I'M OFFICIALLY A ROTTENTOMATOES.COM CRITIC NOW - AND HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE GOLDEN GLOBES MOVIE NOMINATIONS

my slightly belated thoughts on the Golden Globes:
Thrilled that to my mind the best actress of the year being Hailee Steinfeld got nominated for best comedy actress in "The Edge of Seventeen." Movie was put out the wrong time of year and had horrible marketing, but it's a classic. See it somehow.

"Sing Street" was a movie that was so unfairly overlooked by mass audiences but was absolutely perfect in every way. On VOD now, it got nominated for best comedy or musical (along with the great "La La Land"). Thrilled by these two nominations!!!

Viggo Mortensen got nominated for best drama actor for "Captain Fantastic." His performance lived up to that title. Another highly overlooked movie that is a modern classic IMHO (though many of my fellow Christians would likely hate its POV).

Joel Edgerton in "Loving" was amazing, a fully transformed immersive performance, rewarded with a nom.

Good to see that the Globes have the open mindedness to nominate "Deadpool," an absolutely superb action comedy. Wish theyd found room for "The Nice Guys" too. Those two were the best action comedies of the year by miles.

Another box office loser that deserves much better is "Florence Foster Jenkins," which thankfully got noms for Best Comedy and noms for Streep and the absolutely superb combo of Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg. Grant has long been an alltime favorite of mine and he finally gets credit here for not only a terrific role but a slate of films that will stand the test of time with audiences at least: "Love Actually," "About a Boy," "Four Weddings," "Notting Hill."

Big ups for Ryan Reynolds getting nominated for the perfect comeback role of a lifetime in "Deadpool," for Jonah Hill's fantastic work in the underseen "War Dogs", and glad Colin Farrell is getting props for "The Lobster," a movie i despised by the end but that he's great in. He and i connect well at press events and I think he's a good guy who often picks bad films.

No thoughts on Supporting actress drama yet, i've only seen Naomie Harris in "Moonlight" out of those. That movie is beautiful and glad it got noms for best pic, Harris and Mahershala Ali.

Of course thrilled that "La La Land" got anything that came its way. Not enough kudos in the world for it.

Jake Gyllenhaal was robbed on "Nocturnal Animals."

And glad to see Mel Gibson back from his ridiculously long exile with a best director nom for "Hacksaw RIdge".

RADIO TITANS STAR OF THE DAY: 
DANA CARVEY!

Hear it here: Bit.ly/2bC1pLZ

t’s been over 20 years since Dana Carvey ended his epic run on “Saturday Night Live,” having unleashed both amazing impressions of famous figures including the first President Bush as well as original characters like The Church Lady and Garth upon the world. Yet because of that indelible cast of characters, he remains one of the best-loved cast members in the show’s long history.

While his movie career never really took off outside the two “Wayne’s World” movies, Carvey remains a beloved legend who sells out comedy clubs nationwide.   Carvey talked with Kozlowski about his childhood, his entire career and some of his most beloved characters. He also explained to Kozlowksi how his impressions of President Bush wound up turning into a true friendship that surprisingly lasts to this day.

“[President Bush] was very nice, and now that I’ve known him and was with him in Houston in March, I can see he is a kind gentle man,” says Carvey. “I always want to be funny number one, and political arguments often end up ugly. The idea of big versus small government, equality versus liberty, is something I don’t want to get down in the weeds with and be on the edges because you’ll miss the humor.

“The first two years [as president], Bush was so popular we were just going with what the rhythm was – we also had Al Franken and the more conservative Jim Downey writing him with me,” Carvey continues. “Then when the country’s mood turned and got a little more satirical towards him, it certainly didn’t help him, but he could sense I’m not an ideologue in the traditional sense where ‘someone who opposes me is my enemy.’ I’m an Americanist. I’m a radical moderate. He sensed that and did not take it personally.”

Carvey also talked about performing at a major Christmas event for a secret Hollywood organization run by actor Gary Sinise. Carvey says he’s frustrated with political correctness in show business, and said he feels that President Obama often gets a free pass compared to past Presidents.

