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Archives for : June2022

WINNERS OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS

“RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” AND “TOP CHEF” LEAD WINNERS OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS

Bob Saget Honored With Critics Choice Real TV Impact Award

Presented by John Stamos and Accepted by Kelly Rizzo

Bravo Tops Networks with Five Awards

WINNERS…

BEST COMPETITION SERIES

Chopped (Food Network)

Making It (NBC)

**RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

The Amazing Race (CBS)

**Top Chef (Bravo)

The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)

BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

Finding Magic Mike (HBO Max)

Legendary (HBO Max)

**Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Prime Video)

Next Level Chef (Fox)

The Voice (NBC)

BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES

Couples Therapy (Showtime)

**RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)

The Kardashians (Hulu)

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)

The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)

We’re Here (HBO)

BEST STRUCTURED SERIES

Catfish: The TV Show (MTV)

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)

Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic)

**How To with John Wilson (HBO)

Sketchbook (Disney+)

BEST CULINARY SHOW

Cooking with Paris (Netflix)

Crime Scene Kitchen (Fox)

Is It Cake? (Netflix)

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia)

The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)

**Top Chef (Bravo)

BEST GAME SHOW

Family Game Fight! (NBC)

Holey Moley (ABC)

**Jeopardy! (Syndicated)

Supermarket Sweep (ABC)

The Price Is Right (CBS)

Weakest Link (NBC)

BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW

Alone (History)

Family Dinner (Magnolia)

**Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

The Amazing Race (CBS)

The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)

The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals (Netflix)

BEST BUSINESS SHOW

American Greed (CNBC)

Bar Rescue (Paramount+)

Million Dollar Wheels (Discovery+) 

Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)

**Shark Tank (ABC)

Undercover Boss (CBS)

BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW

Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Discovery)

**Critter Fixers: Country Vets (National Geographic)

Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America)

Growing Up Animal (Disney+)

Penguin Town (Netflix)

The Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)

BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW

911 Crisis Center (Oxygen)

Cold Justice (Oxygen)

Heist (Netflix)

Rich & Shameless (TNT)

**Secrets of Playboy (A&E)

Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)

BEST SPORTS SHOW

30 for 30 (ESPN)

Bad Sport (Netflix)

**Cheer (Netflix)

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (CMT)

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

UNINTERRUPTED’s Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers (Freevee)

BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW

90 Day Fiancé (TLC)

La Máscara del Amor (Estrella TV)

**Love Is Blind (Netflix)

Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)

My Mom, Your Dad (HBO Max)

The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Netflix)

BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW

Celebrity IOU (HGTV)

Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia)

Houses with History (HGTV)

Married to Real Estate (HGTV)

**Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles (Bravo)

Rock the Block (HGTV)

BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW

Glow Up (Netflix)

Love, Kam (SurvivorNetTV)

Making the Cut (Prime Video)

My Unorthodox Life (Netflix)

**Project Runway (Bravo)

The Hype (HBO Max)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

Abraham Lincoln (History)

Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (Netflix)

Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (Netflix)

Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo (Netflix)

Theodore Roosevelt (History)

**We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

**RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)

The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)

The Voice (NBC)

Top Chef (Bravo)

BEST SHOW HOST

Mayim Bialik – Jeopardy! (Syndicated)

Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker and Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez – Desus & Mero (Showtime)

**Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu); Top Chef (Bravo)

Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

MALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Jeff Goldblum – The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)

**Robert Irvine – Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)

Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Phil Rosenthal – Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)

FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)

Kelly Clarkson – The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated); The Voice (NBC); American Song Contest (NBC)

Joanna Gaines – Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia); Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia)

**Selena Gomez – Selena + Chef (HBO Max)

Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu); Top Chef (Bravo)

Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PROGRAMMING BY A NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM

Discovery+

**HBO Max

Hulu

Netflix

TLC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PRODUCTION

Bunim/Murray Productions

**The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC)

Kinetic Content

Raw TV

Sharp Entertainment

World of Wonder

Movie Review: “Jurassic World: Dominion” is an Overambitious Mess

We’ve come a long way since the first “Jurassic Park” (1993). And by that, I mean we’ve gone down, WAY down. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Jurassic Park movies. I didn’t mind the forgettable third film, but it wasn’t good.

Then, director Colin Trevorrow decided to reboot the franchise with a film about what would have happened if the park actually opened, and it was a promising start. “Jurassic World” had a simple plot, it was relevant, and a whole lot of fun. However, that slight spike plummeted after the tragedy that was “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”, and now has officially crashed after the unfortunate end to this trilogy.

“Jurassic World Dominion” had all the potential with the return of original cast and the idea of what happens now that the dinosaurs from the park are out in the real world living among us. But somehow, they managed to take that potential and squander it with a convoluted plot, redundant dinosaur scares, and forced, corny dialogue.

