Arts & Entertainment, film, television, books, music, people and celebrities, arts
Owen-TV: 'Hair Battle Spectacular' is a silly mess
The stream of new reality shows is never-ending on basic cable, and just when you think you've heard the most ridiculous show idea possible, another one debuts and ups the ante. Tuesday at 10 p.m. EDT, Oxygen premieres a reality competition so silly, it should be guilty-pleasure fun. Instead, it's a poorly produced disappointment.
Owen-TV: 'Cropsey' an eerie documentary about missing children
When a real-life crime story involves the disappearance of developmentally disabled children and a drooling, wild-eyed suspect, where, between fact and folklore, can the truth be found? That's the question at the heart of "Cropsey," a documentary film about missing children on Staten Island in the 1970s and '80s. The movie has its television premiere Friday (Aug. 13) at 9 p.m.
TV: Time for Michaele Salahi and the other 'Real Housewives of D.C.'
Watching "The Real Housewives of D.C." brings back memories of feuding high-school cheerleaders with a current-events gloss thanks to "gatecrashers" Michaele and Tareq Salahi. This husband-and-wife pair crashed a White House state dinner last November and created a national ruckus.
Comics: A look at DC's animated film 'Batman: Under the Red Hood'
After watching the latest DC original animated movie, "Batman: Under the Red Hood," my wife gave her customary one-word review: "Dark."
It is. The movie revolves around a gang war between Gotham's underworld kingpin, the horribly disfigured Black Mask, and a newcomer wannabe, Red Hood -- and it isn't pretty.
Video: 'The Agatha Christie Hour'
"THE AGATHA CHRISTIE HOUR." (1982. NOT RATED. ACORN MEDIA. $39.99.)
The fact that so much vintage television is available on DVD these days means that there will be some dross among the gold. "The Agatha Christie Hour" isn't dross, but it does have limited charms, especially for anyone expecting the perfection Christie reached as one of the world's greatest mystery authors.
TVQA: Readers ask about 'Lincoln Heights,' 'Trauma' and more
Q: Will "Lincoln Heights," a series about a middle-class, African-American family, return to the ABC Family channel this year?
-- Geri, 72, Pittsburgh
Rob Owen: No. "Lincoln Heights" has been canceled.
Q: Can you tell me, will "Who Do You Think You Are?" be renewed?
-- Jean Mary, 60, Virginia
Tuned: Ex-model David Garrett proves violins don't really rock
"ROCK SYMPHONIES," David Garrett (Decca)
Fine-arts groups across the country have tried heroically to rope in younger audiences for classical music, often with limited success.
TV: Laura Linney shines in 'Big C' ... 'Big Bang' moves ... More
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Showtime loves its dark comedies, and the latest new series is no lighter than "Nurse Jackie" or "Californication." And yet, despite its premise, "The Big C" may be easier to watch than some of Showtime's other half-hour dramedies, thanks to a strong, compassionate performance from the show's star.
Morrow-TV: It's Shark Week again -- and hey, we'll bite
You thought sharks couldn't fly, huh?
Think again. Discovery Channel's 23rd annual salute to sharks gets started with "Ultimate Air Jaws" (9 p.m. EDT Sunday).
A shark in mid-air is just one of the unusual scenes that come to light during Shark Week, which features prime-time programming on the strange and fascinating facts about the mysterious creatures of the deep.
Music: A soundtrack for the summer of '10
The summer is slipping away. Before you know it, all of your vacation days will be dust in the wind. If you're looking for CDs to make the trek out of town to your favorite vacation spot more interesting, look no further.
These are my candidates for best CDs of the year so far. They're all guaranteed accessible, too:
