Published in LeadingTheory·Feb 15, 2017You Don’t Need to Love Comics to Watch ‘Legion’FX’s new mind-bending show is the mid-week puzzle your TV diet needs — There is too much going on in Noah Hawley’s new FX project, Legion, to let it pass by unexamined. It’s also too good. Even if you are suffering from comic book overload, this show should be in the starting five of your Season Pass. The relationship between Legion and the…Television2 min readTelevision2 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Feb 14, 2017The Princess Bride is the Greatest Romance of All Time — Don’t @ MeThe most romantic relationship quiz ever — “As you wish,” is all you ever need to say to the person you’re dating. Immediately, your person will either understand the reference or they won’t. How their response makes you feel is all you will ever need to know about that relationship. Part of me wishes there was something…Movies3 min readMovies3 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Feb 13, 2017The Young Pope FinaleI am still not positive this was a TV show — The Young Pope wraps up its first season tonight on HBO. It is easy to forget that TV is an escape from reality. Being reminded of that during season one of The Young Pope has been a real treat. As far as I can tell, The Young Pope takes place…Television2 min readTelevision2 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Feb 10, 2017The Messy Truth/Real Time Double-HeaderSoundbite news culture is bad for blood pressure. Lash out after hearing the full argument. — Combining politics with a ultra-connected media diet is a very dangerous cocktail. Doing so is like mixing all the top shelf liquors at a bar in an attempt to craft the perfect signature drink. Both paths lead to a frustratingly persistent hangover. Trying to source news from Twitter and Facebook…Television2 min readTelevision2 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Feb 8, 2017The Hero Cable Has Been Waiting ForFX’s new drama, Legion, is Marvel gone Cable — Televised comic book content has reached critical mass. In theory, that would lead to the telling of many interesting stories. In execution, they all look the same. Introducing new superheroes to the general public follows a very specific formula regardless of the medium — television, cinema, or otherwise. …TV3 min readTV3 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Feb 4, 2017Slow Box Office Trailer SuperlativesI can’t see a movie until it has won an award, even if that award is one I have created — We are firmly in the dregs of Winter. Like an idiot thinking my man Punxsutawney Phil would start February with the good news of an early Spring, I am looking for warmth, light, and good weather wherever I can find it. Just like that rodent in Pennsylvania told us this…Movies4 min readMovies4 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Jan 28, 2017Let’s Pick some Oscar WinnersFull disclosure: I haven’t seen any of these movies yet — This week, The Academy announced the nominations for the 89th Academy Awards. This year’s crop of movies is far more diverse than previous years, which is the good news. The Academy recognizing to a wider spectrum of films released is a step in the right direction. The bad news is…Movies5 min readMovies5 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Jan 16, 2017‘The Young Pope’ Mix Tape‘The Young Pope’ is ‘Scarface’ to the next generation of hopeful television auteurs for better or worse. — This clip is the best representation of my journey to the debut of HBO’s new limited series, The Young Pope. Instead of serendipitously freeing Captain America from an icy tomb, I destroy an ice mountain by shouting, “YOUNG POPE” as loud as I can. Television watching culture has developed…HBO5 min readHBO5 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Jan 11, 2017Something Wicked This Way ComesTom Hardy’s gruesome, menacing, brooding drama is here to punch you in the throat — Few actors working today love rolling around in the muck of character development more than Tom Hardy. According to a recent interview with Vulture, Hardy’s creation for Taboo draws from many a layered and menacing influence including Marlow from Heart of Darkness, Hannibal Lecter, Oedipus, Sherlock Holmes, and Klaus Kinski…Taboo6 min readTaboo6 min read
Published in LeadingTheory·Jan 4, 2017The 2017 New Cast of TelevisionFrom Jude Law’s papal decadence to Queen Reese reclaiming her throne, 2017’s starting five is here to knock 2016 off its perch — 2016 was a mountain range of emotions chalk full of peaks and valleys and atop nearly all of those peaks were TV shows. 2017’s freshmen series have a lot of work to do to keep pace with sophomore seasons of Atlanta, Insecure, Stranger Things, Westworld, Fleabag, and Master of None.20176 min read20176 min read