In “Jurassic World Dominion”, we are seeing the effect of dinosaurs being part of our world.  There are basically two stories going on; one follows Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt) as they try to protect their sort of daughter, Maisie (Isabella Sermon), from those who want to study her genetic make-up. All the while, Ellie (Laura Dern), Alan (Sam Neill), and Ian (Jeff Goldblum) unite to investigate the shady dealings at BioSyn which is now run by another Jurassic Park character, Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott). Genetic experimentation done by BioSyn has created an “ecological disaster” that might destroy the world’s food chain.

I’m not sure how much the plot matters here. Trevorrow clearly just wanted a reason to show off the dinosaurs and provide enough nostalgia for fan service.

It seems Trevorrow bit off more than he can chew. He had all the key ingredients to serve up a satisfying conclusion, but somehow, he didn’t create the right recipe. Though I’m sure he put a lot of effort into this script, he missed a huge opportunity to better connect the original characters with the new ones; and failed to deliver a screenplay that had us invested in them. Any sort of “development” is rushed, and the emotions that are supposed to feel impactful are never earned. The cast and this franchise deserved so much more from this “grand” finale.

Though “Jurassic World Dominion” isn’t a roaring success, it does rumble out some joy. Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcom is hilarious. The man is effortlessly entertaining. And of course, the dinosaurs! The kid in me still enjoys seeing the different dinos running around and terrorizing on screen. But I don’t think this morsel of fun justifies the two and half hours of chaos and confusion.

The only takeaway from “Jurassic World Dominion” is that the franchise is ready for extinction.

Rating: D+

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You can also watch my ICTN review of the film along my thoughts of “Ozark” Season 4 in the video below!

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Rapid Review: “Deep in the Heart” is a Beautiful Sight

Ben Master’s brilliantly captures the wildlife of Texas in the first ever nature documentary about the Lone Star State.

“Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story” is narrated by Texas native/ Academy Award winner, Matthew McConaughey. The film begins in the high plains and peaks of West Texas, flows along our many river systems, and concludes along the bay of the Gulf of Mexico. It showcases a variety of wildlife species ranging from mountain lions to the mysterious blind catfish.  Master’s vision is stunning, offering sharp and thrilling images that will consume audiences. Especially when we arrive at a heart-pounding hunt between a snake and bat.

It’s amazing we haven’t seen a doc like this about Texas before. The state has such diverse landscapes and unique creatures that deserve to be recognized. Though Masters excels at showing the beauty of our nature, his main goal is to inspire Texans to conserve what’s left of their wildlife. Encouraging water preservation and a plea to stop traps that are left in the wild to mangle animals who are unfortunate enough to get caught and left to die in the cruelest manner. That particular scene alone is enough to break your heart and seek change.

This isn’t a political documentary, it’s a humane one. “Deep in the Heart” is an immersive and breathtaking journey that powerfully portrays the importance of Texas’ conservation.

Rating: A

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Review: “Oklahoma” is a far from Traditional Production

Roger & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” at Winspear Opera House – Dallas, TX

Where to start with this production of Daniel Fish’s “Oklahoma!”. I’ll admit, even though I knew this was a different version of the 1943 production, I still had no idea what I would be walking into. The moment I sat down and saw the very bare, wooden set with walls of guns, I quickly knew, this wasn’t like anything I had imagined.

Due to the recent shootings and, unfortunately, the Tulsa shooting that happened during opening night, there was an insert card explaining a “prop gun use warning” in our playbills.  It was slightly alarming, and may have overshadowed a bit of the story.

Fish’s revival of the beloved Broadway classic is far from a traditional musical production.  The set lacks color with wooden walls and tables, the cast sits around until their turn to speak, and there is no big musical, choregraphed numbers.  This show is much more relaxed, and the dance numbers seem less rehearsed, with the exception of a emotionally heavy, solo dance in the second opening act.

I can appreciate a modern twist on an old school tale; however, this show never picked a lane.  One minute you’re in a comical, old western setting, next you’re in the dark listening to a depressing conversation about death.  It took me out of the story multiple times, till eventually I gave up trying to stay in.

Though, the production was not my cup of tea, the talent of the entire cast was!  Sean Grandillo does a fine job as Curly, offering his vocal and instrumental gifts while playing the guitar.  Sasha Hutchings as Laurey stuns audiences the moment she first sings onstage.  She effortlessly embodies her character from the beginning to the sad end.  BUT the hilarious shining star is Sis as Ado Annie!  Talk about a showstopper.  Whether she’s singing or flirting, you can’t take your eyes off of her.  In some dark times during the show, she was a bright light.  Confidently juggling two men, while acting like a sweet innocent little girl to her shotgun carrying daddy.

I’m all about creative, artistic liberties, but this production of “Oklahoma!” was just a little too outside of the box.  However, it is still enjoyable to watch this talented ensemble and hear their renditions of the beautiful soundtrack.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA! at the Winspear Opera House from May 31 – June 12.  Get tickets at https://broadwaydallas.org/shows/oklahoma/

Review: “Top Gun: Maverick” & “Fire Island”

This week I review the highly anticipated sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick” and the perfect rom-com to kick-off Pride Month, “Fire Island”.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is currently playing in theaters and “Fire Island” will be available to stream on Hulu June 3, 2022.

Watch the full reviews in the video below!

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