recipients.
Notes on the Winners
To the surprise of few, Nomadland picked up the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. The film was the heavy favorite due to its dominance in those categories at prior ceremonies throughout this seemingly interminable awards season. Few, however…
Richard LeBeau
Passionate cinephile. Music junkie. Classic TV lover. Awards Season Blogger. History buff. Social justice advocate. Avid traveler. Clinical psychologist.
