It was easy to get swept away in the pure romance of “Dear John” until the wheels fell off in the last act.

When a guy in the audience threw up, Adam Green knew his movie was a success.

To soothe what ails his aching psyche, Barry Kerch needs no antidepressant pill or psychiatrist's couch - just a drum kit and concert stage. The prescription of live rock also aids other members of Shinedown. Their emotion-roiling songs not only please fans but serve as a catharsis for the quartet, whose personal foibles often serve as inspiration for lyrics. For them, a live concert functions as a massive support group that helps Shinedown shed angst.

Maybe it’s because I’m a dad myself, but flicks with vengeful fathers have been added to my list of not-so-guilty popcorn-movie pleasures.

Taylor Swift is talented (more so for her songwriting), but c’mon people. She is not very good live. In fact, her Grammy performance Sunday was anything but swift. I was embarrassed for Stevie Nicks. Swift ruined “Rhiannon” by singing off-key.

Oscar nominees Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren chew the scenery at will in "The Last Station," an account of the final year in the life of “War and Peace” author Leo Tolstoy.

While Hollywood pats itself on its bloated, vainglorious back for a year of “cinematic achievement,” the equally snobby and self-righteous Golden Raspberry awards sneak in the servants’ entrance and try to crash the party.

Leading up to Tuesday’s Season 6 premiere of the uber-popular drama “Lost,” it seemed the only way you could avoid all the hype was to be lost on a desert island. At the very least you had to de-activate your Facebook and Twitter accounts and blow off work for the day.

Daniel Menaker, author and editor, has been thinking a lot about the qualities of good conversation. His new book, “A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation,” is an entertaining, thought-provoking, at times irritating compendium that considers the history, the structure, the process, the value of conversation.

Bob Peterson didn’t need a phone call to wake him up Tuesday morning. The Dover native learned he’s in the running for an Academy Award by watching the nominations being announced on TV.

Ten films have been nominated for best picture this Academy Awards season -- that doubles the number of movies you need to see if you're going to be informed for your office Oscar pool. Here's a handy at-a-glance guide to the 10 nominees for the highest honor in Hollywood, courtesy of our reviewers.

This week’s suggestions: 5 ways to party this Super weekend.

Steady diets of book club favorites earn you the opportunity to indulge every once in a while. Sometimes, you need a book with a little more humor and a little less drama. Something that will leave you feeling warm and satisfied.

Here are the nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards. The Oscars will be broadcast March 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Like the plane crash survivors pulled to The Island by fate, many “Lost” fans are helplessly drawn in by this inventive, enigmatic, powerful series.