“I’m friends with Gary Sinise, and this guy really walks the walk,” says Carvey. “He asked me to come up there to that event and I didn’t change my act at all. Because of the sensitivity of having an African-American president, which is completely understandable, people tend to tread lightly, but policy-wise there was some disconnect because people had complaints [about Obama, and comics were not addressing them]. It took a while to satirize our President but that’s American. It’s what we do.”

Carvey has a problem with what be believes to be the misperception that only the Left can be funny.

“That’s just crazy, left over ideas from Watergate. I always believed, you question authority,” says Carvey. “Whether it’s Asian-American, a woman president, or Native American, you have to hit. What’s happening during this time is that everyone’s afraid of making fun of certain areas because you’ll be given a name [as a racist], and that’s very twisted stuff. If you’re in a liberal crowd in New York and do liberal material, the response is almost like a rally, but it’s not edgy.

True edge is what Dennis Miller did in switching sides, and he got brutalized for it,” Carvey continues. “You will get the PC snake from the left and Republicans are a little lighter about it. I come from the old school that says you go where the power is and make fun of it. When it becomes off-limits to say or do certain things without being brutalized or uncensored, that’s a shame but it’s where the country’s going right now.”

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GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON THE LITERARY HOAX OF THE MILLENIUM!

Once in a while, an interview comes along that's just magic and fascinating and fun, and this was one of them. Jeff Feuerzeig has made some incredible docs over the years, including profiles of mentally troubled musician/artist Daniel Johnston, Jeff Dowd who's the real-life "Dude" of "The Big Lebowski," Chuck Wepner the real-life inspiration for Rocky Balboa, and now the infamous literary hoax known as JT LeRoy, subject of Jeff's brilliant new doc "Author: The JT LeRoy Story." You gotta hear him explain the story behind the story of the biggest literary hoax of the last 20 years. 30 years even, maybe. It's an amazing story with a fantastic tale about the real-life dude behind "The Dude", Jeff Dowd. Tune in. I'm real proud of this one. 

Hear it here! bit.ly/2cdyyKO

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THIS FILMMAKER MIGHT HAVE THE MOST 

FASCINATING TAKES ON RELATIONSHIPS

IN MOVIES TODAY: 

DEREK CIANFRANCE OF "BLUE

VALENTINE," "THE PLACE BEYOND THE 

PINES," AND "THE LIGHT BETWEEN 

OCEANS"

Hear him here!: bit.ly/bit.ly/2c1LA0A

This one is short and sweet, but answers a few questions about one of the most intriguing filmmakers on the American scene today: Derek Cianfrance. Whether exploring the wonderful rise and disastrous collapse of a relationship in "Blue Valentine," how the sins of the father affect their sons in the amazing "The Place Beyond the Pines," or seeing how far people will go to become parents in the new "The Light Between Oceans," his movies are deep, powerful and make you think. Kind of like this Kozversation. Tune in!
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AND FINALLY, SOME TASTEFUL YARD ART FOR YOUR LAWN. START YOUR BIDDING!

Several American cities were subjected to naked Donald Trump statues a few weeks back, and now you can bid on the amazingly unscathed Los Angeles one. Check out the story here, but avert your eyes from the photo within! 

Bit.ly/2bD5v7C

RADIO TITANS STARS OF THE DAY: 
UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE CO-FOUNDERS
MATT WALSH AND IAN ROBERTS !

Hear them here at: bit.ly/2cp79dd

We at Radio Titans (www.radiotitans.com) have long been proud of our ability to get the biggest and best names in comedy to come in for interviews, and that was certainly the case for this classic episode in which two of the four legendary founders of the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) theatres and troupe sat in with us: Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts.

Funny and insightful, they gave us a really in-depth look at their opinions on comedy and how they've worked their magic. They were both super-supportive in the early days, with Ian even joining me as a live guest in a late-night talk-show demo I did at the IO West theatre and Matt having been a guest about five times over the years and teaching me the important lesson that I'm already successful just by having great guests come in.

Since this show, they've kept exploding, with Matt a cast member of "Veep" and countless other movies, and Ian one of the heads of the amazing "Key & Peele" series on Comedy Central. So tune in and get some real funny lessons in comedy brilliance!

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WHO KNEW THE MAGIC WOULD BE OVER FOR THESE TWO? WELL, OTHER THAN EVERYONE...

