(Originally published in LA STAGE Times) A sleek figure with arms raised victoriously has been the symbol of triumph at the Ovation Awards for nearly 20 years. But the grace and simplicity of the aqua-tinted resin statuette masks its colorful history and a painstaking manufacturing process that is nearly worthy of an Ovation Award itself. […]
I can remember very clearly the night my television-watching life changed forever. June 7, 2000. I was ten years old, and probably enjoying my usual after-dinner routine of playing Barbies with my twin sister Erin, when some errand or other brought me to the foot of the stairs. At that moment, from upstairs in my […]
I’m about to reveal something I normally don’t dare to say outside the privacy of my own home. I hate The Lord of the Rings. Yes, that Lord of the Rings. The billion-dollar, Oscar-winning, superstar-filled Lord of the Rings movie franchise whose fans could fill San Diego Comic-Con about a hundred times over. The Lord […]
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers is just like Peter Sellers himself: not exactly sure what it is, but determined to distract the audience with such energy and crazy ideas that they won’t even notice. Directed with obvious passion by Stephen Hopkins, the film takes us through Sellers’ life, beginning with his days on the […]
Life of Pi describes itself early on as “a story that will make you believe in God.” It might not make you believe in God, but it sure will make you believe in Ang Lee. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Yann Martel (which the film follows remarkably faithfully) and directed by […]
Like the wretched Humbert Humbert, you may find it hard to take your eyes off Lolita. The movie, that is, not necessarily the girl, although as a character played by then-16 year old Sue Lyon Lolita is still one of the most fascinating teenage creations ever to appear on film. No, what makes Stanley Kubrick’s […]
Trying to pinpoint what, exactly, makes Profit such an off-putting experience may be frustrating. Is it the completely unlikeable characters? The amateurish plot? The overdramatic synth music? The answer is really quite simple: Profit is just a terrible show. In the tortuously long series premiere, we are introduced to Jim Profit, an upstart business executive […]
(Originally published in The California Aggie) My name is Robin Migdol, and I’m an arts –and-entertainment addict. Whew. It feels good to come clean. But wait, you say. Being obsessed with pop culture or the entertainment industry isn’t a real condition. You probably pick up Us Weekly every once in a while, or indulge in […]
If you didn’t know why the cohort of young men who fought in World War II are often called the “Greatest Generation,” you will after watching Band of Brothers. It seems pretty much impossible for any movie or series from here on out to tell the story of that particular war, fought and won by […]
Robin Migdol 