Summertime is a time for rashes–poison ivy, heat rash–but this summer there’s been a rash of religion on reality shows. Why, just in the last week alone I’ve seen a group of former boy band members go through a Native American blessing ceremony on VH1’s “Mission: Manband” and watched a real estate speculator perform a…

I ought to know not to judge a flick by its trailer. It’s the cheap pick-up line, the carnival barker, the radio hit that makes you think the whole album is pop schlock. And so, when I saw the trailer for “In Her Shoes,” starring Toni Collette, Shirley McLaine and Cameron Diaz–a daffy, bouncy Diaz,…

The one movie I have been anxiously waiting to see all summer long is the limited-release romantic drama-posing-as-a-musical, “Once.” Critics have been heaping praise on it, and now I can understand why. What seems like a very simple, formulaic tale–boy meets girl, boy and girl can’t be together because they are from different worlds, boy…

There are two kinds of reality shows: One where the contestants have to have some kind of talent or skill (“Top Chef,” “Project Runway,” “American Idol”), and one where participants are just chosen based on looks or personality (“The Real World,” “America’s Next Top Model”). CBS’s “Big Brother” is obviously in the latter category. This…

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