Author Archives: Maggie Van Ostrand

Maggie Van Ostrand is ashamed to not be a geek, but she’s proud to have once attended a Star Trek convention where Bill Shatner spoke to her. He said “Hi. Are you anybody?”

Maggie graduated from college so long ago, she can’t remember the name of it but thinks it was somewhere in New York. She majored in stuff that has nothing to do with anything she does today, except the classes she audited at the AFI. She knows little or nothing about comic book characters unless they’re drawn by Robert Crumb. She knows nothing of gaming outside of Vegas, and still thinks Moonlight was way better than True Blood. She is here because she reminds the publisher of his grandmother and he felt sorry for her.

Her favorites are anything by Billy Wilder, Godfather I and II, Lawrence of Arabia, & Young Frankenstein. She writes political satire for Huffington Post, was head writer for movie trivia TV show; writes a column about Old West characters; was TV comedy ghostwriter; humor columnist for newspapers and online publications, and other boring stuff.

Twitter: @magpie99
Website: www.maggievanostrand.com

5 Kid Movies That Make Kids Cry

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It’s not enough to have murderous nursery rhymes read to us when we’re kids. After that, when we’re old enough to go to the movies, we’re treated to more death, violence, and buckets of our own tears. These 5 Movies for Kids That Make Kids Cry are salty memories that never leave us.

TV Review: 24 8.23 - “2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.” and 8.24 - “3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.”

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24 fans were not let down by the action- and emotion-packed two-hour finale. If you think there are no more surprises possible in 24, you’d be wrong. The last double episode has so many unexpected plot turns, it’s enough to have you spinning like a top for two full hours.

TV Review: 24 8.22 - “1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.”

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“How far will Jack go for justice?” asks 24’s offscreen narrator. I can tell you one thing, this ep is better than sex.

The 100 Greatest Movie Characters: 20-1

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Today Maggie concludes her list of 100 with her picks for the 20 greatest movie characters of all time.

The 100 Greatest Movie Characters: 40-21

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The penultimate set of 20 in Maggie’s list of the 100 greatest movie characters runs the gamut of criminal justice, from a serial killer to a cop to a robber to a federale.

TV Review: 24 8.21 - “12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.”

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Holy crap! My head is reeling. If there’d been any more action tonight, I’d be in a coma.

The 100 Greatest Movie Characters: 60-41

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Con artists, hustlers, adventurers, and psychos round out the middle 20 in Maggie’s list of the 100 greatest movie characters.

The 100 Greatest Movie Characters: 80-61

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Maggie’s list of the 100 greatest movie characters continues with the next set of twenty, including a boxer, a tramp, and a private eye.

The 100 Greatest Movie Characters: 100-81

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Maggie’s list of the 100 greatest movie characters ever kicks off with the first 20, ranging from a disillusioned TV newsman to a psychotic thief.

TV Review: 24 8.20 - “11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.”

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I’m all atwitter over this ep. Despite Jack’s lack of dammits, he’s gone into Bauer Power overdrive, the place his fans like best.