Case 39

2009, R, 109 Min.

Horror    

Social Worker Emily Jenkins, played by Renee Zellweger, goes above and beyond to rescue a troubled child, from what appears to be a dysfunctional home. She even takes the girl into her own home, after the swift-witted preteen voices fears of entering foster care. Shortly after the switch, she realizes the only real victims in this tale, are adults who take the bait.

Cocaine Cowboys

2006, R, 118 Min.

Social Documentary

Ever heard of 1983 Crime Thriller Scarface? How about the 80s TV action series, Miami Vice? 2006 Documentary Cocaine Cowboys proves art imitates life, laying down the hard facts on the 80s cocaine smuggling boom that took Miami from a sleepy retirement village, into the saucy, culturally diverse Metropolis we know today. The American economy crawled during the 80s. But Miami sped ahead-- along soft white lines. 

United States of Tara

2009-2011, TV-MA

TV Comedy

Tara Gregson is a wife, an artist, and the mother of two teens. She's also Jewish therapist, a doting 50's era homemaker, a hard-gambling, flannel-wearing male redneck, and a reckless young sexpot who is always down to party—but not all the time—see, depending on the situation, they share the body. Superstar screenwriter, and ex-stripper Diablo Cody brings an innovative megadose of heart, balls, creativity and comedy, with United States of Tara, a witty psychological rollercoaster ride through the ever-complicated structure of our modern experience through the eyes of a woman battling Disassociative Identity Disorder. That's multiple personalities if you aint hip.

The Walking Dead

2010, TV-14

TV Horror

It's a dead, dead world. No, were not talking about politics, crime, or the the horrible state of modern music, we're talking actual rotting, decomposing corpses. Well, sort of. They're dead, but they're running around trying to eat your brain at the same time. Zombies make thier adrenaline-soaked, lumbering return to the modern-media foray, with The Walking Dead, arguably the most exciting TV phenomenon of the last decade. Deputy Rick Grimes awakens to find, not only that most of earth's population has been destroyed, but that he must lead his son, wife, and one of  the world's last groups of survivors to safety, amid chilling family secrets, heart-wrenching tragedies, and the dynamics of group panic and psychological baggage. Oh yeah, and avoid being eaten by zombies. Piece of cake, right?

The Twilight Zone (Original Series)

1959-1963 TV-PG 4 Seasons

Yeah, you know the theme music (Doo-doo-doo-doo-Doo-doo-doo-doo). You may have even used the title as a metaphor: "Dude's in the Twilight Zone, man he's bonkers!". But you probably haven't experienced the brilliance of the namesake. Get in the Zone. It's realer than you might expect. When this show came out, Eisenhower was prez, and Ray Charles was at the top of the pop charts. But don't let the PG rating fool you. Or the black and white broadcasts, for that matter. This show is grittier, more entertaining, and ten-times meatier than Jersey Shore and American Idol put together. They did something the new producer forget—told a story—without cursing, CGI, alcohol, or special effects. Check one out. Maybe you'll realize that when your grandmother says today's TV is rubbish, you'll know she's telling the truth.

American Swing

2008 NR 80 Min.

Social/Cultural Documentary

Swingin'. It's not just a dance your grandmother may have done, or a buzzword Michael Myers threw out for comic affect, in his Austin Powers movies. Swinging, the practice of  having indiscriminate numbers of sexual partners within a coupled relationship, was actually, at one time, a highly popular way of life! I'm not advocating it, and dudes, you effectively are barred from using this as an excuse if you're thinking about springing it on your girlfriend, but its place and relevance in the American pop-culture macrososm, is undeniable. Which is why I'm suggesting it. Check it out. ONLY so you can learn. Yeah, so put that fur coat away bub. The cane, and the hat too. And nobody tell my grandma. I'm serious.

Star Trek

2009 PG-13 126 Min.

Sci-Fi Adventure

If you live in America, Star Trek is a constant in your media periphery, no matter what age you are. Fortunately, amidst all the updates and remakes, this is one that at least does justice to the franchise. The crew of the USS Enterprise comes through with a talented young cast, an upgrade (not an overkill) on the special effects, as well as the science behind the story. Good ol' Captain Kirk, (Chris Pine) mans the helm of the Enterprise only after slogging through a gamut of antics and troubles that warm the arrogant, baddassed short attention spanned Gen-Y heart. The background story gets an upgrade with the incorporation of String Theory, the latest and most wildly accepted in the field of modern astrophysics. With badass modern space monsters and an active but cozy pace, what else could one ask for? A Leonard Nimoy Cameo? Cool. They beamed that up too.