“Around the World in 80 Plates,” “Desperate Housewives,” “America’s Got Talent”

 “Around the World in 80 Plates” Wednesday 10pm, Bravo Bravo attempts to launch another culinary competition show with this wild hybrid of several reality-TV concepts. “Around the World in 80 Plates”—hosted by celebrity chefs Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”) and Curtis Stone (seemingly every show on television)—blends the cooking competition elements of “Top Chef,” the global […]

Marvel’s The Avengers; PG-13, 155 minutes; Regal Seminole Square 4

Marvel Comics’ action figure all-stars come to life on the big screen (above: Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson) in Joss Whedon’s production of Marvel’s The Avengers. (Disney Pictures) It seems like a fine idea to put Joss Whedon in charge of Marvel’s The Avengers. Given his knack for wisecracking-ensemble revitalizations of chancy entertainment properties […]

Marley; PG-13, 144 minutes; Vinegar Hill Theatre

After years in the making, Marley, the documentary of Rastafarian reggae legend Bob Marley was released on 4/20. (Magnolia Pictures) At first glance, I gleaned from an e-mail subject line only that it was a movie and that it was called Marley. I drew a breath, made a face. One more treacle bomb from the […]

“America’s Next Top Model,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “30 Rock”

 “America’s Next Top Model” Wednesday 9pm, CW What started out as a dreadful season has turned out to be a lot of fun. For “Top Model’s” 18th cycle, evil genius Tyra Banks launched a “British Invasion,” pairing seven new American would-be models with seven former contestants from “Britain’s Next Top Model.” The first few episodes were […]

On life, death, art, and being Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek recalls her Texas childhood and staying grounded by staying away from Hollywood in her new memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life. (Photo by Lynne Brubaker) If there’s a Dorian Gray trade-off that comes with being Sissy Spacek, it must go something like this. Even in recent films like Get Low, where she plays her […]

Soul’s Renaissance Man: Mayer Hawthorne and the County Live Review

Mayer Hawthorne is all about his roots – all of his roots. The soul-revivalist is best known for a sound steeped in the Detroit-born traditions of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s–and with good reason. At first listen, the Michigan native sounds like close kin to Smokey Robinson, soaring through long, above-the-staff phrases and easing […]