Who Is Don Draper? The Fourth Season Premiere of Mad Men Reviewed

Ah, it's the moment you've been waiting for: The season premiere of Mad Men has arrived and with it comes the expectation that it will save your summer from the doldrums. Fun fact: It will! I already watched the premiere and it was just about the most fun episode of Mad Men ever. Or at least since the season three finale. Check out what I had to say for the Observer:

This season of Mad Men is poised to be truly remarkable because of the way it seems to want to reinvent itself. As David Simon did with The Wire, Weiner has let Mad Men evolve into a show many probably didn't expect when things started three summers ago. The kick-off to season four is become bouncy, engaging, funny, brisk and loose and yet hasn't lost one ounce of the gravitas that drew you to the series in the first place.

Read the rest here. Otherwise, enjoy the ride. Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, FTW!

Shutter Island: Inception Reviewed

Like the rest of the natural world — or the natural world that cares about filmmaking — I saw Inception this weekend (in gloriously stupid big IMAX). And, spoiler: I didn't love it. Of course, I didn't dislike it either — there just wasn't enough of an emotional attachment to anything happening on screen to make feel too strongly about Inception one way or another. Beyond the visuals, which are some of the best ever put to celluloid. Anyway, why did I feel like this? What are Inception's secrets? Click ahead...if you dare.

A Midsummer Night's Moderately Interesting Dream: 42 Inch Television Liveblogs the All-Star Game

Hello friends! If it's the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, then it's time for my patented All-Star Game running diary. I used to give a hat-tip to Bill Simmons for this conceit, but he sucks now. Enjoy the carnage!

7:53: Just put on Fox to find Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Well, probably not. Also, does anyone else think this show should be called So That's What Happened to Jeff Foxworthy?

8:00: In case you were wondering, these were the first two sentences of the Fox telecast: "Daddy, what are stars made of?" And: "Since the beginning of time man has looked..." oh hang on, I just threw up. This is going to be a tough one.

The King Has Arrived: Why Lebron James Deserved to Tell Cleveland to Stuff It

Hello friends! Apologies for the complete lack of posting lately — between my other writing priorities (Movieline! The Observer!) and life in general, it has been tough to set aside even a moment to write here at 42 Inch Television homebase. Alas, those are the breaks when you're hacking through life as a freelance writer. But I found some time today to write about my current vitriolic obsession: The media coverage of LeBron James.

"Yawn!" you say and move your mouse up to the address bar and begin to head out of town. But wait! Before you go, consider that you haven't read this particular opinion about LeBron, ESPN and the entire circus, all day. And it all starts with two simple words: Fuck Cleveland.