Billy Joel, Popular Song, PBS, And Needing A Piano
A PBS concert special looking at the legacy of Billy Joel brings some great stuff, some less great stuff, and a chance to reflect.
Arts
The Madly Uneven 'Downton Abbey' Turns Its Eye From Money To Sex
The fifth season of Downton Abbey continues some trends from past seasons — flawed pacing, especially. But its looks at the choices of women are intriguing.
No Yolk: Eggs Beat Most Other Foods In Our Blog Last Year
We looked back at the most popular posts of 2014 and found many of them were about eggs. So we asked: What makes this everyday food so intriguing?
'Leviathan' Shows A Film And Filmmaker Unafraid Of Big Questions
Andrey Zvyagintsev's story of corruption in post-Soviet Russia won funding from the Ministry Of Culture, but his picture of his homeland is unsettling.
Murder, Cows And Bad Funerals In The Absurd Comedy Of 'Li'l Quinquin'
Bruno Dumont's inconclusively plotted story of a boy crossing paths with detectives and other locals was made as a miniseries, but feels little like traditional television.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: From Sixth And I, Quizzes And Questions
The second part of our December live show from the Sixth And I synagogue brings quizzes with some of our pals and questions from our audience.
Grasping For Gravitas In 'A Most Violent Year'
J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year wants to be an elegant statement on the tough truth about making it in America. Instead, it tries to import seriousness it can't back up with substance.
'A Most Violent Year,' But A Film With Restraint
J.C. Chandor makes provocative use of the imagery of violence to explore the life of a bad man who wants to seem good.
A Cure For The Common Hangover, Found On The Stove
Chef Anthony Lamas says posole, a Mexican hominy stew, is great if you're cold, hung over or just had a long night. "It's a cure in a bowl" that's infinitely customizable, he says.