Steve Baltin

Steve Baltin has written for Rolling Stone, Forbes, Billboard, Los Angeles Times, MOJO and more, as well as hosted the Amazon Prime series ‘Riffing With’ and the podcast ‘My Turning Point.’ He is a Southern California-based writer who loves a great sitcom.
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The Greatest Show on Earth: Springsteen, E Street and ‘Road Diary’

Having been a music journalist for over 30 years for the likes of Rolling Stone, The L.A. Times, Billboard, Chicago Tribune and pretty much everywhere else, I have been to easily 5000 plus shows. I can safely say there is nothing on earth like being at a Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band show.

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Norah Jones’ Streaming Watchlist

After three long years, Grammy-winning star Norah Jones is going back on tour. She tells the Watercooler’s Steve Baltin what she’s been listening to and watching — and what she’s up to on her podcast.

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Meet The Real Beatles: Get Back and the Human Side of the Mythical Band

Veteran music journalist Steve Baltin analyzes the Beatles doc ‘Get Back’ and sees their human side, their joy — and the truth behind their split.

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Community

At its best, this show is high art, mixing creativity, believability, thoughtfulness, and heart into some of the finest individual episodes of TV you can find.

Steve Baltin

Steve Baltin has written for Rolling Stone, Forbes, Billboard, Los Angeles Times, MOJO and more, as well as hosted the Amazon Prime series ‘Riffing With’ and the podcast ‘My Turning Point.’ He is a Southern California-based writer who loves a great sitcom.
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The Princess

The Princess is an unexpected, action-filled fairytale that pays tribute to the martial-arts genre centered around a tough heroine worth cheering for.

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Becoming Elizabeth

Becoming Elizabeth goes beyond mere court intrigue and makes a testimony to the influence of the powerful over the powerless. It’s assisted majorly by an eager and incredibly telling arrangement of sounds that stitches the lofty narrative together. In short, it’s a bold entry in the arena of historical dramas.

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Elvis

A sweeping biopic that manages to capture Elvis Presley’s rise from a shy kid from Memphis to a rock ‘n’ roll icon in Las Vegas to his wild, unprecedented popularity around the world.

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The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is a wildly imaginative take on the superhero genre, but it works mainly because of the strong characters and dysfunctional family at its core.

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Old Enough!

Though the idea of sending a three-year-old to the supermarket by themselves might seem terrifying, the Japanese documentary series Old Enough! is hardly a white-knuckle experience. It’s a sweet and watchable show showcasing the kids’ natural charisma.

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Rutherford Falls

Rutherford Falls is a clever and sweet satire similar to Michael Schur’s other half-hour comedies. Like Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, it’s surprisingly deep and deserves just as much attention.

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The 10 Best Episodes of Love, Death + Robots

Netflix’s animated anthology Love, Death + Robots includes so many worthwhile episodes, but these 10 are a great place to start.

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Why I’m Watching Ms. Marvel and You Should Too

Ms. Marvel delivers the representation Muslims finally deserve. And you don’t have to be Muslim to appreciate it.

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Fire Island

Fire Island is one of the best gay films released in recent memory. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and it is beautifully written, acted, and directed. It may not win Oscars–comedies rarely do; gay films more rarely still–but it is an instant classic that critics and audiences will be citing for years.

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Transport Me: Holiday Movies from Around the World

If you and your family are getting tired of the same old Christmas stories year after year, why not dig a little deeper and try these picks from around the world?

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What to Watch (and Skip) with Thanksgiving Guests

What to watch – and what to skip – if you’re spending Thanksgiving with kids, teenagers, older generations, or all of them under one roof? Your 2022 Watercooler Guide to holiday movies.

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Transport Me: The Best International Horror Movies

Most horror aficionados have seen the American classics and their derivatives: The Shining, The Exorcist, all the Halloween movies, or the other big franchises. Disturbing in their own ways, American horror often follows predictable patterns and tropes. If you’re ready to explore some new worlds and watch something unexpected, it’s time to head overseas. Each

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Halloween Movies that Won’t Haunt You

It’s that time of year when pumpkins line the streets and the group chats are abuzz with costume scheming. Halloween is on the brain. And what better way to set the mood than a fun holiday flick to enchant your home screens? But if you’re anything like me, and your bandwidth for spooky maxes out

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A Career Reinvention Watchlist

As layoffs continue in the wake of a year of ominous headlines about the bots who are replacing us, a recent EY report found that over 70% of employees are reeling from AI anxiety. That actually sounds low. The idea of having to concoct a new livelihood – one that won’t be taken over by

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Laid Off? 10 Movies to Help You Cope

What to watch when you’ve been laid off? Here are the best movies about getting downsized and starting over.

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Summer Escape Binges: The Best Series to Transport You

The best escapist shows and movies with travel and exotic settings.

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Teen Romance for the Sweltering Summer

There’s a particular teenage feeling of promise to summer for me. School is out, the sun is beating, and the space between June and September seems big enough to live a lifetime in. Even for someone staunchly past teenhood, the tickle of summertime is exciting, Teen Romance For Sweltering Summer and self-transformation– and these are

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Round the World: Summer Camp Movies for Grownups

Ah, summer camp. Images of wood cabins, elaborate pranks, cringe-y talent show performances, and teens with raging hormones have filled our brains, thanks to what’s become a subgenre of American & Summer Camp Movies.. But summer camp stories take on different depths depending upon the decade and the country where they’re set, and they can

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