Steven Biel United States of American Gothic by Ronald Sklar Copyright ©2005 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted June 27, 2005. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Grant Wood must be flattered out the wazoo. Although the artist of “American Gothic” died in 1942, his painting has gone on to symbolize all things American, and parodied by … Continue reading
TOM WOPAT STATE OF BLISS By Ronald Sklar Tom Wopat had the nerve to forge a solid show business career that boldly defied the odds. Born and raised among seven other siblings on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, he is now – you’ll never guess — a veteran Broadway actor and singer who has played … Continue reading
Michael Joseph Gross Stars in Our Eyes by Ronald Sklar We’re surrounded by them from birth to death. They are as much a part of our lives as our family, friends and children. They give us love, shape our worldview and influence the way we see ourselves; they give us sexual satisfaction; they disappoint us and … Continue reading
Live Aid (Warner Strategic Marketing-2004) It’s been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. There is no better example of this than the agonizingly sixteen-hour-long Live Aid broadcast on July 13, 1985 (now available on DVD). The official excuse for the concert was to raise money to feed the starving people … Continue reading
LINDA ELLERBEE HER WORLD By Ronald Sklar We’re always better off when we see the world through Linda Ellerbee’s eyes, and now we’re even more fortunate to get a taste of life with the help of her mouth. That infamous mouth – the one with the trademarked smirk that would wryly remind us “and so it … Continue reading
Entourage The Complete First Season 2004 (HBO Video-2005) Entourage moves like an entourage – messy, aimlessly, shark-like, looking for trouble and always finding it. The next great HBO series screeches up next to you and dares you to jump in the ride. According to this savvy show, it seems that The New Hollywood is nothing … Continue reading
Murphy Brown The Complete First Season (1988-1989) (Warner Home Video-2005) The 1988 premiere season of Murphy Brown is here, that of the big shoulder pads and the big hair and the grand entrances. The topical, media-savvy, name-dropping series is bound to get dusty, unless you still appreciate Dan Quayle potshots and Iran Contra jokes and broken typewriter ribbons; … Continue reading
The Brady Bunch The Complete First Season 1969-1970 (Paramount Home Video-2005) Check your superior attitude at the door, you smug son of a bitch. You know you want to rip into this Brady Bunch DVD with the same gusto and viciousness that you’ve carefully nurtured with your friends and siblings over the course of decades. However, you must … Continue reading
Hee Haw Premiere Episode and Laffs (Time/Life-2004) In the summer of 1969, the American Dream seemed to be approaching its waking stage. The awesome miracle of man’s landing on the moon that July only made the earth’s reality grimmer: the war in Vietnam, protests and violence in the streets, Woodstock and rock music, hippies, the … Continue reading
The Greatest ’70s Cop Shows (Columbia Tri-Star-2004) It’s a baffling mystery: this DVD is called The Greatest ‘70s Cop Shows, and yet Columbo is nowhere to be found here. What we do get is the ‘70s sloppy seconds: Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, SWAT, The Rookies and Police Woman. Don’t bother looking for the quality you think you remember: good writing and believable situations … Continue reading
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