Peyton List

CHICAGO – The overwrought movie term “family fare” can automatically inspire a swift movement toward the exits. The true something-for-everyone film is rare, and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” actually fulfills that standard. It’s strange, funny and heart-warming, plus features a cast that can deliver the somewhat oddball material.

CHICAGO – Watching commercial-free episodes back-to-back on DVD illuminates a show’s strengths and weaknesses (while also making drinking games easier to spot from a show’s repetitive moments). “Lost” and “24” were helped amply by their season sets, as their breakneck pace worked even better without a need to push fast forward on a DVR remote.

CHICAGO – It comes to no surprise to hear that freshman series “FlashForward” got picked up for a full season by ABC, according to popular blogger Michael Ausiello.

CHICAGO – Do you think that if the creators of “Lost” were allowed a glimpse at their futures when their hit show began that they would have seen a montage of all the series that it would inspire?