Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

In the criminal justice system... 3 stars Blog exclusive! New episodes of Law & Order: SVU premiere every Wednesday at 9pm on NBC I can't hold in my abnormal for SVU any longer. The series has survived the consistent departure of regular cast members and seems to always feature memorable guest appearances. I think the best new thing about Season 13 of the hit drama is actress Kelli Giddish's portrayal of transplanted Texas Detective Amanda Rollins. She has her fair share of problems (i.e. a dangerous gambling conviction) and has a lot of heart. What's missing from this season is the edge Christopher Meloni brought to the screen as Detective Stabler. The show needs more muscle, more fire and less glitz. Of second-most importance in terms of good new things to hit SVU is the hot, hot, hot romance budding between Detective Benson (Mariska Hartigay) and ADA Haden (Harry Connick Jr.). Connick is new to the show, but is a force of nature. However will the pressur...

Revenge Season 1 (2011-12) 4 Stars - Watch it on HULU or ABC Blog Exclusive! Every week on "Revenge" gets juicier than ever because of al the backstabbing, arson and manipulating going on in The Hamptons. sexual frustration going on it's hard to believe that the last few episodes have included romance! Yup that's right Daniel winds up proposing to Emily Thorne (played by Emily VanCamp) and even wants her to leave Long Island, New York with him immediately after the nuptials take place. I don't blame him... the traffic sucks in New York and there is nothing to look at while sitting on the Long Island Expressway. As least by running away to Paris the two lovebirds can get to be romantic while stuck in traffic. There's nothing like watching the sun set over the Eiffel Tower while your with your hunny. Poor guy can't win for losing; after all she doesn't really love him unconditionally. However at least Daniel's heart is still beating. Hon...

U.S. Bank (Robbers) 3 Stars As featured in: The Ithacan Loss, disappointment and dissatisfaction hang heavy over Ben Affleck’s second film “The Town,” an action-drama set in the bank robbery capital of America. A cast featuring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Jeremy Renner fill this film with solid performances. While heist movies like Stephen Soderberg’s “Ocean’s Eleven” feature no realistic consequences for the characters in those film, life changing situations await Ben Affleck and Co. in this emotionally charged picture. Heist movies seem to center around a criminal committing to one last job before retiring and living a fairy tale life. “The Town” takes this tired premise and tweaks it just a bit, injecting equal parts heart-wrenching drama and high-octane action. Ben Affleck stars as Doug MacRay, a leader of a tight crew that is among the best bank robbers in Boston. In the opening scene MacRay and his partner Jem Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) snatch a pretty bank manager for rans...