‘Silver Linings’ Won’t ‘Fade Away’

DREAMSVILLE’S WEEK IN DVD “Silver Linings Playbook”: The most interesting and unusual wide-release film of 2012, one that netted a Best Actress Oscar for Jennifer Lawrence (and should have secured a best Supporting Actor nod for Robert DeNiro … and it certainly was a better picture than “Argo,” which was too by-the-book for our tastes). […]

From L.A., Russia, Germany and London With Love

DREAMSVILLE’S WEEK IN DVD “Gangster Squad,” set in Los Angeles in 1949, loosely tells the story of an elite L.A.P.D. crime-fighting unit set up to combat the imminent takeover of L.A.’s streets by notorious mobster Mickey Cohen, who was slowly but surely becoming the kingpin of the city’s dope, vice and gambling dens. He had […]

Stardom, Celebrity, Fame and Narrative

I’ve often wondered about Jennifer Aniston’s stardom. Here’s an actress who’s become a star of sorts despite her middle-of-the-road looks and just-average acting abilities. After the demise of “Friends,” she went on to star in a host of comedies, most of which — because of her co-stars or director or a good script — have […]