Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas in John Carney's Power Ballad. The "power ballad," that ubiquitous1980s euphemism for slow songs made iconic by hair bands, carries a number of definitions, both lofty and not. For serious musicians, it's been described as "an emotional rock or pop song that starts as a slow, quiet, and introspective tune... progressively builds in intensity, and ultimately explodes into a grandiose, highly emotional climax featuring soaring vocals, heavy drums, and l

Based on last year's response to "I'm Just Ken," I'm following up with another Oscar-related parody. Not one of this year's Original Song nominees, but a familiar tune, nonetheless. Please press "Play" and (if you're up for it) sing along! Hopin’ For a Win (w/Apologies to Bob Dylan) How many films must an actor make before you call him a star? Yes, and how many smiles can celebrities fake before we see who they are? How many ways do you measure success before they raise up t

One of the downsides of a pandemic is watching otherwise gainfully employed individuals scrounging for purpose. No, I'm not talking about the unfortunate people who lost jobs or were furloughed because social distancing and the implementation of CDC Guidelines forced their workplace to close or to decrease the number of employees. I'm talking about those who continue to collect a paycheck even if there is little for them to do. Take film critics, for instance. With many theat