James Sims

James Sims

  • American Idol Movie Week, Snorefest

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    James Sims

    Watch out Ryan Seacrest, the king of auteur films is gunning for your job. Quentin Tarantino guested as the mentor this week for “American Idol’s” top seven. Talented director, yes. But Tarantino is less qualified than Paula Abdul to be dolling out advice to wannabe singers. Consider it stunt casting in order to boost the…

  • Films for an Unemployed Journalist

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    James Sims

    New York’s Film Forum recently held a festival of Great Depression era films highlighting Hollywood’s foray into entertainment during the 1930s. Offerings were varied, ranging from Spencer Tracy’s film “Man’s Castle” to Walt Disney’s “The Three Little Pigs.” Not having time to see every screening, I made it a point to catch “My Man Godfrey,”…

  • Sofa Snark: Springtime For PrimeTime – April 12, 2009 (Video)

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    James Sims

    Hollywood is celebrating Spring on primetime TV with an onslaught of mid-season replacements.  And Showtime has ushered in the next chapter of King Henry VIII with the third season of “The Tudors.”  But with new shows cluttering the primetime lineup, a few ratings deficient programs are going dark. Enter the latest webisode of Sofa Snark. …

  • American Idol Exploits Kiddie Pictures

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    James Sims

    And then there was Adam Lambert. From an early age he loved donning drag, so it only made sense that he would go onto be the shining star on “Idol.” And by god, Simon Cowell gave the boy a standing ovation along with the rest of us, basically summing up Lambert’s future on the show…

  • Rock of Ages Shakes Up Broadway

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    James Sims

    Not everyone will find the huge serving of 80s nostalgia and rock anthems appealing, but those tired of yet another revival might just discover their own golden ticket to the Broadway experience. In a time when theatre producers are checking pay phones for loose change, a guilty pleasure like “Rock of Ages” has potential to…

  • The Wrap: Hey NBC, What the Chuck?

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    James Sims

    While risks must be taken in order to cultivate quality programming, “Chuck” has had its chance. With Jay Leno’s soon to be prime-time show killing an entire hour of programming for NBC, scheduling is more important than ever. Don’t let another bag of peanuts waste precious resources…

  • Sofa Snark: Hello 90210, Goodbye ER – April 5, 2009

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    James Sims

    This week on Sofa Snark, 90210 returns on the CW and is hotter than ever. Bobby Cannavale takes on Jeremy Piven in Cupid, ER bids a fond farewell to NBC and Terminator ramps back up on Fox in its second to last episode of the season. Other shows covered in this webisode are Gossip Girl,…

  • Keira Knightley Gets Beaten Up, Thankfully

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    James Sims

    Just when you thought it was safe to go to the movies, director Joe Wright delivers a frightening public service announcement featuring his “Pride and Prejudice” star Keira Knightley. The PSA is set to screen before films in UK movie theaters while a shortened version will hit British television sets April 6th…

  • South Pacific Shines on Blu-Ray

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    James Sims

    The last time I screened the film adaptation of Broadway’s “South Pacific,” I was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force serving in the Pacific. With no Japanese war looming, the movie acted more as a nostalgic look backwards, painted with warm pastels that starkly contrasted anything seen around my military base at the time. It…

  • Family Guy Gets Nerd Ratings with Star Trek

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    James Sims

    For those that know me, it’s no secret that my father was the property master on both “Star Trek TNG” and “Star Trek Voyager” for 14 years. So, I grew up loving those shows, although the jury is still out on why.