John Semley's posts

In his three decades as a game show host, Alex Trebek has seen a lot: a teetotaling Mormon who knew a lot about…

If your main problem with Forrest Gump—Robert Zemeckis’ outsized epic of good ol’ American stick-to-itiveness—is…

As if you needed another reason to like Staind, the nü-metal torchbearers are making national headlines after…

Exceptionally bankable movie star Will Smith is taking a well-deserved break form anchoring box office poison like Af…

Note: The following consideration of female sexuality in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac was written by a…

1. Pawnee vs. Eagleton, Parks And Recreation
When Pawnee, Indiana, was founded (fictionally, of course) in 1817, a…

This week’s question comes from contributor John Semley: What fictional concert would you love to attend?

Building a television ensemble is a tricky proposition. There must be enough outsized characters to keep the laughs…

Welcome back to AVQ&A, where we throw out a question for discussion among the staff and readers. Consider this a…

This week’s question comes from reader Wade Carney:

1. Nat King Cole, “Mona Lisa” (1950)
Most songs are inspired by songwriters’ emotions or a story that they want to…

1. Stop Making Sense (1984), Jonathan Demme
The promotional efforts for Jonathan Demme’s 1984 collaboration with…

Welcome back to AVQ&A, where we throw out a question for discussion among the staff and readers. Consider this a…

1. Jaws 3-D
As a quick look of the following list will confirm, picking the worst sequel of 1983 is an exercise in…

Welcome back to AVQ&A, where we throw out a question for discussion among the staff and readers. Consider this a…

This week’s question: What book or series of books should be made into a TV show?

1. Paul Kinsey’s Star Trek script, Mad Men
Breaking Bad’s typically grim, full-throttle mid-fifth-season première…

Welcome back to AVQ&A, where we throw out a question for discussion among the staff and readers. Consider this a…

Welcome back to AVQ&A, where we throw out a question for discussion among the staff and readers. Consider this a…

When we wrote this story in 2013, we had no idea it would seem so prescient years later.