Left to my own devices

Celebrity chef Paula Deen has had a rough month. Falling from grace due to accusations (and admissions) of using racial slurs and some poor judgement in what she's asked her African-American staff to do, the 'aw shucks' southern cook continues to feel the heat . No word on whether or not she's gotten out of the kitchen. Former Congressman Anthony Weiner is now running for mayor of New York City, despite having resigned his seat from the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011 after his sexual proclivities with women (while married) were made public. Now, in the midst of his mayoral campaign, he's been caught again, or should I say his sexual alter-ego Carlos Danger has. Racist chefs, sexually dangerous politicians, media scrutiny, public dismay -- these aren't good things, obviously. Both of the aforementioned people have faced harsh judgement from many, including myself. I don't much care for what both Paula Deen and Anthony Weiner have admitted...

I quite enjoyed the summer action movie Pacific Rim . Set in the not-too-distant future, its premise is that a rift has opened up deep in the Pacific Ocean, a rift to another world. Gigantic monsters from this world come through the rift to attack and destroy our coastal cities. Humanity has in-turn banded together and created Transformer-sized robots, known as Jaegers, utilizing two human co-pilots as the brains. What ensues is a bushel load of monsters vs. robots battles. It's great fun. Pacific Rim 's box office has been respectable, but not stupendous. Mostly, it seems to be garnering accolades from folks for showcasing a multi-racial set of actors in prominent roles, all the while not making a big on-screen fuss of, 'Oh, look! We have a multi-racial cast!' Consider me amongst the praisers. It was refreshing to have British actor Idris Elba as the main commander, Pentecost, and Asian actress Rinko Kikuchi as the lead heroine, Mako. The latter character,...

Last night on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) I was watching some reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . The cable channel, known mostly for showcasing older and classic cinema, has been running Carson repeats every Monday evening in July. To call these interviews with great actors and actresses a 'treasure trove' would do them an injustice. I've enjoyed watching them immensely. Last night's broadcast was no exception.

It's been awhile since we've had Pic of the Week. Our latest is Days of Our Lives actor Chandler Massey. Enjoy!

Beloved film critic Roger Ebert died three months ago, after several years of dealing with cancer and its consequences. I never knew him, yet miss him. I enjoyed reading his thoughts, whether they were via his movie reviews, blog posts, or tweets. He was, as we all are, unique. I miss the man. I miss his opinions. There is still an emptiness where he once existed, a void. None of this is particularly irregular after someone dies. And yet... Ebert's legacy is proving to be an unusual and, dare I say it, awkward one. His Twitter account has been left active. His wife, Chaz, and others (honestly, I'm not really sure who all has access to it) continue to tweet under the banner that had once belonged to an individual. It was a personal account, a window into the heart and mind of a wonderful man. Judging from some of the responses to recent tweets, I'm not the only one made uncomfortable by the account's continuation.

Half of 2013 is now gone. As a moviegoer and film lover, what first springs to mind when such a milestone passes is: What are the best movies I've seen so far this year? I've watched 16 movies that can be counted as 2013 films and, based upon those offerings, it's been a solid, if unremarkable year in cinema thus far. Here, then, is my favorite movie 2013, as of mid-year.