I've been fascinated by Anthony Weiner for almost a decade now, ever since I saw one of his screaming fits on the floor of the US House of Representatives. He certainly knows how to draw attention, only it's a shame that his once-promising political career was derailed by his inability to stop sending out photos of his junk to female strangers coast to coast.

But it IS surprising that it took so long for his wife, Hillary Clinton's right-hand gal Huma Abedin, to say "enough's enough" and dump his ass. It seems that she tried to ignore all his bizarre indiscretions, taking a lesson from the life of Hillary and how she handles Bill. But with a tight race for president, Hillary couldn't handle the embarrassment and no doubt told Huma get rid of the guy.

Let's just hope DCFS takes a look into this and keeps Weiner from displaying his weiner next to his toddler son in any more photos.

If you want to see an incredibly entertaining documentary on the first two rounds of Weirdo Weiner's shenanigans and crocodile-tear apologies, check out the doc "Weiner." Here's it's IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5278596/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

And here's the story on Huma giving up:

http://nypost.com/2016/08/29/texts-reveal-anthony-weiner-knew-his-marriage-was-busted/

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"YOU'RE THE WORST" IS THE BEST SHOW ON TV, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION... 
AND HERE'S WHY IT MIGHT GET EVEN MORE DARING. 

I'm not really sure HOW I first fell in love with "You're the Worst," which airs on FX, but I tuned in I think out of curiosity over what I heard about the fact that it was the darkest comedy anyone had attempted in ages. Sure enough, it's rife with bad behavior as it follows two horrible people as they hook up and slowly fall in love - while also dealing with the female lead's battle with serious depression.

That may sound too deep, but trust me, it's a great show and it debuts its third season tomorrow night. Find the first couple seasons and binge away, because you don't want to keep missing it.

http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/youre-the-worst-season-three-pushes-its-characters-to-their-limits.html

RADIO TITANS STAR OF THE DAY: DAVID KOECHNER OF "ANCHORMAN," "SNL" AND ZILLIONS OF OTHER GREAT SHOWS AND MOVIES!

One of the comedy world's most beloved and unique talents, David Koechner has been a cast member on "SNL," the star of the "Mr. Show" spinoff movie "Run Ronnie Run," a mysterious and twisted rich man in one of the greatest dark comedies of all time, "Cheap Thrills," and of course sportscaster Champ Kind in the "Anchorman" movies.

He's also a friend and supporter of Radio Titans who's been a guest three times in the past. Here's a classic episode of "Grand Theft Audio" featuring him!

bit.ly/2byCgkW
****************************************RADIO TITANS' "KOZ EFFECT" PANELIST ERIKA SCHICKEL BROKE THE NEWS ON WHAT DONALD TRUMP'S REAL  GOAL MIGHT BE!

I always knew that our Feisty Feminist on "The Koz Effect," Erika Schickel, was smart, but now she's damn near psychic. She predicted the Trump News Network yesterday and tada: http://www.aol.com/…/here-s-how-donald-trump-coul…/21459552/

Tune in to hear all about her idea on this amazing episode: bit.ly/2bYd2ul

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OK, I'M FINALLY EMBARRASSED TO BE WHITE!

Two young white yuppies named Jaelin and Brianna said "Hello, world!" and moved into one of Chicago's top hip neighborhoods. But some people aren't cut out for city life. Or to leave the house. Like, ever.

Read about why these two geniuses chose to leave Chicago one day after moving there. One day. It seems like an Onion story, but it's totally not.

http://abc7chicago.com/1486523/

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THIS COULD BE THE MOST AMAZING INTERVIEW I'VE EVER DONE! 

Barry McGuire hit the top of the charts in 1965 with a song called "Eve of Destruction," whose stark lyrics by the brilliant singer-songwriter P.F. Sloan mourned the war and environmental destruction going on around the planet even then. The story of how it was recorded, how it hit the airwaves, the backlash against the song by politicians and DJs, and how Barry never managed to hit the charts again yet has maintained 50 years of touring off that one song is one of the most fascinating Kozversations ever. If you love a good story, a good song, and/or rock n roll history this one is for you!

Bit.ly/2ckUEPL

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LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S TIED TO A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATION INTO A $3 BILLION EMBEZZLING SCHEME - AND I'VE GOT THE SCOOP ON WHY!

