Michael Russnow

Last week I got my sample ballot for the upcoming California primary and opened the booklet to the page for the United States Senate candidates.

I was almost blinded by the array of twenty-four candidates listed randomly in one huge roster. It was not even alphabetical, but rather a helter...

The Academy Awards was a lot better than last year's offering and generally moved along pretty well. However, Billy Crystal's performance was mixed. Sometimes he was spot on and in other instances resorted to forced humor that missed its mark.

After Morgan Freeman's opening we saw Billy in an uninspiring...

What's all this nonsense about liberals on the far left accusing President Obama and his team of hypocrisy because they've decided to level the playing field with the mega-rich Republicans by accepting Super PAC money to rev up for this year's presidential campaign?

Not to mention carping by the media,...

For the past two years I've written reviews of The Golden Globes excoriating Ricky Gervais for mostly tedious humor and lapses in judgment that resulted in so-called jokes that were in severely bad taste.

I'm not a prude and have enjoyed Gervais in the past when he came forth on...

In reviewing the Iowa Caucuses, wherein former Governor Mitt Romney achieved his desired victory with a margin of eight votes over former Senator Rick Santorum, I can only conclude that the votes demonstrate conclusively Shakespeare was right about the masses and their follow-the-pack mentality.

Reference Julius Caesar and the Brutus...

The great writer/director/bon vivant wit Hal Kanter died on Sunday at the ripe old age of 92. And it got me to remembering, and I decided to share the thoughts with you.

Many of you will recognize the name of the creator of Julia, many Bob Hope films,...

Last week I was among hundreds who gathered in downtown Los Angeles, having been summoned for jury duty. It was my first time in awhile -- I've been out of town a lot -- and, with a political background, was intrigued to be part of the judicial process.

It's also...

In reading all the stuff about Anthony Weiner and his foolish tweeting escapades, I can't help feeling the media has once again expanded the significance to gain ratings. Don't get me wrong. I don't condone what Congressman Weiner did and think it was dumb. But on what scale? Was it...

I had to admit some trepidation mounting the steps to the second level of the mini-mall which houses the Tres Stage Theatre in Hollywood. Not to maintain my balance, as the staircase is well-appointed with banisters and the like. But doing Chekhov is a risky thing in a modern age,...

I'm a fan of new technology and was among the first on my block to buy a VCR. I've also been surfing the Internet for many years and bought a cell phone not long after plans became affordable.

So, I'm far from a Luddite and, while I can appreciate those...

I don't write much about CBS' Survivor series, but I occasionally chime in on the finales, as I did a year and a half ago to blast Russell Hantz' utter lack of class and to cheer on Jud "Fabio" Birza's unexpected victory this past December.

However,...

Citigroup just sent me its annual statement and ballot to vote on suggestions from its Board of Directors, which, among other things, extends its flirtation with a reverse split that began two years ago.

For those unaware, a reverse split is the opposite of a split, which is when stock...

Celebrity Apprentice on NBC is an occasionally intriguing and amusing show wherein celebrities battle each other ostensibly to raise money for charity, but often boils down to whose ego will triumph.

It's also interesting what constitutes "celebrity," and while there have certainly been legitimate and significant ones in the past...

The Academy Awards on ABC opened very well. Okay, not so original, inserting Oscar hosts into nominated film clips, but it was fun. Plus, considering the question mark of having non-comedian movie stars James Franco and Anne Hathaway as hosts, it seemed to dispel the notion they weren't up to...

Heretofore, I have never been a Charlie Sheen fan nor have I disliked him. I've been disappointed as have many others with his apparent shallow lifestyle and risk-taking with his career. A career he was blessed to have entree to thanks to his father Martin Sheen's acting success, not to...

As I was leaving the Hallmark Hall of Fame reception at 20th Century Fox' commissary, a studio guard wished me a good night to which I replied, "I can die now, I've met Betty White."

You have to understand that I grew up knowing about Betty White, though my earliest...

The Golden Globes awards show is reputed to be the most fun of all the industry events, because it mixes motion pictures and TV, focuses on glamour rather than technical categories and everyone is sitting at dinner tables, drinking and table hopping throughout the night.

The winners are often surprises,...

A recent Los Angeles Times article recounted the fact that coming out on TV has been portrayed in the lives of even younger characters than before. While this is true and in fact notable, wouldn't it be even better if the performances were by actors much closer in...

I don't go to the ballet and have only seen one a long time ago. Interestingly, it was Swan Lake performed, as in the film Black Swan, at Lincoln Center in New York City.

It is an art form that doesn't interest...

With Christmas coming, isn't it great when a miracle occurs? Judson Birza (aka Fabio on the latest edition of CBS' Survivor Nicaragua) managed to stay under the radar as a good-looking, generally perceived vacuous competitor, who no one really considered a threat until it was too late. And he won!