Reviews

"LA to Vegas" collides mid-air with jokes that never land. I'd call this a feeble attempt at humor but that would suggest this production tries...well, tries something, like affixing a joke with its pun. I'd rather spend this 30 minutes watching a 1/2 hour comedy.

20 Stars. WAY 20 stars.

In this age when so much content is accessible by demand, rarely - no, never - do I schedule watching a TV show.

By the advice of a friend, I watched the pilot of "This Is Us". He trusted I'd be "trapped" from that point forward. He was so right. And now I look forward to Tuesday nights.

Previous tonight, I binge-watched every available episode of "This Is Us" - because from the pilot I was rightly engrossed. What a smart, amazing, lovely drama 'this is'. From the performance of Milo Ventimiglia, to the happy-to-see-in-her-element Mandy Moore, the cast is unrivaled, on through the young children. Milo Ventimiglia and especially Mandy Moore have such challenging roles, and they meet that challenge with nothing less than supremacy. Sterling K Brown, Chrisy Metz, Ryan Michelle Bathe...sorry, the list goes on.

There's hardly a way to talk about this incredible show without infringing on the spoiler rule, so I'll refrain from saying much more - although I feel not enough can be said in celebration of "This Is Us".

It's inarguable: this is the most appulsive (and I've never used that word), enlivening, wonderful "film on television" show out there. And I think it will be recognized as such for ages to come.

"The Comedians" is a comedy that dances on the edge of dancing on the edge. As someone who appreciates any viewing that makes me Laugh Out Loud, this show delivers. The chemistry between 'Billy & Josh' was intentionally disconnected in the pilot. They seemed to try to continue that state in the next couple episodes, but there's been a seemingly unavoidable development between these two that can't be denied - they're connecting on screen, intentional or not.

It's great to see Mr Crystal in action again. Josh Gad was the absolute perfect choice to team with. And I adore that this show reintroduces the brilliance of Stephanie Weir to the entertainment world.

"The Comedians" is just plain damn-funny. Every episode somehow proves better than the previous.

Please stick around!

Miserably fails its own strict-and-narrow demographic of 14 to 14 1/2. Think Twilight casually meets Hogwarts...and nobody gives a good first impression...nor second, nor third. Some awkward moments as it becomes quite unclear who's flirting with whom and who shouldn't be kissing whom...who's liked by the others, who's loathed. it gets confusing enough not to know which characters we're supposed to be rooting to pull out of the mess - that is, who our kids should be rooting for. The storyline, characters, plots and even the ": City of Bones" suffix to the title all try to set up the next teeny-bopper monster flick. I think I'll research to know if there's an intended ": Bridge of Cups" sequel, if only for a good laugh.

This is one of those films that pleasantly catches you surprise after viewing the trailers. "Jeff Who Lives at Home" outdoes its title and promoted content. The cast, script, photography, direction and even the music score are surely bound to sweep up awards this year.

The film also provides a great vehicle for Jason Segel and Ed Helms as they both succeed in taking on their best roles yet. It's always refreshing to see comedic actors assume roles of more "serious" substances as they have in "Jeff". Good going', guys. Susan Sarandon is brilliant as ever (and looks pretty amazing as well).

As the title has gone into video on-demand and DVD status, we're sure to see it resurface again come Academy Awards time.