I've long been annoyed with Leonardo DiCaprio's love of lecturing the world on how to live, whether regarding climate change and what "we" the average people need to do to stop it, or guilting us about how indigenous peoples are treated. While he of course jets around the planet in private jets to run fundraisers in exotic locations, fundraisers where the world's most powerful and famous people show up and eat exotic fish while raising money to save the oceans. Incredible.

Well, looks like karma might be coming around and catching up to Leo. He's named in part of a new DOJ report into a $3 billion shady financing scheme that's raising some interesting questions about how Leo's foundation raises money and what it really does with the dough that is raised. 

It's hot stuff, and learn more by reading this story I wrote about it in Lifezette: 

http://www.lifezette.com/popzette/shady-celebs-questionable-charities/

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I SUFFERED THROUGH AN ENTIRE MOVIE ABOUT THE OBAMAS' BORING-ASS FIRST DATE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO!

There's a new movie out called "Southside With You," about the Obamas' first date. Literally about watching actors play them as they look at paintings, Barack gives a speech, they see "Do the Right Thing" and eat ice cream. The end. Oh wait - they also walk through a park. 

Trust me, you don't want to spend $15 on this. And in this essay, I raise some fundamental questions, like "Would this movie have ever been funded if it had the exact same events and dialogue but WASN'T about the Obamas? 

Nope. 

But I give this movie a pretty funny spanking. Check it out here. 

http://www.lifezette.com/popzette/southside-with-you-swipe-left/

RADIO TITANS' STARS OF THE DAY: 
SUPERSTAR FILMMAKERS SHANE BLACK AND MAX LANDIS!

Enter Bit.ly/bit,ly/1TJE3ko to hear the episode!


These two teamed up and came to the Titans studio in April to give the station and its "Grown-Ass Men" podcast its funnest and most popular show ever! Black is the creator of "Lethal Weapon," "The Last Boy Scout," "The Long Kiss Goodnight," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," "Iron Man 3' and perhaps my favorite yet - this summer's superb buddy detective comedy "The Nice Guys," which is out this week on DVD, Blu-Ray and streaming. A MUST SEE!
Landis also made one of the year's best movies, a Sam Rockwell- Anna Kendrick action comedy/romance called "Mr. Right" that is also one that must be seen to be believed, because such purely entertaining movies are so rare these days. He and Black have been friends for years, and both share a sensibility of making movies fun yet well-made.
Oh, and they talked about plenty of funny stuff and said some controversial shit about other movies. But that's what made it so damn compelling! Tune in and you'll be both mesmerized and entertained.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT LEONARDO DICAPRIO WAS A SKEEVY HYPOCRITE, BUT I HAD NO IDEA JUST HOW BAD UNTIL NOW...

"I'd like to thank the Academy... And to tell YOU how to live YOUR life while I board my private jet to my latest hooker-heaven 'fundraiser.'..."

My latest essay for Lifezette, tying together the greasy "charitable" efforts of Leonado DiCaprio with the mystery of why he handed off a huge Hillary fundraiser to Justin Timberlake last week.

Seriously, the more i hear about Leonardo DiCaprio and his climate change hypocrisy and "charity" work, the more i realize that despite being one of the biggest starf***ers on the planet, I would almost prefer shaking hands with HIllary or Trump over this guy.

And sure, he may have supermodels show up at his "fundraisers" who are ready to hook up in the bathroom (per Hollywood Reporter), but you'll wind up with the kind of parting gift that only a combo of penicilin and prayer will make go away.

Skeevy.

http://www.lifezette.com/popzette/shady-celebs-questionable-charities/

HOLLYWOOD'S SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST: THREE OF SUMMER'S MOST KICKASS MOVIES ARE PRETTY NEW TO THEATRES!

We’re reaching the tail-end of summer, when studios tend to dump out movies that have no-name casts or have turned out poorly in the hopes that no one will notice how bad the films are amid season-ending cookouts and last-minute vacations. So I won’t waste yours or my time reviewing any of the new films hitting theatres this weekend, instead spotlighting two excellent films (albeit strictly for adults) that hit theatres last week, and one amazing new thriller that is coming out of nowhere to deliver sizable chills this weekend.

