Bill Lawrence

Florida noir? “Bad Monkey” nails it

There’s a genre that we might call “Florida noir” and “Florida Gothic.”
Or we might not. “Noir” and “Gothic” imply darkness and gloom; Florida implies blue skies, clear water and open possibilities.
That contrast helps propel these tales. They include some of the novels by Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry and Elmore Leonard and occasional mini-series. Last year was Netflix’s “Florida Man”; now the delightful “Bad Monkey,” with Vince Vaughn (shown here) is Wednesdays on Apple TV+, starting Aug. 14. Read more…

It’s handy to have a superstar neighbor

Being nice to your neighbors is always important, we’re told.
But it’s especially important if your neighbor is Hollywood’s all-time box-office champion. That sort of explains why Harrison Ford has a supporting role (ahown here)n in “Shrinking,” the witty new Apple TV+ show.
“Harrison’s my neighbor and so I knew him a little bit …. He’s a good dude,” Bill Lawrence told the Television Critics Association, sounding fairly casual about living near Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Read more…