Samantha Bornemann

Recent

Television

Sons of Hollywood

Trying too hard to be stylish and too little to conjure a plot, Sons of Hollywood can't quite decide what it has to say.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

How I Met Your Mother: Season One

This is no static workplace comedy or rinse-repeat tale of funny family life. As the narration from the future reminds us, life as the characters know it is destined to end.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Gilmore Girls

Communication is always the problem on Gilmore Girls: though mom and daughter are famous for their witty banter, they're terrible at mustering the courage to say what they want.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Runaway

Runaway splits the difference between basic family drama and the serial thriller.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Men in Trees

Imagine Sex and the City set up on a blind date with Northern Exposure, and you have a pretty good take on Men in Trees.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

The Bedford Diaries

As if it weren't bad enough that Owen finds Natalie's one-time death wish intriguing, she herself paints her swan-dive as liberating.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Prix de beauté (1930)

Louise Brooks plays Lucienne as alternately stifled and aglow, a young girl only truly engaged when gazing at her own reflection, whether on the screen or in another's eyes.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

The Paramount Comedy Shorts 1928-1942: Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin (1928)

As Robert Benchley was nothing if not influential, you might see a little of Frasier Crane and paleontologist Ross Gellar in him, too.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Conviction

If you wonder whether the rookie lawyer will stick with his grim new gig, you must not know much about TV pilots.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Emily's Reasons Why Not

The problem with the latest pretender to the Sex and the City throne is that it doesn't take the mimicry far enough.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

The Bachelor: Paris

For dark comedy, the show relies on its 25 wannabe Mrs. Bachelors, who must preen, banter, and scheme to keep their dream alive past opening night.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

The Book of Daniel

Despite the recent fire and brimstone headlines, Daniel is a very familiar book.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

ER / The West Wing

The West Wing's chief relationships have been tested and compromised, turning Sorkin's noble, fast-walking liberals into more than the sum of their quips and ideals.

Samantha Bornemann

Television

All Dressed Up... And Catering to the Wrong Audience

The Apprentice isn't built for her, and Martha is too authentic, too distinctive, to be squeezed into someone else's role. In so many ways, she's the anti-Trump, matching his pomposity and garish taste with cool conviction and soothing color palettes.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Grey's Anatomy

Confession and communication aren't the norm at Seattle Grace. Instead, the hospital crew all harbor secrets.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Once and Again: The Complete Second Season

Some of us want to see messy, contradictory lives on screen. We find escape enough in knowing that, as much as the problems feel familiar, they are not precisely our own.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Commander in Chief

Having gone to the trouble of putting a woman in the White House, Commander in Chief plans to focus on her efforts to keep house. See how far we've come?

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Kitchen Confidential

Presentation, on the plate or on television, goes a long way, and Confidential has the look of a winner.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Head Cases

There's lots of 'adult' humor and madcap legal maneuvering. The Practice should have been this much fun.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Just Legal

Sure, this has all been done before, but familiarity doesn't make Just Legal any less fun.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Gilmore Girls

Lorelai and Paris, Rory and her grandparents... Gilmore Girls' most long-standing relationships seem set for realignment in Season Six.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

Prison Break

The good and bad guys in Prison Break might cry, fight, screw, and bleed, but they still look like cardboard to me.

Samantha Bornemann

Reviews

MetalMatters: March 2020 - Self Isolation

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Features

MetalMatters: March 2020 - Self Isolation

The 50 Best Post-Punk Albums Ever: Part 4, James Chance to the Pop Group

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Trying too hard to be stylish and too little to conjure a plot, Sons of Hollywood can't quite decide what it has to say.

This is no static workplace comedy or rinse-repeat tale of funny family life. As the narration from the future reminds us, life as the characters know it is destined to end.

Ever watching, waiting, and wisecracking, Watts is the irresistible underdog, cursed with loving a boy too "stupid" to see the truth.

Communication is always the problem on Gilmore Girls: though mom and daughter are famous for their witty banter, they're terrible at mustering the courage to say what they want.

Runaway splits the difference between basic family drama and the serial thriller.

Imagine Sex and the City set up on a blind date with Northern Exposure, and you have a pretty good take on Men in Trees.

As if it weren't bad enough that Owen finds Natalie's one-time death wish intriguing, she herself paints her swan-dive as liberating.

Louise Brooks plays Lucienne as alternately stifled and aglow, a young girl only truly engaged when gazing at her own reflection, whether on the screen or in another's eyes.

As Robert Benchley was nothing if not influential, you might see a little of Frasier Crane and paleontologist Ross Gellar in him, too.

If you wonder whether the rookie lawyer will stick with his grim new gig, you must not know much about TV pilots.

The problem with the latest pretender to the Sex and the City throne is that it doesn't take the mimicry far enough.

For dark comedy, the show relies on its 25 wannabe Mrs. Bachelors, who must preen, banter, and scheme to keep their dream alive past opening night.

Despite the recent fire and brimstone headlines, Daniel is a very familiar book.

The West Wing's chief relationships have been tested and compromised, turning Sorkin's noble, fast-walking liberals into more than the sum of their quips and ideals.

The Apprentice isn't built for her, and Martha is too authentic, too distinctive, to be squeezed into someone else's role. In so many ways, she's the anti-Trump, matching his pomposity and garish taste with cool conviction and soothing color palettes.

Confession and communication aren't the norm at Seattle Grace. Instead, the hospital crew all harbor secrets.

Some of us want to see messy, contradictory lives on screen. We find escape enough in knowing that, as much as the problems feel familiar, they are not precisely our own.

Given its pedigree, Related makes its performance anxiety annoyingly audible.

Having gone to the trouble of putting a woman in the White House, Commander in Chief plans to focus on her efforts to keep house. See how far we've come?

Presentation, on the plate or on television, goes a long way, and Confidential has the look of a winner.

There's lots of 'adult' humor and madcap legal maneuvering. The Practice should have been this much fun.

Sure, this has all been done before, but familiarity doesn't make Just Legal any less fun.

Lorelai and Paris, Rory and her grandparents... Gilmore Girls' most long-standing relationships seem set for realignment in Season Six.

The good and bad guys in Prison Break might cry, fight, screw, and bleed, but they still look like cardboard to me.