The Western is a movie genre that has fallen largely by the wayside in the past few decades, as modern moviegoers lost interest in chases and shootouts between cowboys, and Indians now have to be called Native Americans. But occasionally a movie comes along that is labeled a “modern Western,” in which the good guys and bad guys travel by vehicles but they still are fighting elemental battles of good and evil and struggling for survival in the bleak rural terrains and deserts of states like Texas and New Mexico.

The Best Picture-winning “No Country for Old Men” set a high bar for these kinds of films in 2007. Those who loved that movie should also enjoy the new movie “Hell or High Water,” which stars Jeff Bridges as a retiring U.S. Marshal named Marcus Hamilton, who decides to take on his last case – finding and arresting a pair of brothers on a bank-robbery spree - with a hangdog intensity.

Shot in New Mexico but set in the hopeless desert towns of Texas, “Hell” features rising star Ben Foster as Tanner Howard, a bad-boy small-town resident who teams with his struggling brother Toby (Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the most recent “Star Trek” film trilogy) to rob a string of banks across the state in an attempt to pay off Toby’s enormous child support backlog and save his dying ranch for his family.

As Tanner gets more reckless and Toby becomes more concerned about their luck running out, Marcus and his deputy Alberto (Gil Birmingham) employ old-school psychology and a whole lot of patience in the hopes of outwitting them. There’s not much more to the plot in the script by Taylor Sheridan, who wrote last fall’s superb drug-war thriller “Sicario,” but the magic in this film is in the well-drawn characters, the spot-on dialogue and especially the atmosphere of quiet desperation and growing tension.

The premise is a timely one, amid a weak economic recovery that still puts the squeeze on average landowners who are buried under oversized mortgages and risking repossessions. Director David Mackenzie is British, yet brings viewers fully into this hard-scrabble world as if he had spent a lifetime as an oil rig worker – and viewers lucky enough to see this movie will be left with a thoughtful and frankly unforgettable experience.

While there is foul language throughout “Hell or High Water,” it fits the atmosphere enough to blend in without being overly offensive for most adults. There are a couple of intense violent moments, but they are few and far between in this movie that’s more concerned with psychological battles than gore and pyrotechnics. The one other R-rated element is a brief scene where one brother is engaged in blurred and clothed sex with a hooker in the far end of a hotel room while his brother ignores them.

Meanwhile, “War Dogs” is a wholly different look at two guys skirting the law in the name of what they deem to be a noble cause. Based on a Rolling Stone article about two former high school buddies who team up a decade after graduation to become arms suppliers for the U.S. military during the peak of the Iraq war, the movie is a full-throttle adrenaline blast of action, comedy and thrills that is likely to join “Hell or High Water” on my ten favorite films list at the end of the year.

The movie stars the dynamite duo of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill as David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, two guys desperate to make fast money amid a slowing economy in 2005. David is the more grounded and responsible one, living with his girlfriend Iz  (Ana de Armas) and earning decent bucks doing the detestable job of being a masseur for rich gay men who expect “happy endings.”

When he runs into his childhood best friend Efraim at a funeral after a decade apart, he’s quickly impressed by Efraim’s high-living ways and wonders how he’s managing to score big money. His friend invites him to join his one-man operation as a low-level arms supplier for the military, even though David and his girlfriend march in anti-war protests.

But when Iz announces she’s pregnant, David’s principles go out the window and he winds up joining Efraim in a dangerous mission to Jordan and then Iraq, as they personally have to show up and save a huge order of ammo from being seized due to a massive shipping error. As they experience the thrill of dodging both authorities and shady fellow dealers including Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper in an ace supporting turn filled with humorous malice), David has to decide how far he’s willing to go at the same time he’s realizing that Efraim may not be as friendly as he seems.

Granted, I’m a sucker for edgy political satire and cleverly executed action movies, but “War Dogs” puts those two elements together in perfect fashion to match “Central Intelligence” as my favorite movie of the summer. Co-writer/director Todd Phillips was clearly dying to prove he could do something special after becoming trapped helming all three of the rapidly worsening “Hangover” movies, and he pulls it off big-time here.

“War Dogs” is the wilder of the two movies in its tone, with Jonah Hill’s Efraim prone to whooping profanities and additional foul language in multiple tension-filled scenes. Most of its violence consists of people being punched or shot at without any real blood. The two dealers are shown smoking joints, including before a humorous meeting with Pentagon officials, and Efraim is shown snorting cocaine behind David’s back.

