Author Archives: Maggie Van Ostrand

Jack offers to get Renee out from undercover with the Russians when he goes to Vlad pretending to be the German buyer, Ernst Meyer. Although this episode was Jack-lite, there was enough action to almost compensate. The scenes with Jack are way more Read More

Since the Academy has doubled the number of Best Picture nominees this year from the traditional 5 to a crowded 10, they can nominate every picture. Or so it seems. Read More

We've been admiring posters for new films like Avatar, Solomon Kane, Edge of Darkness, The Last Airbender, and Legion. They inspired us to have another look at the 25 greatest and most intriguing movie posters of all time, not listed in any particular Read More

We're in "The Islamic Republic of Kamistan," where we see General Wasid, the insurgency leader, talking on the phone with Farhad (President Hassan's brother), who tells him that the assassination attempt failed. Meanwhile, Jack and Renee are cauterizing Read More

It doesn’t bother me anymore that The Shawshank Redemption didn’t win a Best Picture Oscar, losing to Forrest Gump because, eventually — in its own glorious, Shawshanky way — it has won more than an Academy Award. It has staying power. Read More

Vampires are famous not only for coffin cribs and an affinity for sanguinary necks, but also for their hard-earned immortality. Do Bill Compton or Edward Cullen have the necessary staying power to hang in there like my eight favorite vampires? Read More

Following the two-hour premiere of Season 8 on Sunday, January 17th, producers gift fans of 24 with yet another double dip into Jack Bauer's resurgence as (arguably) America's greatest fictional hero. Picking up where we left off... Read More

What? Jack Bauer's a babysitting grandpa? Where's the gun, where's the "dammit," and most of all, where's the manbag? Patience, I said to myself, more will be revealed. And it certainly was. Fast, twisty, unexpected. Read More

While Avatar took home the most awards at the BFCA's 15th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, none was in the top category. Avatar director James Cameron lost to ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, director of The Hurt Locker, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd. Read More

Alfred Hitchcock was as full of twists and turns in his real life as he was in his reel life. This is only Part I, because there's too much interesting trivia about the Master of Suspense to fit into one small space. And he didn't like small spaces. Read More

The Green Lantern movie has its female lead: Gossip Girl's Blake Lively will play Carol Ferris to Ryan Reynolds's Hal Jordan. Read More

Early January 7th, the Directors Guild of America announced its nominations. Read More