Author: Amanda Rossenrode

My mother and father had a five year age gap, and she always said that where she noticed it the most was in their taste in music. My father preferred Roy Orbison, Motown, Elvis. My mother, more of a child of the sixties and seventies, was into the Bee Gees, the Doors and the Beatles.  My own husband and I have a similar age gap, he was graduating high school when I was in eighth grade (we didn’t meet then, that would be the height of creepiness).  His musical experiences are different than mine. His was the era of grunge…

Some “As Seen on TV” products are genius. Just look at the Snuggie. For when it’s cold but you need to use your hands and are too stupid to figure out a sweater. Or the Bacon Wave, for the person on the go who’s already started their fair share of grease fires. Others look genius, but only to people who have failed at life. Speaking as a representative of those that have failed at life, check out these sweet pieces of junk that can clutter up your closet for four easy payments of $19.99. If you call now, we’ll throw…

Congratulations, The Walking Dead, you’ve finally confirmed the “news” that Andrew Lincoln will not be returning after Season 9. The news that has been rumored, leaked and reported for months. Hmmm, I wonder how old Rick will exit the show. Alien abduction? He gets the old Skrillex cover band together and decides to tour the country? I see Rick as a secret dub-step fan. Or are you simply looking for a ratings spike when all of your strayed flock begrudgingly tune back in for Rick Death Watch 2018? Look, let’s face it, WD, you’ve been playing this game for a…

I knew going into this movie that it wasn’t exactly Oscar bait. This is the second time in the last few years that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had to fight an inanimate object. Humans are no longer any match for him. Johnson is as a performer, a goofy, lovable ham, going back to his days as an eyebrow raising wrestler. I figured this movie would be him saving the pretty lady whilst cracking wise. This movie didn’t get the memo. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. Or rather, it specifically knew what it wanted to be but…

It’s a busy world, what with all the streaming and new shows coming and going so fast you barely know they came out until they’re old news. Sometimes it’s nice to slow down, and make an appointment for a weekly show, arrange some snacks and ponder the show after an episode rather than binging them all at 3am and then shouting “Done!” Sharp Objects is HBO’s new limited series based on Gillian Flynn’s (Gone Girl, Dark Places) novel of the same name. Camille (Amy Adams) is a struggling journalist in Chicago sent back to her small home town of Wind…

I’ve never been one to be obsessed with movies from my childhood. I re-watch them on occasion as a gentle reminder of a simpler, sweeter time in life, when singing on the bus was adorable and not unnerving. Can I still sing “Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” on command? Of course. Did I get a brown dog and name him Charlie? In fact, I did. Do I sleep in a junkyard? Unfortunately. My nephew tends to watch the new stuff, Pixar and a bunch of TV cartoons that are a hell of a lot funnier than anything that was…

Warning! Major Westworld  Spoilers! Man, it’s been an iffy season for Westworld. We’re sliding towards the home plate, let’s talk about some of the crazy shenanigans in a show about robots that will have sex with you. As the season finale looms, join me in a discussion of the good, the bad, and the ugly of Westworld Season 2. What the Hell Was Up with That Detour to Shogun-land? Other than possibly setting up a spin-off series, like Game of Thrones has announced, I don’t understand the quick trip to feudal Japan. Sure, aesthetically it was cool enough, but on…

Hey guys, Memorial Day is upon us! It’s an awesome holiday for anyone who doesn’t work in hospitality, retail, restaurants, movie theaters or local news! For you guys, it will be one of the worst weekends of the year! Right up there with Black Friday and Labor Day, a day that ironically is supposed to be for people who work and work hard. If you can’t make it out to the beach this weekend because of work or the fact that your car is old enough to have a family with small children, here are some great ways you can…

There have been several years where an actor or actress has particularly standout success. Usually a string of well-chosen movies and a reminder that they are almost supernaturally good looking is all it takes to get them on the cover of every magazine in the urgent care waiting room. I told you I found that shrimp scampi on the bus, you shouldn’t have eaten it.  Donald Glover on the other hand, is proving not only is he a pretty face, but a modern renaissance man. Get ready to feel like a bigger failure than you already do and maybe don’t…

Sure, we’ve got Solo coming up, and Deadpool 2 and Jurassic World: The Trailer Will Be Better Than the Movie, coming up. We’ve been hearing about these movies since we were born practically. But there’s literally dozens of other films coming out that are destined to crush those movies at the box office. Some sound intriguing and some sound like they were made as the result of a lost bet.  Movies like … Tag Tag, starring Ed Helms, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner, is a movie based on a true story about a group of friends playing a decade’s long…