Immediately after we watched the trailer for Dreamworks’ upcoming animated film The Boss Baby, Samantha whispered into the darkness of the theater: “I have a lot of questions.” Maddy had questions, too. As best as we could tell, this was a movie about a seven-year-old named Tim who is jealous of the attention his parents are giving to a talking baby (voiced by Alec Baldwin) who runs a corporation that wages a shadow war on puppies.
Read MoreThe Well-Told Tale / The Depressive Artist / Seeking the Formula
I watch a lot of murder mysteries in my spare time. I love any TV show with a strong female lead, and the murder mystery genre offers a lot to reckon with in this area, from Castle to Miss Fisher to The Bletchey Circle to Murder, She Wrote. Each of these shows takes place in different time periods and different parts of the world, but there are a few themes that unite them: a whip-smart leading lady (or two, or four) has to constantly reckon with a world that undermines her and doesn't take her seriously. She proves, over and over again, that she is a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes it's serious, like in Bletchley. Sometimes it's funny, like in Castle. Sometimes it's both, like in Miss Fisher.
Read MoreThe Grey: Tackling depression, masculinity, suicide, survival, and magical wolves.
Most people go into The Grey with spoilers in mind. I didn't. I got lucky. Somehow, I managed to avoid any and all trailers for this film. I only knew Liam Neeson Fights Wolves. I had also heard the film "sucked" and that the wolves didn't look realistic. I knew nothing else.
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