Below is a montage of scenes from the first modern reality show, 1973's An American Family, and their counterparts in HBO's original movie Cinema Verite, which premiered on Saturday. Watching Diane Lane's and Tim Robbins' performances next to the people they're portraying (Pat and Bill Loud), the differences are obvious — the fictional spin on the Louds is infinitely more melodramatic. Peaceful discussions get injected with hostility and hysteria, scenes stretch on to belabor points and simple goodbyes become heavy-handed symbols...
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This weekend, HBO offers up a comedy special (Talking Funny), a new movie about an historic TV phenom (Cinema Verite) and the return of a distinguished drama series (Treme). All are worth a look. It's actually an HBO grand slam if you count Game of Thrones, the triumphant adult fantasy series that was renewed for a second season shortly after the first episode aired. (HBO has a tradition of doing this, but rarely in recent years has the network's enthusiasm been so well deserved.)
In Thrones' eventful second chapter (Sunday, 9/8c), you begin to sense the series' range, as many characters begin disparate journeys through the sprawling land of Westeros: dutiful Ned Stark heads out with...
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Supernatural (Friday, 9/8c, The CW)
Winchesters, meet Colt! As in: the real Samuel Colt, whose infamous demon-destroying gun has loomed large throughout Supernatural's mythology. This week, Dean gets to play cowboy — Sam is less thrilled — when Castiel sends the brothers back in time to the Wild West to get some guidance from the proverbial horse's mouth. Speaking of weapons, over on Fox's Fringe in the same time period, an apocalyptic scenario is triggered when Walternate revs up the doomsday device "over there," in hopes of rocking our (and specifically Peter's) world.
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Musician Mary Robbins, the mother of actor Tim Robbins, has died, The Associated Press reports. She was 78.
Robbins died Sunday at her home in Esteban Cantu, Mexico, of a heart arrhythmia just 12 days after her husband, Gil Robbins, died of prostate cancer at 80. The couple had been married for 59 years.
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Gil Robbins, a folk singer and a member of the early '60s group the Highwaymen, has died, The Associated Press reports. He was 80.
Robbins died Tuesday at his home in Esteban Cantu, Mexico, according to publicist Tracey Jacobs. Jacobs is the publicist for Robbins' son, Oscar-winning actor...
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