SPOILER ALERT: Ultimately, the drug use is portrayed negatively as it becomes clear that the movie shows Efraim in a negative moral light. .END SPOILER. Overall, for those who can handle an adult-oriented action comedy, “War Dogs” is a treat. Those who are easily offended should consider other fare.

Both movies ultimately show that a life of crime is a life filled with regrets, and that is another feather in their caps.  

Finally, the less you know about the new movie "Don't Breathe," the better. It's  a gritty yet hugely inventive cat-and-mouse thriller about three desperate teens in Detroit who break into houses and rob them in the hopes of pulling together the money to flee to California forever. They have two rules: they never steal cash, and they never use guns, but when they go after a $300,000 cash stash in the dilapidated home of a blind Iraq War vet (demonically played by Stephen Lang, the badass villainous Donald Rumsfeld clone in "Avatar"), they break both rules and find the tables turned on them in the worst way imaginable. 

"Don't Breathe" is directed by Fede Alvarez, who did "The Evil Dead" remake a couple years back that i absolutely despised. That movie was over the top graphic blood and guts and utterly nihilistic. This time around, he's learned to get the often-harrowing point across in much less graphic ways, and the movie is wickedly delicious fun because of it. And, oh yeah, Jane Levy as a girl named Rocky who becomes the heart of the movie, is utterly phenomenal in this. A star is born, as they say. 

AND HERE'S MY CAPSULE REVIEWS FOR A TON OF OTHER SUMMER FLICKS: 

BEN-HUR

Stars: Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman

Length: 124 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Stars: 2 1/2

Review: Why anyone thought they could top the biggest Oscar-winning movie of all time is beyond comprehension. The action is still pretty good, though. 

DON’T THINK TWICE

Stars: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia

Length: 92 minutes

Rating: R

Stars: 4

Review: This smart dramedy shines an empathetic spotlight on an improv comedy troupe forced to make big decisions when one member is hired for an “SNL”-style show.

SAUSAGE PARTY

Stars: Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Edward Norton,

Length: 89 minutes

Directed by: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Rating: R

Stars: 3 ½

Review: The raunchiest comedy of the year walks the line of taste just right, and then turns into a surprisingly smart tale of an existential quest by talking food items.

SUICIDE SQUAD

Stars: Will Smith, Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto

Length: 123 minutes

Directed by: David Ayer

Rating: PG13

Stars: 3

Review: The latest DC Comics movie puts a twist on the superhero genre by assembling a team of the worst villains imaginable to take on the cases even heroes can’t touch. Not perfect, but far better than most reviews indicate.

JASON BOURNE

Stars: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Stiles

Length:

Directed by: Paul Greengrass

Rating: PG13

Stars: 5

Review: This slam-bang thriller not only brings the Bourne series roaring back to life, but is the most entertaining movie of the summer next to “Central Intelligence.”

STAR TREK: BEYOND

Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Idris Elba

Length: 122 minutes

Directed by: Justin Lin

Rating: PG13

Stars: 3 1/2

Review: The third film in the rebooted series brings good humor and nonstop action together as the crew faces off against a nasty enemy named Krall

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn

Length: 119 minutes

Directed by: Matt Ross

Rating: R

Stars: 4

Review: This quirky dramedy about a spaced-out father forced to reconsider his odd parenting habits after his wife dies might be the most unique movie of the summer. 

GHOSTBUSTERS

Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones

Length: 116 minutes

Directed by: Paul Feig

Rating: PG-13

Stars: 2 1/2

Review: The female-driven reboot delivers a surprisingly entertaining mix of sci-fi action and comedy in its first half before collapsing. 

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

Stars: Alexander Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz

Length: 110 minutes

Rating: PG13

Directed by: David Yates

Stars: 4 

Review: The most impressive action epic of the summer next to "Bourne" is amazing to look at and even engages your brain. 

RADIO TITANS' STAR OF THE DAY: 
CRAIG ROBINSON!

Anyone who has seen the classic American version of "The Office" knows that Craig Robinson has got acting chops that go far beyond just being one of the funniest guys in Seth Rogen movies. His portrayal of Darryl and that character's ascent from warehouse worker to one of the top managers of the Dunder-Mifflin branch was a well-rounded, three-dimensional creation and Robinson met the challenge with a performance far better than most comics deliver anywhere.

