Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
Where were you the day the aliens arrived? If you watch the TV series V, which starts this Monday night on Pro7, you’ll have the answer. The aliens in the series cordially call themselves the Visitors. They cure disease and give teenagers rides in their space shuttle. They ask only for some water and minerals to take home with them. … >>
Eight years ago this Sunday, the child in us died, and we were all forced to grow up a little bit. That child was Fred Rogers — psychologist, musician, minister, TV star. For 33 years, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was the show that everyone in America watched when they were little. Rogers understood children like nobody else. He talked directly to … >>
My sister and I didn’t have much in common as kids, but somehow we always managed to spend Thursday nights together. That’s when The Waltons was on. Most of you are probably familiar with the series about the family living in the mountains of Virginia during the Great Depression. The show had 221 episodes, and I think we watched them … >>
The film took three and a half years to make. It involved dozens of interviews, contributions from thousands of individuals, 44 terabytes’ worth of digital footage and filming on at least three continents. And it asked the question that has haunted a generation: Who owns Star Wars? For those who haven’t seen them — and, strangely, I keep meeting people … >>
It was the darkest movie I’d ever seen. A relentless killer stalked a young woman in Los Angeles. No matter what she did, she wasn’t safe. He was fully armed, he was unstoppable and he’d find her. He was the Terminator, in a movie filmed in 1984. My friends and I thought the film was good, but extremely violent — … >>
Going to the movies this weekend will take us back 40 years, and ahead 240 years, in the new, “reimagined” Star Trek film. In 1969, poor ratings caused the demise of the original television series. But the Star Trek franchise gained so much momentum over the years that it’s now unstoppable. Why is it so popular? One word: optimism. Unlike … >>
Holiday weekends like Easter are also Hollywood weekends in America. It’s when whole families drive to their local multiplex to see the latest movies. Before they go, many of them turn to their favorite oracle for advice. Roger Ebert has been reviewing films for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, when he was only 25. In 1975, he teamed up with … >>