FilmMattic

  Ask Dirk Nowitzki: Big Equals Bountiful Just like Dirk Nowitzki, a seven-foot stud whose playoff performances embody Sheen's "Winning" trademark, Too Big to Fail delivers its own game-winning performances, elevating stale, often bland dramatic non-fiction to gripping achievement.         I was poised and committed to watching game four between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. But then a familiar slogan hit me like a ton of bricks: It's not TV. It's HBO. Unbeknownst to me, an appalling admission that I'm forced to concede, the king of premium cable was debuting its made-for-TV movie about the 2008 U.S. economic meltdown; the repercussions from the calamitous downturn are still keenly felt. As a student of the economy and a lover of cinema, this two-hour production exemplified my most impassioned plea for entertainment; a marriage of intrigue and personal edification. In other words, I passed on Dirk, Durant and Westbrook. Just lik...

        Review: Boardwalk Empire        For those who are not familiar with HBO, my first declarative act as a blogger is to get familiar.  Year after year, television critics clamor over HBO programming ... but why?        The best reason I can ferret out has to do with HBO's exemplary track record.  HBO is consistently recognized as a portal for both uniquely popular and critically acclaimed shows. Unlike most other cable or broadcast networks, HBO can proudly boast about an ownership of some of the finest representations of television 'art'.  I use the term 'art' to denote a certain subjective quality of cinematic beauty.       For me, this recognition of cinematic beauty began with The Sopranos.  But the list does not end there, not even close.  The Wire, Curb your Enthusiasm, The Pacific, Deadwood, Oz, and numerous other shows have graced ...