But until this past weekend, he hasn't really had a role in movies to match that level of range. However, his portrayal in the new movie "Morris From America," of a widowed father to a 13-year-old boy adjusting to a new life in Germany after his mom dies, is both funny and touching, and hopefully opens far more doors to this very talented funnyman.

Tune in to a fun interview with Craig from last summer, when he was promoting his NBC sitcom "Mr. Robinson",  and wound up talking about the earliest days of his career since we were friends stretching back 20 years. The stories are revealing and inspiring, and show the hard work ethic he put into where he's going.

Tune in here: bit.ly/2bqqXKq

IT'S CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST!
aka I just found how to read every issue of SPY magazine - the greatest read of all time - again online!

OMG. SO . THRILLED. ELATED. ITS CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST.

I just stumbled across the fact that somehow Google has made seemingly every issue of the Greatest Magazine Of All Time available for reading page by glorious page online.

Spy was a perfect combination of satirical snark and brilliant investigation that was daring, funny and gasp-inducing with each and every issue, spanning most of the '90s before finally dying out because it was simply Too Damn Good.

Covering Hollywood, politics and many other hot topics before and immediately after the dawn of the Internet, it was ahead of its time. But I still welcome you - nay, challenge! - to take a read and see how it's done, kids.

Imagine John Oliver and Jon Stewart at their best, but in print form.

Behold the wonder. Here's the link to them all, all 63 glorious issues: 

https://books.google.com/books?id=24tXv1nFv40C&as_pt=MAGAZINES&source=gbs_all_issues_r&atm_aiy=1990&hl=en#all_issues_anchor

IT'S A DAMN SHAME JAY PHAROAH 'S NOT ON SNL THIS SEASON, BUT HERE'S A BUNCH OF HIS BEST CLIPS... AND THE STORY OF HOW I GOT TO HANG WITH HIM AND HIS ADVICE AFFECTED MY LIFE

Jay Pharoah recently announced he's leaving SNL after six seasons, which is great for him as he hopefully has even brighter things ahead, but sad for the show. I had the good fortune to hang with Jay and Christina Myers Heoburn in the green room at Politicon back in June. He was supercool and gave me meaningful encouragement on comedy and life, then just as I thanked him my usual bad luck happened: he stepped backwards while fist bumping me and nearly flipped over on the chair behind him . So I almost ruined SNL by getting him paralyzed. But far more important than that was his inspiring story of never giving up on his dreams in comedy even when his parents and teachers begged him to, time and again, stop being funny and get a 'real job.' He didn't stop and at 22, became one of the youngest cast members in 'SNL' history. I told him something i'm working on and he said not to give up, make it happen. And soon after, i did. And i'm still working on that and a couple other things. I let my health get in the way of a lot of things over the years, but no more. 
Thanks, Jay, I'm on it. 
http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/jay-pharoah-best-saturday-night-live-moments.html

HERE'S A RARE MOMENT: I DEFEND HILLARY CLINTON ON SOMETHING!
I don't know how this happened, and it's rare, but i got hit with a sudden dose of empathy for Hillary on the health talk.
Drudge is linking to some guy who's referencing an email from 2009 from a friend wishing her to get some rest. If that's what we're hanging things on, pretty weak sauce. I've had health struggles myself and on July 3 wound up in a hospital ER for a few hours for what turned out to be basically exhaustion because i'd over done things for days on end. I can't imagine what someone with the job of Secretary of State must feel like, whether i like them or not.
The weird head gestures, the freeze ups and the mysterious dude telling her to "keep talking" when she goes silent in a speech (at least twice now) is another matter. But just as I've tried to keep in mind always with Obama when i was more rabidly against him, if people jump on every little thing they don't like about someone, they lose credibility when there's something legit to complain about.
Also, to anyone comparing her look to Trump aside from direct health matters - they're BOTH 69 years old, for crying out loud. I'm sure he's not great looking either under the suit. As far as I know i've steered clear of knocking her on issues of weight and certainly the ridiculous unfairness done by some people knocking her for "cankles."
There are questions that should be answered. but cheap shots at her appearance, or her age or pantsuits, is beneath the dignity and intelligence of any decent person.